We have a great conversation with the Retired Toddlers, Michelle and Jake. They have a unique and unconventional approach to early retirement, with the idea of retiring while their kids are young to be able to travel the world and enjoy quality time with their young kids. You can always work later! They talk about how they have prioritized their spending on travel, and how it still might surprise people how much they save by not having a house, cars, utilities, insurance, trips to Target, etc. and all the other typical life costs. Jake shares a meaningful conversation with his mom that prompted some of their decisions to change their lifestyle.
Prior to making the decision to travel full-time, they had always lived their lives in a financially responsible way and it set them up for this journey they are on. For example, they only had one car when they lived in Tampa and it worked well for them (they also admitted they don’t care about cars). Michelle and Jake share their views on keeping up with the Joneses and lifestyle inflation. They’ve never felt like they need to keep up with others as they have their own desires and ambitions.
Michelle and Jake share some insight on how they travel and the financial aspects of their travel. They define themselves as comfort travelers vs. budget travelers. Their monthly travel expenses can vary from $5K a month to $10-15K for some more expensive trips. They have a good mix of being more budget conscious and splurging. It’s all about value to them, which isn’t always cheap.
...and they are still saving for retirement and prioritizing that along the way!
One of our favorite quotes from the Retired Toddlers is that “you don’t have to wait to live your life until you’re older, have more money, etc.” Their decision to make this move while their kids are young has been reinforced so many times throughout the past few years. They also gave some advice to “treat travel like a lifestyle.”
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Show References
Retired Toddlers on Facebook
Retired Toddlers on YouTube
Retired Toddlers on Instagram
Retired Toddlers website
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Other Links
Maggie’s Blog: Mostly Minimal Life
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