It's the Leo Principle: I met Leo when he was 49. Shortly afterward, he started talking about retiring. Not retiring some day but retiring then. At 49.
He didn't win the lottery. He didn't score a big inheritance. He's an average joe with an average job. But he has a secret.
Don't spend money on the little things.
Never pay for parking, eat out but only food you can't get at home, drink your liquor at home instead of at a restaurant you can buy an entire six-pack for what they charge!, and keep the clothes closet simple. Oh, and travel the world during the off-season when the special deals show up…and do it with a carry-on.
Bottom line? Spend money on the things that are important to you. Question all of the incidentals. Small costs become large totals over time. Everyone worries about the big expenses: the vacation. No one worries about $10 for parking or $7 for a beer, $12 for lunch out, but those are the costs that multiply when we're not looking…and we need to be looking.
Wheel and I? We try to live by the Leo Principle: we walk, we garden, we keep the closets lean, we cook, we bake. We run errands on the bicycle.
But last weekend, we both blew the don't buy liquor with meals rule. There's a fairly new sushi restaurant about a three-mile-ride from home…and before 6:00 even the food is on special.
The martini? We couldn't have gotten that at home...so, we each had TWO.
Our retirement is damned.
- TOB because it's been a looong spring
10 comments:
But you so deserve it...
Your site looks really spiffy...
Hey, a person can cut only so many corners until you have to take a stand for quality of life!
Martinis! The training drink of champions!
You'll be in very good company, OB. I wonder if any of us boomers will be able to retire. I've seen the effects of martinis on a racing cyclist's performance. Mother's milk!
I'm pretty sure the fact that you rode to the restaurant nullifies the fact that you bought liquor with your meal, so all is well.
Oh no! If that's true I'll never be able to retire!
It felt like making the first payment on a second home but that just means that we do it so rarely that we are generally on the right track. We can do it again next year too!
The secret of a happy, simple and successful frugal life is to be able to partake of essential luxuries without guilt.
Ah, my absolute favorite guilty pleasure. But you can make them at home- really!
"The don't buy liquor with meals rule"? Hmmphff.
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