Danmar
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
There may be many here that advocate thrift but the offense and resentment are, like beauty, in the eyes of the beholder.
Either way, why risk it?
There may be many here that advocate thrift but the offense and resentment are, like beauty, in the eyes of the beholder.
There's nothing wrong with using percentages rather than absolute numbers. I think the majority of posters do not claim any superiority, moral or otherwise. There are many topics that involve choice where some members judge the choices made by others. Diet, family size, and helping others are just a few. We are all humans and this is the internet.Either way, why risk it?
There's nothing wrong with using percentages rather than absolute numbers. I think the majority of posters do not claim any superiority, moral or otherwise. There are many topics that involve choice where some members judge the choices made by others. Diet, family size, and helping others are just a few. We are all humans and this is the internet.
There's nothing wrong with using percentages rather than absolute numbers. I think the majority of posters do not claim any superiority, moral or otherwise. There are many topics that involve choice where some members judge the choices made by others. Diet, family size, and helping others are just a few. We are all humans and this is the internet.
It's not what you spend, but what you get for the money. And sometimes you can get more or the same for less.
"It's possible to live well whether you are rich or poor. When you are poor, it just costs less" -- Andrew Tobias
Exactly.Right, but "living well" is a pretty personal thing...
Bragging was never my intention but perhaps it came off that way. Probably I should have just given percentages, like MichaelB suggested above.
Exactly.
People generally find a way to get happy with what they have. If they don't, life will be miserable. I have told a story of how James Clark was not happy when he found out the mast on his huge sailboat was only the 2nd tallest in the world.
I think ER's here who have dropped out of work early know that they are giving up money for something that they value more. Hence, they should not be envious of other posters' possessions.
The above said, I think it is better not to state your expenses if they are out of the ordinary range.
The negatives:
We spent far more than I would have liked. I was told by a retired friend that the first year you spend more. He was right.
Portfolio took a big hit too. Oil, y'know.
Positives:
Coasted on savings from last job for several months.
Secured HELOC, but for half of what we asked for.
I've already seized the moral high ground on this thread by pointing out our entire annual spend went to support the needy.
I'm also happy to [-]brag[/-] report that while we did exceed our 2015 budget by 9%, our WR was only 4.3% of our initial 2005 starting portfolio, a full 0.5% less than the inflation-adjusted 4.8% we could have withdrawn according to the Trinity Study.
I bought a house this year that is a dream come true for me. It isn't the kind of house that everybody would want. In fact some of our members would probably say "Ewww" if they saw it, because it's small and old (1500 sq ft and built around 1960), but it's just perfect for me and exactly what I have always wanted. I am so glad that I did this.
...I recall my grandparents raised 2 kids in a 1400 sq foot ranch and a 1 �� garage and that was the norm...
Hi w2r. You've mentioned your house in a few posts and first big congrats and second am curious what criteria you used -- was it bigger or smaller than before? Location played a big part ? Able to "age" in place with near by amenities?
we have a paid off house that is very very moderate after living in way bigger and more expensive houses for a couple decades ... It Took some adjustment as part of fire and relocation but this size seems to fit us as we look to the future.
With our nest starting to empty soon, and watching our own parents age and then struggle with larger houses and climbing stairs , mobility retrofits, and overall higher maintenance costs, we just don't understand why so many of our peers tend to need or want the "status" of an "upgrade" to bigger house and take on more debt just as the kids grow up and out...
We like the easy cleaning, the single level no stairs and being able to "hear" each other. Not to mention the smaller size prevents too much junk accumulation . And locking it up and not worrying too much if we want to travel for months on end is cool too ...
It's a little tight when the kids are home but we are learning to manage. Having land/space after living in mega cities is awesome too. And those older houses are built to last.
I recall my grandparents raised 2 kids in a 1400 sq foot ranch and a 1 �� garage and that was the norm.
Congrats again. No doubt you'll enjoy some of the maintenance aspects of the new place - painting the way you want etc. All very manageable and gratifying uses of retirement time.