Does My Stuff Own Me or Do I Own It?

The Weight of What We Own

Who will look after the house whilst you are away? What are you going to do about the gardening? What are you going to do about the house plants and the backyard chicken? What about work? How are you going to keep up with your professional development requirements? Where are you going to leave your cars?

A work colleague says, “I wish I could take the time off like you. But I can’t. I have a very big mortgage, you see?” The Frugal Doctor can’t wait for another South American adventure. The last time I was there was in 2016. I visited Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. The Handsome Surfer had to cut short his Chilean surf trip in 2020. He made it home just in time before borders closed due to the pandemic.

Packing for Less

In five weeks time, The Handsome Surfer and The Frugal Doctor will be on a mini-retirement. We will be away for 19 weeks. That is 4.4 months away from home and no work. Our time will be ours to do as we please as we travel to Chile, Galápagos, Bolivia, and Argentina.

I have been focusing on how I can pack lightly for this trip. Can I fit all that I will need in my Thule Aion 40L backpack and travel with carry-on only? I technically got the bag for “free.” We had leftover credit from a Barbeques Galore gift card we were given for a barbecue grill. We got the grill but did not need any more household stuff. Should I use some of the remaining credit to get an air fryer? They seem to be all the rage. Really, I have managed to cook and survive for this long without one.

Luckily, as I was trying to find better ways to use the remaining funds for something travel-related, I found the bag on their online shop. Who would have thought to look for bags in a barbecue shop? So that was a saving of AUD$359.

One Shoe for All

The mini-retirement will see us scuba diving, surfing, hiking, running, and just being. I will get started on the book I have always wanted to write. We will do our PADI Advanced Open Water certification in San Cristobal, Galápagos. The certification is for two people. We have paid USD$2,346 for seven dives.

The Handsome Surfer will be chasing waves in San Cristobal and Chile. He will have two surfboards in a boardbag and a 65L Kathmandu Entrada backpack. I probably won’t get much surfing in, as most of the breaks we will visit are for advanced surfers. It will technically be the first time in Argentina for both of us.

We plan to do the bulk of our hiking in Jujuy, then Argentine Patagonia (El Chaltén, Ushuaia, and El Bolson). The Frugal Doctor has signed up for a 25 km trail run in El Bolson. The Handsome Surfer will attempt the 12 km course. Registration for the runs for both of us was USD$110.

So is there one shoe that I can run, hike, walk, and use every day during our mini-retirement? I have settled for the Salomon XA Pro 3D V9 Gore-Tex. The cost was AUD$173.99. I have been wearing them in, as they felt stiff compared to running in ASICS Gel-Kayanos. This week, I wore them to work, around the house, for a 10 km run, and out for dinner. On Sunday, I will be doing a 25 km coastal trail run in them. That will be a good test run.

Counting the Cost

So, if I hope to fit what I need for 4.4 months in a 40L bag, do I really need all this other stuff around me? The process of paring down what I will travel with is ongoing. In the process, I have found myself decluttering more. It has been liberating donating clothes and household items to thrift shops. I have found it more freeing to give away stuff and not focus on trying to sell it for some cash.

I am glad I have progressed on the journey to financial independence. My current projected annual spending for the financial year that is due to end in 10 days is AUD$70,000. This includes $15,600, part of my contribution to our travels that we have paid for already.

If I stopped investing today, assuming I earned 7% after inflation, I am set to fully retire at 52 (twelve years from now). My current real portfolio return since inception is 13.10% per annum (so 7% is realistic). Whatever I save and invest in the coming years will bring that date even closer. I will continue to keep tracking our spending so that we continue to live frugally.

It’s Just Stuff

I am grateful we have the time and means to travel. I have control of my time, and the stuff around me does not own me. Living life on my own terms, that’s what financial independence is about.

Update July 2025: I managed to pack light for the trip.