As I wrote to you here, fishing isn't always about catching. If it was, they'd call it "catching." But, if it's the catching you're after, "just sit right back, and you'll hear a tale" worthy of Gilligan's Island. It's funny because, in my conversations with you, you said to me, "Uh, Survival Guy, nice story about fishing. Just one thing. Did you catch the fish?" Which made me laugh because I guess I left out the most important part. Sorry. Yes, we caught the fish. But, before we caught "the fish," Your Survival Guy hooked on to a good size Wahoo, 20-pounds I'm guessing, and had the … [Read more...]
Island Life
In times like these, your safety tops the retirement survival checklist.
If you can live on an island (Newport, Key West for example) do it. Islands can be easily defended, period. Your island doesn’t need to be surrounded by water. I like the idea of a cul de sac or some high elevation retreat. You get the point: Easily defendable and easy to shut down access.
Making the thugs think twice is the point. They aren’t looking for “hard” targets.
If you own a waterfront home, or a mountain retreat, or some land with a barn not too far from the city, then you know their values are going up. I’m seeing it here in coastal Newport at every turn with license plates from NY, NJ, MA, and CT filling the streets—the secret’s out. But most have been dreaming about the “lifestyle” for years. They just needed a push to get in the game.
Read more about finding the "Island Life" in the posts below.
Are You My Mother? Are You a Prior Planner?
Do you have a plan? Are you my mother? Because when I hear about planning, that’s who immediately comes to mind. As I wrote to you yesterday, my mom’s a planner. When asked how she was able to take certain trips or go to space camp as a teacher, she would respond, “Prior planning.” As a teacher, she taught her students to believe in themselves, and if they wanted something in life, they could get it with some simple prior planning. Easy to say. Hard to do—much more exciting than arithmetic. That’s the beauty of her teaching. Prior planning. Isn’t that what successful retirement investing is … [Read more...]
Dream On! Fishing the Double Down in Key West
“Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after,” wrote Henry David Thoreau. But if it’s fish you’re after, then get yourself aboard the Double Down out of charter boat row in Key West and go fishing with captain Bryce Barr and first mate Shawn. You can tell them Your Survival Guy sent you, and you can thank me later. I promise. Aboard the Double Down is exactly where you could find us in mid-March at what I refer to as Summer Camp in Key West for our second trip in two years. We caught sailfish and an assortment of pelagic on both trips. But let’s get … [Read more...]
Your Survival Guy Fishes the Flats Off Key West
When we arrived at the Stock Island marina, just north of Key West, we were anxious. Like the feeling you get when you’re driving to a ski mountain. You’re excited. You’re listening to music. Talking. Then, out of nowhere, you see the steep slopes, the crowds, and you get that feeling in your stomach where it’s too late to turn around. A week earlier, I called Captain Ryan Erickson (referred to me by a client) and asked if he would take us fishing. “Yeah,” he said. “You’re timing is good. Just got in town from my season guiding in Colombia. I’ll have the boat set up by Thursday. See you … [Read more...]
Your Survival Guy’s Key West Summer Camp in MARCH
OK, Your Survival Guy just got back from a Key West summer camp in March, and it was awesome. Look, it’s been a crazy couple of years for all of us with this Covid debacle, and we all need to step back and ask, “what the heck just happened?” We all need a break. I hope you’re with me. But vacations can be a tricky thing, especially if you’re not the only one taking one or have a full schedule. It’s why one day during our trip, I referred to it as summer camp. But first, my idea of a perfect Key West day starts by getting up without an alarm. That’s followed by walking barefoot to the … [Read more...]
Americans Fleeing High Tax States for Growth Corridors
UPDATE 1.24.22: For decades, each year a trickle of Americans decided they had had enough of the liberal politics of their states, and of being treated more like a piggy bank by politicians than as constituents. In 2020, that trickle turned into a torrent, spurred by Americans who saw Democrats encourage deadly riots and looting, and lock down states with COVID rules that simply didn't make sense. A move to leave big blue blob cities and find Super States began in earnest. Now, an entire economy has sprung up around people leaving blue states for the freedom they'll find in America's Super … [Read more...]
STOLEN SALES: Big Retailers Fight Smash-and-Grab Robberies
In the old days, criminals had to bring their loot to a "fence," someone who could launder the stolen goods and sell them. Nowadays, thieves just sell their stolen wares online, oftentimes on sites you know and use, like Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Ebay. Now big retailers are trying to dry up the market for stolen goods by pushing Congress to pass the INFORM for Consumers Act. The Post Millennial reports: In a letter addressed to Senate and House leaders on Thursday, the Retail Industry Leaders Association urged Congress to pass legislation protecting buyers from illicit … [Read more...]
Your Survival Guy’s Fishing Stories: From Key West to Newport
One special night in Key West, dining at the fabulous Café Marquesa, I was told actor Michael Keaton was seated behind me. Turning around, I instantly recognized that he was, sidled my chair next to his, put my arm around his shoulders, ordered a round of drinks, and told him he was, hands down, my favorite Batman. Kidding. I’m Your Survival Guy, not The Joker, thank you. But, I will admit, leaving the Marquesa, we took a left on to Simonton Street to confirm the sighting. And as I casually glanced into the dining room, sure enough, there was Batman. Fast forward two years now, and here I … [Read more...]
Your Retirement Life: Living in Vacation Destinations
Here’s a problem that’s not going away—the cost of living in certain vacation destinations is prohibitively expensive. I see this in Newport as well as Key West. When there’s no place for workers to live, what happens to the service industry? When the Fed pumps too much money into the system inflation is the natural result. And when million-dollar houses and then some, are selling sight unseen, there’s too much money in the system. How is that good for places you like to visit or live? It’s not. Read about Newport's housing problems here from Bethany Brunelle of The Newport Daily … [Read more...]
An Island of Freedom Where You’d Least Expect It
If you’re looking for the island life, consider my favored liberty retirement state of New Hampshire, which sits on an island of freedom surrounded by tax-hungry blues states of the Northeast. As a fair disclosure, my family owns a log cabin in the White Mountains of NH and we're looking forward to spending time there over Thanksgiving. Once you start thinking about your retirement life, you quickly realize you deserve to keep more of what you earned or to live free or die in a place where you’re looked upon as a resident, not a piggy bank. Here's a list of small towns in New Hampshire … [Read more...]
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