I’ve been worrying about periods of high inflation since I started writing these posts over seven years ago. It wasn’t until these last 12 months that my worries were matched by reality. It doesn’t help that the politicians & media pundits keep trying to put a positive spin on things. The headlines have been ridiculous: Part of the challenge is I don’t know if the … Continue reading How Fast Is Inflation Really Rising?
It’s a golden age for retirement in many ways, but especially with the internet. I’m not honestly sure I could have happily early retired before the advent of the World Wide Web. I’m not kidding. I seem to have a constant need to be plugged into some kind of information source 24/7 to keep my ADHD mind busy. Even pre-internet I was a big fan … Continue reading World Wide Boredom Buster
It’s hard for folks to decide when to make the jump into retirement, so I was intrigued by a recent question on earlyretirement.org asking folks if they wish they would have retired earlier or worked a bit longer? About 65 people answered the question and I tallied the results below (taking out a few responses of people who weren’t retired yet) … – 36% said … Continue reading Earlier, Longer, Just Right?
Gas prices have gone up more than a $1 a gallon since last June, when I wrote this article about rising gas prices. Prices are up almost $2.25 in the last 18 months (+107%), according to GasBuddy.com tracking. Yikes. Last June, I estimated that each $1/gallon fuel rise was costing me an additional $1.7k/year, so now I guess we are more than double that … … Continue reading What To Do About Gas Prices?
I like this giant sundial that anchors a downtown shopping & entertainment plaza in St. Petersburg, Florida – “The Sunshine City”. Around the base are the words, “Use well these few but ever fleeting hours” which strikes me as pretty good advice, and maybe a good personal motto. Recently, someone asked about ‘personal mottos’ in a forum post online and these were the ones that … Continue reading What Is Your Personal Motto?
Six weeks into our Sunshine State adventure, traveling with our new dog has actually gone pretty well. Riley is 14 months old now and has really matured over the last few months. Gone are the ‘Devil Dog’ days of his puppyhood. He’s actually been a pleasure to have along in the trip … and I never thought I’d say that! He flew down with us … Continue reading Traveling With Little Pupper
There are a lot of ‘checklists’ published on retirement, but I thought this one was worth a read: The Atlantic espouses ‘7 Things That Lead To Happiness in Old Age’. The advice is pretty straightforward. Nothing a kindergartener wouldn’t understand. Don’t smoke, don’t drink, maintain a healthy weight, exercise frequently, manage your stress, keep learning, and cultivate positive relationships. It’s amazing we have to be … Continue reading Positive Habits That Lead To Happiness
Since todays is St. Valentine’s Day, I thought I would reflect a bit on the most valuable asset in our FIRE portfolio: our marriage. We’ve been married for over 30 years, after meeting 5 years earlier in college. Experts say strong relationships are a primary driver of lifetime happiness and one’s marriage is obviously the most important relationship that most people have. Retirement – early … Continue reading Sweetest Investment ♥️
When you are Snowbirding from the cold Minnesota weather, it’s easy to look at the thermometer and see if you are getting a good return on your vacation investment. Almost halfway through our Winter Summerland escape, I have to say our ROI has been poor so far. Minnesota has had some very cold weather while we’ve been hiding in Florida, but it’s been relatively cold … Continue reading Temperature Return On Investment
We met some fellow Minnesotans down here in Florida yesterday. Unlike us, they jumped into investing in a Florida vacation cottage a couple years ago when they first got the urge. They snapped one up when the Margaritaville Orlando resort was relatively new and said they have already seen a couple hundred thousand dollars of appreciation. The colorful cottages are bright, nicely designed, and well-furnished. … Continue reading Investing in Vacationland Paradise
