Great thread... more please.
Stories of "down-shifting"
- Thread starter wobbycarly
- Start date
Yes, Victoria.
When I was googling Hanging Rock, it also came up with "did you mean Hanging Rock NSW or Vic" and Rob didn't know of the one in NSW.
All I knew about Hanging Rock is the movie I saw when a teenager.
Nope so, not interested, quite the opposite.
$500k a year of net income is my target.
I've only got one hit at the game in this life and i am going to do it.
40% of the way there, 60% to go.
$500k a year of net income is my target.
I've only got one hit at the game in this life and i am going to do it.
40% of the way there, 60% to go.
I find it very interesting what you've bolded. Many people make the downsizing shift for precisely the same reason you're pursuing $500K net income.
I'm not judging your choice; I'm simply interested that you seem to think that the observation - about having only one life to live - applies to your goals, but not to those whose goal is to raise chickens, or spend more time with their kids, or whatever.
Don't you think that those pursuing differing goals are doing it for exactly the same reasons as you're pursuing a high net income, ie because they're pursuing what's most important to them in life?
Was in a very high paying job when I first came out of uni and started working.
Did that for a while and 'downshifted'. Now getting a lot less as a salary (sort of high hundreds to low 200s). At the start I was very happy because I had a lot more time, was not half as stressed etc.
But now, especially today, I just feel like going back to the high paying positions and paying my dues again.
Life
Live It For Enjoyment.
We downshifted. Its great.
More pleasures to enjoy.
We go fishing nearly everyday at this time of the year.
We exercise in a natural bush/water setting.
We dont have any doo dads.
Dont need or want them.
Plenty of friends with vegie gardens now.[we dont have the room]
Friends have chooks.
Visit any city in Aus when l want to.
Live It For Enjoyment.
We downshifted. Its great.
More pleasures to enjoy.
We go fishing nearly everyday at this time of the year.
We exercise in a natural bush/water setting.
We dont have any doo dads.
Dont need or want them.
Plenty of friends with vegie gardens now.[we dont have the room]
Friends have chooks.
Visit any city in Aus when l want to.
So what happened to the kids?
still have the little buggers but willing to sell them
Although I have gone back into the corporate world, I have made sure that I don't leave before they get up and are home before they go to bed. Obviously a bit easier now they are older. Also hubby works different hours to me so I do the school drop off and he does pick ups so works really well. With travel I try and do day trips where possible - sydney and back in a day is fine, Melbourne and back is a killer and as for NZ I have worked out that you can leave at 7.00om so I can shoot home and see the kids before I go if I am away for a couple of days. I do 3 overseas trips per year (not counting NZ) and that is still harder but with skype we still chat. ITs interesting tho' because the distances are so vast in Aus compared with the UK, I plan my travel much better than I did in the UK. I don't just jump in the car and drive to meetings as it would take me days to get there!
The company is pretty flexible too - a benefit of being one of the few senior women in a SERIOUSLY male dominated business.
See, there's my problem. I had one kid just starting school when we left the city to pursue Other Things. Lovely child-free days, yada yada.
Next thing you know I've got almost three of the buggers ... and they certainly do take up a lot of your time when they are little. So there goes all the time that would have otherwise been ploughed into the business. No more! I'm almost 35!
Mind you I'm in week 3 of a new business idea that a fair few people I know think is a great idea - they came to the same conclusions as me that there's a yawning hole in the market but THEY were waiting for someone to fill it instead of being a complete maniac and attempting to fill it themselves - so I might be onto something here. I blame pregnancy hormones to suddenly starting doing it now instead of just whining about the lack of this service like I've been doing the last couple of years
I discovered this phenomena thirty years ago when I stood outside Brisbane's Central Station one night too many hearing trains going in my direction but the platforms were so crowded that you couldnt get onto them for another twenty minutes. Then an hour's trip home in the dark. A quick chat to hubby's mate who owned a local small business and I became his new receptionist.
I dropped a whole $20 a week in take home pay by changing from being a full time bank officer in the big city to working four hours a day less than two kilometres from home. That $20 was after taking off the weekly train fare and losing the 1.5 hours each way commute to get, wait for it, a mere 20 kilometres. It wasnt even Sydney time.
These days I have to psych myself up and take double strength happy pills to go into the city for a seminar or whatever.
I dont think anyone can actually get paid less than we do. Hubby is in IT and seems to have a GFC-proof job, and i work at the local school, this time three kilometres from home. After fifteen years he is still nagging me to get a real job, but I ignore him. If he wants his dinner cooked when he gets home, then he can put up with my part-time hours. I know I spend too much time on the internet (researching??) but I can also paint the house, mow the yard or wash the car while he is at work, so he shouldn't complain.
A few years ago I started house-sitting during the school holidays, that is a neat way to travel around the country frugally.
I imagine our retirement will be much the same as it is now, except neither of us will ever go into the city ever again and I wont have to get the Principal's permission to go on long service leave a year beforehand.
I dropped a whole $20 a week in take home pay by changing from being a full time bank officer in the big city to working four hours a day less than two kilometres from home. That $20 was after taking off the weekly train fare and losing the 1.5 hours each way commute to get, wait for it, a mere 20 kilometres. It wasnt even Sydney time.
These days I have to psych myself up and take double strength happy pills to go into the city for a seminar or whatever.
I dont think anyone can actually get paid less than we do. Hubby is in IT and seems to have a GFC-proof job, and i work at the local school, this time three kilometres from home. After fifteen years he is still nagging me to get a real job, but I ignore him. If he wants his dinner cooked when he gets home, then he can put up with my part-time hours. I know I spend too much time on the internet (researching??) but I can also paint the house, mow the yard or wash the car while he is at work, so he shouldn't complain.
A few years ago I started house-sitting during the school holidays, that is a neat way to travel around the country frugally.
I imagine our retirement will be much the same as it is now, except neither of us will ever go into the city ever again and I wont have to get the Principal's permission to go on long service leave a year beforehand.
I did that commute for 9 yrs, then saw the light, got local work in the burbs and started riding the pushy to work (about 10kms) was great, got fit in the process. then got a transfer from Sydney down the coast with the same job, no pay cut at all!!! Still ride the pushy (6kms now) just ride along the coast, beautiful when the morning air is so crisp. Work is still work but I love where I live and that is worth something.
BUT for me it definitely cant be defined as a downshift...given we just built a 5br house for the cost of a townhouse in our old Sydney area and our deck is the size of the whole unit we lived in up there...
We did it in 2006 from very Inner city Sydney to Regional Victoria. We love it!
We did not see it as giving some thing up but a time for change, the next phase in our life. I write this as many comments here seem to be: all or nothing and it is not like that in our experience. You can have the best of both worlds.
We did it at 40 for number of reasons. Stress and Health, I wanted to see 50! Personal Relationship we wanted to love each other not just live with each other. We had a child and wanted her to know her Grandparents in VIC before they died and not be raised as a pretentious inner city private school kid. And because, financially we had made it and "enough was enough." Had we been 30 it would have been too soon. 40 was perfect.
Our story:
Income has improved but we have a business based in Sydney worked from our Town and no, it is not internet. Business is smarter now I don't do it all and have staff who do. If I had not moved I would still be working long days as the workaholic who thought only he can do it right. Now I have to rely on staff because I am 1000km away. Lucky as had I got a job locally my income would have halved but:
Lifestyle: every day is like a weekend away to a BnB. Especially as I stay in Sydney 2 to 3 days each week. It never gets boring. BTW we still have sydney bolt hole apartment in the inner city.
TV? What TV, We don't even have it hooked up. We are busy living life than watching it. Serious, no pretentiousness intended. We never were big watchers but when read more, you will see we don't have the time.
UPSIDE
Friends: we have much much more friends (especially due to the kid link) but we also spend more time with them as it is easier to spend time with them and they have time to spend with us. We are all very like minded and live close by so it is easy to have a play date than runs to drinks at sunset that turns into "whip it up" pasta and pudding whilst the kids run around the hay bales in twilight. And when Country Folk party, we party hearty. In two weeks the local dress up ball is on and it is "go hard or go home". From men as 7ft fairies to wonder woman, to red indians, to yummy mummies as Britney Spears! This years theme is National Icon.
And there are some many festivals and events literally every weekend only say 30 minutes drive: like Budburst, Daffodil Festival, Winters Arts festivals with live Beethoven and Fireworks. Riding Clubs, Golf Clubs, Farmers markets, etc....
Community: we live in great, sharing, village community. No one cares what you earn, drive, do, etc.. they care about who you are as a person, how much you volunteer, how great a father or mother you are, who much value you bring to the community in your way.
Family: 1000% times closer.
You dont need a lot because:
In the city you spend a fortune to buy organic food in a boutique shops or pay $$$ in fine restaurants and even pay to park.
In the Country, parking is free, you either grow your own organic food or swap services (see jam below) with those who do grow it ( I cannot grow a thing). If you do buy the Food from the local butcher, baker, cheese maker it is much better quality for a much lower price than the city. i.e. Our meat comes from the abattoir 10km away and is 25% less than the city prices and much better quality.
My wife makes jam (a whole story in its self) and we swap that for local fruit and flowers at the fruit market, or freshly baked baguettes and imported cheeses at the french deli, or we take it the SWAP table at the local farmers market and get say, fresh herbs, rhubarb and pototoes for jar or 2 of jam. By the way we get the fruit for the jam free from locals who have trees overflowing but no skills or interest in making jam and happy to barter fruit for our jam.
Dining Out? Lots of Chefs doing the tree change open Cafe and Restaurants that are written up in Gourmet Traveller yet you dine for half the price of the city and the actual chef is doing the cooking not some trainee and you don't have to book weeks ahead.
It is colder here than Sydney. Much colder but to heat our home we dropped it $400 a quarter but using firewood. We get as much free firewoods as I can cut and put in my Ute from local farms. But again, you respect the community so if you cut three loads for yourself you deliver another load to the elderly farmer. You don't need gym fees when loading firewood I can tell ya! And my daughter helps and learns lesson you have to do chores to help the family if you then expect daddy to play barbie with you that evening.
Petrol does cost more because you travel more distances but rego is less, insurance much less (like half) and servicing again 50% under. And you don't need a flash new car. I have a Hilux Ute converted to LPG. Goes 400km on $25. Wife a Forester. We own our cars so no depreciation. NO ONE cares what you car is like as it is not statement on you anymore because they actually know you and YOU are a the statement on YOU. In the City we had amongst others, a Alfa Romeo and Mercedes benz sports coupes.
My daughter has the closest real friends and often has play date on farms. See pigs, cows, alpacas, etc. no petting zoo here. She values a birthday party that is mum making the cake and her friends making bead necklaces and wearing fairy wings. Not some yacht on the harbour or private disco. We don't miss out. Melbourne and the ballet is 1hr away. The library is 100m away from our house and many local authors do readings and put on plays for the kids. Free DVD hire, free books, talks, etc..
We have a GREAT public school equal to the best private school at no cost. The teachers want to teach, they want to be in the Country, they have the time to care and they do cuddle the kids when they fall over, know the parents and be the sports coach, singing coach, run the concerts etc. Parents are expected to be part of this and to help as readers, runs fetes, donate time (working bees) and goods ( see jam).
Horses. Always liked horses they cost a lot hey? well not yet. We have just been given our first pony for my Daughter "Pride" a pure white gelding. She is 7th girl to learn to ride on Pride and all we have to do is care for him. Medicine costs $10 a week and food another $10. Neighbours let us use their land and other neighbours share the care with their son and they are horse experts so they are teaching me. In Sydney we would be up for $10k for stable in centennial Park. $60 per hr for lessons. Vets $$$$ Food $$$. Riding even in town is safe and easy and many of her friends have ponys so it healthy outdoor play with lessons in responsibility and animal care.
DOWNSIDE: It is colder than Sydney. There are critters like possums that eat your fruit tree and poo on the cars and get in the roof. You lose the ability to parallel park. It is very wet. Gumboots are acceptable town wear. Kangaroos can hit cars. Black Ice on roads. And "people know your business". Not the place to have an affair as everyone knows everyone in some way or through someone.
I could go on but to those who say I need $500k for this and that I applaud your goal but suggest if you are looking at down sizing: ask yourself, is this figure based on costs re needs or just a guess. Start with the end in mind. You may find it is lot lower and you can do it lot earlier, if that is what you want. And you may find when you get the $500k you are too old to enjoy it.
As my motto says "It is not what you earn but what you keep"
Did I say, we love it?
Peter
We did not see it as giving some thing up but a time for change, the next phase in our life. I write this as many comments here seem to be: all or nothing and it is not like that in our experience. You can have the best of both worlds.
We did it at 40 for number of reasons. Stress and Health, I wanted to see 50! Personal Relationship we wanted to love each other not just live with each other. We had a child and wanted her to know her Grandparents in VIC before they died and not be raised as a pretentious inner city private school kid. And because, financially we had made it and "enough was enough." Had we been 30 it would have been too soon. 40 was perfect.
Our story:
Income has improved but we have a business based in Sydney worked from our Town and no, it is not internet. Business is smarter now I don't do it all and have staff who do. If I had not moved I would still be working long days as the workaholic who thought only he can do it right. Now I have to rely on staff because I am 1000km away. Lucky as had I got a job locally my income would have halved but:
Lifestyle: every day is like a weekend away to a BnB. Especially as I stay in Sydney 2 to 3 days each week. It never gets boring. BTW we still have sydney bolt hole apartment in the inner city.
TV? What TV, We don't even have it hooked up. We are busy living life than watching it. Serious, no pretentiousness intended. We never were big watchers but when read more, you will see we don't have the time.
UPSIDE
Friends: we have much much more friends (especially due to the kid link) but we also spend more time with them as it is easier to spend time with them and they have time to spend with us. We are all very like minded and live close by so it is easy to have a play date than runs to drinks at sunset that turns into "whip it up" pasta and pudding whilst the kids run around the hay bales in twilight. And when Country Folk party, we party hearty. In two weeks the local dress up ball is on and it is "go hard or go home". From men as 7ft fairies to wonder woman, to red indians, to yummy mummies as Britney Spears! This years theme is National Icon.
And there are some many festivals and events literally every weekend only say 30 minutes drive: like Budburst, Daffodil Festival, Winters Arts festivals with live Beethoven and Fireworks. Riding Clubs, Golf Clubs, Farmers markets, etc....
Community: we live in great, sharing, village community. No one cares what you earn, drive, do, etc.. they care about who you are as a person, how much you volunteer, how great a father or mother you are, who much value you bring to the community in your way.
Family: 1000% times closer.
You dont need a lot because:
In the city you spend a fortune to buy organic food in a boutique shops or pay $$$ in fine restaurants and even pay to park.
In the Country, parking is free, you either grow your own organic food or swap services (see jam below) with those who do grow it ( I cannot grow a thing). If you do buy the Food from the local butcher, baker, cheese maker it is much better quality for a much lower price than the city. i.e. Our meat comes from the abattoir 10km away and is 25% less than the city prices and much better quality.
My wife makes jam (a whole story in its self) and we swap that for local fruit and flowers at the fruit market, or freshly baked baguettes and imported cheeses at the french deli, or we take it the SWAP table at the local farmers market and get say, fresh herbs, rhubarb and pototoes for jar or 2 of jam. By the way we get the fruit for the jam free from locals who have trees overflowing but no skills or interest in making jam and happy to barter fruit for our jam.
Dining Out? Lots of Chefs doing the tree change open Cafe and Restaurants that are written up in Gourmet Traveller yet you dine for half the price of the city and the actual chef is doing the cooking not some trainee and you don't have to book weeks ahead.
It is colder here than Sydney. Much colder but to heat our home we dropped it $400 a quarter but using firewood. We get as much free firewoods as I can cut and put in my Ute from local farms. But again, you respect the community so if you cut three loads for yourself you deliver another load to the elderly farmer. You don't need gym fees when loading firewood I can tell ya! And my daughter helps and learns lesson you have to do chores to help the family if you then expect daddy to play barbie with you that evening.
Petrol does cost more because you travel more distances but rego is less, insurance much less (like half) and servicing again 50% under. And you don't need a flash new car. I have a Hilux Ute converted to LPG. Goes 400km on $25. Wife a Forester. We own our cars so no depreciation. NO ONE cares what you car is like as it is not statement on you anymore because they actually know you and YOU are a the statement on YOU. In the City we had amongst others, a Alfa Romeo and Mercedes benz sports coupes.
My daughter has the closest real friends and often has play date on farms. See pigs, cows, alpacas, etc. no petting zoo here. She values a birthday party that is mum making the cake and her friends making bead necklaces and wearing fairy wings. Not some yacht on the harbour or private disco. We don't miss out. Melbourne and the ballet is 1hr away. The library is 100m away from our house and many local authors do readings and put on plays for the kids. Free DVD hire, free books, talks, etc..
We have a GREAT public school equal to the best private school at no cost. The teachers want to teach, they want to be in the Country, they have the time to care and they do cuddle the kids when they fall over, know the parents and be the sports coach, singing coach, run the concerts etc. Parents are expected to be part of this and to help as readers, runs fetes, donate time (working bees) and goods ( see jam).
Horses. Always liked horses they cost a lot hey? well not yet. We have just been given our first pony for my Daughter "Pride" a pure white gelding. She is 7th girl to learn to ride on Pride and all we have to do is care for him. Medicine costs $10 a week and food another $10. Neighbours let us use their land and other neighbours share the care with their son and they are horse experts so they are teaching me. In Sydney we would be up for $10k for stable in centennial Park. $60 per hr for lessons. Vets $$$$ Food $$$. Riding even in town is safe and easy and many of her friends have ponys so it healthy outdoor play with lessons in responsibility and animal care.
DOWNSIDE: It is colder than Sydney. There are critters like possums that eat your fruit tree and poo on the cars and get in the roof. You lose the ability to parallel park. It is very wet. Gumboots are acceptable town wear. Kangaroos can hit cars. Black Ice on roads. And "people know your business". Not the place to have an affair as everyone knows everyone in some way or through someone.
I could go on but to those who say I need $500k for this and that I applaud your goal but suggest if you are looking at down sizing: ask yourself, is this figure based on costs re needs or just a guess. Start with the end in mind. You may find it is lot lower and you can do it lot earlier, if that is what you want. And you may find when you get the $500k you are too old to enjoy it.
As my motto says "It is not what you earn but what you keep"
Did I say, we love it?
Peter
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That was 2 years ago, and we had a great time.
The house was off the beaten track. We had 2 great dogs, a cat, ducks and chickens..and about 10 horses..and a pony we were told to ignore (but we actually paid more attention to)
It was Septemeber, so we kept the wood stove going all the time, gathered firewood from the yard.
They gave a us a ute to drive, which had so many bumperstickers on it (politically incorrect) when anyone stared, I just said.."It's not ours".
been contemplating this A LOT.
I have a keen passion for kietboarding so wherever I went would have to be by the beach. However I can definitely see that if you were to consider down shifting the income requirements required would be substantially less than if you were to "retire" in the city.
Love the stories (and thanks for bumping the thread).
Keep them going.
@ Kathryn - did I recall that you spend part of your time in Oz and part of it in Canadia?
I have a keen passion for kietboarding so wherever I went would have to be by the beach. However I can definitely see that if you were to consider down shifting the income requirements required would be substantially less than if you were to "retire" in the city.
Love the stories (and thanks for bumping the thread).
Keep them going.
@ Kathryn - did I recall that you spend part of your time in Oz and part of it in Canadia?
Income is the key but having said that jobs are more well paid and plentiful in the Country than once they were. Just don't buy an existing small retail business as often, then you will be working 24/7 so a lot less $$$ and hell of lot more stress.
Peter 14.7
Peter 14.7
A few years ago at 23 or so, I downshifted from a 8am-3am 7 days a week job to a 10am-4:30pm job on similar pay. So basically downshifted in terms of stress.
Best thing that ever happened as the additional hours allows me more flexibility.
Best thing that ever happened as the additional hours allows me more flexibility.
i'm trying to keep to the (8 X 3) practice on weekdays
8 hours sleep
8 hours work
8 hours to do other stuff
if you try to alter each you have to give up on the other 2 - so work more either you sleep less or have less personal time to do you own thing.
yinyang - everything has to be in balance - too much of something is sometimes not too good in the long run.
8 hours sleep
8 hours work
8 hours to do other stuff
if you try to alter each you have to give up on the other 2 - so work more either you sleep less or have less personal time to do you own thing.
yinyang - everything has to be in balance - too much of something is sometimes not too good in the long run.
