What is Everyone Doing?

[skipmac]

I've done it (or am about to do it) both ways. Went cruising on the cheap when I was younger. Do a search on this forum and you will find a thread about cruising on $500/month. I did it on a lot less. Plenty of months I lived on $50. Caught a lot of fish and lobster and ate a lot of beans and rice. Rowed the dinghy because I didn't have an outboard and sailed everywhere I went because I couldn't pay for diesel. Never stayed at a marina, always anchored.

Then came back to the US, worked for 30 years, put some money in the bank, have a little retirement, bought an old boat to fix up and am getting ready to do it again. Will probably follow a similar life style to my earlier cruising but with the option to actually crank the engine occasionally if I really want to.

Also, like the guy said, this question has been asked many times on this forum and there's no easy answer. Do a forum search to get all the dozens and dozens of comments but in short:

1. Most personal skills you might have like mechanic, refrigeration, carpentry, etc are marketable but once you are out of the US (you are in the US, right?) you will be at risk working in other countries without legal status. No different than the big controversy in the US over illegal aliens, undocumented workers and green cards. If you are in a third world country in the tropics where the locals earn a lot less than we do in the US they will be ten times more jealous of protecting their jobs and income from foreigners.

2. Jobs you can do from home, things like: computer programming, web site design/management, internet sales, etc. you will usually need an internet connection. With a little planning that can be done even in third world countries but once you get off shore it is very, very slow and tricky or very, very expensive. No in between.

3. Be lucky enough to have money or make a good pile and retire early.

I happen to have a job that could be done, at least for a week or two at a stretch, mainly by email with occasional need to do some intensive phone work. With support from my employers I plan to keep working after I retire and go cruising. Will probably make a lot less than I do now but hope to have lower living expenses and a little retirement to supplement.

Good luck. It can be done. Lots of people do it. Be creative, (cliche warning!!!) think outside the box, and be willing to live cheaply if you don't hit the big one.

One last suggestion, buy a lottery ticket every once in a while but if you do win you owe me 10% for giving you the idea.

[RabidRabbit]

"Word hard for 25+ years" that sounds like what my boomer parents would say. My advice to the MTV generation (myself) is drop what your doing and go. I work 1/3ish year an cruise the rest, eventually I'll do a couple 3-5s or a 7-10 year circ and go back to coastal US cruising. Who the hell really knows?

[terminalcitygrl]

Pat Schulte of Bumfuzzle just published a book "Living On The Margin" which tells of their life philosophy and how they afford their cruising lifestyle (stock trading strategies). I'd also recommend the classic budget book "Your Money Or Your Life" - a must read I think. There are many ways to live your life, working 25 years and saving to sail in your old age is only one way, surely not the only way as evidenced by all the people successfully doing it differently. Good luck!

[Nessus]

Get certified to teach english.

[Nomadgurl]

Ok ok ok, all kidding aside, bs in the wind....ahem, now that I had some fun with that fun thought I had....lol. You will find alot of good advice from a lot of folks here, I like skipmacs approach. And the rest of us are still trying to figure it out.

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by terminalcitygrl

Pat Schulte of Bumfuzzle just published a book "Living On The Margin" which tells of their life philosophy and how they afford their cruising lifestyle (stock trading strategies). ...

If Pat is making plenty of money, why did he take the time and the trouble of writing a book?

[Kenomac]

We worked way too much for 35 adult years which has now enabled us to enjoy the next 35. Having rental income helps a lot. Most others do it it the same way... build up a successful business, pay your dues, no short cuts.

[The Garbone]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We worked way too much for 35 adult years which has now enabled us to enjoy the next 35. Having rental income helps a lot. Most others do it it the same way... build up a successful business, pay your dues, no short cuts.

100% Correct.

The only other way to do it quicker is buy an old boat now and live on it. Were I am at slips are less than rent and you pay no tax on the boat.

Buy a beater car or motorbike if you need a ride.

Sock the money away. Beans and rice and no credit cards, just like Dave Ramsey says.

Spend your vacations and weekends sailing.

[jostalli]

Originally Posted by Tropic Cat

If Pat is making plenty of money, why did he take the time and the trouble of writing a book?

Multiple streams of income. Also, because he has plenty of time.

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by Tropic Cat

If Pat is making plenty of money, why did he take the time and the trouble of writing a book?

Nobody says he's making plenty of money. He's making enough to get by on an old boat in Mexico

[Jimbo485]

Do a practice run from your land base for a year by trying to work from home. Then get a boat and see if you can keep doing it, whatever it is.

Surely there is another forum somewhere for home-based work that would have more useful info than listening to baby boomers advise you to work conventionally until you are an old goat?

If you can't successfully work from home, forget about doing it from a boat. So then your next option is to work on land for a while, cruise for a while, repeat.

[RabidRabbit]

Yes very good point, don't listen to boomers if your not one. I generally disagree with boomers on pretty much everything except sailing. Just the act of sailing, not when to go or how to get there, these things are still touchy. Hmm...work till I'm old then go? not a chance. By the time I reach 65, I'll allready have 25 years under my belt, starting then seems like a terrible idea.

[SkiprJohn]

Retired military here. Retired at 46. Could have gone cruising but married instead. That's the way it goes.
Did some cruising and living aboard earlier and had a great time.
kind regards,

[boatman61]

Sigh... here we go again... the American dellusion that everything can be controlled and planned...
And how dated is 'Cut your hair and get a job..' spouted by folk who have no answers... reminds me of Parents and Grandparents... boring..
What happened to the 'Pioneer Spirit' you guys always brag about.. or is that yet another Hollywood myth...
Just buy a frickin old boat.. get out there and find out for yourself.. I did and eventually... after a long time, started to get the odd jobs here and there... free diving recovering stuff dropped over the side... scrubbing boat bottoms.. working in boatyards all over the place.. there's always yard owners wanting a bit of black cash in their pockets.. and hotels... now I even get occassional deliveries..
Its bludi hard.. but I've only 1 Ocean left to sail... bitta luck I'll sail another 20,000 miles this year... with full pay
Just hike your balls outa your shoes and DO IT...

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Retired military here. Retired at 46. Could have gone cruising but married instead. That's the way it goes.
Did some cruising and living aboard earlier and had a great time.
kind regards,

I have a feeling your cruising days are not over....


...To the OP. there are probably other questions you should ask first like...
Where will I get the money to buy a boat?
How small of a boat can I safely go voyaging. so on and so on