Mini-Retirement Is Finally Here: 4 Months of Adventure

Getting Ready to Go

The sun is rising on the horizon as we look forward to the first leg of our 4.4-month mini-retirement. The Frugal Doctor can’t help but ponder what the next few months are going to bring. Our travels will be in Chile, Galápagos, Bolivia, and Argentina. The Handsome Surfer is counting down to surf on the central coast of Chile before the week ends.

To be honest, leading up to the trip, I was taking each day at a time, as I had a lot to juggle. Work-wise, I had to hand over patients to colleagues, clear the paper trail, and complete all my professional development requirements for the year. The budget is set; we each contributed AUD$30,000 into the mini-retirement fund.

The Frugal Doctor applied for a credit card some six months prior to the trip. The card has complimentary travel insurance, so that was one less cost for us. Also, an additional card holder was free to add, and most of all, the card does not have foreign transaction fees. A certificate of insurance was obtained from the insurer in February after flights were booked.

Sorting Bills Before Departure

Home-wise, I sorted the logistics of pre-paying bills for at least six months in advance (council rates, water, gas, health insurance). Some bills we paid a year in advance, like the home insurance. We have some friends looking after our place whilst we are away, and have hired a gardener to look after the lawns.

In the end, we were glad to not be renting out our place, as it would have been more work for very little benefit. Given that we live in a coastal town that does get a lot of tourists, we enquired with a number of holiday rental services. Unfortunately for us, given that our trip is over winter, when there is the fewest people visiting, there would not be much benefit financially.

Spreadsheets and Surf Breaks

There are also the mini-retirement travel plans to think of. Fortunately, The Handsome Surfer was happy to oversee that. After our frugal wedding last year, I had said I did not want to see another “life” spreadsheet. The Frugal Doctor does love their spreadsheets. Each month, I look forward to updating income, investments, expenses, cash buffers, mortgage, and superannuation. It is going to be a shock to the system not updating the data around the 20th of each month.

Having time on his hands and knowing which surf breaks he wanted to prioritise, The Handsome Surfer was more than happy to do the planning. The Handsome Surfer is technically F.I.R.E.’d Financial Independence Retire Early). We are calling it Locum FIRE, which means that he needs to work three months or less in the year, or earn $25,000 before tax.

Flexibility on the Road

When travelling, we both like to have some plans as well as room for spontaneity. In the past, those places we have heard of from encounters with others on the road have been the major highlights.

The flights and accommodation we have booked so far are fully refundable and flexible to changes. For accommodation, we have been using Booking.com and Airbnb. Fortunately, through our health insurance, we have been getting at least 5% discounts on our bookings. Most of the accommodation we have booked has facilities for us to prepare our own meals. Most also have a private bathroom.

One thing I have not been looking forward to is segregating the toilet paper, that is, placing toilet paper in a bin and not flushing it down the loo. I know by the end of this trip, I will be grateful that when we get home, we can throw the toilet paper down the loo as usual.

Putting Spanish to the Test

We are both looking forward to putting all those Spanish learning hours into practice. The Handsome Surfer’s Duolingo streak is at 341 days. He is currently on A2 level of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). The Frugal Doctor completed all five levels of Pimsleur Spanish, Paul Noble’s Learn Spanish Complete Course, Next Steps, and Spanish Conversation.

As I repeat the courses again, I am finding that I am picking up on new information and subtleties in expression. The goal is to become fluent in Spanish, that is, attain a C1 level of fluency. This is a lifetime goal for The Frugal Doctor.

Other resources I have been using include Language Transfer, Mango Languages (got this free from my library), Dreaming Spanish, Extr@, and Musixmatch. My phone is set to Spanish. Musixmatch has been great in that I can sing along in Spanish and then also see the English translation.

Memory Dividends

Let the mini-retirement begin. I am full of gratitude that we get to enjoy this adventure together. We shall indeed make many memory dividends: experiences that will pay us back in joy, perspective, and connection long after the journey ends.

If you’ve ever dreamt of taking time off to live more intentionally, I’d love to hear: what would your version of a mini-retirement look like?