Early-retirement wannabe

Marine_life

Triumph13 wrote: »

So what is the one-day-a-week actually for? We all know that you don't actually need the money, so I take it that's unlikely to be the real reason. Is it an extra financial comfort blanket? Or are you worried about being bored or losing your identity in some way?

Good question!

....its probably a little bit about the intellectual challenge, just keeping the mind ticking over. It's definitely not about identity but maybe there is just a little bit of potentially being bored. But the main thing is about keeping a little bit of money trickling in which will enable us to live quite a luxurious retirement if we choose to do so (we are definitely not spendthrift but are happy to spend on some things)

Triumph13 wrote: »

One day a week doesn't sound much, but it is potentially a big tie that could disrupt your ability to do things like take a last minute holiday, or imagine if the day you agreed to work was the one sunny day that week?

I'm absolutely with you there but I think its far more flexible than that - there will definitely be a (very) few days that I need to commit to but more likely it will be a half day now and again or maybe 2-3 hours or maybe 2 days. So I don't think it will be disruptive ...but if it is I just won't do it

atush

hugheskevi wrote: »

It isn't anything like as good as 1 day a week, but I am also doing something rather different next year. I guess it works out at something like a 4 day week across the year

As well as planning for early retirement in about 7 years, I also like travelling a lot. For me, early retirement will be immediately followed by a few years on the road. But I have also managed to get 3 months (!) off work in 2017 to go off and

1. Climb Kilimanjaro (with wife)
2. Spend 3 weeks going on safaris and driving through Tanzania and Zambia (also with wife)
3. Spending 2 months going across Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo (not with wife, this bit will be tough, so she will be coming back home from Zambia)

Clearly, doing these sort of things doesn't help with early retirement, but really it is just moving working and retirement plans around a bit. I'll just probably have to work another couple of months longer to make good the cost of this trip, which I could alternatively have done as soon as I retired instead. Either way, much the same position would be reached.

There is also the physical aspect to consider - at age 39 the trip isn't too daunting despite nearly all of it being free camping, but even so I've lost 10 kilos since booking it back in July and reduced my 5K running time down to 24 minutes after not running at all for about 5 years previously to prepare for the trip. I very much doubt I'd be so confident of doing it if I was thinking about this once I'm the other side of 50. The one thing which did surprise me a bit was just how complacent I'd become living and working full time in London - I wasn't too badly out of shape, but gradually put on weight in my 30s and only got exercise from commuting by bicycle. It wasn't until I decided I needed to be in better physical condition for the trip that I realised just how far I'd let things slip.

I've been fortunate enough in the past to have spent a year working/holidaying in Australia, spending a year around Asia, and also a year around Africa as well as 6 weeks in Central America. If I hadn't done those things, I'd be pretty close to early retirement now once the cost of the trips but primarily the foregone earnings (and returns on those earnings) are taken into account. But I'm far happier having effectively brought forward the things I would otherwise have done in retirement, even though it does delay the point of financial independence.

Your trip sounds great. But personally, I dont want to be reading about you in the paper on part no3. It is a dangerous place all in all.

uk1

Hi all,

Just a positive reminder to those that have been fortunate enough to build up a decent pile and who enjoy decent travel not to write off buying (when on offer) and acquiring in other ways decent stacks of airline miles for future premium long-haul travel.

Thankfully because so many feel that this is a bad thing it leaves decent opportunities for those that have the time to play the game and the flexibility afforded in retirement when to "go" to give great lower cost premium travel opportunities. For many many years (so far .... fingers crossed ....) we have been able to travel to Oz and Singapore several times a year in BA first at what I feel is really good costs.

It isn't for everyone, but many who would like the challenge and travelling in style overlook this as a potential "investment".

Jeff

atush

I have over 300K avios and could travel first or Club world- if I could find a seat.

Which I cant, and i dont travel in school holidays. I last got a free flight 2 years ago, but not to FL. It was to an airport in Ohio and I was flexible on route and destination AP.

Havent got a free seat to FL in CW or higher since 2012

uk1

Well .... I have around 2m Avios, and as I said travel to both Singapore and Oz two or three times a year and so far (tempting fate ...... I know ...) have never failed to find seats at roughly the dates I wish to travel. We're off in a few days time to Singapore for around 3 weeks. Our last trip was during the summer.

Do you log on at just after midnight 355 days out to nab them as they are released or do you just look on an ad-hoc random basis?

Jeff

atush

Add hoc, and cant do it 355 days out- as I usually spend a month away so have to have 11 months before return date

uk1

atush wrote: »

Add hoc, and cant do it 355 days out- as I usually spend a month away so have to have 11 months before return date

Easy.

You book the outward trip at 355 days as a single and call and add the return at 11 month -355 days first thing in the morning when BA opens.

It will work the vast majority of the times and BA add no fees as you are unable to do this online.

Jeff

atush

And it costs an extra fee to add it by phone. I was told so when i inquired. It counts as a phone booking.

uk1

It doesn't. You may have misunderstood or were misinformed by an agent who didn't understand the rules. You pay a "change fee" but not a telephone booking fee. Sometimes they don't bother with the change fee. A telephone booking fee isn't payable if the transaction isn't possible online. If it isn't worth the change fee to you - fair enough.

I have never paid a telephone booking fee and as I said - I do this two or three times a year.

Anyway, I was just trying to help you ....

Jeff

Nual

Congratulations ML! I haven't looked on here for quite a while, but enjoyed reading your thread.

I took VR in April so nearly 9 months ago. I have nowhere near your projected income, but manage very well on a DB pension plus 190k that is replacing itself as I spend it! My anxiety levels were dangerous as I neared the date. to the extent that I applied for a part time job at 1/4 of previous salary, but I turned it down when offered. I am loving not having to work. My fears about identity, boredom, status - all figments of my imagination. Life is very good indeed