Retiring Into Two Suitcases and a Carryon – Part II

Four years have passed since I retired into two suitcases and a carry-on, and I wanted to share the outcome of my decision to purge everything except what I could fit into two large duffle bags, a carry-on, and a backpack (and those few items left in the basement at my sister’s home).

I have returned to Connecticut without being able to live in Denver for an extended time or making it over to Ireland for more than just a 7-day visit.  This was due to wanting to be back in Connecticut to be with family.

Here is an update on specific topics:

Housing:  I have been renting a room from my niece. Renting a room and not being responsible for the upkeep of an entire home or condo has helped keep my expenses down overall. Renting has proven to be better than owning a home at this point for me. Although I want to put down roots and have a home base, I am still unsure if renting or owning is the route I will take.  The biggest issues now are the base cost of any unit (renting or owning) and the interest rates to purchase.  I will just have to wait and see which route I end up taking.

A Job:  I continue to teach part-time for the same university.  Especially during COVID-19, this activity helped me to not go crazy since it gave me something to focus on when I couldn’t do much else.  The extra cash continues to make life very comfortable.

Traveling:  I have not done as much travel as I had hoped.  There are two issues.  While living in Atlanta, I worked for an airline and retired with flight benefits.  This means I can fly wherever they fly for almost nothing.  I can get on a plane if there is an empty seat (standby), but it is becoming increasingly difficult since the flights are often booked full.  In addition to full flights, many of my travel buddies from my younger days no longer travel or have passed away.  On many group travel options (like cruises or land tours), single supplements are added to any solo traveler which can often be almost double the cost for one person.  This puts a damper on this type of travel and really cuts into the travel budget.  Although I have a cruise planned for the fall of 2024, I am hopeful, once again, that travel will pick up for me in 2025.

Giving Away Goods:  The sad thing is now that I have been living in one location for a period of time, I have started purchasing furniture (computer desk, printer stand, desk chair, printer, desktop computer, etc.) and more clothes and shoes (all of my “stuff” will no longer fit into the two duffle bags and one carry-on bag).  I am trying to keep a handle on this activity, but when staying in one place for an extended period has made me want to make things comfortable for me and easier to use.

Although my living situation is not yet decided (until I decide where I want to live), I would do this all again.  I am happy I jettisoned off all of my household goods, home, car, and everything else.  I have not really missed any of that “stuff.”

Although you might not want to go as far as I did, is there any part of your life that you would like to “downsize” now?  What is it and why haven’t you done it yet?