To be able to travel when we have the time to do so

Already life is such that when we can afford to travel, we usually don’t have as much time for it as we would like. And what about when we have that time all too available? How do you make sure you have something to travel for in your old age?

Did I mention to you that I have travel blood running through my veins? :) My parents, from a young age, took me where they could (and in the late 80-90s it was not so easy). I don’t remember everything, I didn’t like everything, ba, many times the trips turned into arguments, because after all, not everything was to my liking (now I understand why my parents didn’t want to spend the whole trip to Paris at Disneyland ;) ). Nevertheless, we traveled quite a bit, and a lot of memories remain in my mind. Nowadays we already travel separately, although joint trips still occur.

Ease of travel

We grew up at a time when borders were blurring and travel was becoming as common as ever. Developed airline networks, new technologies (including cellular networks), high-speed railroads, open borders, low-cost airlines, easier communication – all this has made even the most remote places seem closer and more attainable. Our parents grew up at a time when all this didn’t exist, and now they can finally spread their wings (and the kids finally flew out of the nest :) ).

We don’t know what the world will look like from these 20-30 years, how travel will have changed and technology will have developed by then, but we do know that even in retirement, Paul and I want to stay active and it’s time to make sure that the golden age is not a time when only memories will be left – we want those memories to be made all the time.

We are currently living in a tremendous malaise…. We have lots of ideas and plans, but we need to let many of them go and focus only on the most important ones. We also forgive travel frequently. While we used to be able to afford to spontaneously buy a plane ticket and fly out the next day, today this plan still has to be approved by our superiors. No, we’re not complaining – we like our jobs, we just live differently now than we used to.

Currently, the ‘Adult’ area from the demotivator below almost perfectly illustrates our reality as well (almost, because we are not yet asleep at the till ;-)).

In a nutshell: when you’re young, you have time and energy, but no cash; when you’re an adult, you have energy and cash, but no time; when you’re old, you only have time, because cash and energy are in short supply.

Although it should look like the following (find the differences ;)):

What’s next?

Supposedly in old age this time should be more, but looking at how the world is changing, how dynamically we live we have great doubts about this ;) In the depths of my soul, however, I still hide the hope that in my old age I will relax and no one will stop me.

As for energy and health, you can take care of it at least by going out, spending time actively, bicycles, trekking – all forms allowed. I don’t know about you, but I get the most energy from just such active trips. I’m back with my batteries charged, ready for action. Recently we were in Vienna, seemingly only 5 days, but we walked a lot, taking more than 25,000 steps a day. We left the car, as there was no need to take the subway. The result? After returning home, we were carried away to go for a long walk, to oxygenate ourselves.

We firmly believe that through activity and healthy eating we can influence our form in old age. After all, in a healthy body a healthy spirit.

So what about that cash? While it is, it is good, but what next? Do we have a say in what will await us in retirement?

To be honest, retirement is something we don’t count on at all. If I could choose I would prefer to get all the premiums in my hand and put them in the proverbial sock myself. We don’t cave in, but when we hear around us what’s happening to pensions we’re appalled – how’s that! So much time and zero resources to travel? For the time being, there is a vision of meager pensions ahead for Poles to survive. EXPERIENCE. And where to think about development, hobbies, fulfilling dreams, supporting children and grandchildren?

Does this mean that throughout our lives we should count every penny and set it aside for worse times? Money in life is necessary, but let’s not let it overshadow the whole world. Prudent expense management can work wonders. We’re not experts at saving, but since we started writing down all our (!) expenses (and this started when we traveled and then carried over to our daily life), we can see much more clearly where all those funds are escaping.

An unusual gift…

Why are we writing about it? The time of frantic search for Christmas gifts is approaching, plus the increasingly popular Black Friday in Poland (somehow Black Friday still sounds better ;-)) has also prompted everyone to go on a shopping frenzy ;) Just like a year ago, Poles will spend astronomical sums on gifts, which immediately after Christmas appear on second-hand sales portals ;)

Or maybe it’s worth considering if that’s the point? In the midst of all the running around and preparations, do we forget about the holidays themselves, the family atmosphere, and through gifts try to make up for the fact that we are not close enough to each other?

We this year made a decision – zero gifts. We asked our family not to buy anything for ourselves for Christmas (okay, Olive might get something symbolically ;) ). This is partly due to the fact that we are bored with gifts for travelers (maps, bidons, etc. – although these are obviously very practical gifts for a traveler), and partly due to the fact that many gifts are bought by force, because we feel that the gifted person already has everything.

We also decided that for Christmas we would donate some funds to charity, but also allocate some for something practical that will help us fulfill our dreams even when we retire, so that we can continue to travel.

NN Investment Partners came to the rescue, with its IKZE product, which allows you to accumulate funds that will provide additional security for the future. Instead of spending money on gifts, why not put your money in one place and let yourself have more when more opportunities and time arise for you?

You can also set up such an account for family members and, for example, deposit funds there on various occasions. They can also be energized at any time. Our plan is that, the money we manage to save on travel (e.g., taking a cheaper car, hunting for airline bargains) will be paid into this very pension product.

To have the strength and ability to travel further in old age :)
The article was written in cooperation with NN Investment Partners TFI S.A.