Pennsif’s Progress – Selling Up and Moving On (it's not quite what you think)
The next couple of years are going to see major changes for my wife and I and our family.
I will turn 60, my business will have been going for over 25 years, and all three of our children will be passing through university and on their way to the big wide world.
We will be left be with 17 acres of homestead, 11,000 trees of all shapes and sizes, half a dozen chickens and one naughty little dog.
I love our land and I love our trees. And I have for the longest time assumed this would be my final resting place.
But what we have is a liability. It is difficult to get away when you have animals and land. And there is always something to fix.
And with the health of both of us deteriorating the physical endeavours of managing the homestead will become ever more challenging.
So we are beginning to consider alternatives.
I would love to keep this homestead for ever. But the realities are becoming different.
The costs of running the place, with local property tax, insurance, oil, electricity, maintenance etc etc are fast approaching $1000 a month. It is unlikely any of our children will want to live here. And the limitations it places on us are growing.
For the past 20+ years my focus has been on family, business and house. Holidays and travel have been very, very sparse.
Which has been sad. In my younger years I was a keen traveller spending many months hopping around the world.
But there is still much of it to see. Now time and health are running out.
Maybe it will soon be time to weigh anchor, don a pair of wings and fly.
I would like to think we could have our cake and eat it, but the likelihood is that we would have to sell the homestead to fund the travels and free up future financial liabilities from inheritance tax or asset seizure to pay care bills.
Maybe we sell, divide off a suitable chunk to put in to trust for our children and then stuff our pockets with the leftovers and take to the road, or the seas.
My daydreams are currently mulling over two story lines.
In one we buy an RV, sell most of our possessions, give away the rest and hit the road to nowhere and everywhere.
I have never driven an RV but if I can still manage it I would love to have a go. Maybe it could become a tour of all the steemians in Britain (and maybe even Europe). That could be fun and a half.
On the other side of my daydream record we take to the seas and just go cruising.
I really, really want to try a cruise. The prospect of living in a posh ship, with all meals provided and no washing up, and visiting new places every day or so really grabs me big time.
And I read a story recently about an elderly woman who lives on the sea, just hopping from one cruise to the next. By looking for deals and being a regular cruise goer she found it cheaper than living than living on dry land.
The financial equation does look tempting. If you find the best deals on long term cruises (3 months+) the daily cost for a couple would down around the $100 mark - and that includes all meals and utilities. And not a scrap of housework to do.
Tempting, tempting, tempting.
Oh I wonder. If steem went up a few notches on the money stick could we earn that $100 a day from steem?
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Might this be a Mary Poppins moment? Could the steem cruising dream be real...
PROJECTS :
A Dollar A Day charitable giving project : August 2018 - summary of donations received & given out - another $500+ donated
Pennsif's Sustainability Curation Digest for MSP - week ending 9 September 2018
BLOGS :
Pennsif’s Progress – Finding my creed - Truth, Justice, Equality
Pennsif’s Progress #563 – Don't blame the media, become the media
RADIO :
The Alternative Lifestyle Show - Friday 14 September - guests @mr-greens, @ecoswell, @solarsupermama & @fivefiveeleven
The Alternative Lifestyle Show - Friday 7 September 2018 [recording]
Here Comes The News - Thursday 13 September - with @davidfar, @reko, @newenx, @carlagonz, @ilazramusic, @joedukeg, @thedegensloth, @krnel & @gregorypatrick
Here Comes The News - 6 September 2018 [recording] - with @crypto.talk, @danieldyemusic, @krnel, @azizbd, @martin.mikes & @gregorypatrick
[ images from pixabay.com ]
A toast to retiring the way you want to Mr Pennsif - downsizing, RV or other!
Talk with your wife, if she is on board selling and the RV option may be a good game
After researching more the costs of RVs the living on the high seas option is edging out in front.
Decisions Decisions. I think I'd rather do the RV.
Indeed. Health, weather and money will all be carefully intertwined.
Host of Here Comes The News on MSP Waves Radio.
Host of The Alternative Lifestyle Show on MSP Waves Radio.
Founder of the A Dollar A Day charitable giving project.
I've contemplated this, but I didn't start homesteading because of my kids. The older I get, the MORE I need the nutrition I can only get on the homestead. The easy life is rarely a healthy one!
If we take off to travel, not being able to grow our own food will for sure one of the things I miss most.
The thing is, I've come to the conclusion that growing my own healthy food, is literally the only way to know what I am getting! However, it's true modifications in how I grow it are necessary as I age. Even so, the practice of growing my food, forces me to keep moving. I often think of Tasha Tudor...
both option are goods but you have to go the one that fits more with you
the RV will push you trough a lot of experiences and you will acomplish that dream of travel around the world and maybe after that you could go on the cruise to relax from all these adventures
If we do a round the world cruise we will stop off in Venezuela and say hello 😊
that would be awesome!! ❤
I've heard of people jumping from cruise to cruise as its cheaper than maintaining a home. Apparently you can get some pretty good last minute deals if you're not bothered about where you go and when. My sister goes on a lot of cruises and she says under £70 pppn is a good deal if that helps as a benchmark.
Yes I am seeing the £70pppn as a target. If steem steemed up a few notches it could be doable...
If I have been given a chance I will definately be getting an RV but again as you said that the health is detoriating you need to have a check on that. You have to equipped the RV with the amenities and first aid which you might need.
It might be interesting to rent an RV for a few weeks to give it a try-out.
Y'all got a place to visit in Alabama if you ever head this way :) Maybe you could move to a place with fewer taxes, cheaper cost of living, and adopt the prior taxpayer, permanent traveler lifestyle. You'd still be able to participate in Steemit as you travel the globe :).
Those are some big decisions you are facing. My vote is for the RV but I've never fancied going on a cruise, maybe that's the right way for you to go.
If you ever find yourself in Denmark, you have a place to park that RV and some wonderful people to visit if I may say so myself.
I'm about to do the RV thing and tour Britain - all the places I've never been to before. This time though, I'm converting my own van myself. I thought to myself (again - It's now or never).
Good luck in whatever you decide.