Where and How Do You Get The Money

[Lifegoal2sail]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Back to the OP's questions - -
- - It helps to be filthy rich but it is definitely not necessary. Basically long cruising versus living on land involves making some dramatic lifestyle choice changes.
- - If you are young and a naturally healthy individual cruising is quite economical and easy. See the "Under $500" early posts on how to do it. A lot involves not having expenses such as health costs and ties to land based assets. Food is extremely inexpensive if you go native and eat what the locals eat.
- - If that doesn't work for you or you are at an age where physical infirmities are a problem, then the $20K - $50K budgets enable you to cruise long term but you need to have those resources. Many folks in this group have significant investments and live off the interest.
- - Short term or sabbatical cruisers work to earn their cruising kitty money with a 6 month cruising and 6 month working schedule. This works quite well as normally cruising involves half a year of hiding from tropical or other bad weather.
- - Then you get to your last question - "what do you have planed for after sailing?" Simply put, long term, minimalist budget cruisers totally ignore this concept. You cruise, you live the good life, and when you get too old or too sick - you die. Simple and clean. It is a personal life choice available to those outside those countries where such choices are forbidden by bureaucrats or other "do-gooders."
- - I have and have had long term cruising friends who quite bluntly will tell you that their years of great experiences cruising is the all and end all of their life. When they cannot do it anymore, they opt to depart this existence with dignity.

Thanks osirissail. This is the first HONEST answer posted. If a person doesn't want to think about the after sailing life that's their choice and I can respect that. But I can't do that. I know there will be a day when I want or will need to stop. And when that happens I don't want to have live off food stamps.

Which is why I asked that question. I was hoping that someone would have some good ideas of what to do.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by Lifegoal2sail

Thanks osirissail. This is the first HONEST answer posted. If a person doesn't want to think about the after sailing life that's their choice and I can respect that. But I can't do that. I know there will be a day when I want or will need to stop. And when that happens I don't want to have live off food stamps.

Which is why I asked that question. I was hoping that someone would have some good ideas of what to do.

One thing lots are doing (me included) is planning on retiring in a developing country where the cost of living is a lot lower. Southeast Asia (my new home) is probably too far for most but places like Central America (Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize, etc.) and some Caribbean islands like the Dominican Republic have become favorites. It's not for everybody but you can make your retirement dollars go a lot further like 3 to 1 easily. Plus, there are in some nice sailing areas.

So, you cruise around the big marble for as long as possible all the while looking for a spot to be the final resting place.

[Dragon Lady]

If I was starting out trying to live the cruising dream, I would become a qualified diesel mechanic and or electrician.
These skills will always be in demand all around the world as long as civilisation exists, particularly in the popular cruising destinations.
I might not bring you easy money but you will give you a very strong chance of finding employment even during down turns.

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

The poster asked for advice about how to make money for the cruising lifestyle. I offered some of what I know to be true. He can either accept it, reject it or modify it to work for him. There are no easy answers unless you go into drug smuggling which has it's own set of down sides. Jail and other unpleasantness notwithstanding. I have learned over the years that it takes time, work and attention. Some others hit on a big "Gee whiz" idea that sets them for life, which is great, I am just not one of them, I have to earn everything I get, I do apply basic sound investing fundementals which has helped me to increase my ability to earn. The old saying goes, if you think education costs, you should try ignorance. I spent a lot of time and money trying to find the magic stock trading bullet and other ideas, none of which were very effective the way I applied them, but along the way I learned a lot about investing and what works for me. Everyone has to find their own answers. It is always good to get ideas, then apply what you learn to your circumstance and ability. My Father was fond of saying, "the harder I work the luckier I get." He also said, "work smarter, not harder."

Good post We could spend a very interesting evening over a glass or 2 of red comparing notes on all the stuff that didn't work... until we found something that did, a bit at least

[S/V Antares]

Don't have kids, That saves millions. Don't buy new, That saves hundreds of thousands. Learn your own skill sets, That saves thousands. Don't smoke. That saves about 5 thousand a year (Yes, really)

See, it not a big deal.

[Lifegoal2sail]

Originally Posted by S/V Antares

Don't have kids, That saves millions. Don't buy new, That saves hundreds of thousands. Learn your own skill sets, That saves thousands. Don't smoke. That saves about 5 thousand a year (Yes, really)

See, it not a big deal.

Well crap, I'm screwed. I already have a kid, I just bought another new car, and while I don't smoke, I do chew. By these standards at least I can build things.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by Lifegoal2sail

Well crap, I'm screwed. I already have a kid, I just bought another new car, and while I don't smoke, I do chew. By these standards at least I can build things.

That's what eBay is for!

[sailronin]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

The odds of winning the big enchilada on the lottery are essentially the same whether or not you buy a ticket. The frugal cruiser recognizes this fact.

Cheers

Jim's right! I had a stats professor who called lotteries "a tax on math illiteracy", he spent one class session proving the odds of winning were the same whether you bought a ticket or found the winning ticket on the sidewalk. I suspect he may have "fudged" a bit on the odds of finding the ticket but not by much.

I still buy a ticket once in a while

[KEG]

We live by the motto "If at the end of the month you have 50 cents more than you need, you're rich." It works because you have to DEFINE YOUR NEEDS and stick to it. Think about it, do you need that bottled water, beer, soda? Because we almost never spend all that we make in a month, we save. Pay cash for everything, including your boat and you automatically make money on everything by not having to pay interest. Scrimp and save everything you can! In a lifetime it adds up to the money to do the things you want.

[FearfulGirl]

Originally Posted by Lifegoal2sail

If a person doesn't want to think about the after sailing life that's their choice and I can respect that. But I can't do that. I know there will be a day when I want or will need to stop. And when that happens I don't want to have live off food stamps.

How do you know there will be a day that you will want to stop? You're making assumptions about your future self, but you don't yet know your future self. You don't know the sailing life. You don't know how sailing will transform the person you are today, philosophically speaking. (It will transform you.)

Most cruisers live without a plan. Many sell up their lives, homes and investments to spend their entire wealth on an uninsured boat and a modest sailing kitty. Old age and retirement is one uncertainty. For younger sailors, the question is: 'Will I ever get a job again?'. There's no certainty in sailing — it's a great risk. Every day is survival. One day is absolute paradise, the next day you're struggling to keep your boat from sinking mid-ocean. If you want that lifestyle, you need to be a risk taker. You need to be willing to die for the sport. As the quote goes: "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." -- *André Gide

Know that what you're asking for is like asking: "How do I discover new oceans without losing sight of the shore."

You can't.

But the good news is: risk-taking makes life exhilarating, and it'll give your life new meaning. You have to throw the dock-lines to find that our for yourself.

Good luck!

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

That's the idea of living off 50% of your income. If you can do that, you can go cruising 6 months out of the year right now, with your current income... The only catch is you have to find a new job every 6 months.

I'm doing that right now. So far this year, at least, I've been putting 50% into savings. Unfortunately, my employer won't allow me to take 6 months off (see signature), although, I do almost have that much time off saved up.

I figure, If I can keep up with the savings, I'll be better off than most people by the time I retire (6.5yrs left) for the first time (maybe only time).

hmmmm... A nice boat sounds good right about now.

[sctpc]

Originally Posted by S/V Antares

Don't have kids, I have 3 That saves millions. Don't buy new the wife sold the BMW for a new sports as it was OLD 5years, That saves hundreds of thousands. Learn your own skill sets I can do hepps so thats one thing, That saves thousands. Don't smoke. That saves about 5 thousand a year (Yes, really) no they get wet on a boat

See, it not a big deal.

but I will always keep the house for if we did give up.

[mrohr]

Can you afford a canoe and a tent?

you can start from there.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by sctpc

but I will always keep the house for if we did give up.

Yea but you could always by the house later and cheaper.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Lifegoal2sail

Thanks osirissail. This is the first HONEST answer posted. If a person doesn't want to think about the after sailing life that's their choice and I can respect that. But I can't do that. I know there will be a day when I want or will need to stop. And when that happens I don't want to have live off food stamps.

Which is why I asked that question. I was hoping that someone would have some good ideas of what to do.

I have to take issue with that "first honest answer" stuff. Osirissail's post was excellent as most of his are. And I found that many posts in the thread were very good tho perhaps stopped short of answering your real question, the after cruising one. I doubt it was dishonesty at work. FearfulGirl pointed out that most cruisers don't have a plan. And maybe it's as simple as the plan is to have no plan. Zenlike. Doodles noted you can sail til you can't but that's isn't the same as moving off the boat.

Were you seeking an answer like when I can't raise the main anymore, I'll move to a nursing home? Move back with the kids? I'll bet there are few to none on here with that plan in mind, with in-mast furling, and electric this and that. Perhaps you wanted us all to admit we're going to shoot ourselves when we get too old or infirm. Or chemical cocktail. Or go out with an explosive bang. Or jump overboard mid-ocean without your PLB or your PFD, so you'll be DOA ... PDQ. Or pull the (two) hoseclamps off the raw water intake, lightup a $45 cigar (medicinal weed?) and start hitting the Pyrat rum. Adios MF!

As someone said, this all may depend on your own earlier choices. Is your sailing to be a lifestyle, or "just" something on your bucket list? Sail RTW. Check. Huge difference there. All these new folks who join CF, and hundreds or thousands of lurkers don't know those answers. Most of the newby posters know they're sailing away indefinitely, or so they arrogantly assert. You'll read some amazing ******** on here but it's ******** nonetheless. Til you've had your ass scared off you just don't have the standing to make those statements. The fact that someone can start out with a big capable boat means nothing. It ain't about the boat at all.

I admire your honesty in admitting there may be a time you'll want off the boat. For you, the obvious answer (obvious to me at least) is you need to work more than some others so that you always have a stash of dough for that what if. I think most of us are more worried about that heart attack the day after you get the gold watch.

I quoted Helen Keller recently that "life was either a great adventure or nothing." Someone commented that the quote would look nice on a gravestone.

Hello?

I'm already considered elderly. The scariest thing in the world for me is dying watching a tv gameshow in a nursing home or a rooming house scaping along on social security and food stamps. My life plan is to make sure that doesn't happen.

As regards the first question, I have great admiration for you folks who've chosen personal hardship for now to build the bank account. For you, there will be great pleasure in reading Annie Hill"s account of how she and hubby worked and saved. Voyaging on a Small Income. No matter how tight you are, they were tighter. It's inspirational.