Remember when we attended the Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) timeshare presentation in D.C.? Well, it's been almost five years and the pain from that has worn off...so, we did it again. Hahahaha. In this post I'll detail what happened with HGV as well as share a few tidbits about our trip to Orlando that surrounded the presentation. Let get to it.. An Invitation from … [Read more...]
Be Happier by Buying Experiences Over Things
A few months ago, one of the Millionaire Money Mentors brought up the subject of happiness. He linked to this post from Humble Dollar and quoted these stats: Between 1972 and 2018, the percentage of Americans who described themselves as very happy ranged from 29% to 38%. The number for 2021 was recently released: Just 19% of us said we’re very happy—10 percentage points … [Read more...]
Review of The Villages, Florida, Part 2
Today we continue my review of The Villages, Florida. If you missed part 1, you can find it here. This post will focus on evaluating The Villages in two new ways. First, I'll do a review based on my list of five retirement categories everyone needs to address to have a great retirement. Then I'll share some results from top Google search articles I found -- posts … [Read more...]
Review of The Villages, Florida, Part 1
As I write this I have been home about a month after spending 2.5 months (mid-January through March) in The Villages, Florida. If you missed the fact that we snowbirded there this winter, you can catch up with our escapades by reading the following: Thoughts on The Villages, Florida, and Snowbirding, Part 1, Thoughts on The Villages, Florida, and Snowbirding, Part 2, and … [Read more...]
Thoughts on The Villages, Florida, and Snowbirding, Part 3
Well, we are now back in Colorado after our 2.5 months in The Villages this winter. As I write this we have been back for 10 days or so and are mostly settled. More on that in a bit. In case you missed my other updates about life in Florida and The Villages, see The Villages, Florida, and Snowbirding, Part 1 and The Villages, Florida, and Snowbirding, Part 2. This post … [Read more...]
Thoughts on The Villages, Florida, and Snowbirding, Part 1
As I write this, we have been in Florida for a month now. We drove down over three days, meeting my dad in St. Louis and him following us from there, in mid-January, arriving on January 15. BTW, the drive down here was BRUTAL. It was 24 hours total...with a cat in the back. Just imagine that! He was actually pretty good, but that long in the car even over three days is … [Read more...]
How to Retire Overseas, Part 3
Today we'll finish looking at the ten steps people can take at home to think through the issues surrounding retiring overseas. The list is from the great book How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad, one I certainly recommend if you're thinking of ever moving overseas (or just like the concept). As usual, I'll share what the book … [Read more...]
How to Retire Overseas, Part 2
Today we'll continue looking at the ten steps people can take at home to think through the issues surrounding retiring overseas. If you missed part 1 and want to catch up, you can find it here. The list is from the great book How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad, one I certainly recommend if you're thinking of ever moving … [Read more...]
How to Retire Overseas, Part 1
In my life there have been certain books that are just "it" when you need to address a specific issue. They are the go-to solution for something you're looking to address. For instance, The First 90 Days is a book I have read and followed after accepting almost every new job I've ever had. It's designed to help you make your first three months a success and is a very … [Read more...]
The Costs of Living on a Sailboat
If you've been reading ESI Money for any length of time you know that I love the Caribbean. We have been there a handful times (three on cruises and twice on trips to Grand Cayman). If it was up to me, we will go there at least once per year for the rest of our lives. And by "up to me" I mean that I am planning at least one trip there per year. ;) In addition to my … [Read more...]
