Liveaboard cruiser to be and retirement

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by wavestimulus

I totally agree with not having house car, etc. but regarding the question about the "official street" address for DMV was more thinking about going to work, and renting a car for example, in the sf bay area, public transportations are not always possible to go to work.

Oddly in California, the DMV is not a problem. They are aware that some folks live on boats. If your a full time liveaboard, You give the street address and slip number where you keep your boat. You might have to explain that a time or two, but it should be no problem.

I also have a PO box, as the marina I use for a physical address does not accept mail. I should also say that I am not at that marina all that much. Well more in the winter.

Banking on the other hand is more of a pain. Though if your marina accepts mail it's a bit easier. I use a friends house and had a online prepaid debit card people mail me a prepaid debit card to that address, ( I don't use that card, but it was free) that gives you proof of physical address for a bank account.

[wavestimulus]

Great! Thank you Sailorchic34 for the quick response.
That's good news. Yes for banking, accounts, work, etc. I'm in the process of going totally paperless and becoming a digital nomad

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by TomAndLee

Thank you all so much for all your contributions! I love hearing your thought processes and opinions. I'm sure I will be picking your brains for more advice in the future. So excited to start learning and get out there!

Cheers,
Lee

Hi Tom and Lee it would be great if you could find another avatar as I have been using Nemo for years. All the best with your plans I have been live aboard cruiser for 14years now and find I get better at managing the financials every year even after all this time Good Luck

[Hudson Force]

Which one is Nemo? All those Clown Fish look alike to me!

[four winds]

He's the one with the gimpy fin. :-)

But he can swim just fine.

[Nbarch]

Hi Tom&Lee,
As you live in America health care is a major problem. But you have a boat so you can always cruise to Mexico, I believe it is much cheaper there? You can also sail to Asia, health care is surprisingly good and affordable in Thailand or the Philippines.

On a more positive note; if you live on your boat you are going to be leading a much happier, healthier lifestyle and actually unlikely to get sick.

On the financial side; make sure the boat is completely paid for ready to go.
Buy something safe and boring as an investment; like an apartment and rent that.

A good friend gave me a valuable piece of advice; write all the pros and cons on a sheet of paper, then throw that piece of paper in the waste bin and just do it!

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

I've sat down with several friends who are "rich but broke" and have it all by the "American Dream" standards, but they spend 100% of their weekly or monthly paycheck...100%.

Very common nowadays. I recommend the book "The Millionaire Next Door." (Though I doubt that YOU need to read it, Third Day.) It goes into how most of the people that you see, who SEEM to be rich based on the way they live, are actually probably poor. And the people who are ACTUALLY wealthy, very rarely appear so. Indeed, most of us probably have a millionaire or two living in our neighborhoods, whom we would absolutely NEVER guess are millionaires.

And then there is the saying repeated by Mr. Micawber, in the novel "David Copperfield," by Charles Dickens. Brought into the modern vernacular it would go something like this...

Annual income $50,000; annual expenses $49,995; result happiness. Annual income $50,000; annual expenses $50,005; result misery.

[Ribbit]

My perspective is similar to Sailorchic's.

My trust in 'security' was blown out of the water when my house was burgled. The 'insurance' company weaseled out of paying, because the burglar smashed the front door off its locks with a sledgehammer (I kid you not). I have only held legally required insurance since, and now consider that no insurance should ever be compulsory (that includes Government insurance schemes especially).

As for pension planning, I have had a Company pension transferred to a big name, and after almost 35 years with them, in real terms, it is a lot less value than the day they received the money.

Bottom line, life doesn't come with guarantees, and the only really tough change you make to your life, is the very first one. Once you break out of that comfortable rut once, you are free.

Admittedly, some people don't seem able to cope with freedom, and accepting whatever life places before them. That's just sad. Being a free human being is not something to be afraid of.

As for health care, given the mess 'professionals' have made of my health (true for far too many people I know) my best advice is to keep as far away from them as you possibly can.

If you aren't well, you either get better, or you don't.

I'm fine with that (but then I have had several NDE's, and as a result, death is just another adventure to look forward to, when the time is right).

Keep on, keeping on, until it is time to stop.

PS. If you don't over buy, and you can keep a very tight grip on your overheads, then it is a lot easier to "Keep on, keeping on."
That's a prime reason why my boat is a modest 32 ft. I don't need to buy a boat to entertain other people, at my expense.
Getting a grip on overheads was why for the first 20+ years I had my smallholding, my average weekly bill for essentials (food, etc), was under $10 (including local taxes, believe it or not - but after, local taxes went crazy). Everything over $10 was clear.
I earned over that just from selling eggs.

[Ribbit]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

It is the fear of doing something different.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

"Beyond this point, there be Dragons!"

[Ribbit]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Actually, I/m glad they watch "The Perfect Storm". Makes life quieter for the rest of us.

I'd rather free the slaves, personally.

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I agree Hudson. To me, I think the risk people see (and the fear) is the risk of stepping off the easy, well-worn path that most of us live. It's the fear of doing something slightly differently than your peers. It's the fear of going against the grain.

The actual risks of sailing and cruising are, by any measure, quite small. The most dangerous thing most people do in the sailing life is driving to their boat. Now THAT is a truly dangerous activity. Sailing around there world, by comparison, is vastly safer.

I think the risk Robert speaks of is meta-physical. It is the fear of doing something different.

Agree Mike -- when we were in the USA we heard over and over from people who said they wanted to do what we were doing but always had an excuse. We sailed a lot of places that people do not normally go and get away from the crowds.
I think there may be 2 types of folks- first is the above I want to but - there is always a but
the second are those who actually do go but sail the same old grounds year after year after year. It is ok if that is what you want to do

As for taking a bit of risk and finding new places it does take a bit of craziness and the willing to take a bigger risk. We are currently in the Black Sea and it is empty of sailboats - we come in to port and folks, even seasoned fishermen, come down and look and ask where we are from --
but what an adventure so far and we are only 1/2 way across northern Turkey - just past Sinop.

[upstateny]

I found this link extremely useful and worth the couple bucks to help my wife and I calculate Social Security options. Although Social security increases 8% every year until age 70 you need to calculate when is the cross over point when if you live long enough it is profitable to postpone collecting social security from the spouse with the largest income. For me based on family health I am projecting age 85. After age 85 I probably will not be that active assuming I am still alive, and I don't give a $hit after age 85 what happens because my wife and I will have enough monthly income to survive.

https://www.socialsecuritysolutions.com

For example these are not real numbers but close enough so you get the idea what the above tool can do for you to maximize your money from Social Security.

• Wife begins benefits based on her earnings record in the estimated amount of $260 in October 2017 at age 63.
• Husband files a restricted application for spousal benefits only in the estimated amount of $150 in October 2017 at age 66.
• Husband switches to benefits based on his earnings record in the estimated amount of $2,000 in October 2021 at age 70.
• Wife adds spousal benefits for a total estimated amount of $1000 in October 2021 at age 67
• In October 2036 Husband dies and Wife switches to spousal survivor benefits in the estimated amount of $2000.

[arbanais]

We also generate small income through writing, editing, photography and publication design. But mostly what we have is small expenses.

Hello mike
I would be interested if you could ellaborate a bit about these works. They are in my scope for my kitty replenishement job, but i really do not know where to begin?
(as i will aim the european market you should not fear any competition)

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by arbanais

We also generate small income through writing, editing, photography and publication design. But mostly what we have is small expenses.

Hello mike
I would be interested if you could ellaborate a bit about these works. They are in my scope for my kitty replenishement job, but i really do not know where to begin?
(as i will aim the european market you should not fear any competition)

I'm going to pop in here and mention that we have cruisers selling products via the Schooner Chandlery maker marketplace. These sailors are making money by selling their wares online even as they travel. Example products from cruisers include Wear & Tear Pads and Nautical Arts jewelery


If you make something that is uniquely yours, check out the site and consider opening up a shop and listing a couple of your wares with us. Unlike other marketplaces, we are focused on nautical wares and we support our sellers when they're traveling or otherwise out of pocket by linking them up with fulfillment centers, doing fulfillment for them ourselves, or performing customer service for them when they're in route. Our fee structure is very reasonable and we even support some nautical causes (this includes maritime museums, tall ships, and expeditionary adventurers for example) with no-fee shops.

There are a lot of great ways to make a little money here-and-there if you think about your current skills and how those can continue to be applied into your cruising retirement.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by arbanais

We also generate small income through writing, editing, photography and publication design. But mostly what we have is small expenses.

Hello mike
I would be interested if you could ellaborate a bit about these works. They are in my scope for my kitty replenishement job, but i really do not know where to begin?
(as i will aim the european market you should not fear any competition)

Hi arbanais, I'm never nervous about helping a fellow freelance scribe if I can. There's way more stories to be told than ever be written (or sold). But I'm not quite clear how I can help. The biz works by identifying markets and the pitching appropriate article ideas, or getting a good story and then identifying the appropriate market. Always pre-sell the idea and get the assignment. Don't pre-write and send it in; that's the mark of an amateur.

If that's not quite what you were after I'm happy to answer any other questions if I can. Perhaps we can swap market ideas/contacts.