Recent content by RetiredAndFree

in our area, coastal South Orange County, California, home costs are driven by proximity to the ocean. Down to the 1/100th of a mile, quite literally. And desirability follows, as you might imagine. I love it here, and can not imagine any circumstance that would take me further from the ocean...

That we're bored. Which I find so ironic, because the most bored I ever was in my entire life was my last two years of w#rk, when I was so over my job I could have shot myself. In years one and two of ER, I would respond with a long list of activities to assure them (and probably myself) that...

Went on a 12 mile hike with DH, which was just glorious. Came home, cleaned up, then enjoyed the leftovers from last night's Greek restaurant dinner for lunch. Took a deep breath and dove into Michaels Crafts to pick up a needlepoint project I'd done and had framed (an adorable birth record...

Our 'usual' has been to go to a fairly nearby ballroom dancing and dinner event. Not too terribly pricey at $50 a person, and a very nice, romantic way to end the year, though quite often we'll leave around 11:00 PM because we're tired and ready to head for home. I find the ringing in of the New...

Woke up at 2:00 AM just because (I'll be glad when *this* phase is over), so I went ahead and planned out the menu and shopping list for a cookie exchange dinner party I'm having here tomorrow. Also did my book club reading (Mark Twain's Roughing It), all before 6:00 AM. Headed to Target at 7:45...

I have had many wonderful (i.e., significant) days in my lifetime, but I am convinced the best is still to come. This year, my 52nd, has been my best year ever . . . six months of amazing travel around the US, the return to a job nearby of one of our daughters, a fabulous trip to Peru, and the...

We've sailed to Alaska twice, with gorgeous weather in May, when it still should have been rainy, and rainy weather in August, when it should have been slightly less rainy. As both captains said every morning when giving the day's weather report, "Take Alaska for what Alaska is . . . rain...

It buys us back two feet of garage, which leaves enough room to continue to access our rear garage side door. Great feature.

Great info so far, thanks all. We've been to a good number of third world and developing countries, we've driven on the left side of the road, we're both very adept driving cars with manual transmissions, we've visited countries that seem to have frequent, but fairly benign uprisings (Thailand...

Congratulations! It is wonderful, isn't it . . . time to bake, time to decorate, time to listen to music, time to attend the many wonderful events this time of year, time to entertain, time to be entertained, and best of all, time to get in and out of stores during the quiet midweek days, and...

athena, am curious what your thoughts are on just staying with a 2.5% withdrawal rate when SS arrives, and instead kicking up the spend? We likewise have been at between 2.4% and 2.5% since ER'ing, but are thinking there's no reason not to continue doing same even after pensions, SS and...

I'm with you on this, trust me. We use our travel trailer about 100 days a year, so it's been fully vetted and found to be 'justifiable' both from a cost and storage impact perspective. :) EDIT: I just added up our usage days for 2014 - 147 nights out. So it would appear the excess 'stuff'...

Hi all, Looking for a quick assessment of Fiji and American Samoa as on-your-owns, particular with regard to driving around both. I am putting together a trip to visit American Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand, and we can either do it entirely on our own, or hop on a 28 day cruise that visits all...

Does it mean I win if we not only park a car, but also our travel trailer in our two car garage? :)

Are you by chance reading "The Overspent American" by Juliet Schor? If so, or even regardless, after finishing the book, I was struck by how much lifestyle creepage has occurred since the 1950's. Dishwashers, microwaves, TV's, multiple autos, full clothing closets and shoe racks, traveling...