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Warren Buffett is an interesting guy.
He bought his home in 1958 for $31,500 and continues to live there, though he is worth $92.4 billion. Breakfast is a drive-thru sandwich from Mcdonald’s where he deploys coupons.
He is equal parts fascinating and frugal.
During some internet rumblings, I stumbled upon his advice. I had expectations from the Oracle of Omaha about financial advice.
Similar to the mini backpack comeback, I was wrong.
The Buffett master said, pick a frugal spouse.
Not pick an index fund.
Not pick community college.
And not pick anything but ketchup and baked beans ice cream.
Pick. A. Frugal. Spouse.
I’m so winning the frugal spouse game.
The Wedding Day
I married Mr. BuLL for normal, society-supporting reason, love.
The day we got married, I woke up feeling terrible which defied my expectations for a wedding day.
I had slept on an air mattress in my parent’s media room and the computer had been pinging all night with chat messages. Plus, I had shrimp for dinner. Queasily, I realized that I had a shrimp sensitively.
As I lay there on a semi-deflated mattress, I wondered in a grumpy way, is this my body’s way of saying I shouldn’t get married?
The inner voice had a firm response, no.
So, I slept a bit longer, drank extra coffee, ate less food, and was rewarded with a beautiful day full of happy tears.
Only love can turn a grumpy, shrimp-hungover, sleepless zombie into a blissful bride on her wedding day.
The Frugal Way
There are many reasons I’m winning the frugal spouse game.
Praise the world’s supply of hot coffee that I fell in love with a frugal guy.
He grew up with frugalness and was living sparse long before I had to.
His family gave him savings bonds instead of cash for his birthday. He had a nest egg for college or a house down payment because his mom aggressively saved for his future.
His rural roots kept his finances grounded with saving before spending.
My frugalness started later, but it helped to have Mr. BuLL sharing a similar lifestyle.
It didn’t seem odd that we shut off lights every time we left the room. No one complained about conserving water with less flushing. There were no arguments about using coupons and waiting for sales.
His favorite kind of money is what’s kept in a bank or brokerage account, not paid in bloated costs, frequent fees, or lifestyle inflation.
Dream Driven
Mr. BuLL is a dreamer.
He has big and small dreams, including operating a ranch in Montana. Well, he succeeded in partial accuracy with that one, as I type this from our home in Montana!
He is driven to efficiency similar to Sheldon from Big Bang Theory but with better social skills.
Currently, he’s working on a master’s while working 40+ hours a week.
His GPA is 3.97.
I claim his country roots as the reason for his work ethic.
His childhood home was wood burning which required frequent tending. Cutting, splitting, piling outside, pilling inside, and feeding the belly of the fireplace. When utilities demand manual labor, hard work isn’t an expectation, it’s a lifestyle.
His current job demands long hours and manual labor too. Plus, he volunteered to help the facility by tending the landscape and fixing what he could when he isn’t busy with calls and contracts.
If humans had an off switch, Mr. BuLL’s is broken.
His drive is impressive and inspirational. His skills are wide-ranging, from almost selling our home without a realtor to replacing a toilet. On rare occasions, he gets professional help.
Except for one time he flipped the entire house’s big, outside breaker when he was tangoing with a dryer outlet, he has a knack for figuring out how to accomplish almost anything.
His motivation leeches over to me like marriage osmosis. While he’s off climbing new heights, I can’t help but map my own.
It’s easy to look at the horizon and locate a destination when your husband is fixing the plane in the background.
Smart Long-Term Goals
Mr. BuLL makes excellent long-term investments including:
- Me (he’s an excellent choice of character, obviously)
- Retirement accounts (401(k) and Roth IRA)
- Higher education
- Houses
- Military service
- Career field
His long-term goals are value driven. He isn’t swayed by the whim of the day, instead invests in what has provided the best historic returns.
He would rather sacrifice small amounts today to pay off bigger rewards in the future. Mr. BuLL’s strategy has built wealth, proved career success, and has funded a rewarding lifestyle.
Winning the Frugal Spouse Game
Mr. BuLL is like a well-aged cheese. An aged cheese head is more appropriate since he’s from Wisconsin.
Business Insider has gooey insight,
“Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.”
An insight that brings instant relief.
I have to hang out with my coworkers since my personal finances demand it like the diva she is.
My husband, however, was a choice and continues to be a choice I make every day. I’m grateful to have picked a partner who’s a frugal nerd just like me.
Thank you for sharing your sweet spouse story, Steveark.
My wife grew up on a small farm driving a tractor and tending to livestock. They had all they needed but not much surplus so she was used to making do and being happy. Forty-four married years later I recognize her as the reason we have millions and were able to retire early from paid work. A frugal spouse who has your back in any situation, that’s priceless indeed.
I hang out with government employees and 70 year olds, in my small world they’re everywhere. 😉
Frugal people are rare.