At the end of last year, I questioned whether to continue with my blog. After seven years and 320 posts, surely I'd covered pretty much all I had to say about financial independence and retiring early. I still think that's true which is why, over the past four months, there have been zero posts. But maybe it's time for an update - what's happened between then and now, and are there any plans for the future? As I said, I've not written a single blog post. I've kind of missed that. No blog posts seems to have translated into me being less good at setting and then checking in on my targets ..read more

My intention for today's post was to discuss the transition from being a saver while working and earning a salary to being a spender in retirement. That was the plan, but instead, I decided to go skiing. That's what I call a good early retirement decision! The saver to spender post will have to be done another day. In its place is a very short post, with just a tenuous connection to spending. That connection is that, since retiring early, I decided that each year we'd donate 5% of our annual spend to charity - I suspect it could be more, but this is where we are for now. We have automated some ..read more

In last week's post, I pondered adopting a more relaxed attitude to my routines and targets. Today, I'll put that to the test because, with just three of the year left, it's not long before I make my final check of how I did against the goals I set. Should I attempt a mad scramble to convert the not yet done targets into "yay, I nailed it" or is it time to be more chilled about such things? As of today, this is where I am - not all green/done, but not doing too badly: So, is a mad scramble to try to change the ambers to greens the thing to do? As with much in life, the answer isn't always bl ..read more

I've just watched the documentary series, Live to 100 - Secrets of the Blue Zones, in which Dan Buettner scours the world for places where people live much longer than average. He comes up with a diverse list: Okinawa, Japan Sardinia, Italy Ikaria, Greece Nicoya, Costa Rica Loma Linda, California Having found the locations, the next step is to look for the reasons why people from these places live much longer than the average person in other locations. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he discovers some common denominators which he calls Blue Zones Power 9: Lifestyle Habits of the World's Healthiest ..read more

I record and track my spending for the following reasons: I used to be an accountant, so it's in my genes To ensure our life is affordable, both for now and perhaps another fifty years It helps me be more conscientious in my spending I worked hard to earn the money, so I want to get good value for that effort It discourages me from wasting money on things I don't really want I imagine Sally is less keen on the cost tracking process, particularly when I ask her what this or that cost was for so I can plug it into my spreadsheet. In some ways, we have similar views about money, but in other wa ..read more

I retired abroad. It's not something that many people do, but it might be something that lots of people dream of. In this post, I'll look at some of the reasons why retiring to a new country might be tempting and talk a little more about the reasons that were particularly important to me. They will be the plus points, the reasons for doing it. Then I'll touch on some of the challenges, the things that might be more difficult - why retiring abroad might not all be sunshine and rainbows. Why retirement abroad can be a good idea To enjoy a better climate As I write this, it's grey and rainy outs ..read more

Coming towards the end of my seventh year of early retirement, I thought I'd reflect on some things that have gone well, and some areas that could perhaps have gone better. Five wins 1. Less stress. This was the most immediate benefit when I retired. I didn't realise how heavily work stress weighed on my shoulders until it was taken away. It was almost a physical feeling of relief. Seven years later, it's still one of the best feelings. 2. Change of mindset. This was a surprise benefit of retiring early. My new mindset includes being more positive, trying to say yes to opportunities that I mig ..read more

I'm so excited...our grocery costs aren't as high as normal, although it might only be because I'm eating from the cupboard of previous bulk purchases. Unfortunately, those stocks are dwindling - it's surprising how quickly I can eat 10kgs (22lbs) of dates, 12.5kgs (28lbs) of nuts and 5kgs (11lbs) of peanut butter. It may be a clue as to why I'm currently 3kgs heavier than I want to be! Two other spend categories catching my eye this month are sports and medical. This month's spend in sports is a race entry for next May, but when I look at that line I can't help but see the earlier cost of rep ..read more

I earned the right to retire early. I worked hard at my job, took risks to increase my earnings, lived within my means, avoided debt, saved some money, and tried to make good investment choices. Okay, I have to admit that the make good investment choices part wasn't particularly smooth sailing! That's not to say the journey was absent of good fortune. My parents taught me to live within my means. My first boss sent me to college one day a week to do my accounting exams. Boss number three gave me the opportunity to work overseas and earn a higher salary. And later, when I changed jobs and reloc ..read more

I'm writing my August early retirement update while enjoying the late summer weather. For those of us living in more temperate or continental climates, it strikes me that spring or the beginning of summer is an ideal time to start a new phase of life and find an early retirement rhythm - the nicer weather is good for both inside and outside activities and by the time the grey and cold of autumn or winter arrives, we'll be well into our early retirement stride. Early retirement targets Perhaps this same logic is helping my targets this year, with the good weather aiding my enthusiasm for gettin ..read more