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Old 03-23-2013, 05:42 PM   #21
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Now you are retired, do you indulge/pamper/treat yourself more?
Darned right I do.

This is our 4th year of ER and this year I convinced DW that we should fly business class to Europe, but being the LBYM person she is, and resourceful with it, she has found that for substantially less money than business class we can take cruises to get over there, and in future save even more with re-positioning cruises in the Spring and Fall. Time and timing is no longer the limit it was while we were working.
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Old 03-23-2013, 05:47 PM   #22
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To me, FI is not about being able to not look at the price, it's about having the passive income cash flow to sustain your desired standard of living and desired lifestyle without working a j*b.
This, and what MichaelB posted a few posts later, express my views.

BTW I have not flown in an airplane since 2003 and have no real desire to fly anywhere LOL!
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Old 03-23-2013, 05:49 PM   #23
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I have not flown in an airplane since 2003
How do you do it then?
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Old 03-23-2013, 05:51 PM   #24
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How do you do it then?
How do I do what?
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Old 03-23-2013, 05:53 PM   #25
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When we were both first retired 4.5 years ago, DH was very nervous about spending any money that was at all frivolous in his mind (like a new shirt to replace an old wellworn one). As the one who handles the finances, I started this mantra with him: "Honey, if you want ___, you *git* ___." and he was reassured.

We are not big spenders but we've not felt the need to deny ourselves in retirement. So I think that's first class for us.

And having flown first class maybe 4 times with unexpected upgrades most definitely I look at doing every time we fly and I always back out and book coach. To me that shows we don't really want to, or we would!
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Old 03-23-2013, 06:06 PM   #26
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We're not big on travel either, but like shorter one to three day driving excursions occasionally.

When I finally do hang it up, which will be this year either in May or August depending on some contract issues, we will be better off financially than we've ever been in our lives.

But we're confident of the future, as evidenced that just yesterday DW cleared ordering $1,500 worth of photography stuff. It'll be useful for as long as I can pick up a camera. That's getting close to what I consider "first class" since there was a time I would have fainted at the thought of spending that much on something so frivolous as a lens and a macro strobe flash unit.

Well, unless I win the lottery. Perhaps my odds would improve if I bought a ticket.
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Old 03-23-2013, 06:23 PM   #27
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We live exactly the same LBYM lifestyle we always did, with one exception.
When we take a European vacation (typically every 1-2 years), we spring for business class on the trans-Atlantic leg. Sometimes that can be done with frequent flyer miles, but if we have to pay for it, we will.
+1 After flying international business class to Europe and first to Asia whike I was working, I admit I am spoiled - there is no way I would fly to Europe in coach - I'll probably buy coach tickets and use mile to upgrade or buy business class or not go. Life is too short to take long flights in coach, especially since coach seat pitch seem to be getting smaller every year.
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Old 03-23-2013, 06:31 PM   #28
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she has found that for substantially less money than business class we can take cruises to get over there, and in future save even more with re-positioning cruises in the Spring and Fall.

Where can I find additional information on these cruises?
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Old 03-23-2013, 08:56 PM   #29
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When walking through first class on our way back to our usual seats in steerage I occasionally notice beautiful normal size people in first class but mostly I notice how BIG the people in first class usually are.
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Old 03-23-2013, 09:20 PM   #30
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If my retired self was in first class then I didn't spend enough on my present/past self.

I've tried to keep spending relatively level. And I can't imagine spending the money for first class.
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Old 03-23-2013, 09:25 PM   #31
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+1 After flying international business class to Europe and first to Asia whike I was working, I admit I am spoiled - there is no way I would fly to Europe in coach - I'll probably buy coach tickets and use mile to upgrade or buy business class or not go. Life is too short to take long flights in coach, especially since coach seat pitch seem to be getting smaller every year.
I never fly more than 4 hours and the differential in price on coach and 1st class pays for the hotel by itself, so I could never justify the cost. I get antsy after 3 hours in my coach seat, I couldn't begin to imagine flying to Asia in coach. So I guess I will never go.
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Old 03-23-2013, 09:33 PM   #32
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I hope to fly first class just once in my life. It is not a major goal, but it does look like fun. Probably will never happen.

DH and i do justify some extra fun by remembering that this is the last third of our life. Why not? Makes sense to us.

That said, i have not purchased one item of new clothing since retiring in June 2012. Then again, i hate clothes shopping.

We are frugal in some areas but splurge for extra cheap fun.
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Old 03-23-2013, 10:34 PM   #33
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I hope to fly first class just once in my life. It is not a major goal, but it does look like fun. Probably will never happen.....
If you do, shoot for international first class on a wide body jet- much better than domestic first class in most cases.

And while they don't have first class anymore to my knowledge, Virgin Atlantic's business class was top shelf (about 10 years ago anyway). Included Mercedes ground transportation from office to Heathrow, putting green in the lounge and a 5 minute neck or head massage IIRC.
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Old 03-23-2013, 10:43 PM   #34
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Sorry. I didn't mean to discuss air travel. The airplane thing was not meant literally, but meant to be a metaphor of how scrimping now means better things later.

For myself, I feel like now it is later.

I am not going to scrimp in retirement or I'd have kept working.

While FI doesn't mean spending like a drunken sailor, to me it means spending intelligently to indulge those I care about.

OTOH, if we are talking air travel, I did just spend $144 to upgrade to a bulkhead "Economy Plus" exit row seat for my upcoming flight to Hawaii. My "30+ years in the future self" probably won't know the difference.

Btw, it was a commercial for insurance/annuities. Since I'm not on their payroll nor do I care for their products, I won't mention their name.
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Old 03-24-2013, 01:42 AM   #35
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Where can I find additional information on these cruises?
I just read about this in Jeff Yeager's book, "How to Retire the Cheapskate Way". He says to check with individual cruise lines for repositioning cruises (normally in the Spring and the Fall) and also offers www.cruisedeals.com as a place to search for repositioning cruises. He does caution that those trips are one way, so you'll have to find and alternate way home.

I have no personal experience in doing this.
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Old 03-24-2013, 04:53 AM   #36
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I cannot imagine flying first class after I FIRE, even if I can afford to. A couple of thousand dollars' difference in airfare can go a long way when buying medicines or medical supplies for the free clinics abroad. A couple of times in the past, I saw children eating grass as they were so hungry. Totally heartbreaking. I just would not be able to look in all these hungry children's eyes and say "sorry, kids, I flew first class this year, so no amoxicillin for you. " I just could not do it.
I really appreciate your altruistic values OB. Do you ever think that your life would be better served continuing to w*rk (at your assumed high salary) in order to provide more for others? That has crossed my mind as I near a big career decision.
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Old 03-24-2013, 05:18 AM   #37
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We lived well prior to ER and live the same way now with the exception of more travel (but the travel is in the same style). We continue to speculate that we might splurge on some ridiculous excess 10 or 15 years down the road if the market takes us on one of the positive scenarios but I doubt that we ever will. I look at the cost to upgrade from coach to business class and just get irritated - can't bring myself to waste the money for a little comfort on a flight. On the other hand, we had bikes custom built for us -- a luxury many would refuse to indulge in on the same principle I apply to flight upgrades.
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Old 03-24-2013, 05:46 AM   #38
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Do you ever think that your life would be better served continuing to w*rk (at your assumed high salary) in order to provide more for others? That has crossed my mind as I near a big career decision.
if you didn't see this thread it might be of interest. http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ity-65718.html
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Old 03-24-2013, 05:49 AM   #39
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I'm probably more frugal now than before ER, but I'm enjoying life much more. The thought of going back to Dilbert-land repulses me.
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Old 03-24-2013, 07:24 AM   #40
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I think we might be an outlier; we like to travel and we like to travel nicely. Today, while still working, we try to fit in two three week vacations a year. We take advantage of frequent flyer miles and hotel points to fly business class and stay in very nice hotels. When we retire, and time isn't the limiting factor, we plan to continue traveling; although not always "first class: as money instead of time will be the concern. We have put $90K per year into our retirement budget; if that wasn't there, we could retire today. I would rather travel so I keep working. In fact, if I can continue to travel well while working, I will probably become a OMY addict.

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