Blog

While things may have seemed quiet, in reality, a LOT has been happening. I have had over a dozen people ask for an update which is why we wrote this post. We are planning to officially be on the road within the next week (on or before Sept 21). Although we are not sure what the exact start date for the trip is yet. We are almost ready!

Here are the high notes of what has been going on over the past few months:

June 2021

• On June 23 we accepted an offer to buy our house, which closed one month later
  • As part of that sale, we negotiated up to 60 days rent-free post-closing
    • This gave us up to September 21, 2021, to be in the house
  • This was a cash offer with no contingencies, which Brock negotiated since we did not have a realtor

Early July 2021

• On July 2, 2021, we purchased a 2007 Chrysler Town & Country Touring Edition Minivan
  • Our original intent was to
    • Have a low-cost vehicle we could use while in the United States
    • We needed to save money on insurance (only carrying liability coverage) and vehicle registration
    • We wanted a vehicle we were comfortable storing outside while we travel
  • Buying this minivan allowed us to sell our current nicer vehicles quicker to capitalize on high used car prices
• On July 13, 2021, we registered FIRE Travel Family LLC as an official business and all associated accounts were open

Late July 2021

• July 19, 2021, Brock closed his Innovative Dubuque LLC business which focused on consulting and business assistance
• On the morning of July 23, 2021, we closed on the house sale and officially became renters!
• In the afternoon of July 23, 2021, we learned that Brock should not leave US due to the medical treatment he is receiving. The doctor suggested he stay around for between 12 to 18 months from when he started the treatment in January of 2021
  • Interestingly, we had already mostly decided that we would not be leaving the US for this first trip anyway due to COVID-19 uncertainty
• On July 26, 2021, we sold our 2014 Chevy Equinox
  • That brought us back down to two vehicles again
  • It also allowed us to capitalize on the higher used car values which made us feel good about buying the minivan
• On July 29, 2021, Becky closed her Platteville Massage office.
  • It was a bittersweet day since she loved her clients and had built a great/successful business
• On July 31, 2021, Adam Rohn, Brock’s best friend from kindergarten through high school had funeral services held in Boscobel, WI

August 2021

• August 4, 2021, Kyra got her first haircut from her aunt Karen Hoffman
  • Kyra and her mom both donated their hair to kids in need
• August 14. 2021, Brock completes the Platteville Super Sprint Triathlon. He did so with a personal best time and gets first place in his age range
• August 20 and 21, 2021, Becky’s grandma Rose Heiderscheit has funeral services held and is laid to rest in Balltown, IA
• August 22 and 23, 2021, Brock, Becky, Kyra, and Verity go to Wisconsin Dells. This is our first overnight trip and stay in a hotel since having to return home due to COVID-19 in March of 2020.
  • There will be a future post detailing how we made this a cost-effective outing by utilizing one of our superpowers…frugality!
• August 27, 2021, was Kyra’s last day at the daycare she has been going to since 2017
• On August 31, 2021, Becky closed her Dubuque Massage office and cleans out her office. In just over a month she has gone from 2 businesses to being retired!

September 2021

• September 3, 2021, we learn that the place we were going to live while “back home” is no longer an option. So we have to find a new place to stay and store our bed
• On September 4, 2021, we had our final garage sale. We sold items left under $10 for 50% off and the items left worth $10 or more at 25% off, with the exclusion of about 12 items.
  • In total since starting to sell our items in August of 2020, we have sold over $14,000 and this does not include the house or vehicles
  • We estimate that we sold between 75% to 80% of everything we owned via garage sales and online Facebook Marketplace posts
    • To give you an idea of how much was sold for large furniture we now own only one item, a queen bed set
  • We kept a few items, otherwise, everything else was donated, consigned, or put on the curb. Although there are a handful of items we are still trying to sell
• On September 6, 2021, we had our retirement party with family and friends. It was the last celebration we hosted in the first house we owned as a couple and family.
• September 9, 2021, was Verity’s last day at the only daycare she has went to.
• On September 13, 2021, was Kyra’s first day of home school (world school) as a kindergarten student, she loves her teachers and is doing great so far!!
• September 15, 2021 is the day we have set to sell the 2017 Chevy Traverse to online car dealer Carvana.com. We hope everything goes smoothly with our drop-off meeting, which is set to take place in Monroe, WI.

Our Current Work

Other than this we are waiting for one piece of mail to arrive and these are the last items keeping us from leaving (once we have moved). As far as what we are doing now we are mostly:

1. Packing items to store while we are gone
2. Completing the electronic cleanup we need from owning 3 businesses that have been shut down
3. Determine what we need for our trip and get it bought/packed
4. Finishing the preparation we need to be away from home while traveling

Tired from reading all this? We are from getting it all done! The upside is the hard work is almost done and the fun is about to begin….

Brock Waterman

Written and posted 9/14/2021
Updated: 1/22/2022
*For FIRE Travel Family videos see our YouTube Channel!

Becky and I are frugal people in many financial aspects, which has led to our financial independence. The biggest place this shows in how we acquire material items (aka “stuff”), but also extends to experiences. But before we get to what we buy, let’s talk about the why of buying. For us, we always start with the question is this something we truly need. When you think this way, you often find you have something else that you can use to make due. Or you might be able to temporarily borrow an item from someone else. Lastly, can you rent or otherwise get for free temporarily? We utilize the public library just about weekly. We can get books, movies, and more for no cost. Need a book they don’t have, fill out a request form and usually, they will get it.

This mentality also extends to activities. For instance, we take part in the free kid’s activities available at the library and through the city. Want something more in-depth? We are part of a local Parent’s as Teachers where we have bi-weekly meetings with a Parent-Educator. This brings weekly hands-on activities and social interactions for our kids. It also helps us expand our parenting knowledge and skills because of the educational documents we read as part of this. We love hiking, which is often free (or low-cost). Not only do you get away from electronics, you help your kids connect to nature and have time together. Parks are another great free option. Again our city also has free events and at many of these, they include meals, activities, and sometimes even free items.

But what about when we need to buy something? When possible we try to make sure we are not surprised by an emergency need. This is important because when you have the time it opens up your options. Options for getting great used items include family and friends, garage sales (online and in-person), thrift stores, corporate second-hand stores (like Goodwill), online websites and groups (like Facebook Marketplace and the various groups selling items in your area), free curb pickups, and more.

We buy the majority (probably around 80% to 90%) of all non-perishable items used. This includes clothes, toys, furniture, workout equipment, books, and more. We often pay cents on the dollar for these same items as you would if you purchase them new. Often times we get items, use them for years and turn around sell them for the same (or more) than we paid for them.

As an example, at one point we picked up a bike we thought our oldest daughter might use for free off a curb one day. As we found a better other option a couple of years later we turned around and sold this bike for $45. This isn’t the norm, and I am not advocating being a hoarder. When you buy something that has some use the price can drop substantially from its new price. Additionally, people often really want to get rid of the item, so they take a low price. We have found that most larger items we have bought used have held their value or sold for more on the recent garage or online sales we have done.

Do we ever buy new things? Absolutely! Because of my allergies, anything that has cloth that can’t be put in a washing machine (for instance couches or recliners) are something we typically buy new. I use my computer daily and always want one with high-end specs. While I do shop around, I buy high-end here. TVs are also something else we have usually bought new. Lastly, and most importantly, we spend more to get quality, healthy food items. While it is cheaper in the short term to buy fast food and low-quality food, the long-term health costs are not worth it. We spend to get the best whole food items like vegetables, fruits, and meats. We buy local when possible (including for all of our beef). We watch specials and do our best to stay in season for fruits and vegetables to get lower prices and better quality. Also, we do a lot of frozen fruit which the kids love and which make the best fruit shakes.

This post has just scratched the surface of how we live frugally. For instance, we have saved money by getting low-interest loans from family members. But this post gives you an idea of how we were able to reach financial independence and retire early. When we spend we always think is this item worth the time it takes to make the money for it? Essentially, is it worth more time away from the kids and more work? We find the answer is often no, and this simple test helps to eliminate a lot of unneeded or want-based spending.

Brock Waterman
Originally Written: 6/2/2021
Last Edit: 6/3/2021

Welcome to the FIRE Travel Family blog! What can you expect? Brock and Becky Waterman are going to share knowledge, experience, and life hacks.

Why should you care? Good question, thanks for asking! Brock and Becky have traveled to over 35 countries. These were not short trips either. When we travel we average a month in each country. In fact, Brock has spent over 3 years of his life outside the United States, including a 14-month trip in his 20’s. Our oldest Kyra (4) has already spent nearly 4 months on vacation traveling to places like Hawaii, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Lesotho, and Belize (it would be more if not for COVID).

Where it gets even more interesting is that we have not mortgaged our future to do this. In fact, we have saved all the way along, while still doing what we consider important for our kids and family. Due to this in 2021 we have made the decision to

• sell our house
• sell most of our belongings
• sell or transition Becky’s two massage therapy businesses
• transition Brock’s Innovative Dubuque consulting business
• travel the world with our kids as a way of life for the foreseeable future

Hence, FIRE Travel Family will chronicle our lives abroad and share how we got to this point. Wondering what FIRE stands for? Once again, great active listening (reading) on your part! Financial Independence Retire Early aka FIRE is the name of the movement where people are doing this with which Becky and I are broadly associated. But here is the thing, we only learned there were other people doing this in February of 2021. To that point, Becky and I had just been making this up as we went along. So is there any real sorcery involved in getting to financial independence? No there is not, just focus, planning, and spending on the important things in life (and leaving most material desires behind).

Once again from Brock, Becky, Kyra & Verity Waterman, welcome to our FIRE Travel Family! We are excited you are here and hope you are ready to learn, interact and drive the content we produce from this so it can be the most useful and valuable.

Brock Waterman
Originally Written: 6/2/2021
Updated: 6/10/2021