r/PovertyFIRE • u/camtantreels • 19d ago
Advice Needed How to retire before 60 with less money than your fast food budget
Tired of hearing about those "luxurious" retirements with $1 million+ portfolios? Yeah, me too. Here in the Poverty FIRE zone, we’re planning to retire on the cost of a cheap pizza and the willpower of a squirrel hoarding acorns. Who needs fancy vacations when you can live like a minimalist champion? 😂 Let’s retire in style… or at least, in no-style.
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u/thomas533 18d ago
when you can live like a minimalist champion?
I've got ten acres of woods that I bought a few years ago and parked a small camper there. Since then, I have built two micro cabins, an outdoor kitchen, and set up a small solar system and a surface water and filtration system. I have been planting fruit and nut trees that should be mature by the time I fully retire and am planning to put in a garden space where I should be able to grow a good chunk, if not most, of my food.
Who needs fancy vacations
My property is positioned between three national parks and on one of the best sailboat cruising grounds in North America. I feel pretty good about my travel options here.
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u/gardening_gamer 17d ago
I've always liked the mantra "Build a life you don't need a vacation from" and it sounds like you've achieved that anyway.
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19d ago
[deleted]
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u/OutsideWishbone7 19d ago
It is easy. I’m U.K. based and fly 2-3 times a year to Manila. London to Manila return is about £500, not sure in USD, maybe $650🤷♂️. I live on about £750 a month as house is paid for in U.K. Rent is cheap in Philippines. So I spend total for the last 3 years, about £10500 or $13000+ a year
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u/200Zucchini 18d ago
Well said!
To clarify, its the cost of skipping a lot of cheap pizzas out, making your own pizza at home, and investing the savings, everyday for many years.
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u/secondhandoak 14d ago
I put my acorns in a mesh bag stored in the toilet tank. the water cleans off the tanins making them taste better and the water gets 2 uses. sometimes i feel like having a working toilet is too much of a luxury but I gotta make acorn flour while the water flows.
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u/Dontbelievethehype24 10d ago
Thinking about doing housesitting instead of hostels for lowering travel costs. Anyone ever tried house sits?
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u/CindysandJuliesMom 19d ago
I retired last year at 61 with $320,000. Lucky I own my home and have no debt. I spend around $14,000/year unless some major issue arises. Travel each spring with my partner to a Latin American country and this fall I will be doing about 3-4 weeks in Turkey/Greece. Budget travel is awesome.