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10-31-2007, 06:37 AM
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#1
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 101
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1500 a month
It took 10 years longer than we had hoped but finally retired last week! At 3%WR 72K yr.We'll start some travel in 5 Months & know we'll spend it all.Before then we're going to see if we can live on 1500 mo +health ins.I think it"s very doable but we'll keep tract of all expenses & see how it goes.We're in a low cost area with very low property taxes.If we can do it without hardship it will give us confidence that even if investments really crater we'll do OK. We'll keep you posted.
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10-31-2007, 06:43 AM
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#2
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: New York
Posts: 898
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Congratulations!
Where are you headed on the trip?
__________________
Money's just something you need in case you don't die tomorrow.
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10-31-2007, 06:57 AM
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#3
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: athens
Posts: 802
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wolfbay,
I'm fascinated by your budget plan to spend $1500 per month! How do you do that? That's $18000 annually, probably somewhere below the poverty line. Could you elaborate a little bit in general categories of expenses. $1500 per month makes me feel like a bloated fat-cat. I spend nearly that much on insurance, taxes and auto expenses for heavens sake. I'm I reading that right?
__________________
Can't you see yourself in the nursing home saying, " Darn! Wish I'd spent more time at the office instead of wasting time with family and friends."
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10-31-2007, 06:59 AM
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#4
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 101
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Hi Maurice- We're going to go for acruise with our boat. The route is called the GREAT LOOP. We'll start on the gulf coast & go around florida & up the east coast to NY then up the Hudson to Lake CHamplain then St lawrence river to Great lakes chicago &down rivers to Mobile &back to gulf coast. It is a long trip but we'll take our time.We've wanted to do it for a long time but never could take off that long
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10-31-2007, 07:25 AM
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#5
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 101
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1500
Tightasadrum- I may be off base -we'll see. We live on a farm with very low property taxes in a low cost area.We have a garden & take 2-3 deer a yr. for most of our meat.{also fish in the pond]We don't have any payments &won't be able to eat out much.I think our situation is similar to many rural land owners.We'll keep you posted
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10-31-2007, 08:11 AM
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#6
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: athens
Posts: 802
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I'm on 8 acres myself, and we'll be planting a garden in the spring. DW won't let me fiddle with the deer though. Even the rooster is off limits. She would never have made it as a farm girl. If I grew everything I ate, which I won't, it would save about 20-25% of budget. Good luck.
__________________
Can't you see yourself in the nursing home saying, " Darn! Wish I'd spent more time at the office instead of wasting time with family and friends."
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10-31-2007, 09:50 AM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,360
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tightasadrum
I'm fascinated by your budget plan to spend $1500 per month! How do you do that? That's $18000 annually, probably somewhere below the poverty line.
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I would think that is quite possible to live on $18,000 p.a. But I wouldn't want to ... my definition of a comfortable retirement requires almost three times that amount.
To each his own!
__________________
"To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive". Robert Louis Stevenson, An Inland Voyage (1878)
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10-31-2007, 11:02 AM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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$1,500/month + health ins. = $20,280/year.
__________________
Al
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10-31-2007, 11:08 AM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wolfbay
It took 10 years longer than we had hoped but finally retired last week! At 3%WR 72K yr.We'll start some travel in 5 Months & know we'll spend it all.Before then we're going to see if we can live on 1500 mo +health ins.I think it"s very doable but we'll keep tract of all expenses & see how it goes.We're in a low cost area with very low property taxes.If we can do it without hardship it will give us confidence that even if investments really crater we'll do OK. We'll keep you posted.
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I think it is very doable, if you have your house paid off. I have lived on less than that for the past five years (plus P&I part of the mortgage payments on my house before it was paid off). There is only one of me, whereas I gather there are two of you, but then I have been working and haven't really cut my budget down to the bone. I occasionally buy art and other things that I want, but that I do not actually need, plus I furnished my entire house during that time.
I am planning to have more available to me when I retire, but to be honest I don't see how I could spend more than $2000/month, even if I tried. I believe I will have considerably more than that. Good luck to you! I hope you will be pleasantly surprised.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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10-31-2007, 11:33 AM
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#10
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Florida
Posts: 854
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Why would you live on so little, when a very conservative withdrawal rate allows much more flexibility?
__________________
I would not have anyone adopt my mode of living...but I would have each one be very careful to find out and pursue his own way, and not his father's or his mother's or his neighbor's instead. Thoreau, Walden
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10-31-2007, 11:56 AM
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#11
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandy
Why would you live on so little, when a very conservative withdrawal rate allows much more flexibility?
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I was wondering the same thing ??
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10-31-2007, 12:42 PM
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#12
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,242
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My mom lives on less than that... except for gifts to the kids, grandkids and great grandkids...
Very little taxes, no house payment... drives only a few K miles a year, fixes most of her own meals, senior citizen discounts etc.. very doable...
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10-31-2007, 01:31 PM
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#13
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Hagersville
Posts: 794
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Tried $1500 month for June July Aug this year and I was able to do it OK. I am much happier on $2200 or so. It would have got tight if I would have had any major repairs. I retired on short notice in June just after I had stashed all my spare cash including my reserve into investments that I did not want to cash due to tax implications. Pension cheque showed up in September and October I splurged. New 6KW RMS generator and a couple of other toys.
Bruce
__________________
I wish I was half as good as my dog thinks I am!
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10-31-2007, 01:41 PM
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#14
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 101
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1500
Sandy- As I said in the post my wife and I will spend 72K a year and should be in good shape if past history holds true.The 5 month experiment at1500 mo. is for my peace of mind.I'm very negative about the economy and the dollar right now. Hopefully I'm mistaken and we'll continue to draw 3% as we planned.
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10-31-2007, 03:07 PM
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#15
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,305
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Wow! I live in a big metro area and my property taxes are over $10K/year. I need to rethink this.
Best of luck to you.
__________________
Life is GREAT!
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I live in a big metro area
10-31-2007, 03:49 PM
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#16
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 275
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I live in a big metro area
and my property taxes, my biggest expense, are $296/mo. Thank you California for Prop 13.
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10-31-2007, 03:53 PM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
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Quote:
Originally Posted by megacorp-firee
Wow! I live in a big metro area and my property taxes are over $10K/year. I need to rethink this.
Best of luck to you.
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That seems insane (from an admittedly different vantage point). Last year I paid $414 in property taxes, though that was artificially low due to some Katrina related local tax relief. This year we are returning to pre-storm levels, and I expect to pay about $1,200 - $1,500 in property taxes, and the increase is a Big Deal.
My house is at or slightly above the median price, a 1970's brick 1558 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 2 bath house in an excellent neighborhood. Even if I lived like Donald Trump, I don't think I could pay $10K in property taxes per year around here.
On the other hand, my salary is not on a Donald Trump level either. As has been discussed previously, it's as though we live in different countries with different currencies of different values. Yet the exchange rate is 1:1.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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10-31-2007, 04:18 PM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,072
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I can easily live on 25k per year. That includes country club dues, taxes and all. Pretty much my basic budget. But plan to spend more as time goes on for travel. Haven't done much my first few months of retirement other than a few quick trips to the gulf coast.
Ahhh the good life. Just back from taking my dog on a 3 mile walk at the reservoir. Beautiful day. Didn't cost me a thing other than a couple of bucks for the gas to get me there and back. Wish I had a picture of the sweet thing I saw jogging.
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
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10-31-2007, 05:05 PM
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#19
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 987
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You could not afford it ...
- Ron
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10-31-2007, 05:21 PM
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#20
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,072
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rs0460a
You could not afford it ...
- Ron
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Picture.....yes. The whole enchilada.........no.
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
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