Route to Retire ...the path to financial independence

No One’s Asked – Here’s Why You Should…

No one’s asked. Not a one. Not one single person in my entire office. I’m now just days out from my retirement – December 31, 2018, is my last day of work. I gave my notice in early summer and we kept it low-key in the office for a little bit while we worked out the game plan. However, I officially made the announcement to my engineers in a meeting on August 13. And as many of you know, the grapevine in almost every office spreads like wildfire. We have just over 35 people in my office and I think everyone knew the scoop within minutes. That means it’s been well over three months and no one’s asked. Ok, Jim

Meet My Daughter on Women Who Money

You’re probably bored with me rambling all the time (who isn’t?!). Well, I’ve got good news for you! This post is intended to let you hear what my daughter has to say instead! Although she’s only eight, she’s got a good head on her shoulders. She’s always been a good kid and she’s a thinker. Her smarts make me raise an eyebrow sometimes with the things she says. You’d think that with a brain like hers that she’d be no fun to hang out with, but she’s the exact opposite. She’s the social butterfly, a barrel of laughs, and a ham to boot! She could make you wonder if she’ll be the next Elon Musk, Wanda Sykes, or Taylor Swift.

Is One Million Dollars Enough to Retire On?

One million dollars. It’s the coveted goal for many. Maybe it’s something you think is way out of reach. Or maybe you’re on the other side of the spectrum and close to it or even long surpassed that number. Regardless, one million dollars just seems to be a good round number in our heads to strive for reaching. In fact, it’s a number that many folks have had as their target number for financial independence or retirement for decades. You suddenly gain the status of “millionaire” and you become part of the “7-digit club.” What could be more exciting than that? However, we all know that the dollar ain’t worth what it used to be. Inflation loves to strip away

You Get What You Get, So Don’t Throw a Fit

You get what you get, so don’t throw a fit. This might be a little bit of an off-topic post, but since cruises are my favorite vacation and that’s the banner on my site, I’m hoping you’ll hang with me on it. Plus, the point is actually more than the cruise itself – it’s about enjoying life and aiming for more. I started this post while on a cruise ship. We’ve been on a number of cruises with lines like Princess and Celebrity, but this is our first time with MSC Cruises. We’re on the MSC Seaside en route from Miami to St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas before we head back to Miami. We didn’t plan to take

Expat Health Insurance – Our Plans for Panama

Expat health insurance – the one piece of retirement unique to those living in another country. One of the biggest struggles for folks wanting to pull the trigger on early retirement in the U.S. tends to revolve around healthcare. Unfortunately, I can’t help you with that one except to say to plan for the worse. You have to build the unknown into your FIRE number because it can be the one wildcard that can throw off anyone’s plans. That sucks, but it’s our fault as a country for letting the healthcare industry get as powerful as it has. Unfortunately, that puts most of us in the U.S. in a tough spot where medical care costs more here than any other

A Moment to Exhale… So Now What?

Well, we’re finally over the hump. We actually had a moment to exhale. We sold the house and moved into an apartment. Everything should start to get easier and easier as we get closer to the big move to Panama next summer. I started this post while at the airport on our way to Miami to get our cruise kicked off. We booked this trip at the beginning of the year thinking we’d have nothing going on at this time. Yeah, we were wrong. Once we got through security here at Hopkins airport here in Cleveland, I got a text from my agent telling me everything just finished. The closing is officially done and they’re in the process of filing

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