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I believe that money is a tool that should be used to help build the life of your dreams. After you’ve repaid your debt, saved for emergencies, and funded your retirement, anything you have left over is yours to do with as you please.
I never thought I’d reach the “do with as you please” phase personally. It seemed like a pipe dream. But over the past year or so, I actually have found the time and the money to begin pursuing my passions.
One of the things I’m most excited about is travel. After getting a small taste of it (and after having watched every episode of The Amazing Race), I’m eager to see the world outside of Oregon. Kris and I have a big trip planned to France and Italy later this year, and we hope to visit Chile and Argentina in 2012 or 2013, but I want to do more than take big expensive touristy vacations. I want to have adventures, even if they’re small ones.
My recent train ride from Chicago to Portland was one such small adventure. Next year, I hope to free the time and money to hike across England (Hadrian’s Wall perhaps). And at this moment, I’m on another of these small adventures.
For the next week, I’ll be on vacation in Alaska. My friend Mac (from Get Fit Slowly) and I are guests of my neighbor, the real millionaire next door. John has been bugging me for years to spend a week on his boat, and now seems like the perfect time to join him on his “yacht”:
Yesterday, Mac and I flew from Portland to Seattle to Juneau to Petersburg. If things went according to plan, we’re just now setting out from Petersburg to make our way around the Inside Passage. We plan to do some salmon fishing and some crabbing (if the season has started) and, eventually, to make our way to Glacier Bay National Park. Next weekend, we’ll end up in Sitka, from which we’ll fly home to Oregon.
I have no idea what sort of internet access I’ll have during this trip, so I’ve taken steps to make sure things run smoothly in my absence. Comment approval is in capable hands. I have a stack of guest posts scheduled for publication in case I’m not able to process posts from me and my staff writers.
I’m excited to pursue this small adventure. More than the other things I’ve accomplished over the past few years, this trip makes me feel like all of my hard work and smart choices are finally paying off. By doing the right things with money, I’m able to use some of it to do the things I’ve always dreamed of.
It’s my hope that your own hard work and smart choices will allow you to pursue your dreams, too.
This article is about Administration Saturday, 15th May 2010 (by J.D. Roth)
Very exciting! Have lots and lots of fun!
Congrats JD on finally taking some time to travel. Enjoy it and have fun!
What about your wife? She’s not going on this vacation with you?
I grew up in Alaska (Anchorage) and went to school there. We lived in Southeast for five years, and also on Kodiak for 3 years - I think you’re in for a treat. You might get some early Kings, or some steelhead! Can’t wait to hear how much you enjoyed yourself - I hope you step ashore in places where it’s possible, too - nothing like touching that virgin rainforest, covered in emerald moss, with your own hands.
Hadrian’s Wall: Where Sheep Go To Sh*t. You’ll want two pairs of shoes, one for field and one for town, plus plastic bags. Things I wish someone had told me.
Your quote: “After you’ve repaid your debt, saved for emergencies, and funded your retirement, anything you have left over is yours to do with as you please.”
You have it backwards!
PAY YOURSELF FIRST! (includes retirement)
You will achieve your goals much faster!
Good for you JD. Far too many financial web sites equate travelling with frivolous spending, but I consider it one of the most important aspects of my life. After paying off the house last year I went to Taiwan for two weeks and this year I’m thinking about going to Vietnam. You just can’t put a dollar value on these kind of life experiences.
PS I used to live in Europe and my girlfriend and I spent a few days hiking on Hadrians Wall.(Near Steel Rigg.) It was beautiful but be prepared to get ‘four seasons in a day’ weather wise!
Southeast Alaska is breathtaking to say the least. If you make it up to Skagway I’d be more than happy to show you around. I travel all over Alaska for work and am here in southeast for the summer.
You better be careful on your trip; it’s all too easy to fall in love with Alaska and never return home.
JD, your trip to Alaska sounds amazing! I hope you have a great time.
Commenting to say, though, that “big expensive touristy vacations” are a crappy idea. A good one is the big inexpensive live-like-a-local vacation! If you haven’t done so already, I recommend picking up Rolf Potts’ book, Vagabonding, about how to travel well and have amazing adventures while spending very small amounts of cash.
Leaving Petersburg now. My iPhone works, but will it still in Tracy Arm? Have a good week everyone. I’ll check in if I can.
Wow, have a great time! I love the emphasis on little adventures. I love doing that, and my boyfriend and I are working on taking little trips around the state (Minnesota — new to me but his home stomping grounds) and region as we build up for larger trips.
Wow JD, your trip sounds amazing. I hope you have a great time. If you do manage to get to England and want to see the South West, I will happily give you some ideas of where is good to go.
You go, J.D. !!!
I’ve been following you for years, reading about your travel (and Mini) dreams, watching your financial progress and now you are - as Dave would say -living like no one else.
Have a wonderful time - you’ve worked hard for everything you’ve achieved.
Way to go! Once everything else is paid down, travel is such a rewarding way to grow as a person. A good “investment”, as the financial gurus might say. Enjoy your vacation.
Have a great trip.
I am one year and two weeks from being a travel maniac(of course I have five stateside trips planned for the year so far)!
A part of me wants to adjust your sentence: “After you’ve repaid your debt, saved for emergencies, and funded your retirement, anything you have left over is yours to do with as you please.”
What about ‘anything you have left can be given away to those who need it more than you’.
I’m not against people being rich. I’m against people dying rich.
“After you’ve repaid your debt, saved for emergencies, and funded your retirement-”
And that will take every dime I’ll ever earn.
Congrats JD! I hope you have a great time. That does indeed sound like quite an adventure. Stay warm and dry!
I look forward to your posts on your conversations with John. He sounds like an interesting guy.
You deserve it man. Have a great trip!
Congratulations! Have fun JD!
I was interested in this post already because of the first words. I also believe that money is a tool to build a good life.
Thanks for a nice post!
When you do decide to visit Europe shop carefully for tickets. End of August or May are great summer months to find tickets from either coast for less than $600 with taxes. Once you get here check out Ryan Air and EasyJet. These discounters are how my wife and I get around on the cheap, new planes, NO FRILLS, but my wife and I were able to go from Manchester to Brussels for the weekend for $30 return for the both of us, Ireland is routinely on sale for less than $20 per person return. If you need help contact me.
Hi JD — congrats and have an awesome trip — I heard about the following site / company on the Perrin Post and it sounds right up your alley — it is essentially a tour of Europe that is done in the style of the Amazing Race! I have no connection with the company but it sounds like a fun way to see Europe! http://www.competitours.com/
@Rachel- Some people like big, touristy vacations.
@Simon- Then, after I die, my estate can be divvied up to whoever *I* deem needs it. After all, who decides what I need and what I don’t? I’m sure someone would say I don’t need seven sewing machines, and over 4000 books, or a motorcycle, or extra fabric, but I do enjoy it, and consider all those an integral part of my life.
Have a great trip! You deserve it.
Have fun - but please don’t tell me you left Kris to deal with the potentially exploding sewage problem for a week!
Congrats JD! Part of saving and building up reserves is also enjoying it while you can. Enjoy your trip!
JD - this post is exactly what I’ve been trying to tell my friends about my savings. I’m 25 and debt-free. Have a wonderful job and have great future ahead of me if I keep my head straight - but small adventures/trips to rural America is exactly what I want to do with my money. People at my age are way too excited about nice vacation spots, top cities in the world, and nightlife where I’m more focused on visiting world wonders and going to unique places where people want to hear about my trips! good luck and i’m eager to read your post when u come back!
sounds like your about to have a great week, hope the weather works out for you! i am still waiting to get to the point where i have the extra cash around to do these adventures, only a matter of time i hope!
Preferred Financial Services
Good for you.
I’ve noticed that most people’s ‘Bucket List’ involves seeing places and doing things, not owning things. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen “paying for a lease on a car I’ll never own” on any of them… Experiences are the things we will take with us for the rest of our lives, if they’re the right ones. I hope that this is that kind of experience for you.
I find what defines me most is living overseas for years, speaking another language (or two), seeing Bob Dylan in concert in Rome, etc. Experiences change the way you think, which is real change.
And get on that England trip. My wife and I hiked the Lakes District and the Bogs (outside of Dublin), and it was some really incredible scenery. Take in Stirling while you’re there, and the London Museum (we only heard how good it was after we’d left and were at the Louvre…).
Have a great time.
Awesome. This IS the whole point of PF; take care of what you have to so you can do what you want to. Enjoy the heck out of it.
Congratulations and have a great time, JD! You’re an insipriation to me.
Glacier Bay is wonderful - I would have loved to be on a small little boat instead of a cruise ship when I visited. I look forward to hearing the stories of your adventure!
Congratz JD. Way to go.
Glacier Bay is beautiful. Try to see if you can get off the boat to check out the areas around the straits. You can actually hike up the mountains and look down on bald eagle nests.
Just be careful of bears. Make sure that you don’t carry food, toothpaste or anything smelly with you. Otherwise, carry a rifle.
The best part of being in total control of your money is telling it where to go. You would much rather tell it to go to the French Riviera then to GM/Ford/Visa/BoA….
Dollars Not Debt
JD– I hear you on this one . . . My wife and I have often discussed road tripping to see the places I so often flew over right here in the good old US of A! Further, being on the ground in places outside of tourist resorts has a great appeal as well.