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Old 03-24-2013, 07:26 AM   #41
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Since I ER a few years ago I finally had the time to get my pilots license. So now I fly myself.

Not quite the same as first class, I can't drink. But I can leave when I want, no TSA, no lines. And I can take about 650lbs of people or luggage along with me.
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Old 03-24-2013, 10:27 AM   #42
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Flying FC is out of my budget, for the most part, though I was upgraded once on a leg from DFW to Denver. Nice wide seats, a wine list, and a warm washcloth v. being shoehorned into a seat next to a fat guy and a screaming toddler whilst being slapped up side the head with a bag of stale pretzels...

For my only overseas trip thus far, to Tokyo, I substituted sleeping pills and Valium for first-class...
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Old 03-24-2013, 10:33 AM   #43
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I guess I'm just sensitive, but when I board a plane with all the first class passengers already sitting there, I feel like I'm on a perp walk. They sort of avert their eyes like I do to a homeless person.

Love that Southwest.
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Old 03-24-2013, 10:34 AM   #44
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Originally Posted by Snidely Whiplash View Post
Where can I find additional information on these cruises?
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Originally Posted by ChainsBeGone View Post
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.
If you just Google repositioning cruises a list of sites will come up..

Let me google that for you
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Old 03-24-2013, 10:37 AM   #45
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I am not going to scrimp in retirement or I'd have kept working.
Oxymoron of the day?

No comment on air or other travel...
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Old 03-24-2013, 12:07 PM   #46
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I didn't retire until I felt the DW and I could continue to live in the lifestyle that we had while working. I wouldn't call our lifestyle 1st class since I don't have a private yacht or jet but we are comfortable. However, with regards to flying, I would much rather drive (where possible) than to fly. The last time I actually paid for a plane ticket "myself" was a flight from Houston to Dallas on the old Braniff International airlines for $18 back in the 70's. Since then all my air travel was paid for by the companies I worked for. At first, I loved to travel by air but as the years went by I found I was traveling more (and much further) and enjoying it a lot less. It got to the point in the last few years of working that I'd only fly by 1st class and even then only when it was absolutely necessary. The hassles of airports crowds and air travel, baggage checks, car rentals and hotels just got to be too much for me. I often think of the airport crowds and lines when I'm watching folks herding cattle out here in the country.
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Old 03-24-2013, 01:11 PM   #47
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I just cleaned my office out this morning. Last day is Thursday!
Just wanted to say congrats on that! What to go, I hope retirement is everything you want it to be.

We've never flown first class, but agree that IF we ever go to Hawaii, we will. DH has some long legs, and flying can be pretty miserable for him.
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Old 03-24-2013, 01:11 PM   #48
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And while they don't have first class anymore to my knowledge,
I make several 12+ hr flights a year in business class, same as first class. Seats lay flat so you can sleep. Mega corp pays about 4k extra per ticket. One of the perks that goes with 80 hr+ weeks & six time zone change :-)

I am not likely to fly business class in RE, but instead I would break up the flight into more legs.
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Old 03-24-2013, 01:54 PM   #49
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I would want the same lifestyle I have today. I wouldn't really try to label it as I know people who live and spend more extravagantly than I, and I also know people who think my spending is extravagant. Its all a matter of perspective.

To me, I want to be able to go to the grocery store and buy what I want without needing to clip coupons or stay on a budget. I want to be able to spend on my hobbies and activities (most of which are low cost), including travel. I guess the only expense creep I may have in retirement is that I would want to be able to spend for a few extra chores/tasks that I do myself now, but may not find as easy as I age. For example, I might want a maid to do the heavy housework of cleaning floors, etc if that no longer becomes easy or comfortable for me to do.

Specifically on travel, I usually fly coach. For international travel, if I can use miles to get a business class upgrade, I will, otherwise I'll stick with coach as I don't see the value in the premium even for longer flights. But I would (and do) spend on nice hotels and tours when I arrive at my destination. I don't like stressing out over details when I arrive somewhere and would rather pay extra to a top tour operator who I know will cover everything and cover it well.
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Old 03-24-2013, 02:07 PM   #50
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I have flown first class a couple of times but have never paid for it myself and, given the huge difference in price, would probably never do so, unless using frequent flyer points. The people at the front and back ends of the plane all arrive at the same place in the end. Like caninelover, I prefer to save my hardearned dollars for unique experiences when I get there. However, I will concede that first class and business class makes a big difference to how you feel at the end of a long journey. I used to volunteer with an organization that did some overseas work and when traveling long distance, volunteers could fly business class. When they canned that "perq" I stopped volunteering my time. What I will splurge on, when I have a long connection in an airport, is to pay a fee for access to a decent airport lounge. I was recently in one where you could have a complete hot meal, which would have cost as much or more in an airport restaurant. It was really worth it to have the peace and quiet.
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Old 03-24-2013, 06:38 PM   #51
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Thank you for your kind words. You are correct, my life might be better served continuing to work in order to provide more for others in the future. At the same time, thousands of adults and children are dying of preventable diseases in third world countries every day. Every day I work here means dozens of patients I can't save abroad. Once of the biggest dilemmas of my life.

Please tell us more about your own career decision.

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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, 06:56 PM   #52
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Now you are retired, do you indulge/pamper/treat yourself more?
Not yet ret'd, but I intend to indulge a lot more on retirement.

I have an annual income target on retirement and I will have no qualms about spending the lot with nothing left over.

Note: my retirement plan is to ensure that my principal is preserved in real terms, so that my annual income keeps up with inflation.

Am I being too naive ?
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Old 03-24-2013, 06:57 PM   #53
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My skills do not transfer as well as yours. I've detailed the possible changes in this thread: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f30/walking-away-from-money-65367.html


Friday I have the interview. I think I am fortunate that I will have two good choices. The painful part will be saying no to one of them. W*rking for the state university has more of a service aspect, but my recent efforts improving a plant in Canada played a part in saving about 100 jobs. Either way, I'm more motivated by service than dollars.

I must have done a good job transferring values because all three of my daughters are in the service (Coast Guard).
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Old 03-24-2013, 07:01 PM   #54
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Oxymoron of the day?

No comment on air or other travel...
While I often am a complete moron, why is it an oxymoron to keep working if I don't have enough resources to retire?
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Old 03-24-2013, 07:58 PM   #55
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I cannot ever get a good rest flying in cattle class. On long haul flights, this always means I arrive at my destination completely knackkered. The lounge facility, flat beds, great food and above all the flowing champagne and wine are the parts I really enjoy.
Unfortunately when I retire I will have to pay for this myself. If my budget allows, I will definitely pay the extra.
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Old 03-25-2013, 07:44 AM   #56
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While I often am a complete moron, why is it an oxymoron to keep working if I don't have enough resources to retire?
Evidently I misinterpreted the statement, so I'm the moron, sorry.
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Old 03-25-2013, 08:23 AM   #57
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I think that most people keep pretty much the same lifestyle as when they were working with maybe a few tweaks.

If you flew first class while working, you might fly first in RE. If you flew coach, you'll fly coach. If you eat out often, you'll eat out often in RE.

If you're going to RE and live a much lower lifestyle, what's the point of RE? I didn't RE so that I'd have to collect bottle deposits but I don't expect RE to include a yacht with a helicopter on it either.

YMMD, just my opinion.
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Old 03-25-2013, 09:05 AM   #58
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I would say our lifestyle is a little better due to the fact that we now have time to do things. Not that it was bad before, but the free time just opens up more things to do. And we are spending more now.
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Old 03-25-2013, 09:56 AM   #59
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For me, *time* is much more of a "first class" retirement factor than money. The ability to wake up every morning and decide how to spend the day on my interests - whose costs are manageable - if what I am hoping for when I FIRE.

I expect to "splurge" periodically -it is part of our budget - but it will be more based on opportunities and how our investments are doing. For example, DW and I took a spur of the moment trip a few years ago to Las Vegas because a great flight and hotel combination came up, and a month of interest/dividend income would more than cover the total trip costs.

As for flying first/business class I might splurge on it for a long distance (like Hawaii), but not within the continental U.S. Perhaps because I have flown so much I'm used to flying and the time passes quickly. I can think of one flight out of every 100 that was uncomfortable.
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Old 03-25-2013, 11:16 AM   #60
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DW and I were saving a high % of our income in our working years, so, overall, plan to maintain about the same living standards just by not having to save. Some expenses will go down automatically ( we had a city home and a beach home, will now sell the city home and move into the beach home ), others will increase ( company was paying for health insurance while I was working; may travel a bit more for leisure).

I've had to travel a lot while working - avg of 2-3 flights longer than 10h per month, plus some shorter flights - so, I don't enjoy travelling (but do enjoy seeing what is at the other end!), rarely did that for leisure and could not imagine taking long flights on coach other than for an emergency. I will keep the number of trips down rather than do that. I am looking forward to doing some more travelling by car and by boat, now that we have more control over our time.
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