51 comments

Join us for Camp Mustache: May 30, Pacific Northwest!

345210-250People who are pursuing Frugal yet Badass Lives of Leisure tend to be pretty fun to hang around with. I learned this shortly after starting this blog, and since then I have cashed in on many opportunities to meet up with fellow Mustachians.

This is another one of those, but a pretty ambitious one. Three long-term members of our gang have taken it upon themselves to arrange an all-weekend meetup at a retro (but beautiful) camp in the Pacific Northwest – roughly between Tacoma, WA and Mt. Ranier. They were kind enough to invite me and the eminently cool writer J.D. Roth to join, and of course we both said yes.

More than just a meetup, it is a fully planned deal with 50 spaces (20 were filled before publishing this article) where the food and accommodation is included. And since it is planned by true Mustachians, it is a non-profit event, only $200 for the whole thing, and you can get there from Seattle/Tacoma on under a gallon of gas in a good car (or a few bowls of oats on your bike). Quite a nice contrast from the decadence of those Ecuador trips.

Update: I just got word from the organizers that the remaining spots filled up. And it was only lunchtime on the Saturday that I posted this. This is further evidence towards my theory that the Pacific Northwest is the nation’s hotbed of Mustachianism.

This should be a fun but not overly formal and scheduled event. For my part, I hope to hang around, do some hiking and lake activities, stay up late and respectfully break various rules, and talk with you about interesting things.. but not deliver any sort of prepared presentation.

The dates are from Friday, May 30 until Sunday, June 1st.

I’ve taken down the link to the ticket page since they are all spoken for. Many thanks to hosts Kristin, Joe and Emma for doing all of the hard work! We now return to our regularly scheduled programming..

Epilogue:

The event has come and gone, but the memories will be around for good. What an amazing experience! What a group of readers this blog has. Here is a little summary from Joe on the event, with a picture of the gang.

 

  • Pretired Nick March 29, 2014, 8:44 am

    Oooh, back in MY neck of the woods! I’ll have to see if I can swing this!

    Reply
  • Derek and Sara March 29, 2014, 9:01 am

    Sweet!! This is in my neck of the woods, and would love to meet you and go on a bike/canoe ride or walk somewhere awesome into the mountains. I’ll opt out of the meetup because there are probably others who could use it more than us, but we’d love to show you some of why we love it here :)
    My canoe photos/thoughts here :)

    http://wecanoe.wordpress.com

    Cheers!
    Derek and Sara

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache March 29, 2014, 9:07 am

      Cool Sara (or is that Derek?).. I plan to make a longer trip of this, arriving a bit early or leaving late to do some Seattle/Portland visiting along with just the Camp. Canoeing is a great thing!

      Reply
      • Derek and Sara March 29, 2014, 9:18 am

        Right on. Let us know. We can’t accommodate, as we are in a 700 sf studio apt(we have a house but rent it out and make double payments so we can pay off sooner) but there are places to rent for the night right on the lake that most of the latest photos on my site are from. We can supply you with an extra canoe though!

        Reply
      • Leah March 29, 2014, 11:29 am

        Portland is awesome! My husband and I would be happy to show you some great hikes/bike rides/food carts in the Portland area if you come out early or stay late.

        Reply
      • Cassandra Moya March 31, 2015, 5:12 pm

        Dear Mr. MM,

        Will there be another event in 2015?

        Sincerely,
        Cassandra and Herb from Chicago

        Reply
        • Mr. Money Mustache March 31, 2015, 7:38 pm

          Hey Cassandra, thanks for your interest! Yes, there is a Camp Mustache II, but it’s already sold out so I didn’t want to trouble everyone with a separate blog post.

          Stuff like this gets announced on Twitter first (you can follow me there, or just watch the twitter feed that is duplicated here in the sidebar), and the forum in this case, then Facebook, then the blog as a last resort if we still need more people.

          Here’s the page for the 2015 event: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1201656

          Reply
  • Joe March 29, 2014, 9:05 am

    Whoa, I might be able to make this one. Need to check with Mrs. RB40 and the kid, first.
    *update* Alright! The missus said OK, and I booked the ticket.

    Reply
    • Joe (yolfer) March 29, 2014, 9:32 pm

      Yesssss, finally, the meeting of the Joes! See you in May!

      Reply
  • Spoonman March 29, 2014, 9:20 am

    This is a great idea! I hope this is held every year. Alas, we already have too many things going on this summer. I will be the first to jump on this next year because we will be FI and live right in the area.

    Reply
  • Michelle March 29, 2014, 9:23 am

    This sounds like so much fun! Too bad I’m busy that weekend :( Have fun to those that go!

    Reply
  • Lee Moore March 29, 2014, 9:44 am

    Man oh man I would love to attend this. I live right up the road in Tacoma so this would be perfect for me (couldn’t quite sell the Ecuador trip to my wife…). However that weekend I’ve already planned a large construction project on my house (gutting the kitchen to replace lathe and plaster with insulation and sheet
    rock).
    I saw you plan to make this a longer trip than just the camping so maybe at some point you’ll be free or something. Would love to meet Mr. Money Mustache, have a beer or two and b.s.

    Reply
  • Ed March 29, 2014, 9:52 am

    We won’t be able to make it this trip, but I wanted to know if you think there is enough interest out there for something like this in the Colorado area? -Ed

    Reply
  • chattcheapster March 29, 2014, 10:33 am

    Would have been a great opportunity to meet you AND get back to the Pacific Northwest. Haven’t been since we moved from Oakland to Chattanooga 7 years ago.

    Alas, my second demon spawn is due around that time.

    Have fun and drink as much local beer as possible.

    Reply
  • William Murphey March 29, 2014, 10:46 am

    My family would love to attend from Texas. Unfortunately, my daughters last day of school is May 30th. We will be on the road all summer traveling the US if any other events pop up. Looking for other financially free families to travel /hang with.

    Wife and I are 40, our daughter is 7.

    Reply
  • HKarcher March 29, 2014, 11:25 am

    Sweet, coming from Seattle looking forward to fellow mustachians!

    Reply
  • George Seamans March 29, 2014, 11:30 am

    Flying from Boston; this should be great!

    Reply
    • Joe (yolfer) March 29, 2014, 9:47 pm

      Wow, you might win “Farthest travelled”!

      Reply
      • AKstache April 29, 2014, 1:07 am

        How about Anchorage, AK? Did I win the prize?? :-)

        Reply
  • Erik Y March 29, 2014, 12:02 pm

    We’re in Portland and I would love to go. I’ll need to check the calendar and with the Mrs. MMM, do you think you’ll be in Portland on this trip? I’m sure there would be interest in a local meetup at a park or pub or something.

    Reply
  • Camp Mustache March 29, 2014, 1:33 pm

    Hi Everyone!

    Thanks so much for the interest!!

    We are sold out.

    If you would like to be put on the wait list, please email your information to campmustache@gmail.com with the subject line: wait list – YOUR NAME.

    For those of you coming, we look forward to meeting you :)

    Emma, Joe, and Kristin

    Reply
    • Camp Mustache March 31, 2014, 10:04 pm

      The wait list is now full! Sorry everyone! We feel really bad having to turn people away.

      Emma, Joe, and Kristin

      Reply
  • Bruce Cameron March 29, 2014, 1:37 pm

    That sounds like a blast! I’m in Seattle, but I’ve already got an out of town guest coming in that weekend. Hopefully they’ll organize something like this again in the future! It would be fun to do a local meetup at a brewery or something if you have some extra time in Seattle!

    Reply
  • Cody B March 29, 2014, 3:12 pm

    Ah!!! I missed my chance! Maybe next time… :(

    Reply
  • Mr. Cash March 29, 2014, 6:07 pm

    I can’t wait for one of these meetups in the Southeast!

    Reply
  • Yossarian March 29, 2014, 7:14 pm

    I’m moving to Ottawa from Sudbury and am hoping there will be future Ottawa meetups!

    Sudbury doesn’t feel at all Mustachian. Seems no one can have fun here without a gasoline engine between their legs, and basically no investment in bike paths.

    Reply
  • Melissa March 30, 2014, 2:52 am

    So bummed this is full. This is my kinda fun. Hope to jump in next year or … next time! Thanks to those who planned it!

    Reply
  • GrooveStomp March 30, 2014, 4:19 pm

    Man! I would have loved to go. Too slow to the draw, though.

    Reply
  • Huy March 30, 2014, 7:59 pm

    Wow. This sounds cool. I actually live near Seattle. I wish I had an extra spare guest room to offer to MMM but because I’m following his advice to live frugally, it’s already rented out to a roommate. =)

    Reply
  • KarenwithaC March 30, 2014, 8:31 pm

    Rats! Skunked again!!

    I couldn’t make Ecuador, already had travel plans for that time. Would have loved to attend and it was almost in my neighbourhood (Calgary), too! Hope you put on another one in the Pacific NW or would consider putting one on somewhere in Canada – maybe Ottawa when you are there this summer?!

    Reply
  • Frank March 30, 2014, 8:49 pm

    wow- this sounds like a great weekend. I am not sure whats planned exactly but I would love to listen in via con call or streaming app if there is a topical discussion. Let me know and I can provide the conference line/webex if appropriate. Have a great time!

    Reply
  • Sean Mullin March 30, 2014, 9:49 pm

    Wow. I wrote to camp Mustache as soon as I got this message only to find out that even though I live close by no one is allowed to stop by for the day. I have been looking forward to one of these get-togethers for a long time.

    I have a bad ass cabin just 4 1/2 miles from Mount rainier national Park so MMM if you want to stay in the Northwest a little longer you’re welcome to use it.

    If you want to do a work stay you’re welcome much, much longer than that!

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache March 31, 2014, 4:58 pm

      Thanks Sean! I’ll try to plan another meetup or two in the days surrounding the camp time.

      Sorry for the “Rules” – but it is probably necessary, otherwise a large number of people would show up for the day visit, which would disrupt the relatively personal vibe we’re going for with only 50 people at the retreat.

      I’m telling you – Seattle is weird like that. We had a meetup at a pub over a year ago when this blog was tiny, and over 100 people STILL showed up!

      Reply
  • Free Money Minute March 31, 2014, 6:01 am

    I would love to see one of these low cost events make it out to the midwest. Have fun, wish I could make it.

    Reply
    • midwest girlstache March 31, 2014, 12:26 pm

      I concur. A midwest event is needed!

      Reply
  • MadKnowledge March 31, 2014, 10:42 am

    My family would be happy to offer MMM a free place to stay (in our home) in Portland during your visit. Too bad I saw this after all the PNW camp spots had already filled up– sounds great!

    Reply
  • Jamie V March 31, 2014, 11:37 am

    Someday people will discover that the Great Lakes region is where it’s all at! Until then, I will have to live vicariously through you and other attendees via your post-camp blog posts. :)

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache March 31, 2014, 11:48 pm

      The Great Lakes region is indeed where it is at.. my family, that is. We spend every summer there (Ontario) and will be heading up shortly after Camp Mustache. There will be a good party in Ottawa sometime in July :-)

      Reply
  • CanuckExpat March 31, 2014, 12:03 pm

    Had been on the fence about this, and apparently it sold out before we made up our mind! Have fun everyone :)

    That will teach me to make up my mind sooner, but I guess I’ll just look at it as forced savings and take a trip somewhere else fun ;)

    Reply
  • Jacob March 31, 2014, 1:21 pm

    Excited for this. I’ll be there with my family. Look forward to the shenanigans :)

    Reply
  • biscuitwhomper April 2, 2014, 11:22 am

    Not that it will deter anyone, but bring plenty of rain gear. Summer starts July 5th up here.

    Reply
  • FuR April 2, 2014, 2:24 pm

    Sorry I missed out on this. I’ll try to keep an eye out
    and would love to join up for a Portland meetup.

    Reply
  • BrownSaber April 2, 2014, 4:35 pm

    I really wanted to go for this. Meet other mustachians and all that. But I still have student loan debt. Which means “MY HAIR IS ON FIRE!”, so I pursed my lips, bit my tongue, moaned, groaned and decided to pass.

    MMM, tell me I did the right thing. Hurting a lot now!

    Reply
    • Bikes in a Dress April 3, 2014, 3:20 pm

      BrownSaber- I’m not MMM, but yes, you did the right thing! I just passed my 1 year anniversary of paying off my student loans, and it makes a huge difference. Not only am I able to invest an embarressingly large amount of money every month in Vanguard, but my husband and I are in the process of buying a duplex as an investment property. Getting the mortgage approved would have been more difficult if I still had my student loan debt. At this point, every little bit you can shovel into the fire helps.

      This will also build up your “mustachian reflex,” or whatever MMM calls it. Your ability to turn down expensive things in the short term in exchange for financial independence later.

      I’m frankly a little surprised that a bunch of “frugal” people would be willing to pay $200, plus possible flights to Sea-Tac in peak season, to talk to people they can talk to online for free, but hey, maybe they’ve all reached FI by now…

      Reply
      • BrownSaber April 4, 2014, 9:08 am

        @BikesInaDress

        Congrats on paying off your student loans! I hope to get there at the end of this summer.

        Maybe we will meet in the future at a MMM retreat after we too are FI :)

        Reply
  • Nick Urban April 3, 2014, 7:40 pm

    Wish I could come… sadly it conflicts with prior plans.

    I hope to see more of these in the future!

    Reply
  • MadKnowledge April 4, 2014, 9:43 pm

    Sorry to see the event is already sold out.

    My family would be happy to offer you/your family a free place to stay in Portland if you need one while you are visiting.

    Reply
  • Andrea April 5, 2014, 6:09 pm

    So bummed I saw this too late! Hey if you need a place to stay in Seattle, we have a lovely guest room and we’re close to light rail. Let us know!! And have fun!

    Reply
  • Amanda April 16, 2014, 5:39 pm

    Please update us on whether a Portland meet-up event is scheduled. I would love to come!

    Reply
  • Alex April 30, 2014, 6:29 pm

    I see how it is Mr. “I think Portland is sooooo much better than Seattle” Money Mustache, don’t think us Washingtonians will forget so quickly. Portlandians, with their TV show and basketball team, think they’re so cool…

    Reply

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