MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Kunnara on May 11, 2015, 06:36:32 PM
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Hi folks,not too sure if this is the right place to post this but too late now...I am wondering if anyone has thrown caution to the wind and just packed up and started traveling. We are both in our 50's and still have a mortgage but the rent we would get for our house would take care of it.I am a Plumber and have my own business and my wife has a good paying job but lately we have both been getting itchy feet.Funds would be limited but hopefully we could pick up a little work in our travels.(My wife is a nurse). Has anyone else done this in the past and if so was it hard to find some work and what was the experience like.We have always planned to take off when we retire which is quite a few years off and who knows what's around the corner,by then we may not be able to do it as you always hear of people going down hill pretty fast after retirement.
Sorry for the long winded post.
Cheers...
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Why not sell one of the investment properties (I presume they are free hold) pay a large sum off your home and you have cash to travel.
You don't have to worry about mortgage payments or cash whilst travelling.
Any surplus cash you have when you get back re-invest or slap it on the mortgage.
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Hi Kunnara, we did the same thing Easter 2014. Had a garage sale, put what we wanted to keep into storage and rented the house. Has been great. We got to Ayr in Qld where I got a job for the cane season. Left in December and haven't had to work since but am due back in Ayr this month for the season again. A great life and we are loving it.
We kept the house to keep us in the market. If we find somewhere to settle down we can then sell. At the moment no chance of that. Too much to see. :cheers:
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G,Day Kunnara thes blog thingo's and Mandrakes thread might be of a help in planning / deciding .. bit of reading but well worth it .https://www.facebook.com/cummings.vagabonds (https://www.facebook.com/cummings.vagabonds)abreviated answers for this blog http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=40961.0 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=40961.0)
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=30095.0 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=30095.0)
http://blog.sjbowden.com/2012/07/oz-trip-day-90.html (http://blog.sjbowden.com/2012/07/oz-trip-day-90.html)
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Exactly what we have done but we were only renting. Currently working in a store Hera at Warburton.
Your wife being a nurse will get a job in 2 secs. You being a plumber won't have a problem.
We love the life and adventure.
Happy to chat if that helps.
Mark
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If you can do.
I would absolutely going for it.
For me I know I don't want to reach a age where I can finally "retire" or serious slow down to only find my age now will hinder me.
That new super caravan or super camper thats too heavy for you now to "just" lift off the tow bar. Then that 1hr walk to the view of a life time is just to exhausting.
Live life when YOU can not when people tell you can.
Joe
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We have just done it - currently enroute to Lajamanu for a month working as a RAN (remote area nurse) then on to the Gibb River Road to meet up with friends then looking for more work.
If your wife wants to pick up work she is probably better to sign up with one of the nursing agencies ahead of time - saves going through the paperwork thing for each job.
Also although we now have national nursing registration (unlike the good old days where registration was required in each state) each state wants their own Police Check and working with children clearance.
Good luck with it.
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Do it. Do it now. We left June 2013, only got as far as Ayr QLD, stopping to fill the cash tin for a year then buy a crossover and keep going. Any tradie can get work on stations or in rural areas. Probably find nursing temp gigs here and there too but don't limit yourselves to just what you know, have a go at anything, plenty of farm work about in the right seasons.
Chris-Vi, we're live in managers at a backpacker hostel and i'm working at the prawn farm. Living the dream.
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Yep did it in 2010 and went from Melb and ended up in Perth
Currently packing and about to head off again in 4 weeks
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Roo, will have to catch up. Due back in Ayr on Monday. Great place for winter.
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We are both up for long service leave in 18 months time and are seriously thinking of packing up and renting out our house and hitting the road with the plan of looking to settle somewhere warmer when we are done or run out of money but keeping the house so we always have home to come home to until we find our next "home"
Also want to settle again before the young bloke is old enough for school.
Still in the early stages.....
Matt
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packing up and renting out our house .
keeping the house so we always have home to come home to until we find our next "home"
Matt
A mate did that and went west on a loop with a 16ft caravan [ Freebie ] that he refurbed over three years ago, came back six months ago. Recently just sold up his rented house and rig /van setup and has now got a newer rig and van ready to head North on another loop till they find a comfortable spot to settle before the oldest child needs highschool .
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Hi folks,not too sure if this is the right place to post this but too late now...I am wondering if anyone has thrown caution to the wind and just packed up and started traveling. We are both in our 50's and still have a mortgage but the rent we would get for our house would take care of it.I am a Plumber and have my own business and my wife has a good paying job but lately we have both been getting itchy feet.Funds would be limited but hopefully we could pick up a little work in our travels.(My wife is a nurse). Has anyone else done this in the past and if so was it hard to find some work and what was the experience like.We have always planned to take off when we retire which is quite a few years off and who knows what's around the corner,by then we may not be able to do it as you always hear of people going down hill pretty fast after retirement.
Sorry for the long winded post.
Cheers...
As everyone probably knows.... I have the same dilemma. I want to, he wants to but I am too scared!
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As everyone probably knows.... I have the same dilemma. I want to, he wants to but I am too scared!
That's how it is in our house..It's hard to leave the security but the way the years rocket past it will be over before we begin... :'( :'(
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We had a real estate agent come to the house last week. We can get enough rental to cover mortgage but then the other costs like rates, ins and stuff we don't have the savings for.
At this stage we are going to save as much as we can and go on short trips until we have the money. We are going on the my swag flinders ranges trip in September and will do as much as we can until we can go long term.
Hopefully we win lotto. Or donations can be made to me. I a, more than willing to send bank details.. Lol
Vicki
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That's how it is in our house..It's hard to leave the security but the way the years rocket past it will be over before we begin... :'( :'(
What security you have just as much chance of loosing your job as the next guy these days
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We had a real estate agent come to the house last week. We can get enough rental to cover mortgage but then the other costs like rates, ins and stuff we don't have the savings for.
At this stage we are going to save as much as we can and go on short trips until we have the money. We are going on the my swag flinders ranges trip in September and will do as much as we can until we can go long term.
Hopefully we win lotto. Or donations can be made to me. I a, more than willing to send bank details.. Lol
Vicki
Nigeria bank?
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Nigeria bank?
Maybe I should answer one of the emails I get from the rich prince that needs to send money to Australia and I am lucky enough to be selected. lol
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If you have the finances to take off but still keep your home then it is an easy decision. If taking off puts your home at risk then think very seriously before you make the decision. Leaving the housing market with the intention to re buy when you return is a recipe for disaster. House prices are rising at about 10% per year at the moment. Good friends of ours decided to hit the road in their early fifties, they rented their home with the intention of travelling for a year and returned 12 years later. They then sold their home and bought a smaller one, traded their car and van for new ones and are on the road again. They intend to spend six months on the road and six months at home. When they first left home they put in place a budget which included how far they could travel each week and how many nights they would need to spend in caravan parks as opposed to free camping. They did pick up a little money with a little casual work along the way but really never needed it, their new lifestyle was costing them much less than they were spending at home and were able to survive on a small Navy pension.
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We left Cairns with $300 in the bank and sold our second car for $10,000. We were only renting so we have no place to go back to. There is no right or wrong answer but taking the plunge and doing it. You can try and work out the realestate market whether to sell or rent but at the end of the day memories are priceless.
We are living rent free in a 2 bedroom duplex in the middle of the desert. It depends on what you want to do. Do you want to just travel or do you want to work and travel. Two different things and remember It's not for everyone.
Here are some questions to think about:
How long you want do it
What work do you want to do
Do you want remote work or work in a town
Could you work in places where there are limited resources ie, no mechanics , no major shops etc
Do you want to work on the coast or close to it or in the middle of nowhere ;D
Could you work in a dry community :'(
What happens if you don't like the area or work
Could you live in an old house or donga, we lived in a converted shipping container at our first job.
Yes it's a risk but unless you try it you will never know.
We do not regret what we have done and enjoy the lifestyle. No stress, save a lot and enjoy socializing with the other staff that work here. The scenery and places to explore are fantastic. Where we end up in 10 years who knows. That's the excitement this style of work offers.
Always happy to answer questions.
Mark
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Agree with Oldandslows comments and the friends story sounds very similar to our plans.
Came across this simple calc that gives you an idea of how long your money will last https://www.calcxml.com/calculators/how-long-will-my-money-last? (https://www.calcxml.com/calculators/how-long-will-my-money-last?)
So if you are fortunate to have 1 million in cash :D then you can last 26.5 years when withdrawing $60k a year, even with todays crappy interest rates. Wouldn't that be nice!
If you plan to increase withdrawals to cover CPI etc than an extra 3% per annum would reduce the period to 18 years.
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Each to their own but year if you had a good job and a morgatage it would be hard.
As for us we are to nomadic and only rent and invest in shares (im not going into that)
Mostof the work I do is long term contract stuff so every 4 years or so I am forced out of work so it is a good a time as any to hit the road. We normally travel for about 4 to 6 months just chilling and then will look for work and see where we end up. Due to my role being professional we usually end up back in a capital city and start planning the next trip
What I am getting at is there is always different ways to do it could you save up 6 months of home loan payments then go away for 4 and come back and look for another job with 2 months payments still up your sleve
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Just bumping this up and thanks for all the reply's...Is there a site that advertises for workers in remote areas or do those that have done it just looked for work as they travel around?
Cheers...
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Just bumping this up and thanks for all the reply's...Is there a site that advertises for workers in remote areas or do those that have done it just looked for work as they travel around?
Cheers...
Try gumtree, Seek, indeed
Mark
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Thanks mate...
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Sometimes work finds you. We overnighted at Tilmouth Wells in July. Getting our morning coffee before departure I mentioned we weren't currently working. Could have both started there the next day had we been so inclined.
Also have friends who work as RAN's and have partners. It is rare for the partners not to be able to find jobs, even in remote communities.
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Hi Kunnara,
Here are some things to consider as we have kind of done what you're thinking of doing....
House:
* We rent the house out through an agent as we didn't want the hassle of having to deal with stuff while we are away. We also changed the mortgage to interest only and this helped with the income more or less matching the expenses. Don't forget you will need to change your insurance cover....
* Must do - Talk to your accountant / financial advisor re the tax implications etc.
Work:
* There is a good site called 'Workabout Australia' - workaboutaustralia.com.au - that is well worth having a look at.
* If you pre-arrange work and need to travel to get there you can claim some of the expenses (as long as you keep records etc).
(Ban Tacs - bantacs.com.au - explains)
Keeping stuff:
* Looking back, we should have got rid of a lot more stuff than we did - we still have a shipping container full that is just sitting there while we are at the other end of the country and have been for 3 years!
Cost:
* I have a spreadsheet for all expenses that has been going now for 4 years. I can now confidently know how much it costs us to live per month. Another way to keep track of how much you spend is to charge as much as you can to a credit card (and pay it off by the due date each month to avoid interest).
Last but not least - go for it while you can - yes, it is a bit scary stepping out of the comfort zone, but if you enjoy seeing and experiencing new things it's the best.
Hope this helps a little and keep talking and start planning ( it took us 12 weeks to resign from our jobs (I had mine for 16 years!), pack up the house and take off)) - best thing we ever did.
Will stop now, but there is heaps more if you're interested - just keep asking.....
Cheers
Anne
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Hi Kunnara,
Here are some things to consider as we have kind of done what you're thinking of doing....
House:
* We rent the house out through an agent as we didn't want the hassle of having to deal with stuff while we are away. We also changed the mortgage to interest only and this helped with the income more or less matching the expenses. Don't forget you will need to change your insurance cover....
* Must do - Talk to your accountant / financial advisor re the tax implications etc.
Work:
* There is a good site called 'Workabout Australia' - workaboutaustralia.com.au - that is well worth having a look at.
* If you pre-arrange work and need to travel to get there you can claim some of the expenses (as long as you keep records etc).
(Ban Tacs - bantacs.com.au - explains)
Keeping stuff:
* Looking back, we should have got rid of a lot more stuff than we did - we still have a shipping container full that is just sitting there while we are at the other end of the country and have been for 3 years!
Cost:
* I have a spreadsheet for all expenses that has been going now for 4 years. I can now confidently know how much it costs us to live per month. Another way to keep track of how much you spend is to charge as much as you can to a credit card (and pay it off by the due date each month to avoid interest).
Last but not least - go for it while you can - yes, it is a bit scary stepping out of the comfort zone, but if you enjoy seeing and experiencing new things it's the best.
Hope this helps a little and keep talking and start planning ( it took us 12 weeks to resign from our jobs (I had mine for 16 years!), pack up the house and take off)) - best thing we ever did.
Will stop now, but there is heaps more if you're interested - just keep asking.....
Cheers
Anne
WOW thanks Anne. I am after lots of info as well. I am in the same situation as Kunnara. We have been think about it for years abut keep putting it off (mostly because I am scared)
Roughly how much do you think is a liveable amt for a month? We are looking at renting the house but have to fix a few things first and part of our mortgage is fixed until 2017. I'm hoping we will be able to work around that though.
Vicki
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Being in the nursing field your wife should be able to contact a locum agency and find plenty of work at hourly rates usually higher than permanent fulltime work.
In fact a lot of places you might want to go would fall over themselves to hey a nurse!!
I am not a nurse but work in medical imaging and locum agencies are often bugging me with short term roles in remote places that usually include flights, accommodation and a car while there.
Last locum I did was in a regional city and I scored a serviced two bedroom apartment as well as a very generous hourly rate.
My wife and I are also planning on packing up the kids and travelling. I will try and pick up some 4 week locum contracts on the way to give the family a chance to recharge the batteries in a real house occasionally along the way as well as keep the bank balance out of the red!
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This is when I am jealous of those with widely needed skills. Not many country towns need someone to design and implement a nation wide enterprise IT network, need a bit of Oracle programming done, or are crying out for an expert to write them a knowledge management strategy.
Sigh. I know I can learn to do anything, but oddly enough most people aren't willing to pay you to learn.
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^^^^^ They will if you put in for work on a station, can you drive ? yep get in that old toyota and go do the mustering or the bore run / fix fences and count the cattle around the turkeys nests [ cattle watering points ] .. hang around the workshop and you'll soon be armpits deep into fixing things with the station mechenic or if you can cook .. just got to be willing to have a go ..
You soon pick it up .. Mostly Its hot dirty long days working usualy 6 days a week, up before the sun and finishing after its set, Accomodation and tucker included / paying the lowest tax rates in the country ..
But it puts you into some places that very few people will ever get to see .. And when the muster is over all those bucks you saved gets you off on the next adventure .
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My wife is a nurse and I'm a Joiner by trade as well as a Master5 MED3 in maritime. We hit the road
7-1/2 years ago. We are also from the south coast of NSW. We have NEVER been out of work (by choice)since we left. There is a heap of work out there. In remote areas your wife will also get free accommodation for the both of you. Get her to register with a Nursing Agency or two and they will be shooting jobs at her left-right and centre.
I have had Dozens of different jobs and loved every one of them. The best one, part of the job was being dropped in by chopper and raiding Crocodile nests of their eggs. Loved it. We are still at it and having a fantastic time.
Whistler
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I work in Childcare but worked in offices for years. Do you think there is much work out there for either?
Hubby is a carpenter so I know that he can find work.
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Thanks for all the reply's and it seems that there is plenty of work if you want it..It would be good if those that have reply'd and are out there doing it could put an age bracket in there posts, more so for my own piece of mind than anything else as it seems the older you get the less employable you are..
Cheers...
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I work in Childcare but worked in offices for years. Do you think there is much work out there for either?
Hubby is a carpenter so I know that he can find work.
If you want the work you will get it. Do not expect above award, you have to look at the benefits that go with the job. Be prepared to try something outside your comfort zone, you will surprise yourself. If your fit and mobile anything is on the cards.
Kunnara I'm 59 and the good woman is 60
Whistler
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A young 54 and the misses is 41 shortly.
Mark
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There is SOOOOOOO much work out there, most unadvertised. We packed up and left three years ago with two young kids, no debt, $5000 savings and no idea what we were in for. We now find we're offered work once we start talking to people. If you are considering working as you travel, look into making your tax work for you. We use www.bantacs.com.au (http://www.bantacs.com.au) and have found them to be great. They also have a heap of free info on their site.
We like station work. It's hard and the pay isn't fantastic, but the package works out well for our (now) family of five :) We have house, all food, power, water and (crappy) internet included. We don't drink (much ;) ) or smoke and save virtually everything we earn. I keep all our receipts and claim everything I possibly can. It's seasonal work so we work 6m and travel the rest of the year.
Look at caretaking/farm or station sitting, WWOOFing, volunteering, harvest (includes picking, packing, heavy machinery, etc), station work (includes boreman, grader/heavy machinery, mechanic, gardener, cook, educator, Girl Friday, admin, general station hand, handyman, etc.), road crews, caravan park/motel cleaners....the list is endless and where there's a will, there's a way ;) . Word of mouth (post office, noticeboards, the pub, general store, etc.), Gumtree, usual job sites, FB pages for specific areas, grey nomads jobs....
I've been putting jobs up on our FB page to help current travellers and to inspire others that are nervous to take the leap....it's the scariest thing we ever did, but we're so glad we did!
https://www.facebook.com/TheWanderingJocks/events?ref=page_internal (https://www.facebook.com/TheWanderingJocks/events?ref=page_internal)
vicandug, there is a desperate need for good Governesses and Nannies in rural and remote areas. Gumtree has an array of admin (and plenty of other) type jobs too.
Kunnara, we were mid 30s when we left. A lot of employers like the maturity of older people. We thought we'd be undesirable as we have young kids (even added one almost two years ago), a dog and a camper (not a caravan) and came from retail backgrounds. How wrong we were!!
JFDI!!!
Lil :)
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as above be really hard and gut your stuff to go into storage
We had a container full in storage for 4 years and out of the 60 odd boxes unpacked 28 were either chucked or given to the salvos
No matter how good you wrap it stuff like lounges mattress etc even clothes will not get that musty smell out after 4 years so this is a lot of the stuff we should have gotton rid of at the start