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

  Planting Fields Arboretum, Long Island, NY After visiting the excellent Bayard Cutting Arboretum the previous week, our family was itching to explore more of Long Island , as we all had a great time there.  Again using Google search, which is my de facto method of researching scenic places to visit, I came upon Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay , Long Island, NY. Planting Fields Arboretum was the former estate of W.R. Coe , a noted railroad and insurance executive.  Planting Fields Arboretum is now part of the New York State park system, and it features over 400 acres of rolling hills, gardens, walking trails, and woodlands.  The Camellia Greenhouse is a must see attraction, displaying the largest collection of camellias in the Northeast, while the Main Greenhouse features extensive collection of hibiscus, orchids, succulents, and seasonal displays. On a cloudy and a bit chilly Wednesday morning in March, our family set out on a new adventure! We took the...

  Acadia National Park, Maine My wife and I have been retired since August 2020, and have been living a mostly nomadic lifestyle, traveling 8 months out of the year to various destinations on the east coast of the United States.  The first year of our retirement coincided with Covid-19, which probably helped lower our cost of living. Two years ago, inflation hadn’t happened, and we were able to find relatively cheap month long rentals using AirBnB.  The first year of our travel, we paid on average $1,020 for a month long stay.  Admittedly, we settled for cheaper accommodations the first year, as we weren’t sure how our budget would work, the first year. We didn’t want to do what typical retirees do, that is overspend the first couple of years, during the ‘go-go years’, when most retirees tend to travel more, buy more things, and splurge on themselves or on their kids.  We were careful not to go over our budget, and finding cheaper housing certainly helped make t...

  Bayard Cutting Arboretum, NY During our stay at our parent’s place in March, I got the sense that we all wanted to get out there and do a quick day trip somewhere, as we had all developed a serious case of cabin fever.  Living in a NYC apartment means the heat comes on constantly during the month of March, where temperatures are still having a hard time breaking 50 degrees. Thanks to that, it sometimes gets stuffy inside the apartment.  Our attempt to ventilate the place doesn’t always work out, because then, we have to contend with the increased noise, automobile fumes, and sometimes cigarette smoke coming in from outside our windows. Driven by our need to get some much needed fresh air and some much needed new stimuli, we decided to visit Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River, Long Island (NY) , on a rather chilly, but a sunny day in March. Bayard Cutting Arboretum is owned by the state of New York, and it is the former estate of William Bayard Cutting .  The...

Spruce Knob, WV Since the emergence of Covid-19 in 2020, I’ve been reading up on various news articles about the “ Great Resignation ”.  Upon initially hearing about this phenomenon, I thought it made perfect sense.  Living through a once-in-a century pandemic, where people are dying in droves, will no doubt change one’s perspectives on life.   People will try to make sense of all this as they start realizing their own mortality.  Many will wonder what life is and what is really important in life.  Many, like I did, will come to the conclusion that life is just way too short.  Because of that we should try to live the best life we possibly could now , rather than wait for the perfect or the ideal time… In reading between the lines, there are always nuances in analyzing any data sets.  The Great Resignation is no different.  There are multiple reasons why people quit.    People may leave/resign because they’re fed up with or tired of wor...

  Toby at Riverwalk, Wilmington, North Carolina  The last time my wife and I had visited Wilmington North Carolina, was in April of 2008, while we were visiting our brother and his family in Raleigh.  I realized the drive was only about 2 hours from Raleigh, so on a rainy spring day, we took a drive down to Wilmington.   Drive was miserable as we encountered heavy rain throughout the 2 hour drive.  We hoped the rain would end, and luckily, our prayers were answered when we arrived in the city, near Market Street in downtown Wilmington.  Rain had magically stopped by the time we parked our car on Market Street, near Front Street .   That day, we ate at a restaurant on 3rd Street and remember enjoying the meal.  We had our parents with us and all of us ate voraciously, savoring some good seafood including shrimp, fish sandwich, and a juicy steak. After lunch, we took a stroll on Market Street to take a look at the waterfront.  That day, we go...