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August 7, 2012
TOBIN GRIMSHAW/STAR FILE PHOTO
Foster retired from the rat race at age 34 to live off his investments and his speaking and writing career. One of his worst moves was selling his $500,000 portfolio about month before the market bottom in March 2009. In spite of this market timing fiasco, he’s fully invested again and says his holdings are worth more than ever.
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Foster decided to sell the house instead of renting it, because with prices high and interest rates low, it made more sense to him than becoming an absentee landlord. He plans to invest the proceeds from his home as opportunities arise.
Foster says he is not worried about being priced out of the Ottawa housing market when he returns, although he readily admits that he has been wrong before.
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I asked him why now was the right time to pack his seven-member family into an SUV towing a 31-foot camping trailer and follow the sun. He told me that it’s something he and his wife have always wanted to do, mainly because they want to spend more time with the kids. “The oldest is 12 now, and as any parent knows, as kids get into their teen years they aren’t so much interested in doing things with Mom and Dad.”
Foster figures he can live for the same or less than the $40,000/year that supported his family in Ottawa. Camp sites cost around $300 a week including utilities and he plans to avoid winter by heading for the southern U.S. in the fall.
Foster isn’t interested in tech toys. He doesn’t have a cell phone and personal communications are conducted via Internet and Skype using free Wifi at campsites, coffee shops and libraries.
The children are being home- schooled for the duration of the trip. This is the one aspect of their travels that Foster is still a little nervous about. “The school day is typically about six hours long but a lot of that time is wasted on opening exercises, lunch and recess. At the last campsite we’d start the day with a swim and then do about an hour and a half of teaching. We’ll see how that goes.”
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With one month of travel under his belt, Foster says he loves the carefree lifestyle, but admits that seven people living in a confined space can be a challenge, particularly in bad weather.
Should you take the plunge? You bet says Foster. “I’ve met lots of seniors who are seasonal residents in campsites we visited and they say the lifestyle is cheaper than they originally thought. In many cases they wish they had made the decision sooner before health and other issues got in the way.”
