Stay or Go

[boatless 4 now]

Hi all,
I am new to this forum, but have been reading it for quite a while. So here is the question, 45 yrs old, married, two kids (14,and 11) great job, can retire in 12 years. Should I sell it ALL now and go cruising or wait it out till I am 56 and then start? If I go now I would still have to work as I go. My wife is worried about retirement if we leave now.

What say you?

[babykinz]

I was in the same boat...we are both 45 and hubby had a good job, 401k building up and we owned our own house. We were comfy, life was good..but there was our dream.
Last month we sold everything, left the house to the kids to rent ( they are older then yours) and moved aboard an Egg harbor 33.
Boat has a long list of problems, we cant find jobs and the humidity is sufficating me. Would I do it any other way? NO WAY....it was the best move ever.
I feel 10 years younger, we've made so many friends, we are so much more active...I love it!

We too were going to wait, wait till we had a bigger kitty, wait until the kids were done with college, until we knew more about boating, wait until we found the jobs here before we moved...We would have waited forever.
You never know what tomorrow will bring.
If its your dream, why delay it?
My hubby left a great job in Oklahoma nd will prolly end up working at Sear or Home Depot making half as much, he doesnt care he is happy.
Sure it has its headaches, and big sacrifices but we are one of the few people we know that can actually say "WE DID" and not... "wish we could"
I feel lucky.....

That say me.

[Maren]

Originally Posted by babykinz

We too were going to wait, wait till we had a bigger kitty, wait until the kids were done with college, until we knew more about boating, wait until we found the jobs here before we moved...We would have waited forever.

You gotta realize that asking a cruising forum if you should go cruising is like asking the rabbit to guard the garden. And I say go, too unless you absolutely feel you can't.

[scallywag]

You never get younger. The kids will need an education. College? Retirement will come, will you be able to go? You and your wife will need to make the decision. Health related issues might crop up. At 58, I was diagnosed with diabetes. More meds to take. May your winds be fair, may your life be full of love. Enjoy your children and each other.

John

[imagine2frolic]

babykinz.......ditto

boatless,

I had a very strong business, and my future was extremely bright. My one, and only problem I was not happy at all. I sold everything, bought my cat in the Caribbean. Got on a plane out of San Francisco. 4 years later back to work, and making plans for leaving again.

I felt it was just worth it to go, and take my chances while I knew I was physically able to. NO REGRETS at all.

Just as I was leaving the U.S.A. I met a casual friend in the grocery. He was all excited, and heard I sold out, and was leaving. He told me how green with envy everyone was, and still excited for me.

I told him that he too could go, he just had to do it. Sell everything get his 25 yr old kid on his own, and go. A sad expression came across his face. He said to me " You know John we just don't have the cojones to do that." Within me was a huge smile. Knowing that I am not the norm. That my greatest fear was to actually not go at all. The fear of missing life, and wasting my dream for money alone.

Welcome to the dream factory. The only thing left is to make your own dream, and then live it. If it's living behind a white picket fence then bless you. At least you know what your dream is. If it's crossing oceans, and exploring the world. You will find tons of encouragement, and advice here.....Once again WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!

[Charlie]

boatless:

There are different ways to do it. I'm 44 and have a 10 and 11 year old. I don't want to sell the hose to go cruising. What about taking on a cruising lifestyle (like living extremely frugally) and using the saved money to pay off the house and then to buy a boast and go in 6 years. No new cars, no new clothes, no going out to eat, get rid of cable, figure out the savings and see if you can make it work.

All I need to do is figure out how to get the house paid for.

OTOH just pack it in and take off ! ! ! If the admiral agreed I would do that. As it is I'm trying to get 6 months on and 6 months off.

[JiffyLube]

Seems to me that with couples, one wants the cruising lifestyle more than the other. One dreams of the adventure and discovery and of the doing, and wants to do it, and they other likes to see what the one that did it did, and dreams of doing it between commercials. One has the guts to make it happen, and one doesn't. One wants the boat, and one wants the picket fence. One wants to live vicariously, and one wants structure.

There is nothing wrong with planning for retirement, but to live your whole life around it is a waste of life...unless you have a plan for your life, and do it! We get one time to live our lives, and when it's gone the game is over.

Each person has to decide on how they want to live their lives. I'm reminded of that saying..."If you're not going to do my dying for me, you're not going to do my living for me either."