So I've been full time living on the
boat and cruising a little more than 2.5 years. In that time I've been very weak and have regularly exceeded the monthly
budget of $3k/mo I had planned on. So I wondered how this has all worked out in the big picture so I took a 2.5 year review:
- we have spend approximately $120,500 in this time, all in no "not countings", starting Sept 16, 2016
- we started with about $475,000 in real assets like cash, 401ks, and some stocks
- the only "income" we have had in this time is about $4500/yr in a rental house the past 1.5 years
- our total asset reduction for this time period is about $10,274 and as of April 29, 2019 we still have $464,726 in same basic mix of assets
- this is the difference of our
current assets of real time 401ks, stocks, cash, rental value at the
purchase price
So it has cost us in real "money" about $10,274 to
cruise 31.5 months.
These are the facts and are what they are. It is just something to consider if you get into some "you need $XX" financial manager BS story. Not saying I'm right or wrong in my approach, just that this is a hard $$$$ fact FOR ME. And just wait till what happens in 3 years when I start tapping into whatever is in the Social
Security Fund (my
money I was made to "invest")
I'm providing this info to help planners. I'm NOT interested in the peanut gallery questioning or spinning some story about my numbers, I have an MBA and understand my numbers. I haven't done anything "special" I feel and have taken a moderate to above average level of risk, which included a slam a couple of years ago that I stuck out.
So go forth and
cruise before you are old. It's your
money so be sure YOU get to spend some of it instead of leaving to your "heirs".