What I mean is; How/Why do people sell up everything and go on the road 'full time'? What happens when you need a base? What happens if you get too ill to travel anymore? We 'toured' Oz for 8 months last year but were so glad we had a home to come back to (we rented it out whilst away). We can't imagine selling EVERYTHING and having nowhere! How do people afford it? What happens when you do stop and need to base yourselves somewhere? What are your plans then? Rent out a unit? Retire to a village?
Am I missing something? We met a couple once who planned to do just that and travel forever (you obviously can't!). They had sold everything and their car and van, at that time, would have been worth $25,000 tops! Any information would be gratefully received as we are genuinely curious as to how you expect to just 'keep going'......
I've often have the same thoughts. I'm on the road full time at the moment, with my house rented out, & possessions in storage. I got rid of all my furniture. I'll renew & update that slowly when i go back "home"
I used to do short trips before, two or three weeks. I think I enjoyed that more.
I don't know how long I'll do this. I miss having a garage to tinker around in & being able to put my hand on tools or parts I need.
I'll have a go at responding Paul and Val.....and I'm no wordsmith....I thought of asking some of my rich friends who were too cautious/clever to ever leave/sell .....but they all passed on before their time...mostly unexpectedly for varying health reasons...always worrying about their rental property's and tax minimisation....and their social status in their own local tiny fish ponds....we rented our home out for first 4 years...what a pain in the butt....now sold....sure we'll lose financially in the future....all depends on your life's priorities..
Health is your real wealth.....many realize too late after they receive a diagnosis that prevents them from ever taking up the challenge of 'hitting the road' and out of our own comfort zones initially.....perhaps its also what helps keep us active/alive.... Left home base 5 years ago....have no regrets.....and if I receive the same diagnosis tomorrow that many of my friends did/have...I feel I'm way ahead because I actually did something.... My point is my worry's of no longer having a home may well start at some time in the future or tomorrow....and I'll face that 'somewhere' when it happens....their worry's are constant for the rest of their lives....or already over....why make all our preparations and our reasons for being, for that inevitable fateful period now...... Many of us have had familys, lifetime careers/jobs/commitments......we're now enjoying the alternatives...and don't consider it selfish....particularly when technology now allow us to remain in constant contact with family...<the taxation office does find it a little hard to keep up with us> I actually envy folk like the couple you mentioned..they are enlightened....and have learnt to enjoy what they actually have....and don't worry about what they actually don't have....its a mindset........
Gold detecting in the various goldfields...fishing wherever...even get a meal sometimes.....tenting, vanning, doin' nuthin'......hell it ain't tough!..but don't tell everyone.....lol Just our thoughts anyway....and we're all different thank heavens...
Across the back of my van is written...'Without Going You Get Nowhere'..........
Hoo Roo...see you out there...
-- Edited by Goldfinger on Wednesday 4th of March 2015 08:32:08 AM
-- Edited by Goldfinger on Wednesday 4th of March 2015 08:46:40 AM
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My Avatar photo: How my youngest granddaughter Brydie 8 sees her Pa through the lens of her 'Barbie' Camera......
'Without Going You Get No Where'....written across the rear of my Jayco Caravan.
Mmmmm, me, well I have some personal reasons for doing as you say. Those that know me know those reasons. I lived in a village and to do so you pay a weekly fee but found for three years in a row I was away for 8 months of the year, still paying that fee even though I was not there.
So enough was enough and the waist of money plus the unpleasant memories I needed to clear from my head I decided to update my Den and Tug then hit the highways and byways full time.
Even though it's only been 6 months, yes 6 months, I have not looked back. The unpleasant memories are slowly being replaced with pleasant memories of my loved ones lost.
Not sure if that's what you are looking for Paul and Val but hope is of some help.
Keep Safe out there whatever you do or decide.
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
Some people genuinely don't have a choice Wirroff, they can only afford their "Home on the road" whether its a motorhome or tug'n'van. Lets not be judgemental, we never know what catastrophes have happened in their lives.
Personally are very grateful to have a comfy home to return to.
The only thing I miss about not having my own home is my garden, where I used to spend many hours and had a variety of beautiful plants.
If or when it happens and I can't travel anymore I can always park my van up in one of the kids backyards or if my health has seen it's better days, maybe will just pop a few pills. Better than going into one of those old folks homes.
If you're a solo nomad and you become too ill to travel, then you'll probably be too ill to live on your own at home, in which case a retirement village will be the only option for you (unless you have family or friends that will take you in).
If you enjoy travelling, then you may feel better on the road than in the suburbs. One major advantage is that you can simply move on if you don't like your neighbours. That would amount to a less stressful existence, which would then translate into a longer, healthier life.
If you were to rent out your home, then you would always be worrying whether it was being properly looked after. I'd rather get rid of it and move on.
As for disposing of all your possessions, I'm in the process of dumping 30 years worth of accumulated "stuff" that I haven't touched in 20 years or more. I ask myself, if I were to die today, would anyone want it? If the answer is no, then out it goes. All my movies and music can be put on one or two digital storage devices, and a single laptop should be able to handle my computing needs. TV is deadly boring, so I can live without it. In fact I have done without it for two years in the past.
A motorhome has everything I need - shower, toilet, bed, stove, fridge, table, cupboard, wardrobe, wash basin. During my working life I travelled extensively overseas and managed to live quite well out of a suitcase for many months at a time. A house and property require constant maintenance, not the least of which are mowing and gardening. The only downside that I can see would be the inconvenience of having to personally dispose of toilet waste and grey water rather than merely flushing it away.
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"No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full."
You pose the age old question, and perhaps the toughest there is about this lifestyle.
The bride and I sold up due to circumstances of health, bad employment ( I was teaching and she was counselling in job network) and a huge mortgage, we were luck enough to sell everything and come out with a goodly sum of money. Bought our caravan, a new Ford Ranger and hit the road (on a shoestring after spending all that money BUT WE OWN IT!).
At first we stayed in a caravan park till my first operation then my wife left work, we are very lucky to be camped in our eldest daughter's backyard (on a winery estate) for nominal rent (to cover water and electricity). Now that I have recovered we will be back on the road soon. We have some part time work in my son in laws vineyard so a few extra bux in the bicky bin.
The question I keep getting asked is "how is it working?" Answer is brilliant, we love it. Yes the van is much smaller than a 3 bedroom home with granny flat but its warm, etc AND mobile (the big winner).
The future: At age 65 now, we have planned for our future, sell the lot again and rent till we fall off the perch. I guess we are lucky, my health is covered by DVA gold card and our youngest daughter is a cardiac research doctor (science) at a large public hospital. We also have a caring family who will ensure we never want for anything.
This whole grey nomad lifestyle is a matter of choice and we love it, no mortgage, rates, utility bills etc.. I read once where we may have a small home but a huge backyard. The beauty is that if the neighbours pee you off, it takes only a few minutes to hitch up and move away. There is nothing on earth as good as waking up to kookaburras and magpies squarking (at a reasonable hour lol)
Safe travels
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
Appears its different strokes for different Folks :), Have thought of this question myself but doubt i could stay away from my Grandchildren & vegypatch for too long otherwise yes ide be there also :)..
I think most have answered the question better than I. Being on the road full time for the past 18months, I love it. Do I want a house again, not this point in time. I could have stayed living where I was, alone and not really having a lot of people around me, yes seeing my grandies and sons from time to time, however I know that once I have been with my grandchildren for about 15-20 mins they are ready to go and do their own thing. Maybe I am just a boring Grandy, not sure, but I love them all and they are happy to see me when I arrive at their homes. The phone, internet, and mail makes it easy to keep in contact with them all.
I have met more people on the road and people I know I could call on if I needed some assistance. This was something that my husband and I were going to do when he retired, unfortunately he never made retirement age, due to cancer. So we never know what is around the corner and my opinion is if you want to do, get out there and do it.
I am also very aware that this lifestyle is not for everyone, and that is fine also. There are many that do not understand why I enjoy life on the road so much, just as I really don't understand how somebody can live in the one house, in the one town for their whole lives and not explore the world around them. Even in 34 years of marriage we moved around a bit, and exploring the country with the kids and travelling overseas was part of that life. Guess I have always been a bit of a gypsy. Each person has to decide what is best for them.
I hope that I can continue to explore the country for as long as possible, and one day find a nice spot by water somewhere and go to sleep. The one thing I do not want in shape or form is to go into an old people's home and wait to die.
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I am fun and adventure. So much to see, so much to do, so many people to meet. Will see, do, and meet all that I can.
You don't need to watch many ABC programs for instance, Q&A, to conclude that the elite who advise government, both sides, see a goldmine for the taking in the assets of the aged. Intergenerational jealousy is being fanned and many more 20s-30s believe that the economically 'non-productive'(sic) elderly have no right to live in a home that is 'too big' or 'too expensive' for an old, or even self-supporting retired, person. There is no tolerance for the view that an elder's home is worth everything to them because of family and familiar surroundings, but is worth nothing too, because they have to live somewhere and don't want to sell.
The hardening attitude is that the elderly not only have no right to live somewhere nice, but they should be forced to sell and live off the proceeds they 'unfairly'(sic) accumulated. - So they are not 'burdens' to society. -Whereas 20s-30s on the dole are not burdens, but lack opportunity. Or so the narrative has it.
There seems to be plenty of aging people who are trying to dodge the bullet by selling ahead of being forced to by increasing costs and other negative incentives to move, and are building a compact, low maintenance house elsewhere in a less populated area. Then spending the residue on the lifestyle they haven't had and may never have if they are up for big maintenance costs.
I suppose if limited value of the present home doesn't allow for reinvestment in the market and an acceptable retirement, then something has to give.
Maybe we are between the devil and the deep blue sea. Government is working hard to find ways to take it from us and we will lose it in taxes or user-pays for aged care anyhow.
After 30 years in the Nations Capital we have sold the family home and furniture is in storage. We have been on the road for just short of 12 months and cannot believe some of the places we have been too and rewarding situations we have experienced.
We are currently at Scarborough North of Brisbane being Redcliffe on Moreton Bay. Caravan is parked up and we are in a house sit in the aircon looking after King George Cavalier and pussy cat. Water down the road and cafe strip is a walk for the dog.
We are house sitters and have spent 60% of our time in home owners places while checking out this great playground. We are booked to the end of November 2015, yet we will visit Broome this winter as part of our time on the road. How do you do it you ask? The cruiser is parked up with no cost for diesel and we are not paying $30/$35 a night for caravan parks. We have just spent 6 weeks at Grafton with the cruiser parked in the garage and the outback parked up next to the farm house. Out of town with virtually no spending??
Works for us and since January and until Easter we will have visited Grafton, Lismore, Tweed Heads, Scarborough, Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour before heading to our Central West sits via Hunter Valley and Mudgee.
We were working class aussies and proud of it.
(I still have trouble working out if I have retired or on holiday??)
When we meet people and tell them how we live we usually get one of two responses - most commonly, "I wish I could do what you are doing it sounds great" to which we normally reply, "well what's stopping you" and the discussion starts. The least common response is "What happens if you get sick?", "What happens if you have an accident?","What happens if ..... [insert catastrophic event here]?" Well what happens if none of those things happen and you're still stuck in the same old place. We recently met a couple just starting out on the road who had sold up, bought a van and 4WD and what gave them the push to do it was his treatment for cancer (successful as he's now in remission) and his diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease. They figured they could get out and enjoy their life and do what they always wanted or remain super cautious at home and be miserable.
We sold up our house (220 m2 and a 7.5 X 5.0 metre shed) gave away, sold or ditched a whole stack of stuff and squeezed what remained into a 8'6" X 22'6" box on wheels and we haven't been happier. Sure things might take a turn for the worse but then again maybe they won't ... I prefer the latter.
No rates, no rent, no lawns to mow (though I do miss gardening), no "stuff" to dust, and my MH is like a small appartment. When I get too sick of finding new places to enjoy having 4 kids I reckon 3 months at each and by the time I come back again they will (hopefully) have forgotten why they kicked me out last time. That's my plan for however long. I love this stress free lifestyle. Cheers Colleen
I will keep my house and travel about when I want I can come home I don't travel full time
I tent or motel and cabins at times with friends
but we all have our own ideas and that's a good thing I reckon
enjoy
Looks like the smart money is on having NO homebase and I agree.
If you keep a coupla hundred grand in the bank to purchase a unit for when you have to stop traveling, well there goes your pension.
Nahh enjoy you health and time left because you're dead a long time.
Now that's bang on Cloak. The old question what happens when keeps coming up. Like any mode of living you come prepared, we have both had first aid training, have a full first aid kit, I have a gold card and a daughter who can wiggle the public system for my wife If needed.
The thing is if this lifestyle is calling you, stop resisting. Whatever you do with your home is your business, we could no longer afford our place, the caravan was the only option at that time and still is. Living is cheap as we have very low out going expenses. Telstra is our biggest cost at $200 a month and that covered all our internet, mobile phones and iPad comms.
I am convinced this is the best thing we have ever done for ourselves, if bad things happen we have ambulance cover and survival skills. At the end of the day we have the same risks as a house holder.
Be safe
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
We're into our 4th year now, we don't miss a mortgage, utility bills, noisy neighbors, mowing, maintenance oh I could go on !
I do miss my shed and tools though and my wife sometimes misses her "home" and one day we may again settle down, god forbid !
We rural block sit, spend winters in the warmth, do a bit of fishing walking cycling, life's good and both of us are healthier than we have ever been, stress kills !
Our home is a 30' luxury apartment on wheels, as the song says, wherever I lay my hat, that's my home.
we're like most here - sold our home and now gypsies - but we spend about 3-4 months a year staying at our kids (who have had a lot of our money already when they need it, rather than when we die and they probably wont have such a need.
We're hitting the road next week for about 6-10 months (we just go for as long as we want and head in general directions, rather than tight planning and we don't do more than 3-4 hours on the road, unless its necessary, and try to stay at one place for a few weeks.
Don't miss all the bills, the swimming pool maintenance, lawn mowing, constant small house maintenance jobs.
We've been staying at our sons place for about 3 months now and cant wait to get going again
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
I,m on the road fulltime and see the glass as half full instead of half empty.The what iff,s can last to your funeral and then i hear' if only i had done it'
A good friend of mine is a doctor and has had his share of being with people when they are on their last breath. He tells me that he has never heard anyone say "If only I had spent more time at work" or "If only I had spent more time accumulating possessions"
As an adage to my earlier reply, like most of our age group we have a regular yearly doctors check up, usual things etc.
On my last one, my family doctor of around 10 years said to me, "I dont know what you are doing recently, but whatever it is keep doing it, as your normal tests, bloods, cholesterol etc have improved dramatically" and you have lost weight ! (around 10kg actually)
I am convinced that it would be the best thing since sliced bread to clear oneself of all those encumbrances and responsibilities that have built up over a lifetime.. "Freedom"..
just got to convince the young bride :( and break this stupid habit called working...
I understand about the possessions thing and freedom and all those sorts of things, but I think there's a few rose-coloured glasses on out there! What I meant, as the crux of the matter is this; How do people AFFORD it? Some of you have said that they'll park up on their children's land etc if they have to and that's all very well if you have that family set up, but what if you don't? Also, some of you have said that, if and when the time arises, they'll sell up their rig and then base themselves somewhere again. That $100,000 rig set up you bought, is now worth about $30,000 and difficult to sell..........
We would love to think we, and anyone for that matter, could travel forever but health and money are the two biggest factors. Let's say my wife get's ill and needs medical attention; where do we get the money from if we've spent everything we have on the rig? What if we both become too crook to travel, where do we get the money from to rent somewhere? Admittedly, people could survive on a pension (just) but who wants that money worry in later years?
Maybe we're just more cautious and always look to the future instead of 'living for today' but life has taught me many a lesson and one of them is this; Too many people 'live for today' and comment with things like 'you never know if you'll get hit by a bus tomorrow'. The likelihood is my friends, that you won't get hit by a bus tomorrow and then, come tomorrow, you'll have no money left because you've spent it all today......
We love travelling, but after our journey around Oz we needed to come back 'home' and do normal things again. Yes, we'll probably travel again sometime, but it won't be permanent.
It's a question I've pondered too. I can well understand the attraction of shedding all the responsibilities associated with owning property and just hitting the road. However I know myself well enough to know I need at least a bit of dirt to call mine, so I still own a home-base. I'm fortunate that my son and his family choose to share my acreage and maintain it when I am away, so that makes it easier for me. But keeping property you don't really want "just in case" you can't travel anymore some day probably doesn't make sense either. For most of us grey nomads the future has arrived and we should be living for today. Maybe things will change in the future, but as I always told my late husband (he was a doomsday prepper), If you spend your life planning for disaster then your life will be a disaster. And sadly his life ended before any of the disaster scenarios he prepared for ever happened. Keep your house or sell it, whichever suits you and your circumstances. But mostly, enjoy today because it may be all you get
