Travel and Vacation

The Next Mission… Free Cruises Through Casino Status Matches!

The Next Mission… Free Cruises Through Casino Status Matches!

22 Comments / Travel and Vacation, Life in Early Retirement, Spending / /

I love going on cruises for vacation – it’s my absolute favorite vacation. I know that some people hate ’em and think they’re nothing but a big old petri dish ready to spread disease to whoever gets on board. Some people don’t like the idea of being on a ship in the middle of the vast ocean. Others don’t like that you might only get 8-9 hours in port to explore other countries. Guess what… I don’t care. I love […]

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The World’s Largest What??!! 7 Months of Our RV Road Trip Complete, 1 To Go!

The World’s Largest What??!! 7 Months of Our RV Road Trip Complete, 1 To Go!

22 Comments / Road Trip, Life in Early Retirement, Travel and Vacation / /

It’s pretty crazy to think that we’ve now been living in an RV for over 7 months. Yes, we’ve taken a couple of breaks and stayed at my mother-in-law’s house for a few weeks twice in that timeframe, but our home has been the RV… for better or worse. Around this time last year, we brainstormed a way to do something different to escape the winter blues and cold of Ohio for one winter season… and this was what we

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A Travel Nightmare: Free Airport Lounge Access to the Rescue!

A Travel Nightmare: Free Airport Lounge Access to the Rescue!

8 Comments / Travel and Vacation, Here's Why I'm Liking..., Life in Early Retirement, Spending / /

We had a travel fiasco last summer on our way back from a month-long stay in Boquete, Panama. One small element of bad weather caused a delay that turned everything into an overnight mess. Exhausted, both physically and mentally, we ended up finding some sort of redemption the next morning thanks to a free credit card perk we have… airport lounge access. If you’re not aware of how nice airport lounge access can be when traveling, you’re missing out. But

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Our RV Trip Was Quickly Becoming a Florida Flop… Until We Shifted Gears

Our RV Trip Was Quickly Becoming a Florida Flop… Until We Shifted Gears

20 Comments / Road Trip, Life in Early Retirement, Travel and Vacation / /

“Head to Florida for the winter during your RV trip”, they said. “You can enjoy the sunshine and be like snowbirds! It’ll be wonderful!” Yeah, well, guess what – we disagree. Making Florida part of our RV trip was quickly becoming a source of frustration for all of us. And when you have three people in a small 22′ RV travel trailer, that frustration can easily become a nightmare. Lisa, Faith, and I were at that point and everyone was

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Our 9-Month RV Adventure: The 55+ Essential Items We Bought for the Road

Our 9-Month RV Adventure: The 55+ Essential Items We Bought for the Road

8 Comments / Road Trip, Life in Early Retirement, Product and Service Reviews, Spending, Travel and Vacation / /

It’s crazy to think that we’re already 4 months into our 9-month RV adventure around the country. We completed our first loop (of 3 planned) and went from Ohio to Texas and back. We’re now on loop 2 as we head toward the south for a couple of months and then make our way up the east coast when we smell spring getting near. Then we’ll be making a massive trip out west for loop 3 throughout the spring and

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Wellness, Wealth, and Wanderlust: Paving the Way for 2024

Wellness, Wealth, and Wanderlust: Paving the Way for 2024

18 Comments / Life in Early Retirement, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Health and Fitness, Investments, Kids, Motivation, Road Trip, Spending, Travel and Vacation / /

In the blink of an eye, 2023 has come and gone. Whether you had a great year or not, it’s time to decide if you’re going to make 2024 a better one! Our 2023 was something truly different and not anything I would have imagined. Our wanderlust took over and we ended up buying an RV, letting the lease lapse on our apartment, putting our stuff in storage, and set off to travel the country. We’ve been learning the RV

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The Ups and Downs of RV Life: 45 Days in Our Tiny Home

The Ups and Downs of RV Life: 45 Days in Our Tiny Home

20 Comments / Travel and Vacation, Life in Early Retirement, Road Trip / /

“Move out of your apartment and enjoy the RV life,” they said… “It’ll be fun!” Ok, that’s only sort of what happened. We enjoyed our past couple of monster road trips (2020 and 2022) so much that it became the catalyst for us letting our apartment lease lapse, putting our stuff in storage, buying an RV, and taking on the RV life. It was also one solution to dodging another Ohio Winter! I will say though that full-time RV life

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The Calyx Institute: Our Secret to Inexpensive, Unlimited, Unthrottled Internet on the Road

The Calyx Institute: Our Secret to Inexpensive, Unlimited, Unthrottled Internet on the Road

31 Comments / Travel and Vacation, Here's Why I'm Liking..., Life in Early Retirement, Product and Service Reviews, Road Trip / /

Well, after almost a month of living in our new trailer at two local campgrounds to get the hang of things, we’re finally off and running. We’ve started our road trip around the country with an anticipation of finishing in early summer next year! I think we did a good job learning as much as we could beforehand because things have gone relatively smoothly thus far. Sure, there have been some minor things like me getting sprayed down from water

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Risk and Reward: Overcoming the Doubt Can Transform Your Life

Risk and Reward: Overcoming the Doubt Can Transform Your Life

8 Comments / Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Life in Early Retirement, Motivation, Self-Employment, Travel and Vacation / /

When I was younger, weighing the risk and reward in a decision was a lot easier. In your youth, you’ve got time on your side and most of the chances you take aren’t going to make or break you. If you’re in your younger years, remember that. Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks that can change your life for the better. As time marches on though, the choice between risk and reward can sometimes be a lot tougher. When

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Your Money, Your Choices: Why Personal Finance Is Deeply Personal

Your Money, Your Choices: Why Personal Finance Is Deeply Personal

12 Comments / Motivation, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), General Thoughts, Investments, Saving, Spending, Taxes and Financial Planning, Travel and Vacation / /

Personal finance is such an interesting facet of life. It’s a part of every one of our lives whether we like it or not and most of us think we know what’s best for ourselves… and everyone else. But the reality is that while we can learn as much as we want about the subject, we really should only focus on what’s best for ourselves. Why is that? It’s because, funny enough, personal finance truly is personal. You might have

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