Wandering Money Pig - A journey of early retirement and FIRE (financial independence retire early)

Atlantic Beach Causeway Bridge  Atlantic Beach, North Carolina is a beach town in Carteret County, North Carolina.  It is one of five communities located on Bogue Banks.  Bogue Banks island is a barrier island which is 26 miles long and half mile at its widest points.  Although not as well known as mega beach destinations like Ocean City, Maryland to the north, or Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to the south, it more than makes up for it by its unspoiled natural beauty.   Atlantic Beach is geared towards families and is not yet commercialized like the two above mentioned destinations.  There are few chain restaurants/national retailers on the Bogue Banks.  This is a blessing as it manages to keep things as natural and pristine as possible.  Yes, you will find stores on the Bogue Banks, but it’s nowhere near as prevalent as those mega destinations. My wife, yours truly, and our dog, spent the entire month of December in Atlantic Beach.  We hope t...

Moving Day! My wife and I are recent early retirees.  I am 48 years old while my wife is 51 years old.  We made the big decision to retire this year rather than wait another year, then another, and so on...We are adherents of FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement.  We had been planning for this D-Day for years.  Once our financial independence part worked out, we jumped off to our early retirement in August, 2020. Going through this year was tough for everybody, I’m sure.  Seeing people die each and every day due to the pandemic put things in perspective.  We realized time here on Earth is too short.  We wanted to spend more time with our family and with each other.  Instead of asking ourselves ‘can we do it / should we do it’, we said what we have is enough.  I mean how much more is enough if you already have enough? This is our story and our experience selling our home. My wife and I sold our home during the heat of the summer...

  I’m a recent transplant from Pennsylvania to North Carolina.  In this post, I’d like to share with you my experiences obtaining a North Carolina driver’s license, registration, and vehicle insurance. I found North Carolina’s DMV website (ncdot.gov) as the best source for information.  Please be advised North Carolina driver’s licenses are handled by the NC DMV office, while title / registration / license plates are handled by a license plate agency.  These are two separate entities.  License plate agencies will typically contract with NC DMV to offer these services. I highly recommend obtaining the North Carolina driver’s license first, then going to a license plate agency afterwards.  As you’ll see later, depending on whether you’re currently financing your car or leasing your car will determine how quickly you can get your registration done after getting your NC driver’s license. Obtaining a NC driver’s license Go to the ‘ncdot.gov’ website (https://www...

Ocean City, Maryland (View from the beach) Located just 9 miles south of Delaware, Ocean City, MD, is one of the most popular beach destinations on the east coast.  It is a barrier island nestled between the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and Isle of Wight / Assawoman Bay to the west. OCMD truly has something for everyone.  From world famous Boardwalk to miles of beach, you won’t be bored there.  I recently had a chance to spend some quality time there with my wife, and our Pomeranian.  We had a great time there! Without further ado, see my list of top 3 things to do in OCMD. The Beach!  This is most likely the reason why anyone would select a beach destination in the first place.  OCMD does not disappoint! Beach is approximately 10 miles long, so you won’t feel crowded.  Better yet, OCMD does a great job of maintaining the beach area.  You’ll see bulldozers working around the clock to give the beach a smooth look. Note the bulldozer in the middle of...