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

  Biloxi Lighthouse When my wife and I decided to visit the city of Biloxi, Mississippi for the first time, we frankly didn’t know what to expect.  We knew very little of the city, its attractions, food scene, or how safe it is.  For those of you that have been following us, safety is one of the most important things we consider whenever we decide to visit a place. In our previous travels using AirBnB/Vrbo since our early retirement in August 2020, picking a month-long rental comes down to several factors, but none more important than safety of the place.  We always read reviews of the rental to make sure it’s not in an unsafe location, where someone mentions anything like drug dealings, gun shots, etc. In Biloxi, we would be staying at a 4 star rated hotel resort, so we knew at least our lodging choice would be safe.  Outside of our hotel though, we weren’t sure.  We knew at least Beach Blvd. in front of our hotel, looked really clean and welcoming when...

  Beau Rivage, Biloxi, MS When my wife and I were planning our second cross country road trip that would take us from North Carolina to California, we really had to figure out where to visit, for how long, and what to see once we get there.  Biloxi was a city I had known about ever since watching a movie called “ Biloxi Blues ”, starring Matthew Broderick and Christopher Walken, years ago when I was just a young lad. I had always known I should visit the city, but I had no idea when that would actually be.  Luckily, all the stars lined up in late November, when our dreams of doing our second cross country trip became a reality. When I found out that Beau Rivage Resort & Casino was owned by MGM Resorts , I had to make Biloxi our first stop on our trip. About 2 weeks prior to our trip, I had searched online at Beau Rivage’s website and found out I could get 6 free nights if I paid for a Saturday night, thanks to my Gold Status with MGM Resorts.  This meant for a w...

  Somewhere in New Mexico Confucius:  “Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.” Looking back at my wife and myself’s journey throughout our 20+ years of marriage, there are several moments that truly stand out.  There is our wedding day/honeymoon to Hawaii, selling everything to move to Hawaii several years later, then there is our epic cross country trip from New York City to Colorado. Of the many memorable trips we enjoyed together, none matches the sheer planning, intense research, and total excitement that goes into planning for a cross country trip.  It’s been over 19 years (2003) since we went on our cross country trip, but I remember those awesome three weeks during the month of August 2003 very vividly, like it was yesterday… The beginning of that trip was totally memorable as one day prior to us leaving, New York City experienced a blackout.  It was late afternoon on August 14th.  We were taking an escalator down inside a shopping mall in ...