usvi-on-line
Study: "experiences" better than "stuff"
We are both all about experiences instead of "things". We don't replace items until they are broken. We are 55 and 60 and our life insurance would run out in 8 years. Call us crazy, but we just took out an additional 20 year policy this year while we are still healthy and could get a decent rate. We did that to protect the living spouse and for our kids.
My in-laws travelled extensively to Europe, and other places every year and have amazing memories about those trips.
I want to see the world!
My in-laws travelled extensively to Europe, and other places every year and have amazing memories about those trips.
I want to see the world!
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bubblybrenda
- Posts: 549
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 10:57 pm
- Location: Vancouver, BC
This is a great thread.
My wake-up call came 3 years ago at the age of 43. My Mom died that year at only age 63. What that taught me is I don't wanna live for "retirement". I wanna live life NOW. We are not guaranteed a tomorrow so I started on a search of my soul (Cinnamon Bay has a lot to do with my starting down the path I'm on now).
I am in the midst of changing careers (20+ years working in a law firm) to become a massage practitioner and reflexologist. A portable career that will take me anywhere in the world and a career that meshes with how I feel on the inside.
Although my mortgage will be paid off in 4 years I am not going to live my life day-in, day-out to put a roof over my head and to accumulate more "stuff". What for? There's a whole world to be seen and I plan to see it. My life situation is different from most in that I am never married and no kids so I have no one to leave all this "stuff" to anyways. I can't take it with me so I'm gonna have fun spending it.
As the song says: "I Don't Wanna Wish I Had because life's too short and death's too long".
My wake-up call came 3 years ago at the age of 43. My Mom died that year at only age 63. What that taught me is I don't wanna live for "retirement". I wanna live life NOW. We are not guaranteed a tomorrow so I started on a search of my soul (Cinnamon Bay has a lot to do with my starting down the path I'm on now).
I am in the midst of changing careers (20+ years working in a law firm) to become a massage practitioner and reflexologist. A portable career that will take me anywhere in the world and a career that meshes with how I feel on the inside.
Although my mortgage will be paid off in 4 years I am not going to live my life day-in, day-out to put a roof over my head and to accumulate more "stuff". What for? There's a whole world to be seen and I plan to see it. My life situation is different from most in that I am never married and no kids so I have no one to leave all this "stuff" to anyways. I can't take it with me so I'm gonna have fun spending it.
As the song says: "I Don't Wanna Wish I Had because life's too short and death's too long".
~Brenda~
Spot on.
There are a lot of sayings that begin with phrases such as "no one will remember what kind of car you drive, how nice your lawn was, etc."
I sure hope that's true!
Particularly with our oldest son now in college and his brother only a little more than a year away from joining him, we've put off doing a lot of things like renovating/redecorating/etc. to ensure that we'll all have a lot of memories of awesome times spent together.
Also factoring in to this is the fact that my dad died at 64, one year before his wife was to retire and he was to do all of the traveling he had put off for all of those years.
We've actually made, and will probably continue to make, some choices to travel that are borderline economically foolish - but it's our life, and if we have to suffer some down the road for them at least we'll always have the memories (well, at least the pictures to try and jog our memories!)
There are a lot of sayings that begin with phrases such as "no one will remember what kind of car you drive, how nice your lawn was, etc."
I sure hope that's true!
Particularly with our oldest son now in college and his brother only a little more than a year away from joining him, we've put off doing a lot of things like renovating/redecorating/etc. to ensure that we'll all have a lot of memories of awesome times spent together.
Also factoring in to this is the fact that my dad died at 64, one year before his wife was to retire and he was to do all of the traveling he had put off for all of those years.
We've actually made, and will probably continue to make, some choices to travel that are borderline economically foolish - but it's our life, and if we have to suffer some down the road for them at least we'll always have the memories (well, at least the pictures to try and jog our memories!)
Come see us!
Very interesting! This is the motto we both live by. Being both social workers we don't make a ton, but we much prefer experiences over things. We have a nice house and two small SUVs and hopefully that's how it will stay. Nothing fancy, but we use our leftover money for experiences more than things! We do put money into retirement and right now our travel budget is smaller as we save money to try to have children.
My parents took my brother and I on some really cool vacations in our later teens and early twenties. They did not however pay for our college. We both had scholarships for some of it and if we'd skipped two trips, our college would have been paid for. We both took out small student loans instead. I know that wasn't the financially responsible thing for our family to do, but neither my brother or I would trade those trips for the world! Those experiences likely strengthened our relationships in our family at a time when some families start to go there separate ways. That's priceless!!
My parents took my brother and I on some really cool vacations in our later teens and early twenties. They did not however pay for our college. We both had scholarships for some of it and if we'd skipped two trips, our college would have been paid for. We both took out small student loans instead. I know that wasn't the financially responsible thing for our family to do, but neither my brother or I would trade those trips for the world! Those experiences likely strengthened our relationships in our family at a time when some families start to go there separate ways. That's priceless!!
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michigancouple
- Posts: 609
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 5:37 pm
- Location: West Michigan
I am glad this topic was posted. It is so refreshing to know that other people truly think about this also and that we know what is valuable in our lives.
My hubby and I live a modest life and are happy that we have a few "things" but also value experiences that would never be the same if we wait until our golden years. We were fortunate enough to take our 2 daughters on a few trips over the years when they were younger and I think they will always remember those fun times. We have been lucky to experience STT/STJ 2 times as husband and wife (I just found this paradise 4 years ago). This year the hubby told me to take our daughters and he'd stay home. My girls (ages 22 & 25) and I had such an incredible time and I feel so completely blessed to have been able to take the trip to STT/STJ with them. They had been wanting to go very badly after listening to me talk non-stop about it each of the 2 times I had gone before.
It was nice to go before they had other big commitments in their lives (husbands, children, etc.) and have that mom and daughter time without any worries about what was going on at home. I certainly hope that our experiences will continue throughout the years and that when I'm old and possibly unable to travel anymore that those memories will come back and make me smile.
My hubby and I live a modest life and are happy that we have a few "things" but also value experiences that would never be the same if we wait until our golden years. We were fortunate enough to take our 2 daughters on a few trips over the years when they were younger and I think they will always remember those fun times. We have been lucky to experience STT/STJ 2 times as husband and wife (I just found this paradise 4 years ago). This year the hubby told me to take our daughters and he'd stay home. My girls (ages 22 & 25) and I had such an incredible time and I feel so completely blessed to have been able to take the trip to STT/STJ with them. They had been wanting to go very badly after listening to me talk non-stop about it each of the 2 times I had gone before.
It was nice to go before they had other big commitments in their lives (husbands, children, etc.) and have that mom and daughter time without any worries about what was going on at home. I certainly hope that our experiences will continue throughout the years and that when I'm old and possibly unable to travel anymore that those memories will come back and make me smile.