Early-retirement wannabe

badmemory

Went to Cuba over 15 years ago.  Fantastic & then there were no Americans obviously.  There were a lot of Canadians & it may be that if wanting to go from North America to Cuba it may be easier to go from Canada.  Although I have heard that to actually see the sites is not as easy/pleasant as it once was.  I do hope it hasn't changed because one of the really great things about it was there was no colour prejudice whatsoever.

scoot65

NedS said:

Enjoying reading the traveling tales

This week marks entitlement to a full state pension in the bag for me, fully paid up and ready for retirement. One step closer...

Same here! Nice feeling knowing that I've accrued the necessary NI years for full State Pension. 

german_keeper

Very interesting to read all the ambitious travelling plans. We are several steps below, given our relatively low income and bringing up our 3 kids, all now technically "adults". But travel is definitely on the retirement agenda.

I'm on my way in 6 weeks time, just 18 working days to go. I will have 10 months or so to get the house ready for downsizing, decluttering, cleaning, painting, before our lass retires next April. All to be done at my own leisurely pace; if it's nice out I won't be indoors. 

I am really lucky, my 2 sisters are my best friends. We all live close to each other and always have done. My older sister is 58, I am 57 and my younger sister is 56 (our mum and dad had 3 kids by the age of 20). So we are all essentially the same age group. With our respective spouses the 6 of us have always got on like a house on fire. We have had dozens of hugely enjoyable weekends away together over the years. But we have never managed a "proper" holiday together because my older sister was a head teacher, no kids, and me and my younger sister had kids; so older sister had to go in school hols, me and younger sister couldn't afford it. 

Anyway my older sister retired last year, I'm nearly there, my wife has another year to go and younger sister and BIL are now both part time and working out their numbers for a full exit. We are starting with a week on a boat in the South of France in June. To be more accurate, not a yacht in St Tropez or something like that, but a trip down the Canal Du Midi.  

We are all so excited about the future, let's just hope that a week together, 6 of us on a 40ft boat, doesn't prove a step too far and we end up falling out!! 

michaels

german_keeper said:

Very interesting to read all the ambitious travelling plans. We are several steps below, given our relatively low income and bringing up our 3 kids, all now technically "adults". But travel is definitely on the retirement agenda.

I'm on my way in 6 weeks time, just 18 working days to go. I will have 10 months or so to get the house ready for downsizing, decluttering, cleaning, painting, before our lass retires next April. All to be done at my own leisurely pace; if it's nice out I won't be indoors. 

I am really lucky, my 2 sisters are my best friends. We all live close to each other and always have done. My older sister is 58, I am 57 and my younger sister is 56 (our mum and dad had 3 kids by the age of 20). So we are all essentially the same age group. With our respective spouses the 6 of us have always got on like a house on fire. We have had dozens of hugely enjoyable weekends away together over the years. But we have never managed a "proper" holiday together because my older sister was a head teacher, no kids, and me and my younger sister had kids; so older sister had to go in school hols, me and younger sister couldn't afford it. 

Anyway my older sister retired last year, I'm nearly there, my wife has another year to go and younger sister and BIL are now both part time and working out their numbers for a full exit. We are starting with a week on a boat in the South of France in June. To be more accurate, not a yacht in St Tropez or something like that, but a trip down the Canal Du Midi.  

We are all so excited about the future, let's just hope that a week together, 6 of us on a 40ft boat, doesn't prove a step too far and we end up falling out!! 

Lucky it isn't Paris, if you fell out on a canal boat there you might end up in seine....


I'll get me coat....

Early_Retire_Free

Hello.

Looks like this will be the year when I finally cease all forms of paid employment (consulting or otherwise).

Lol

Toucan13

Hello E_R_F

So how is it going?  I've often wondered if you'd wished you'd retired earlier?

Thank you for this thread - it was the first one I'd read on this forum and has inspired me to get my own act together!

bluenose1

Early_Retire_Free said:

Hello.

Looks like this will be the year when I finally cease all forms of paid employment (consulting or otherwise).

Lol

Haha, are you sure ???
I nearly went March 20 but from a financial perspective glad I decided to stay, though do feel stressed by work.
i anticipate a VR scheme in work over next few months and just hoping I get accepted, so will hopefully retire at 56.5 years. 
Always a difficult decision about how much is enough, balanced against future health considerations. 
There will always be people with a lot more money than me, but think it will be a good balance for me to retire now.

MallyGirl

bluenose1 said:

Early_Retire_Free said:

Hello.

Looks like this will be the year when I finally cease all forms of paid employment (consulting or otherwise).

Lol

Haha, are you sure ???
I nearly went March 20 but from a financial perspective glad I decided to stay, though do feel stressed by work.
i anticipate a VR scheme in work over next few months and just hoping I get accepted, so will hopefully retire at 56.5 years. 
Always a difficult decision about how much is enough, balanced against future health considerations. 
There will always be people with a lot more money than me, but think it will be a good balance for me to retire now.

I dream of a round of redundancies - VR or otherwise. I am not going to be that 'lucky' I suspect. I know it would be awful for most people but, for me, it would be enough to pull the plug even earlier.

Nebulous2

MallyGirl said:

I saw my only wild penguin (so far) in Milford Sound - I agree that the drive from Queens Town was better than the boat trip.

We went to Doubtful Sound rather than Milford, on the recommendation of someone who stays in New Zealand. I really enjoyed it, but I have very few comparators.

We also went to Otago to see Blue Penguins come ashore at dusk. They come in a group, known as a raft, and then go off to their burrows. It was an absolutely amazing experience. Astonishing how such little creatures can bring so much pleasure. 

MallyGirl

We missed the blue penguins as there was a tennis tournament on at Dunedin which meant there was zero accommodation available so we just cut across to Queens Town. Next time!