And god love them for it. I could not enjoy being broke all the time
Amenity fee. 1,800
Utilities. 7,000
Ins & Taxs. 5,000
Eating out. 5,000
Vacation. 15,000
Maint. 10,000
Bond. 2,500
Vodka. 1,000
These estimates are at a minimum.
There goes 50K
Not for us!

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Expenses
 

The amenity fee is $1800 not $18,000
My ins & taxes are a little higher
Under $4000 for us for vacations
The eating out is where our money flies to.

IMHo, if you're retired and are still on a budget--you didn't plan for your retirement-- budgets are for working people who can modify their income and expenses

we're unique , never had a budget, never had a mortgage--I was ingrained with the following,"if you can pay for it , you can't afford it"

Amenity is 1,800 but with a pool, hot tub and 10 watering zones, that est is low for our utilities

Fees
 

We have a pool but heat it by solar. 115 a month for T&D to take care of it. We have a lot of zones but it was our choice to buy house with 10 palm trees and several flower gardens. It's worth it to me because I love flowers.

Retire as soon as you can. The Villages and the Northern Neck on the Chesapeake Bay. Perfect mix.

The formula I use on where to and when to retire is:

Retire to something, somewhere where you can do what you want. Not from something.

Retire when you can support your lifestyle, with your income stream. A huge variable is health insurance. Either Medicare, an employer sponsored plan including COBRA coverage, or plenty of cash to buy it.