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You had mentioned moving to California. If so I don't know how you could do without a car. Where my sister lives (upscale) she needs to get on the highway to go get a few groceries. Wondering how that will play out when she's 75 or 80.
You're right, we would definitely need a car, but just the one. I can't imagine not having a car in California unless you lived in the city. I've always lived in the burbs. There has always been a grocery store near by though. I've never needed to get on a freeway to go get groceries. That would suck. I hate the freeways. We've either lived in cute little beach towns or in wine country so the towns have had all the basics in regard to shopping. The only thing missing might be a mall, but that's not something I care about since I'm not much of a shopper.
Some things will be cheaper in California than Hawaii and some more expensive. Not sure if it will all even out for the most part. The thing that will be more for sure is property taxes. I should be able to get some type of part-time work, however, and that's not an option where we live in Hawaii.
My dh and I live well on 18k. If we did not eat out so much, and did not have big balances on our credit cards, we could do $1,000 a month with our eyes closed. Hopefuly, by the time retirement rolls around we'll have that debt whittled down to nothing and can breathe!!!!!
Really, all we buy is food and gasoline. That is pretty much it. We eat out once in a while, and we save up the money that is left over to cover auto maintenance or other unforeseen expenses that will come along.
Although, I don't mind living a very frugal existence out of necessity, hopefully soon some other opportunities will come along that will boost the family income a bit - which will be nice.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson
Most of it is GASOLINE! lol
Really, all we buy is food and gasoline. That is pretty much it. ...
20yrsinBranson
Gas $$
IS that a result of commute? (necessity to work)
or Wanderlust?
I have the later of the two diseases, but I LOVE to GO, so.... looking for some PT 'recreational employment' opportunities that would Pay me (Well enough) to Drive. (New RV / Bus / Truck delivery USED to work for this in a 'normal economy')
...
I'm not looking for a job, just a way to get paid to travel... International would be better yet! (Ah ha ... become an Air Marshall)
SO... OT:
How to survive on <$1000 and travel abundantly? (as well as keep a 'spot' for G'ma's antiques, and a spot to 'retire when burned out / too feeble to travel)
This points to my current plans of getting a strong cash flowing income property that is self supporting and contains G'ma's heritage, as well as spins off enough extra for me to travel.
Is this possible for $300K capital infusion ??? (may be a good use for my 'qualified' funds)
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 11-24-2010 at 08:11 PM..
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,690 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46171
Quote:
Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson
Most of it is GASOLINE! & food
Branson, ... don't they fry chicken down there? Check yer Neighbor's brier patch for a Diesel VW Rabbit ($0-$100). Then you can fetch free fuel (used cooking grease) And you may make the eateries happy by disposing of their grease and they might feed you for FREE (DO NOT try this in CA ) BTW: Chinese and Mexican places have better grease, BUT turkey fryers are a GREAT source this time of the yr. Rudolph Diesel would be proud of you using his intended (non-polluting) peanut oil . If you know a jet mechanic this scheme (free fuel) is even easier. Many maint procedures require jet-A to be off-loaded, and not reused in an aviation application. A qt of 2 cycle oil in a 55 gallon drum of Jet-A will make your Rabbit, Mercedes, or other diesel vehicles feel just fine. (Be sure to pay your road tax to the state and feds, but it is really quite trivial in most states NOT WA) Motor Fuel Taxes
FYI, lots of other stuff works fine for fuel in MOST diesels (use at your own risk...) Used motor oil, kerosene, Bio-Diesel, multiple veggie oils (Mustard and Canola are more desired), and hopefully soon affordable Algae oil ! (grow-your-own in the bathtub)
Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit
SO... OT: again
So OT (again)... Yes I could either travel full time OR live in a fixed base home/apt for $1,000 / month fixed expense. probably housing (all inclusive; rent / payment + insurance & utilities & Maint), meds, & some minimal form of transportation = Fixed costs for a retiree. Maybe some (the 'more' proud) would like to have a 'replacement fund' for clothes and a fixed expense for food. I see energy as the BIG variable in the Fixed Costs routine, housing will probably remain in adequate supply and be affordable.
('the price of connectivity' is gonna financially curtail us in the USA, and eventually the economist geeks will realize they should have 'wired' the entire country and provided free access (as 'USA Grants' have been doing in foriegn countries for over a decade )).
Can you imagine how nice it would be to have free medical ??? (just had a family member diagnosed with a lifelong illness requiring significant meds (4 additional just this week) ). Medical MUST be excluded from FIXED COSTS as we have all be made aware of just this yr. I guess we'll call it an 'outlier' as those of us without means to 'pay-the-piper' will be "Laid Out"
Can you imagine how nice it would be to have free medical ??? (just had a family member diagnosed with a lifelong illness requiring significant meds (4 additional just this week) ). Medical MUST be excluded from FIXED COSTS as we have all be made aware of just this yr. I guess we'll call it an 'outlier' as those of us without means to 'pay-the-piper' will be "Laid Out"
Unless you are one of the fortunate few that have health insurance in retirement through a pension or government service (or are wealthy), this has doomed retirement for most Americans.
When I retire, I plan to live with slightly more (1300 $) in Central America , I guess with 500 $ I can even rent a small villa there, and of course no car and a garden.
I could even manage to save some!
Unless you are one of the fortunate few that have health insurance in retirement through a pension or government service (or are wealthy), this has doomed retirement for most Americans.
Are you forgetting that most people 65 and older qualify for Medicare? Or did you mean that most people have to wait until 65 to retire? Medicare is health insurance, excellent insurance. In fact, it is so excellent that there are funding problems going forward. Are you referring to those funding problems? If so, it is inconceivable that Medicare will be abolished; politically it will never happen.
I work with a number of folks to whom $1000 per month would be a significant increase. One man, for example, lives on $674 per month SSI and $174 food stamps for a total of $848. His rent, including utilities and cable TV is about $400; Food runs about $300; cell phone $25; no car, taxes; medicaid insurance. The difference, of course, is that he is unable to work (cancer and health), but without that assistance, he would be (back) in the bushes. I know others are getting by on minimum wage jobs that pay them less than $1000 gross ... while other unemployed folks are living almost exclusively on unemployment insurance ... and other older 'unemployed' folks are living almost entirely on Social Security in the $1000 range. But, these are folks living on the 'fringe' and not mainstream folks with houses, transportation or much of anything to call their own.
Can you imagine how nice it would be to have free medical ??? (just had a family member diagnosed with a lifelong illness requiring significant meds (4 additional just this week) ). Medical MUST be excluded from FIXED COSTS as we have all be made aware of just this yr. I guess we'll call it an 'outlier' as those of us without means to 'pay-the-piper' will be "Laid Out"
Being a veteran of the US Armed Forces I have access to medical care that is *almost* free. But the precious few times in my life that I have actually used this benefit, I have become more and more convinced that it is as worthless as breasts on a boar hog.
I would never, never, never USE VA provided medical care EVER, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, and yes that means "even if my life depended on it". With the exception of bleeding to death or being broken I would never consider the care of an allopathic physician at all.
I am not saying this on principal alone. I have BEEN to doctors in my lifetime. I have experienced it. And they simply DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I am not interested in being experimented upon unless I am at death's door, and quite frankly, I would try every other avenue available to me at that point, before I would consider going to a conventional doctor.
I have *no* medical expenses (unless you call an aspirin now and then and a slug of Nyquil on those rare occasions when I have a cold) a medical expense. I do spend about $50 on vitamins which help me stay healthy and well at 55. I do have some chronic pain issues, but I am dealing with them and NOT going to a doctor to get some horrible, toxic medication that might very well kill me.
20yrsinBranson
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)
(DO NOT try this in CA 
) BTW: Chinese and Mexican places have better grease, BUT turkey fryers are a GREAT source this time of the yr. Rudolph Diesel would be proud of you using his intended (non-polluting) peanut oil 
.
)).
). Medical MUST be excluded from FIXED COSTS as we have all be made aware of just this yr. I guess we'll call it an 'outlier' as those of us without means to 'pay-the-piper' will be "Laid Out"
Few? It's more like most.
