As a retired person who loves travel (and travels often!), I’d 100% buck the mythical $1.7m number if you find places to travel that are affordable. Forget Tokyo, Paris, and London (as nice as they all are), start thinking Costa Rica, SE Asia, Baltic states, Uzbekistan, etc. it’s all about how you prioritize adventure and your life! Just don’t stay home. Get out there!
Wholeheartedly with all the points you made. My husband had a mild heart attack at age 48. We had always been saving for retirement, but decided then that we would retire by age 55 regardless of how much money we had accumulated. I retired at 54 and my husband at 55. We could have worked another 10 years and had a lot more money, but we would have lost all that time. We have been retired for 9 years and try to travel as much as we can. We live on a budget, with our priority being travel. We have been to nearly 30 countries so far and have absolutely no regrets about trading dollars for time. Not everyone's passion is travel, but the lesson is the same. Do the things you are financially and physically able do now. You never know what will happen to your health or even what impact world events might have on the things you want to do.
Very cool. And I hate that it serious life event happen, but sometimes something drastic or traumatic is what it takes for us to step back and take stock of their situation. Is there someplace you would recommend we visit that we haven't already been? -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarieif you want to visit a country where you feel you re in all the countries of the EU together come to Malta. I LL meet up with you and show you around some lesser known haunts.
@@lindab5789We enjoy nature, but we don't ski or do strenuous hikes, etc. Norway is on our list of places to visit to see the Northern Lights. I have Iceland on our list as well, but the Scandinavian countries are so expensive that we can only afford to spend a few days there, unfortunately.
What a great video. This topic is something Erin and I talk about often. We were both attorneys and we were making more than we had ever thought we would make in income so the decision to voluntarily step away and retire was not without some trepidation. However, what you said really hit home. Our jobs were stressful and the hours were long. We decided that we could live decently on the amount we had saved and we could travel, as we had always wanted to do, during a time that we have few physical limitations. We are currently in Guanajuato, Mx, and we are loving it. We are only two weeks in on our journey but we are confident that we made the right decision. I can’t imagine going back to the grind.
Yes, it's very tricky! I have worked in the legal field and a friend from that world is starting a new venture and today called and asked me to help build it out. It would be doing something that is extremely enticing with a potentially huge income potential, but when you've stepped away, it's really hard to step back in again, especially when we made very deliberate decisions about choosing health over wealth. It's the lure of capitalism, and it's not easy to tune out the Siren song. But this life we are living is beyond our wildest dreams and it's really hard to even think about giving it up! Thanks for sharing your experiences and for taking the time to comment (and watch while you're traveling!). We are so excited about your adventures and happy that you finally are on the road! -Judy
Here's the article on how we came up with the need for $1.7 million before retiring. Correction: It is Canadians who thought this, not Americans. www.morningstar.ca/ca/news/232272/do-you-really-need-%2417-million-to-retire.aspx#:~:text=Going%20back%20to%20the%20example,%2480k%20retirement%20income%20ask. If you want to join our FREE La Famiglia community and join in the discussion there, here's a link: findingGinaMarie.com/join
I am so sorry for your loss, Les! We expected to work until we were in our 70s, but we are so glad we changed our mindset. Thank you for sharing your experience and also for watching our episode. -Judy
You both are an inspiration! I’ve worked as a pediatric RN for 24yrs. I love my job. However, recently I was in a car accident, suffered cervical & shoulder injuries that have kept me from working for almost a year now. I’m 49. And all I can think about is retirement. I love to travel! I’ll be returning to work soon with a goal to retire at 55. No one knows the future of your health & tomorrow is not guaranteed. I agree 1000% with your lookout. Thank you for the videos!
Hi Cindy, we are so sorry to hear about your accident. Having a bad car accident is one of my fears exactly for the reasons you describe. Thank you for the important work you do, but you deserve a break! I hope you are back to good health and that the toll from this accident is mostly behind you. Thank you so much for watching and for taking the time to share your experience with us. You may find that if you are open to downsizing during retirement that you can save a lot of money by stopping your consumption of things. We were SHOCKED at how much stuff we had accumulated, especially considering we had moved out of a home into a San Francisco-sized apartment. It wasn't cluttered, but it was so much more than we realized. If we had only been saving that money versus spending it because we had it, we would have been so much happier. -Judy 🎥 8 Critical Questions for Downsizing: ruclips.net/video/oqYfZ98r7R8/видео.html ✅ Downsizing Prep Worksheet: findingginamarie.com/request-downsizing-prep-worksheet
I’m years away from retirement age, but have been thinking about solo slow travel for quite a few years. I’m planning on travelling from next year, although, I don’t know what that will quite look like yet. The great thing is that I can use Croatia as a home base while in Europe, which will help. The only thing that holds me back are the children. My four children are between 25-17 and my 21 yr old has blood cancer, which at this stage she’s managing well (they’re all planning their Croatia/Europe trip for next year too). As a mother, and only parent, I feel I should be here for them, but I am blessed to have children who support me and want me to travel (actually I think they’re pushing me to go 😆). They don’t want me to sit around waiting for something to go wrong and before you know it 10 yrs has passed and they didn’t even need me! What a waste of time! Watching your video has confirmed my thoughts and given me courage to do what I feel I should do. Life is short and unpredictable, but I can always catch the next plane home! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and wisdom. “Live life full die empty” ❤Zeljka
Zeljka, what a lovely note you have written. As a single parent, you do deserve to live your life for yourself. And you have the right attitude that you can always catch the next flight home if anyone really needs you. As hard as it is, your 21-year old will be able to live and make mistakes because you are more apart, but you still get to be provide teaching if something comes up, which is the best of both worlds.Croatia as a home base, especially now that it's part of Schengen, opens up a lot of doors for you. Not sure if you would like a travel buddy but we have a Solo Travel topic in our La Famiglia forum where you can reach out and potentially connect with another fellow traveler. Thank you so much for watching and we are glad we are able to encourage you! -Judy
Thank you so much, Rebecca! We were waiting to post this video until a time when our forum was up and running, because we’d really love to hear feedback from our community. It was pretty radical for us to consider that part of retirement when the focus always has been on money. -Judy
Your videos resonate on almost every level of our lives!! When I meet a young person (and it doesn’t matter if they’re in their 20s, 30s or beyond) I always ask are you planning a vacation, do you like to travel which lead into the usual comments of “planning to do so later in life”!! That’s when my “Ohhhhhh don’t wait until you’re too old to enjoy traveling!” Then I tell them about the health event that opened my eyes! I “retired” relatively early and within 2 years was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer! Not what you’re expecting when all you are thinking about is enjoying what you’ve worked so hard for!! But with the Grace of God I am a survivor and we’re enjoying every moment we can get away! Keep your videos coming - it doesn’t matter the topic, they’re always on point!
Wow, thank you so much for this poignant note, Maria. I am so glad to hear that you have been able to reclaim your health and able to do the things you want. What an unwanted and unexpected health situation you were in. We had never seriously considered ill health being a factor until shortly before we decided to retire early. It had a profound effect on both of us. And for whatever reason, I didn't want to be the person who talked incessantly about hopes and dreams and never carried them out. Talking about things can be fun, but not nearly as fun or satisfying as actually taking action and making those dreams a reality. Good job for reminding young people to consider their priorities. Although it may not seem like they are listening, I think they do ponder it deep in their hearts and it does make an impact. Thank you so much for being such a loyal follower of ours. We love taking you on our journey with us! ♥️ -Judy
Thank you for sharing your story. We followed a very similar path. We had been working toward early retirement/financial independence, but the pandemic pushed us to accelerate our plans a bit. It didn't hurt that the US Stock Market did quite well during that time. One thing that really motived us was our mental and physical health while working. I (Chris) was in a high pressure job. I was burned out, stressed, and wasn't taking care of myself physically. After quitting our jobs, we had more time to focus on healthy eating and exercise and we are both much better off as a result. Unfortunately, that has required a new wardrobe, but there are far worse things that can happen in life than losing weight. We realize we are very fortunate and that not everyone is able to do what we do, but it's also more achievable than most people think. Most retirement planners I have seen online vastly overstate the amount of savings needed to retire comfortably because they base those numbers on income rather than how much you spend. Once we cut out all of the unnecessary spending, we realized that we could afford to retire early if we lived in low cost countries. Thanks again for sharing Happy Birthday Judy -- glad Kevin is healing up. Steph and Chris@388days
Thanks for watching and for your thoughtful comment. We are in complete alignment. I wasn't able to take care of my health nearly well enough. I was way too sedentary and although I had a personal trainer, I couldn't keep my appointments because work was getting in the way. I still have to do better, but the stress isn't there and our priorities have shifted to a much healthier way of living. Your opinions are on point. And thank you for the birthday wishes. It was an absolutely amazing birthday, and yes, Kevin continues to improve very nicely! -Judy
@islam1max1one Unfortunately, we are headed to Southeast Asia in a few weeks, but we will catch Saudi at some point. Thanks for watching and for the suggestion of the best time to visit! -Judy
Thank you, Eric, for watching and for this comment. It's not always easy. Kevin and I both were offered excellent job opportunities in the last ten days. It's almost as though the universe was doubling down to see if we meant what we've been talking about! We turned them both down, but there's always that false comfort you get from a steady paycheck. We just are reminding ourselves about what in our lives we'd be giving up for that steady paycheck, because for us it just is not worth it. -Judy
Sensitive, candid, and sensible conversation (as usual). Looking toward retirement in 1.5 years, we are beginning to think about what that will look like. I’m increasingly drawn to a creative life with a lighter load. I enjoy - and profit from - watching the ways you two manage and navigate.
Thank you so much for the compliment, Mark! It's all definitely a learning curve, but we are very happy. I think our big regret is sunk costs in things we bought over the last few years that we gave away or sold at bargain basement prices when we left to travel full time. Our decision to travel was one we made without a lot of pre-planning. The time was right, so we made the move. I bring it up because we are here in San Francisco cleaning out the last remaining bits of our storage unit, and Kevin had some really expensive wine and whisky that we gave away, expensive shoes, guitars, furniture, etc. that we had just purchased in the last two years. So one suggestion might be to really restrict your purchasing while you have your sights on retiring. Thank you for being such a loyal viewer of our channel! We appreciate you! -Judy
Thank you so much for watching. It's helpful to hear we aren't the only ones having this discussion! Would love to hear any additional thoughts you might want to share. -Judy
Great conversation and perspective! Love following along with your journey and really enjoy the very intelligent and well thought-out discussion of the decisions around when to change your lifestyle to something out of the ordinary. i feel like we've been able to have a middle-ground, where we have been able to travel occasionally for the last 25 or so years, all while still working our day jobs. It's not ideal, as our trips are shorter and more jam-packed, but we can see the opportunity to do more extended and less hectic travel in the future. Keep on doing what you're doing, this is great content and hope that you can keep building your subs!!
Thank you for your loyal viewership, Dan! You are very lucky to have this middle ground. My job definitely didn't support a reasonable amount of travel, unfortunately. We have to pinch ourselves at times that we can go at a slower pace and not have to fit in everything because we can go back if we didn't see it all the first time-but still I want to try to fit in as much as possible, as you know!. Living in the parallel like you are is wonderful when you can get it. Thank you SO much for your kind comment; it means the world to us. Please consider sharing our content if you know someone who might find it interesting/useful! -Judy
Love the topics discussed here. Our thoughts exactly! We both lost our parents when they were in their 60’s and 70’s and with my husband surviving cancer that changed our though process completely. We decided that we may never make retirement age so put plans in place to retire as soon as we could. It’s been quite the sacrifice but our turn is right around the corner. I retired 2 years ago and Pete next March and we launch our full time traveling in April…..it’s coming up so fast now. I’m actually in rehabilitation after a full knee replacement so have 6 months to get in the best shape I can before we head off. Thanks for a great video guys ❤
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. April will be here before you know it, and that Pete is around to experience it all is such a huge blessing. We were afraid that the wrong kind of cancer could potentially wipe us out, so that even if we could travel after diagnosis and treatment, perhaps there would no longer be funds to do it. I'm so glad you'll be on the road soon and wish you all the best. Good luck with your knee replacement. That is a scary thing, but you have plenty of time to get it better than new. We so appreciate you watching and all your support! -Judy
Thank you for watching, Didi, and for your very kind comment. It means the world to us! We have no plans to stop traveling anytime soon; we have nearly all of 2024 already planned out, and we are starting to work on 2025! -Judy
Wow, thank you so much, Marie-Claude! This means so much to hear! Thanks for watching and for taking the time to offer us such encouraging words. We appreciate it! -Judy
Hi Kari, Thank you so much for watching. We agree that changes are scary, but we wholeheartedly believe that stepping out of your comfort zone can bring you so many rewards. We wish you the best of luck and truly believe the universe will step up and deliver beyond your expectations, especially if you can move forward with confidence and an openness. Congratulations on taking this big step. We are rooting for you! -Judy
Thank you so much, Sharon! I just opened the topic in our forum if you would like to contribute to it. We'd love to hear your thought process and perspective. (findingGinaMarie.com/join) -Judy
Read the book “Die with Zero”. Very easy read with all the data to support what you guys have done, albeit, later in life than it should have happened. But you did it!
Hi Eveline, You can live significantly more cheaply outside the US, e.g., Southeast Asia. Many people do it. Of course, you won't be earning money, buy your saved money will go a lot farther, and so does your social security dollars when you're eligible for it. We speak about thinking differently/outside the box in order to live your dreams. For instance, although we are "retired," we work on RUclips a good percentage of our time as a way to earn money. There are a lot of online things people can do and creative ways to live that are unconventional. Here's that video if you haven't already seen it. -Judy 🎥 How we thought differently to retire early and travel full time: ruclips.net/video/ttyh4NXrbfs/видео.html
Thank you so much for watching, Joe, and for this comment. We are trying to get people thinking about it since it's really one of the primary impetuses for retiring when we did. That and not just wanting to talk about it and dream about it, but to actually follow through. -Judy
Last year, June 2022 I decided to retire four years earlier. Teaching had become too stressful, I was getting very sick and as I watched childhood friends and colleagues dying suddenly at age 59 and 60 s, I took the decision to retire. My daughter was independent of me too. I have not regretted a single day I made the decision. Yes I missed teaching per se but I love travelling and I m ticking off all the places on my to see list. It s easier for me as an EU citizen to visit cwrain countries but for further afield I m covered with a travel insurance.
Hi Denise, We are so sorry to hear about the health issues you encountered and the loss of some of your friends. That is not easy. But good for you for taking action to protect your health and reclaim your life. We are so encouraged to hear that early retirement is working out for you. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us and also for watching! -Judy
It's all comes down to planning, know what type of person you are, then run all the numbers and life expectancy. The problem for most people, they have no idea what they like or they keep changing what they like, no idea how to plan...etc. To those, get help/advice from professionals. One thing for sure, mobility. The older you get, the harder to move around/travel. Milage may vary. Happy for you guys.
Thank for watching and for this thoughtful comment. Yes, mobility is a big one and there's no numbers you can run for that; you just have to hope for the best. And although you can run the numbers for the other stuff, it's hard to know where you fall on the life expectancy list. Kevin's father was fairly young, but he also lived hard and played hard. Good suggestion about getting help from a professional, but be aware that in some cases, they aren't going to offer the outside-the-box thinking like consider living outside of the US in a place where the cost of living is less and your dollars stretch. Thanks for your encouragement. We are really loving our lives! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie just curious, have you decided a location to stay when done traveling and want to settle down? I am planning and checking long term care, health insurance ...etc. Any feedback is appreciated.
We still are in search of a full-time location. Our hearts are predominantly in Italy, but we might not want to stay there all year due to the cold winter weather. Our top places there are Verona and Turin, but there's still more we want to see. My dear friend Martin has recommended places such as Costa Rica, SE Asia, Baltic states, Uzbekistan, etc. as places that are affordable to live full time cheaper than you can in the US. We are headed to Japan (not cheap) and then SE Asia after that. I don't know that I see ourselves living there, but who knows how we'll feel after visiting. Many of these countries have great, inexpensive healthcare as well. Our healthcare policy is Cigna global health insurance, which has a high deductible, but our premiums are much more affordable than a standard US policy. The catch is that they limit the time you can be in the US and use the insurance there. It's designed to be more of an international policy, which works perfect for us. Happy to answer any other specific questions you have. -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie thanks for the info. We are in the bay area and planning for next 10 years. Those places you mentioned are great but you will find out more once you live there for a month or so. We are also working with our investment bankers, looking at SS, inflation,...etc. A lot of moving parts in order to minimize our risk. Eventually, need a place to settle down after all the traveling. Wish you both the best and enjoy life.
Just be sure you also consider the non-financial aspects like we discussed. What are the things you want to do in retirement and will you be healthy enough when you give the best years of your life to corporate America. Except for our most recent roles, we loved our jobs, but we gave up a lot of our lives to have them. We don't necessarily have to settle down permanently for a long while yet. Some people choose to stay in places for 3-6 months as slow down their travel even more, which doesn't look like a bad option. As of now, we don't see ourselves living in the US during our retirement years ,even if we are ready to slow down, except if we needed to care for a family member who is ill, etc., and even afterwards we would expect to be back on the road. The numbers people in your lives are really good at talking about numbers but not necessarily the quality of your later years. Thanks for watching! -Judy
Nice & inspirational video. I also qualify for dual Italian citizenship through my great-grandfather but haven't gathered all the info needed yet. If/when you finalize it, maybe that would also make an interesting video on hiw you did it. Keep up the good work!
Lucky you! We have some early videos where I talk more about my birth family and our decision to apply for dual citizenship. I am working with a company called, "Italian Citizenship Assistance," which is also known by "Italian Dual Citizenship." They have been good so far, but it's not an easy or quick process. It's an expensive service, but they are one of the best. We'll keep you posted when it's finalized because I will be thrilled to have that burgundy passport and we hopefully can someday settle down in Italy. I am a 1948 case, so it's a time-consuming process made a little more complicated because I was adopted. But we are very hopeful that we'll have it finalized in the next two years or so. Happy to answer any questions you may have in the meantime. -Judy
Good for you. I hope you can make that happen. I know many of us have issues lurking in the background that we aren't even aware of that can spoil our dreams of long-term travel. We have no regrets for having gotten the ball rolling sooner than some people so we have fewer regrets down the road. Thanks for watching, and best of luck to you. -Judy
Aloha from Maui, my wife and I are considering traveling for a year and a half and since we live in Hawaii we like warm weather. Where do you go to avoid winter.
Hi Chris, We spent the winter in Southeast Asia this year (Saigon, Vietnam; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Hoi An An, Vietnam; and now Taipei, Taiwan). Australia and South Africa are warm in winter, and so is South America, where we will be heading this December through April. Thanks for watching. We try to avoid the cold as much as we can, too! -Judy
Thanks for watching! We have a Cigna Silver global travelers policy with a high deductible and we pay $5700/year total for both of us in premiums. It covers us in the US, but only on a limited basis (no more than three months in the US outside of medical treatment-meaning if we had cancer treatment and it took 6 months, that's fine, but we cannot be in the US for more than three months in a year otherwise and claiming health insurance, which suits us fine. We're okay to cover the small stuff ourselves in order to save super high monthly/yearly premiums. -Judy
Not sure about your citizenship in Italy, but my wife and I moved to Italy beginning of 2022 and since we have elective residency, we are allowed to sign up for Italian health care system. We only pay €400 for per year for both of us. Everything is covered except medication but medicine is so cheap here. Lastly, the insurance covers us in 28 EU countries. Again you can only apply if you have residency or Italian citizenship. We are covered by Medicare when are in America.
@@wizardofoz4284 We still have a few years of paperwork on my dual citizenship, but that is likely the plan for us. We're both too young for Medicare right now. There are so many affordable countries besides the US to retire in if at some point we decide we are ready to settle down. No place has captured our hearts as well as Italy, so that's why we have been there so often. We want to explore much of the country before landing somewhere. What part of Italy are you in? Thanks for watching and for sharing your perspective. Also, what prompted you to move in the first place? -Judy
@@wizardofoz4284 GREAT INFO thank you. are you able to buy private insurance for additional coverage? also I understand you must still pay for Medicare in the US even if one has retired in Europe.
Our children all are adults (the oldest just turned 30) and scattered between two states and three cities. For as much as we love them, it wasn't practical for us to put our lives on hold while they still are figuring out their own lives. We're here in the US for two weeks spending time with them before we head out to Southeast Asia. Our daughter may join us for a visit while we're there, but our boys don't particularly enjoy traveling. Great question and thanks for watching! -Judy
As a retired person who loves travel (and travels often!), I’d 100% buck the mythical $1.7m number if you find places to travel that are affordable.
Forget Tokyo, Paris, and London (as nice as they all are), start thinking Costa Rica, SE Asia, Baltic states, Uzbekistan, etc. it’s all about how you prioritize adventure and your life!
Just don’t stay home. Get out there!
All great points, @mahtin! And we completely agree! Thanks for this great comment and for watching! -Judy
Wholeheartedly with all the points you made. My husband had a mild heart attack at age 48. We had always been saving for retirement, but decided then that we would retire by age 55 regardless of how much money we had accumulated. I retired at 54 and my husband at 55. We could have worked another 10 years and had a lot more money, but we would have lost all that time. We have been retired for 9 years and try to travel as much as we can. We live on a budget, with our priority being travel. We have been to nearly 30 countries so far and have absolutely no regrets about trading dollars for time. Not everyone's passion is travel, but the lesson is the same. Do the things you are financially and physically able do now. You never know what will happen to your health or even what impact world events might have on the things you want to do.
Very cool. And I hate that it serious life event happen, but sometimes something drastic or traumatic is what it takes for us to step back and take stock of their situation. Is there someplace you would recommend we visit that we haven't already been? -Judy
Have you been to Iceland or any of the Scandinavian countries? If you love outdoor activities, Iceland and Norway are amazing!
@@lindab5789 Norway is in our bucket list.
@@FindingGinaMarieif you want to visit a country where you feel you re in all the countries of the EU together come to Malta. I LL meet up with you and show you around some lesser known haunts.
@@lindab5789We enjoy nature, but we don't ski or do strenuous hikes, etc. Norway is on our list of places to visit to see the Northern Lights. I have Iceland on our list as well, but the Scandinavian countries are so expensive that we can only afford to spend a few days there, unfortunately.
What a great video. This topic is something Erin and I talk about often. We were both attorneys and we were making more than we had ever thought we would make in income so the decision to voluntarily step away and retire was not without some trepidation. However, what you said really hit home. Our jobs were stressful and the hours were long. We decided that we could live decently on the amount we had saved and we could travel, as we had always wanted to do, during a time that we have few physical limitations. We are currently in Guanajuato, Mx, and we are loving it. We are only two weeks in on our journey but we are confident that we made the right decision. I can’t imagine going back to the grind.
Yes, it's very tricky! I have worked in the legal field and a friend from that world is starting a new venture and today called and asked me to help build it out. It would be doing something that is extremely enticing with a potentially huge income potential, but when you've stepped away, it's really hard to step back in again, especially when we made very deliberate decisions about choosing health over wealth. It's the lure of capitalism, and it's not easy to tune out the Siren song. But this life we are living is beyond our wildest dreams and it's really hard to even think about giving it up! Thanks for sharing your experiences and for taking the time to comment (and watch while you're traveling!). We are so excited about your adventures and happy that you finally are on the road! -Judy
Here's the article on how we came up with the need for $1.7 million before retiring. Correction: It is Canadians who thought this, not Americans. www.morningstar.ca/ca/news/232272/do-you-really-need-%2417-million-to-retire.aspx#:~:text=Going%20back%20to%20the%20example,%2480k%20retirement%20income%20ask.
If you want to join our FREE La Famiglia community and join in the discussion there, here's a link: findingGinaMarie.com/join
So so true. I watched my mom talk and save for her retirement and die a year into it. So sad. I agree with your philosophy wholeheartedly.
I am so sorry for your loss, Les! We expected to work until we were in our 70s, but we are so glad we changed our mindset. Thank you for sharing your experience and also for watching our episode. -Judy
You both are an inspiration! I’ve worked as a pediatric RN for 24yrs. I love my job. However, recently I was in a car accident, suffered cervical & shoulder injuries that have kept me from working for almost a year now. I’m 49. And all I can think about is retirement. I love to travel! I’ll be returning to work soon with a goal to retire at 55. No one knows the future of your health & tomorrow is not guaranteed.
I agree 1000% with your lookout. Thank you for the videos!
Hi Cindy, we are so sorry to hear about your accident. Having a bad car accident is one of my fears exactly for the reasons you describe. Thank you for the important work you do, but you deserve a break! I hope you are back to good health and that the toll from this accident is mostly behind you. Thank you so much for watching and for taking the time to share your experience with us. You may find that if you are open to downsizing during retirement that you can save a lot of money by stopping your consumption of things. We were SHOCKED at how much stuff we had accumulated, especially considering we had moved out of a home into a San Francisco-sized apartment. It wasn't cluttered, but it was so much more than we realized. If we had only been saving that money versus spending it because we had it, we would have been so much happier. -Judy
🎥 8 Critical Questions for Downsizing: ruclips.net/video/oqYfZ98r7R8/видео.html
✅ Downsizing Prep Worksheet: findingginamarie.com/request-downsizing-prep-worksheet
I’m years away from retirement age, but have been thinking about solo slow travel for quite a few years. I’m planning on travelling from next year, although, I don’t know what that will quite look like yet. The great thing is that I can use Croatia as a home base while in Europe, which will help. The only thing that holds me back are the children. My four children are between 25-17 and my 21 yr old has blood cancer, which at this stage she’s managing well (they’re all planning their Croatia/Europe trip for next year too). As a mother, and only parent, I feel I should be here for them, but I am blessed to have children who support me and want me to travel (actually I think they’re pushing me to go 😆). They don’t want me to sit around waiting for something to go wrong and before you know it 10 yrs has passed and they didn’t even need me! What a waste of time! Watching your video has confirmed my thoughts and given me courage to do what I feel I should do. Life is short and unpredictable, but I can always catch the next plane home! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and wisdom.
“Live life full die empty”
❤Zeljka
Zeljka, what a lovely note you have written. As a single parent, you do deserve to live your life for yourself. And you have the right attitude that you can always catch the next flight home if anyone really needs you. As hard as it is, your 21-year old will be able to live and make mistakes because you are more apart, but you still get to be provide teaching if something comes up, which is the best of both worlds.Croatia as a home base, especially now that it's part of Schengen, opens up a lot of doors for you. Not sure if you would like a travel buddy but we have a Solo Travel topic in our La Famiglia forum where you can reach out and potentially connect with another fellow traveler. Thank you so much for watching and we are glad we are able to encourage you! -Judy
I am so happy that this lifestyle is working out for you both, and meeting and likely exceeding your expectations. Good for you! Keep on traveling!
Thank you so much, Diana! We are loving our lives right now. Thank you for watching! -Judy
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this video! Authentic and such important topic for people to consider for their retirement! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thank you so much, Rebecca! We were waiting to post this video until a time when our forum was up and running, because we’d really love to hear feedback from our community. It was pretty radical for us to consider that part of retirement when the focus always has been on money. -Judy
Your videos resonate on almost every level of our lives!! When I meet a young person (and it doesn’t matter if they’re in their 20s, 30s or beyond) I always ask are you planning a vacation, do you like to travel which lead into the usual comments of “planning to do so later in life”!! That’s when my “Ohhhhhh don’t wait until you’re too old to enjoy traveling!” Then I tell them about the health event that opened my eyes! I “retired” relatively early and within 2 years was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer! Not what you’re expecting when all you are thinking about is enjoying what you’ve worked so hard for!! But with the Grace of God I am a survivor and we’re enjoying every moment we can get away! Keep your videos coming - it doesn’t matter the topic, they’re always on point!
Wow, thank you so much for this poignant note, Maria. I am so glad to hear that you have been able to reclaim your health and able to do the things you want. What an unwanted and unexpected health situation you were in. We had never seriously considered ill health being a factor until shortly before we decided to retire early. It had a profound effect on both of us. And for whatever reason, I didn't want to be the person who talked incessantly about hopes and dreams and never carried them out. Talking about things can be fun, but not nearly as fun or satisfying as actually taking action and making those dreams a reality. Good job for reminding young people to consider their priorities. Although it may not seem like they are listening, I think they do ponder it deep in their hearts and it does make an impact. Thank you so much for being such a loyal follower of ours. We love taking you on our journey with us! ♥️ -Judy
Thank you for sharing your story. We followed a very similar path. We had been working toward early retirement/financial independence, but the pandemic pushed us to accelerate our plans a bit. It didn't hurt that the US Stock Market did quite well during that time.
One thing that really motived us was our mental and physical health while working. I (Chris) was in a high pressure job. I was burned out, stressed, and wasn't taking care of myself physically. After quitting our jobs, we had more time to focus on healthy eating and exercise and we are both much better off as a result. Unfortunately, that has required a new wardrobe, but there are far worse things that can happen in life than losing weight.
We realize we are very fortunate and that not everyone is able to do what we do, but it's also more achievable than most people think. Most retirement planners I have seen online vastly overstate the amount of savings needed to retire comfortably because they base those numbers on income rather than how much you spend. Once we cut out all of the unnecessary spending, we realized that we could afford to retire early if we lived in low cost countries.
Thanks again for sharing
Happy Birthday Judy -- glad Kevin is healing up.
Steph and Chris@388days
Thanks for watching and for your thoughtful comment. We are in complete alignment. I wasn't able to take care of my health nearly well enough. I was way too sedentary and although I had a personal trainer, I couldn't keep my appointments because work was getting in the way. I still have to do better, but the stress isn't there and our priorities have shifted to a much healthier way of living. Your opinions are on point. And thank you for the birthday wishes. It was an absolutely amazing birthday, and yes, Kevin continues to improve very nicely! -Judy
come to saudi in novmber riaydh season nice and you will have fun safe and pepole so nice @@FindingGinaMarie
@islam1max1one Unfortunately, we are headed to Southeast Asia in a few weeks, but we will catch Saudi at some point. Thanks for watching and for the suggestion of the best time to visit! -Judy
Very insightful comments about getting our life priorities in right places. Thank you. I enjoy all your posts.
Thank you, Eric, for watching and for this comment. It's not always easy. Kevin and I both were offered excellent job opportunities in the last ten days. It's almost as though the universe was doubling down to see if we meant what we've been talking about! We turned them both down, but there's always that false comfort you get from a steady paycheck. We just are reminding ourselves about what in our lives we'd be giving up for that steady paycheck, because for us it just is not worth it. -Judy
Sensitive, candid, and sensible conversation (as usual). Looking toward retirement in 1.5 years, we are beginning to think about what that will look like. I’m increasingly drawn to a creative life with a lighter load. I enjoy - and profit from - watching the ways you two manage and navigate.
Thank you so much for the compliment, Mark! It's all definitely a learning curve, but we are very happy. I think our big regret is sunk costs in things we bought over the last few years that we gave away or sold at bargain basement prices when we left to travel full time. Our decision to travel was one we made without a lot of pre-planning. The time was right, so we made the move. I bring it up because we are here in San Francisco cleaning out the last remaining bits of our storage unit, and Kevin had some really expensive wine and whisky that we gave away, expensive shoes, guitars, furniture, etc. that we had just purchased in the last two years. So one suggestion might be to really restrict your purchasing while you have your sights on retiring. Thank you for being such a loyal viewer of our channel! We appreciate you! -Judy
Thought provoking! Health & wealth & travel seem to be a regular conversation between my wife (69, retired) and I (65, self-employed).
Thank you so much for watching. It's helpful to hear we aren't the only ones having this discussion! Would love to hear any additional thoughts you might want to share. -Judy
Great conversation and perspective! Love following along with your journey and really enjoy the very intelligent and well thought-out discussion of the decisions around when to change your lifestyle to something out of the ordinary. i feel like we've been able to have a middle-ground, where we have been able to travel occasionally for the last 25 or so years, all while still working our day jobs. It's not ideal, as our trips are shorter and more jam-packed, but we can see the opportunity to do more extended and less hectic travel in the future. Keep on doing what you're doing, this is great content and hope that you can keep building your subs!!
Thank you for your loyal viewership, Dan! You are very lucky to have this middle ground. My job definitely didn't support a reasonable amount of travel, unfortunately. We have to pinch ourselves at times that we can go at a slower pace and not have to fit in everything because we can go back if we didn't see it all the first time-but still I want to try to fit in as much as possible, as you know!. Living in the parallel like you are is wonderful when you can get it. Thank you SO much for your kind comment; it means the world to us. Please consider sharing our content if you know someone who might find it interesting/useful! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie - Gosh I hope some day our paths cross, would love to have HH or dinner with you guys!!
@@dansouth2088We would love it! When you are traveling, drop us a note and if we're nearby, we'll do our best to pivot. -Judy
Love the topics discussed here. Our thoughts exactly! We both lost our parents when they were in their 60’s and 70’s and with my husband surviving cancer that changed our though process completely. We decided that we may never make retirement age so put plans in place to retire as soon as we could. It’s been quite the sacrifice but our turn is right around the corner. I retired 2 years ago and Pete next March and we launch our full time traveling in April…..it’s coming up so fast now.
I’m actually in rehabilitation after a full knee replacement so have 6 months to get in the best shape I can before we head off. Thanks for a great video guys ❤
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. April will be here before you know it, and that Pete is around to experience it all is such a huge blessing. We were afraid that the wrong kind of cancer could potentially wipe us out, so that even if we could travel after diagnosis and treatment, perhaps there would no longer be funds to do it. I'm so glad you'll be on the road soon and wish you all the best. Good luck with your knee replacement. That is a scary thing, but you have plenty of time to get it better than new. We so appreciate you watching and all your support! -Judy
Really enjoying your channel. Thank you. Keep traveling and keep creating great content.
Thank you for watching, Didi, and for your very kind comment. It means the world to us! We have no plans to stop traveling anytime soon; we have nearly all of 2024 already planned out, and we are starting to work on 2025! -Judy
Love love all your videos! Thanks for it!
Wow, thank you so much, Marie-Claude! This means so much to hear! Thanks for watching and for taking the time to offer us such encouraging words. We appreciate it! -Judy
Thank you, I needed to hear this. We’re about to list our house and making huge change, but it’s hard to pull the plug. This is inspiring.
Hi Kari, Thank you so much for watching. We agree that changes are scary, but we wholeheartedly believe that stepping out of your comfort zone can bring you so many rewards. We wish you the best of luck and truly believe the universe will step up and deliver beyond your expectations, especially if you can move forward with confidence and an openness. Congratulations on taking this big step. We are rooting for you! -Judy
Excellent topic. These are the issues we are grappling with now.
Thank you so much, Sharon! I just opened the topic in our forum if you would like to contribute to it. We'd love to hear your thought process and perspective. (findingGinaMarie.com/join) -Judy
Read the book “Die with Zero”. Very easy read with all the data to support what you guys have done, albeit, later in life than it should have happened. But you did it!
Thanks for the suggestion! I just bought the Kindle version! We’re obviously on board with the premise behind it already! -Judy
I love your way of living, wish we could do the same. Bit savings are not there at all.
Hi Eveline, You can live significantly more cheaply outside the US, e.g., Southeast Asia. Many people do it. Of course, you won't be earning money, buy your saved money will go a lot farther, and so does your social security dollars when you're eligible for it. We speak about thinking differently/outside the box in order to live your dreams. For instance, although we are "retired," we work on RUclips a good percentage of our time as a way to earn money. There are a lot of online things people can do and creative ways to live that are unconventional. Here's that video if you haven't already seen it. -Judy
🎥 How we thought differently to retire early and travel full time: ruclips.net/video/ttyh4NXrbfs/видео.html
Great video guys! You are an inspiration for thinking outside of the box. Love it.
Thank you so much for watching, Joe, and for this comment. We are trying to get people thinking about it since it's really one of the primary impetuses for retiring when we did. That and not just wanting to talk about it and dream about it, but to actually follow through. -Judy
I'd argue that health IS wealth :)
Hi Steve, you wouldn't be arguing with us. We wholeheartedly agree! Thanks so much for watching! -Judy
Last year, June 2022 I decided to retire four years earlier. Teaching had become too stressful, I was getting very sick and as I watched childhood friends and colleagues dying suddenly at age 59 and 60 s, I took the decision to retire. My daughter was independent of me too. I have not regretted a single day I made the decision. Yes I missed teaching per se but I love travelling and I m ticking off all the places on my to see list. It s easier for me as an EU citizen to visit cwrain countries but for further afield I m covered with a travel insurance.
Hi Denise, We are so sorry to hear about the health issues you encountered and the loss of some of your friends. That is not easy. But good for you for taking action to protect your health and reclaim your life. We are so encouraged to hear that early retirement is working out for you. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us and also for watching! -Judy
It's all comes down to planning, know what type of person you are, then run all the numbers and life expectancy. The problem for most people, they have no idea what they like or they keep changing what they like, no idea how to plan...etc. To those, get help/advice from professionals. One thing for sure, mobility. The older you get, the harder to move around/travel. Milage may vary. Happy for you guys.
Thank for watching and for this thoughtful comment. Yes, mobility is a big one and there's no numbers you can run for that; you just have to hope for the best. And although you can run the numbers for the other stuff, it's hard to know where you fall on the life expectancy list. Kevin's father was fairly young, but he also lived hard and played hard. Good suggestion about getting help from a professional, but be aware that in some cases, they aren't going to offer the outside-the-box thinking like consider living outside of the US in a place where the cost of living is less and your dollars stretch. Thanks for your encouragement. We are really loving our lives! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie just curious, have you decided a location to stay when done traveling and want to settle down? I am planning and checking long term care, health insurance ...etc. Any feedback is appreciated.
We still are in search of a full-time location. Our hearts are predominantly in Italy, but we might not want to stay there all year due to the cold winter weather. Our top places there are Verona and Turin, but there's still more we want to see. My dear friend Martin has recommended places such as Costa Rica, SE Asia, Baltic states, Uzbekistan, etc. as places that are affordable to live full time cheaper than you can in the US. We are headed to Japan (not cheap) and then SE Asia after that. I don't know that I see ourselves living there, but who knows how we'll feel after visiting. Many of these countries have great, inexpensive healthcare as well. Our healthcare policy is Cigna global health insurance, which has a high deductible, but our premiums are much more affordable than a standard US policy. The catch is that they limit the time you can be in the US and use the insurance there. It's designed to be more of an international policy, which works perfect for us. Happy to answer any other specific questions you have. -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie thanks for the info. We are in the bay area and planning for next 10 years. Those places you mentioned are great but you will find out more once you live there for a month or so. We are also working with our investment bankers, looking at SS, inflation,...etc. A lot of moving parts in order to minimize our risk. Eventually, need a place to settle down after all the traveling. Wish you both the best and enjoy life.
Just be sure you also consider the non-financial aspects like we discussed. What are the things you want to do in retirement and will you be healthy enough when you give the best years of your life to corporate America. Except for our most recent roles, we loved our jobs, but we gave up a lot of our lives to have them. We don't necessarily have to settle down permanently for a long while yet. Some people choose to stay in places for 3-6 months as slow down their travel even more, which doesn't look like a bad option. As of now, we don't see ourselves living in the US during our retirement years ,even if we are ready to slow down, except if we needed to care for a family member who is ill, etc., and even afterwards we would expect to be back on the road. The numbers people in your lives are really good at talking about numbers but not necessarily the quality of your later years. Thanks for watching! -Judy
Nice & inspirational video. I also qualify for dual Italian citizenship through my great-grandfather but haven't gathered all the info needed yet. If/when you finalize it, maybe that would also make an interesting video on hiw you did it. Keep up the good work!
Lucky you! We have some early videos where I talk more about my birth family and our decision to apply for dual citizenship. I am working with a company called, "Italian Citizenship Assistance," which is also known by "Italian Dual Citizenship." They have been good so far, but it's not an easy or quick process. It's an expensive service, but they are one of the best. We'll keep you posted when it's finalized because I will be thrilled to have that burgundy passport and we hopefully can someday settle down in Italy. I am a 1948 case, so it's a time-consuming process made a little more complicated because I was adopted. But we are very hopeful that we'll have it finalized in the next two years or so. Happy to answer any questions you may have in the meantime. -Judy
I have ms and want to travel before my mobility is impacted.
Good for you. I hope you can make that happen. I know many of us have issues lurking in the background that we aren't even aware of that can spoil our dreams of long-term travel. We have no regrets for having gotten the ball rolling sooner than some people so we have fewer regrets down the road. Thanks for watching, and best of luck to you. -Judy
Aloha from Maui, my wife and I are considering traveling for a year and a half and since we live in Hawaii we like warm weather. Where do you go to avoid winter.
Hi Chris, We spent the winter in Southeast Asia this year (Saigon, Vietnam; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Hoi An An, Vietnam; and now Taipei, Taiwan). Australia and South Africa are warm in winter, and so is South America, where we will be heading this December through April. Thanks for watching. We try to avoid the cold as much as we can, too! -Judy
I love you guys, you are both so cute and amazing!
Thank you so much for your kind compliment and for watching! We appreciate it! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie I started with your Egyptian video, as I am Egyptian it popped into my feed, and I didn't stop after that 😁
We are so grateful! Thank you so much. -Judy
Great great discussion . just curious what are you guys doing for health insurance outside of US?
Thanks for watching! We have a Cigna Silver global travelers policy with a high deductible and we pay $5700/year total for both of us in premiums. It covers us in the US, but only on a limited basis (no more than three months in the US outside of medical treatment-meaning if we had cancer treatment and it took 6 months, that's fine, but we cannot be in the US for more than three months in a year otherwise and claiming health insurance, which suits us fine. We're okay to cover the small stuff ourselves in order to save super high monthly/yearly premiums. -Judy
Not sure about your citizenship in Italy, but my wife and I moved to Italy beginning of 2022 and since we have elective residency, we are allowed to sign up for Italian health care system. We only pay €400 for per year for both of us. Everything is covered except medication but medicine is so cheap here. Lastly, the insurance covers us in 28 EU countries. Again you can only apply if you have residency or Italian citizenship. We are covered by Medicare when are in America.
@@wizardofoz4284 We still have a few years of paperwork on my dual citizenship, but that is likely the plan for us. We're both too young for Medicare right now. There are so many affordable countries besides the US to retire in if at some point we decide we are ready to settle down. No place has captured our hearts as well as Italy, so that's why we have been there so often. We want to explore much of the country before landing somewhere. What part of Italy are you in? Thanks for watching and for sharing your perspective. Also, what prompted you to move in the first place? -Judy
@@wizardofoz4284 GREAT INFO thank you. are you able to buy private insurance for additional coverage? also I understand you must still pay for Medicare in the US even if one has retired in Europe.
@@ConanNYC Great question. We're unaware of this, so we are standing by to hear this answer! -Judy
How did you cope with the children
Our children all are adults (the oldest just turned 30) and scattered between two states and three cities. For as much as we love them, it wasn't practical for us to put our lives on hold while they still are figuring out their own lives. We're here in the US for two weeks spending time with them before we head out to Southeast Asia. Our daughter may join us for a visit while we're there, but our boys don't particularly enjoy traveling. Great question and thanks for watching! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie We are heading there as well at the end of November. Maybe our paths will cross.
@@388_days Very cool. Reach out to info@findingGinaMarie.com and we can try to coordinate schedules! -Judy
Do you live for another purpose like Lord? That would round things out.
We believe in God and spirituality, but we've become more cynical about organized religion. -Judy