Moving on (to retire or not)

Poppy sore eye · Senior Member

Moving on (to retire or not)

Mark · Senior Member

D and D wrote:
Mike, I turned 60 this year. Already had one heart attack and just missed another. My eldest kid turned 38 and it seems like only yesterday I was standing in my lounge wondering what I was supposed to do with this bundle they'd given me at the hospital. I realised that time was running out and if I didn't do something soon I wasn't going to it at all and there's a lot I still want to do.

I didn't have the issues that you are having with your partner - more like the opposite. So we've had the kids around to tell them that we're spending their inheritance now. We've had the division of the spoils with no letting of blood and there's been some real estate folk out telling us what to do with the house to maximise the price we'll get for it and we're going through that list. We've put a deposit down on a custom built van and selected the tug and, if everything goes to plan we'll be on the road in January next year.

Not one person has been negative about it. In fact the standard response has been, "I wish I was doing that." I ask why they're not and the reply is usually something about being scared, losing the security of the house or the same things that held me back and which I now believe were self imposed barriers. I've really been wanting to do this ever since I spent 2 weeks camping along the Great Ocean Road with no agenda, no timetable and no worries but somehow got caught up in the trap of houses and possessions. Well they're all on the way out now - as I was once told - don't wait to do what you want, go for it now because there aren't many people who on their death bed wished they'd spent more time in the office.

What if I get sick on the road - I'm keeping my health insurance up, I'm increasing my ambulance cover and if that doesn't work well at least I'll die happier out there than I will back here.

I sat and pondered how to approach a reply to Mike, D&D I think you have summed it up perfectly smile

I will just add, we thought we would enjoy doing nothing but travelling, however, still being young at heart and in the mind too we found that we needed to do a bit of work along the way as a stimulus and it works, we meet some great people, have some good social connections and also when we stay in an area for a period of time, we get to know the locality and what it is all about. It's not always paid work either, voluntary work with a free space for the van, or a bit of tucker at night with the family, it's great.
Also we have found that we have been able to share our business experiences with people and help them develop idea's that they have had but not been brave enough try. It's great, get out and do it.
My wife is 8 years older than I and had some reservations, mainly to do with illness etc, but now, well she knows what we have behind us will resolve most issues like breaking down, or unforseen circustances just like I have now with my Father who is terminally ill in the UK, but your own helth issues, well that can occur anywhere can't it? and if it does, just go to a caravan park, book in as a long termer, and get yourselves sorted out, recover and move on.\

Best thing we have ever done and changed our outlook on life dramatically (for the better)

Mark

-- Edited by Mark on Friday 21st of June 2013 11:46:27 PM

Mike C · Senior Member

Hi all

I am battling with the do I or don't I finally pull the plug and retire syndrome..

Almost 60, reasonably self funded (down size the house and will be ok for a long time) still working part time in a job that I really am sick of (but the money is great).

Part time for the last few weeks means 50 hours a week from home including 2 hrs. on the road each day (Geelong to Melbourne and Back).

I read the great posts here with most of you out there enjoying life even just on the pension and so want to be out there with you all, My better half is 10 years younger than I (non working) and is sometimes of a like mind but has an endless supply of "what ifs"

What got you over the line and into this great nomad lifestyle.. do you worry about the "What ifs?" did your health improve? would you ever want to go back to a normal life style?

I am so tired of being the responsible one.. is that irresponsible?

here's looking (hoping) for that tidbit of advise that may just help me get over the line.

cheers

Mike

Happywanderer · The Master

Get out there and do it Mike. If you don't have to work, why do it. You only live once and are dead a long time.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I retired a tad early last September and have not regretted it one little bit Mike. I was ready for sure and I tell you that for free.

Self funded with no hand outs. I don't need a lot but own everything I have which helps of course. I am currently out in the playground spending a couple of months in Townsville away from the cold in Sth West Gippsland Vic.

Your call mate but it can be done. It might be better to wait till 60 though for tax reasons, check with your accountant or the tax man.

Mike C · Senior Member

The last part of your advice is the big one Happywanderer..
Too many of my friends are hitting the wall at the moment, pace makers, Heart surgery, cancer etc etc..
I just been hit with type 2 Diabetes and a few other minor issues.
But as my wife says "What if" you get sick on the road you are getting old and I (she) would hate to be stranded in the middle of nowhere etc etc.. its all a double edged sword.

hi Doug
Spoken with the financial adviser as usual they talk around in circles. I am doing the transition to retirement thing so there is no tax on the earning of the retirement fund and I have enough cash to carry me thru to past 60 so basically its jump when I want to.
Its hard tho to give away the income that's basically funding my ability to earn the income and remain in a house that's far too big and the lifestyle that I really no longer want.
hmm that last sentence is a telling one...
Such is the crazy circle we create for ourselves.

Appreciate the responses

Cheers

Mike

GaryKelly · Guru

Yes, I'm well aware of the what ifs. After hearing lots of what ifs about the nomad lifestyle from various people I decided to ask my self a different what if. What if I don't? After answering that question, and realizing what the alternative was, it was easy to make the decision to spend the next whatever years permanently on the road travelling Oz.

Sheba · Guru

Hi Mike. Get out there and do it while your health is still pretty good. Read a report somewhere a few days ago, that said most full-time Nomads are in better health, and happier than they were when they started on the road.

Most of them get more excercise than they used to, and they have an enthusiam for life that they lacked before.

Wish I'd been able to do it earlier. Can't wait to go full-time.

Cheers,

Sheba.

Mike C · Senior Member

Good point Gary and you I am aware have had more than your fair share of issues.
You do have one great advantage in that its only you that you have to worry about.

If it was just me I would have sold everything and be long gone but I have those bloody "responsibilities" that hold me back.

Hope someday soon (teeth or no teeth) to join you at a fire side chat.

cheers

Mike

Mike C · Senior Member

Hi Sheba

Did a 5 month trip a few years back in a camper.. hadn't felt so good for many years so I know what you are talking about.

Lost 9kg and almost got off the smokes..

http://mikenshez.blogspot.com.au/

didn't get so many "what ifs" back then tho because it was simply a long holiday.

Yuglamron · Guru

Mike everywhere we go people comment "I wish I could do that"

Travel full time that is.

I asked myself after a work accident if I really wanted to take the risk and all the attendant problems that could occur.

Well, I decided up till that point I had never asked myself that question before when changing jobs houses etc. over the years. Why start now ....go for it was the answer and to be honest I don't regret the decision at all.

I am sure you will ask yourself all the things like what could go wrong. Well think what goes right...... all the wonderful sights round Australia you won't see or the people you will meet and make friends with if you do go. So much to see so much to do. Even on a pension.

Yes there are disadvantages but the advantages outweigh them ten to one.

My advice. go for it.

NandK · Senior Member

Hi Mike,my other half was a bit like yours all unsure about everything then one day I picked her up from work and she says ok lets do it BUT,
I want a full van with ensuite.
Our pop-top was only 10 mths old but she got her van,that was 12 mths ago now and loves it.

Helena · Guru

Well Mike, we were a bit like you a while ago now in the end just got fed up with all the if 's and but's so just did it we don't travel full time but are away a lot of the time as for age and sickness we are very very fortunate as my husband is now 81 and still in good health I put it down to having the stress free life of being on the road a lot of the time. Your call of course but enjoy whatever you do life is so short. Good Luck Helena.

Poppy sore eye · Senior Member

Hi mike, i wont go into detail that is not required but I totally understand ALL of your reasons to do it, I also understand ALL of your reasons and reservations not to do it. Believe me we have spent many hours arguing, reasoning, discussing and evaluating both sides of the argument. There is no easy answer.

A friend tipped it for me when he told me to look back on my life, he asked; what do you regret about the things you have done? Yes there have been a few decisions that you would change if you had the chance, but you two eked through them and are stronger for it. What do you regret about the things you haven't done?.

I found I had lot of I should have's.

pas my cardiologist said to me when I told him of our decision,....... Good onya, o it while you can.

as happy wanderer said, your a long time dead.

Kiwi-as · Guru

Hi Mike, like you say a lot of your friends are having health problems. If you leave it a few more yrs.(to travel that is) and then start to have health problems yourself, you will be saying if only. Get out there and do it while you can.

Sure things will go wrong, as nomads have said on here the last few weeks, but just take it all in your stride. You could stay home and maybe have an accident driving to and from work.

Mike C · Senior Member

Again appreciate all the thoughts..

And I like the concept of not caring where you are going .. sure beats trying to decide whether to go.

cheers

Mike

D and D · Guru

Mike, I turned 60 this year. Already had one heart attack and just missed another. My eldest kid turned 38 and it seems like only yesterday I was standing in my lounge wondering what I was supposed to do with this bundle they'd given me at the hospital. I realised that time was running out and if I didn't do something soon I wasn't going to it at all and there's a lot I still want to do.

I didn't have the issues that you are having with your partner - more like the opposite. So we've had the kids around to tell them that we're spending their inheritance now. We've had the division of the spoils with no letting of blood and there's been some real estate folk out telling us what to do with the house to maximise the price we'll get for it and we're going through that list. We've put a deposit down on a custom built van and selected the tug and, if everything goes to plan we'll be on the road in January next year.

Not one person has been negative about it. In fact the standard response has been, "I wish I was doing that." I ask why they're not and the reply is usually something about being scared, losing the security of the house or the same things that held me back and which I now believe were self imposed barriers. I've really been wanting to do this ever since I spent 2 weeks camping along the Great Ocean Road with no agenda, no timetable and no worries but somehow got caught up in the trap of houses and possessions. Well they're all on the way out now - as I was once told - don't wait to do what you want, go for it now because there aren't many people who on their death bed wished they'd spent more time in the office.

What if I get sick on the road - I'm keeping my health insurance up, I'm increasing my ambulance cover and if that doesn't work well at least I'll die happier out there than I will back here.

JulieM · Veteran Member

Hi Mike,

Deciding to retire can be difficult. I had no thoughts of retirement, usual thing, great job, good money, kids grown up and independent. Then I was hit by a Mack

truck.

He didn't stop at a stop sign and took me and my camper out. It's taken 6 years to recover, I no longer work and was devastated when I had to resign. Now I travel with my

Mum(85). We have registered with eHealth and our medical records will be available wherever we are. Both Mum and I have ongoing health issues but if you don't try you

won't know.

All the very best Cheers Julie

-- Edited by JulieM on Saturday 22nd of June 2013 06:54:08 AM

danielkemp · Newbie

G'day Mike,

I (or should I say we) are in the exact situation as you. There are obviously different circumstances but the situation, of decision, is exactly the issue with which I have struggled for quite some time. Without going into too much detail (hopefully) our current investments for retirement come with ongoing commitments (called mortgages and maintenance etc). To go now, I would need to sell; or I cannot meet those commitments. To sell now, in current economic climate, we lose significantly and then minimise our ability to fund our retirement. I have weighed the ideas presented in this thread and warm to most (thanks everyone); but still I feel constrained. I turned 60 this year and enjoy pretty good health. I walk between 5 and 20km most days so my exercise is reasonable. I have lost 12kg this year and feel healthier for it. I have loved my work for so long; but now my enjoyment is much less and I am tired EVERY night. I figure I have 1 or maybe 2 years working left, if I decide to stay on...but can I put up with it? Not sure. As above, I resonate with so many comments here...but ultimately it is a choice each of us must face. I think your comment about responsible/irresponsible is exactly how I feel. "What if" is a huge question on both sides of the question.

Good luck in your decision process - I oscillate more than a metronome.

Regards, Dan

Mike C · Senior Member

Again appreciate all the comments..

Wow Julie I have often heard the comment that someday something will come out of the blue and hit you like a Mack truck your the first I heard to have it happen literally..

Glad to hear that you have recovered and out there enjoying life..

D and D I really understand the feeling.. I very short time ago I had four small kids it seems only a few years later I now have 5 grand kids.. mine are mid 30's and late 20.s now... where did all that time go?

Hi Mark Working a bit and volunteering a bit, fishing and photography plus a concentrated effort on learning my Guitar http://www.reverbnation.com/mikecardinal if you want a laugh. is what I would love to be doing, as well as meeting new people seeing new sights and living much more simply.

Hi Dan.. it is a bloody merry-go-round when you sit and think about it.. one at some stage we need to climb off before we are thrown off. timing is never always right. My worry is that the timer is running down and there may be that Mack Truck sitting around the corner so one must do something whilst time is still with one.

cheers

Mike

Grams · Guru

Mike,

I have Type 1 Diabetes and a Heart condition, Les has just got over Prostate Cancer. He is 68, I am 51, he has Type 2 Diabetes. We were going to sell up and take our money with us, but life threw a spanner in the works, and we have now decided to just downsize our home, so we are looking for a smaller 3bdm home now.

Les has been driving trucks for 48 years, he loved it, but it has slowly lost its appeal. He now does it to pay the mortgage while we have this big house, and not because he likes it anymore.

We don't care about our health issues, it was never on the cards when we decided to set this travelling up. We have our new van waiting still in the driveway, we have our tug...but we need to fix up this house and buy another before we can start our journey.

Neither of us look at the "what if's" you can go stir crazy thinking that way. Life is full of challenges and risks. So take life by the horns and go for it. We would rather die doing something we love than die wondering if we should...

Mike C · Senior Member

Hi Grams

You are obviously both on the same page and I am sure will have a great time when you get out there.

I am keen personally to have a go, my wife has the endless supply of "What ifs" which is why I was starting to doubt the sensibility of what my wants were.

Reading all the response's I am relieved to realize that maybe what I want to do is not so irresponsible and perhaps in the overall scheme of things could well be the best thing for both my health and sanity I can do.

Perhaps its that as we approach older age or face serious life issues our attitude changes and freedom from stuff becomes more important.

Still in her late 40's and without a care in the world I can understand why all the conditions and the what ifs etc but do I really want to wait 10 years for her to catch up?

Cheers

Mike
(working on it)

Grams · Guru

Hi Mike,

Why not do short trips first, then as your wife becomes used to it, and sees how great it really is, she might love it. Our life ideas have changed from being total Grey Nomads 24/7 to being part time travellers, but that's OK too, as Les gets the travelling, I get the home to come back to. We aren't exactly on the same page, Les is on one side I am the other. When we decided to sell up and take the money with us...I was doing the what ifs when we were not going to get another house...but now I have talked him into buying a cheap place, he sees my point of view and is happy to do this. But it's the best thing for us both financially and having a home to come back too.

I think you both need to sit down and do the pros and cons of what you want to do. Then come to a compromise where you are both happy with the result. Even if that is short term travelling, like us. We have had our van since March and other than bringing it home, we have never had a trip in it yet.

But when our travelling has finished we hope to sell the van and use the money to pay off most of our mortgage or we can do repairs or put solar panels, hot water, flooring etc in the house. The house will be our last, so we want it to last our lifetime.

capricorn and pisces · Senior Member

Hi Mike, we vote for retirement and travelling now.......about 12 years ago we reached a watershed in life and decided to put tenants in our house and travel, best decision we ever made, ended up travelling for two years but eventually went back to work. Retired for real last year and guess what happened...we got hit by a truck! its been a year of surgeons, physio etc and things will never be back to perfect but we are alive and we are setting off travelling again, we were some of the lucky ones but it was a wake up call, get out there and live it!

cheers Capricorn

danielkemp · Newbie

You folks are inspirational! Absolutely amazing! Thanks for so many excellent responses to Mike...because they have helped me too!

Dan

Mike C · Senior Member

danielkemp wrote:
You folks are inspirational! Absolutely amazing! Thanks for so many excellent responses to Mike...because they have helped me too!

Dan

I agree they are a amazing bunch.

Hi Grams

We have done up to 5 months on the road previously in a camper trailer so we have a good feeling about the lifestyle and both of us enjoyed immensely so no problems there.

We have discussed down sizing or buying a small country home or renting but never seem to quite come to an agreement. Then there is my Job which pays well and allows us to remain in the big house and go away for a week here and there but I am getting tired of it and am thinking that if I finally did retire so no job no income etc maybe that would then be the catalyst to actually make the move. We are a little worried that (at my age) finding a new job wont be easy if it doesn't work so the easy thing is just to keep going as we are. from what I read here however we are really only wasting what could be a wonderful time travelling and reinventing our lives.

I know the power is in my hands :) just got to find the guts to do it.

Hi Capricorn

More proof that the "being hit by the virtual truck" is based on reality.. I am glad you are getting thru it all and not giving up on living the dream.. Good on Ya

cheers

Mike

Gerty Dancer · Guru

It doesn't have to be 'retire forever"... you and/or your wife might find occasional work while travelling, quite a few of the forum members work as they travel. Meeting people and becoming part of a community for a while enriches the travelling experience.

Or you could travel for a couple of years and settle again. I know a couple who travelled for 2 years after selling their farm, then bought a small house, do part-time work and travel part-time now.

But I agree that life is too short to waste on dreaming, if you are able to actually make that dream happen.

Grams · Guru

Hi Mike,

Les is 68 and still working driving trucks. None of the trucking companies care so long as he passes the physical each year. He has to continue working until this house is sold, then it's up to him to leave when he wants. He is always saying he wants to continue until he reaches 70...lol. I can't see that happening, the house should be on the market by the end of this year, so depending on how long it takes to sell, then with all debts paid our time is our own.

Legendts · Senior Member

Mike, good luck in whatever decision you both make. I, similar to others here, retired about 18 months ago and have never regretted it one bit. My wife has Leukaemia and has to see her specialist every 6 months in Melbourne. She has recently had some family issues that have helped make the decision for her. I always wanted to sell up and go, but, my lovely better half always needed a base. Not now, as she says, what if we don't do it and I get so sick that we can't do it, I would always regret that so lets just do it! Her words, not mine. We are heading back home in a month or so to put the house on the market, upgrade the van to either a fifth wheel or motorhome and head off for as long as we enjoy it.

You can always find a reason not to do anything but I always say "the decision you make is the right one the day you made it" so as long as you cover the pros and cons and you don't hurt anyone and have your required needs then what have you to lose? You/we have so much to gain.

Take care and safe travels to all out there.

Procrastination is the killer of life.

two dogs · Veteran Member

Mike, like you I have lovely young bride, some twenty years younger than me. I did my hard yards when I was in my 40s and 50s and managed to put a bit into super. We went for a lifestyle change to the Central Coast where I retired and worked for BBC Hardware (and loved it), but they closed down and I retired full time. The better half still worked but has recently taken on a job driving special needs children to school and home, which is a part time job.

We could not survive without the pension (very small) but it does give us the flexibility to go away when we want. In fact we are leaving for a trip around Aussie next week for 6 months

I guess what I am saying is that you can do anything if you really want to. We set our goals for our trip and it is going to be FUN!!!!! Mate, none of us are getting any younger, so while you have the health and support of the girl, do it.

You won't regret it.

Regards, Andy.