Post by EllieArroway on Aug 31, 2014 11:48:48 GMT -5
We met a retired couple who was living on cruise ships on our last cruise. They would stay on the same ship for 2-3 cruises and then switch to another. Because they had cruised so many times, they were able to get awesome deals. They said it was a lot cheaper than living in their home. (I think they still owned a house that they rented out, though, so they would have somewhere to go back to eventually.)
I do not love cruising enough to do that, but it seemed to be working for them. They had cruised all over the world.
Post by jeaniebueller on Aug 31, 2014 12:00:16 GMT -5
I like camping, but who wants to live out of an RV for part of the year? No thanks.
Also, my mil and her husband bought an RV and used it down south for one winter, but promptly sold it upon their return because it was such a PITA to drive.
We met a couple who did this for 7 years at the beginning of their retirement. They said they stayed at a lot of long term vacation rentals and did a lot of house sitting. They lived cheaply while they were away so they would still have their savings to live on when they got back. They evidently still had enough money to buy a new bed frame that couldn't be returned without measuring to see if it would fit in their guest bedroom of the brand new condo they were furnishing... We met them when we bought that bed off Craigslist. Their story was really inspiring to us.
We also had a land lord for a while who was a traveling retiree. After a few years of looking for work and being unable to find a job that would cover her bills in a bad economy, she rented out her home to us and hit the road. She is an avid cyclist and couch surfer, and that's what she does. One of her kids works for an airline, so she gets to fly standby for free or at least really cheap, and changes continents a couple times per year. She has investments (stocks and a couple rental properties), but traveling has allowed her to live off the income they provide, instead of spending down the principle, and she is much happier now. It's not as financially sound as continuing to work would have been, but like many of today's new retirees, her retirement was not totally voluntary.
I've also heard of old people living on cruise ships because that can actually be cheaper than living in a retirement home (not a nursing home), and provides similar amount of services.
I think it's easy to overlook just how expensive a "normal" living arrangement is. Even once we pay off our mortgage, we'll be paying around $40/night to live in our house, just in property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and utilities. That's without taking into account the opportunity cost of investing the value of our home in the stock market, which is easily another $60/day (this is just earnings, after reinvesting enough to keep the principle growing with inflation). There are a lot of very interesting places in the world where you can rent pretty decent accommodations as a tourist for less than $100/night. If you like to camp, that's an opportunity for significant savings. But if you just want to see the world in retirement, it doesn't have to be that much more expensive than the more conventional choice to continue living in the home where you raised your children.
Yes, a lot of these people will be screwed financially when they can't travel anymore, but a lot of them would be screwed financially ALREADY if they weren't being creative with their lifestyles.
How do you live on a cruise ship? I've never heard of this before. Don't they make you get off at some point like planes (I've never been on a cruise)? Do they just keep buying cruise packages and going from ship to ship?
You bounce from ship to ship. I read this article on it last year when we were planning ours. It's pretty interesting:
How do you live on a cruise ship? I've never heard of this before. Don't they make you get off at some point like planes (I've never been on a cruise)? Do they just keep buying cruise packages and going from ship to ship?
I think they book back-to-back packages on a variety of ships, but get to know what ships they like, and choose them preferentially. I've never met any of these people myself (the only cruise I've ever taken was in China and I think DH and I were the only passengers who spoke English), but my parents have met them on some of their cruises. It's not something people who are super frail do, but I think it works for people who want to live somewhere that doesn't require cooking or driving anymore, where there are decent medical services in the same building, stuff to do right there, and so forth. My grandmother is moving to a retirement home like this right now, and I think it's going to cost like $3500/month for "unassisted" living. You can definitely cruise full time for that. Granted, I wouldn't suggest that she take cruises instead at her age (99) or in her condition (we think she'll transition into their assisted living facility in the same building within a year, if she even lives that long, and it would put her very far from family). But a lot of people choose to move into these homes at a younger age and when they are in better health than my grandmother, if they can afford it... Or cruise full time.
We met a couple who did this for 7 years at the beginning of their retirement. They said they stayed at a lot of long term vacation rentals and did a lot of house sitting. They lived cheaply while they were away so they would still have their savings to live on when they got back. They evidently still had enough money to buy a new bed frame that couldn't be returned without measuring to see if it would fit in their guest bedroom of the brand new condo they were furnishing... We met them when we bought that bed off Craigslist. Their story was really inspiring to us.
We also had a land lord for a while who was a traveling retiree. After a few years of looking for work and being unable to find a job that would cover her bills in a bad economy, she rented out her home to us and hit the road. She is an avid cyclist and couch surfer, and that's what she does. One of her kids works for an airline, so she gets to fly standby for free or at least really cheap, and changes continents a couple times per year. She has investments (stocks and a couple rental properties), but traveling has allowed her to live off the income they provide, instead of spending down the principle, and she is much happier now. It's not as financially sound as continuing to work would have been, but like many of today's new retirees, her retirement was not totally voluntary.
I've also heard of old people living on cruise ships because that can actually be cheaper than living in a retirement home (not a nursing home), and provides similar amount of services.
I think it's easy to overlook just how expensive a "normal" living arrangement is. Even once we pay off our mortgage, we'll be paying around $40/night to live in our house, just in property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and utilities. That's without taking into account the opportunity cost of investing the value of our home in the stock market, which is easily another $60/day (this is just earnings, after reinvesting enough to keep the principle growing with inflation). There are a lot of very interesting places in the world where you can rent pretty decent accommodations as a tourist for less than $100/night. If you like to camp, that's an opportunity for significant savings. But if you just want to see the world in retirement, it doesn't have to be that much more expensive than the more conventional choice to continue living in the home where you raised your children.
Yes, a lot of these people will be screwed financially when they can't travel anymore, but a lot of them would be screwed financially ALREADY if they weren't being creative with their lifestyles.
How do you live on a cruise ship? I've never heard of this before. Don't they make you get off at some point like planes (I've never been on a cruise)? Do they just keep buying cruise packages and going from ship to ship?
If you're really well off you can buy a condo on The World
But camping? I don't camp at 32. No way in hell am I camping at 72.
Amen. I'm friends with mominatrix on FB and when her camping pictures come across my feed my thoughts are always, "Wow, that's beautiful! So much fun!" immediately followed by, "Ugh, that must take HOURS of prep work, and then once you get home there are hours of cleaning and putting things away... Too much work."
But camping? I don't camp at 32. No way in hell am I camping at 72.
Amen. I'm friends with mominatrix on FB and when her camping pictures come across my feed my thoughts are always, "Wow, that's beautiful! So much fun!" immediately followed by, "Ugh, that must take HOURS of prep work, and then once you get home there are hours of cleaning and putting things away... Too much work."
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Bugs. Peeing in the woods. NOT SLEEPOJG ON A REAL BED.
Amen. I'm friends with mominatrix on FB and when her camping pictures come across my feed my thoughts are always, "Wow, that's beautiful! So much fun!" immediately followed by, "Ugh, that must take HOURS of prep work, and then once you get home there are hours of cleaning and putting things away... Too much work."
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Bugs. Peeing in the woods. NOT SLEEPOJG ON A REAL BED.
Those are my thoughts.
I can deal with bugs. I can even deal with sleeping bags. I cannot, however, deal with peeing in the woods. Shitting in the woods? You have GOT to be out of your damn mind!
I could retire early and travel but not in an RV and not across America. So I would need more money for planes and 5-star hotels. Or summer's guest suite, which I know iammalcolmx thinks is hers, but no.
This sounds more my speed. Yes. I would like to do this, please. People who say that they don't like living out of suitcases (even when I know they stay in nice places) confuse me. Someone cleans your living area DAILY. Fresh towels are brought to you upon request. You can order food and drinks to your room! It's like Downton Abbey! What's not to love?
Bugs. Peeing in the woods. NOT SLEEPOJG ON A REAL BED.
Those are my thoughts.
I can deal with bugs. I can even deal with sleeping bags. I cannot, however, deal with peeing in the woods. Shitting in the woods? You have GOT to be out of your damn mind!
I don't shit in the woods. State parks = toilets nearby. The biggest issue we had this trip was that the showers ran out of hot water too soon.
Seriously... it was me about six months ago that declared camping a better idea than reality on this very board. But it's worked out fairly well, mostly because I've figured out how to realign my expectations. I don't expect to make every meal fancypants and from scratch. I don't expect to be able to see every corner of every place where we are. I don't expect that there will be no strife when we're trapped in the tent for long periods of time because it's raining.
The first trip was a ton of work because I didn't know what the fuck I was doing, and thought I needed ALL THE STUFF and it would magically make its way to the car without an hour or more of TETRISing it in, and that a three plus hour drive after work on Friday would work. By the third trip... less stuff, much of it just left in the car, and a much shorter drive made for happier campers (literally) all around.
and wine... wine helps a lot.
During this trip I was actually joking around with my H that I could see us retiring with an Airstream, becoming camp hosts somewhere, driving the little truck around to bring people firewood. Sounds like OK fun. I'm not sure I'd do it in a tent, though.
Whether they hit the road or not (they won't), I wish my ILs would start getting rid of stuff they don't need. I honestly DREAD the day that we have to go in and clear out their house. So much shit.
DH wants to do this. I'm still on the fence-ideally we'd have a home base at the beach and then travel several months out of the year. His idea of travel and mind are two different things-I'd love to spend a few months in Europe. He has no desire to do that.
If things go well, we'll have our house paid off by age 45, he can retire at 53 and me at 57. That's assuming a lot though with our state pensions.
This is also the generation that paid for college with summer job money and had 15-year mortgages. I get it now. Relics of another age.
I know this was from two days ago but man I'm loving this post.
I can't nod my head enough. We JUST went through all of this this past weekend when my inlaws were visiting from out of state and telling us how they plan on selling their house, buying a camper and just traveling the rest of their days.
Never mind that life on the road is actually more expensive than one would think. Campers and motorhomes are hella expensive to purchase and to maintain. What happens if one of them becomes ill and needs round the clock care?
But what burns me up the most is that they bought their house back in the mid 70s for $15,000. They still live in this house. $15k should have been paid by 1985. Yet they still owe $40,000 on it still from constant home equity loans they were taking! They kept talking about how as soon as they pay their mortgage they are free to have life on the road. They have no savings either. They think we are loaded and DH felt like they were hinting for us to help pay off their mortgage so they are free to enjoy retirement. Uh, no.
It's maddening to think that people that old, so full of fucking advice for us youngings, could be so stupid.
I think there is a big difference between camping and "RV"ing. Camping I feel is more of pitching a tent and having to cook meals over coals in a fire pit, while rv is just driving your mini-house down the road. Some people have half million dollar motorhomes that have multiple slides that your square footage could be close to 300 square feet. Washer, dryer, dishwasher, king size bed, full bathroom, kitchen with an island ,full size table, and a 50 inch screen. I saw one a few weeks ago that had a faux fireplace.
Not to mention that there are RV resorts that are fully paved and tons of amenities. While I don't think I could RV full time, I might consider a few months a year when my husband and I are older.
Plus I do see alot of families where the grandparents have a large RV and the children/grandkids pitch tents.
Who retires at 50? What do you do for the next 30, 40 years??
I can tell you a big part of the problem....oldz who assume they are going to die before 70.
My inlaws are only in their early 60s and every conversation about the future has them saying, "If we're still here" or "We probably won't be here". They don't believe they will live to 80 or 90 so why bother saving money.
It's maddening. They have zero savings. None. They live on their SS checks. They owe 40k on a house that's worth no more than 60 or 70k . They figure the house and SS is more than enough to fund life on the road for the next 7 or 8 years and then they'll die. Easy, peasy. :?
Whether they hit the road or not (they won't), I wish my ILs would start getting rid of stuff they don't need. I honestly DREAD the day that we have to go in and clear out their house. So much shit.
My H is an only child. His parents just collect stuff. And my H is a surprisingly sentimental bastard. I am already dreading going through their stuff when they die. Why do you need 8 "antique" cheese graters???
Whether they hit the road or not (they won't), I wish my ILs would start getting rid of stuff they don't need. I honestly DREAD the day that we have to go in and clear out their house. So much shit.
My H is an only child. His parents just collect stuff. And my H is a surprisingly sentimental bastard. I am already dreading going through their stuff when they die. Why do you need 8 "antique" cheese graters???
Luckily DH is NOT that sentimental. what I'm worried about is all their African art. They lived there for 7 years (DH himself was there for 2 when he was 3) and collected a LOT. A lot is hung in their home and more is stored in their garage. They keep talking about how we'll get all the art.
Um... ok.? I mean, it's cool, but it's from THEIR time there. Not ours. DH and I have no connection to it. That, though, will be the stuff that will be hard for DH because he knows how much it means to his parents.
But camping? I don't camp at 32. No way in hell am I camping at 72.
Amen. I'm friends with mominatrix on FB and when her camping pictures come across my feed my thoughts are always, "Wow, that's beautiful! So much fun!" immediately followed by, "Ugh, that must take HOURS of prep work, and then once you get home there are hours of cleaning and putting things away... Too much work."
I see mominatrix 's pics on FB and think that I cannot wait to have kids that are her kids' ages. The trips look so awesome and I'm a sucker for family camping trips.
MH and I recently decided that our for-real life plan is to sell our house and 99% of our stuff when we retire and buy a smallish used yacht and do the great loop (up the eastern seaboard, through the great lakes, down the Mississippi and back out the gulf. with assorted canals and such in there to actually connect all that. takes a year+) and then just tool around the eastern seaboard and Caribbean as we see fit until we get too rickety to man the boat by ourselves.
At which point we'll move into a retirement community.
So this all sounds like fun to me.
But I'm also not under the false impression that I'll be happily scrubbing decks on the boat when I'm 82. I'm thinking that'll be like the first 5-10 years after retirement before we find a nice little senior living facility w/ a pool and the clubhouse to sit and play cards and day drink and shoot the shit with our fellow olds.
So fingers crossed that we both stay in good health in early retirement. Ya'll can come visit me on my boat when I float by your assorted homes.
I don't usually read this board, but since Missusbee invited me...
My parents do this. They're still relatively young, and they're not constantly on the road. My dad is mid-60s and my mom is late-50s. They sold everything except what would fit in their pick-up truck and drove to Central America to retire in Panama and Costa Rica. They rent houses and condos for 6 months or a year at a time and then pick a different area to move to. They hired a financial planner to help them make sure they were planning correctly, and they know that when their health starts to decline, they'll have to come back. But they're really active and healthy for now! They go for hikes in the Panamanian mountains, jump off waterfalls, and my mom took up surfing. My mom volunteers to teach English to school children and to help care for the stray animal population, and my dad naps. They're loving it so far!
Oh, and they brought our dog with them. That's why they drove down rather than flying; our dog is 14 now and she's too big to be in the cabin; they didn't think she'd be okay on a flight in cargo.
Also, my grandparents - when my mom was the age I am now, and thus they were roughly the age my mom is now and recently retired - sold their house in NJ and bought like 50 acres in West bygod Virginia down a long long dirt road that technically had a house on it - but it was a house with exactly one electrical circuit (like two lightbulbs and one outlet) and no running water. It had a hand pump w/ a basin in the kitchen, another hand pump out back and an outhouse. They lived/camped in this house while they built a new house further back on the property.
And then they lived there for...Oh, I dunno...10, 15 years? before their health started to go a bit and they moved back to NJ to be near their kids and better medical care.
I remember visiting them while the new house was under construction and just thinking it was the COOLEST THING EVER.
My mom took the exact opposite tack and as soon as she was kid free downsized to a little townhouse in the city instead of out in the sticks. But it still involved getting rid of like half of her things and almost all of her furniture since she was going from a 4 BR sprawling rancher with a finished basement to a 2.5 bedroom philly rowhome. (the .5 being the room she calls the baby room. It's big enough for a pack n' play, but not much else.) She got a moving truck, filled it with most of her furniture, packed it up, and then sent it to my brother's house in Pittsburgh. I got her rugs. My sister got the dining room table and chairs. She kept her bedroom furniture and that's about it.
My point being for the early stages of retirement this all sounds perfectly normal to me. I mean...why wouldn't you get rid of all your shit and set out on a new adventure?
Post by mominatrix on Sept 2, 2014 12:30:27 GMT -5
When we've been camping, the majority of people I've seen in RV's are older /retirement age. Not saying that they've given up their houses... but it seems like everybody at campsites are either really old, parents with youngish kids, or couples who look like they should be photographed for the REI catalogue.