Retire Early
Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler
In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age
of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this
financially independent lifestyle, they invite you
to take advantage of their wisdom and experience. |
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Personal
Capital - Living the Village Life
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
Bio Laundry
Over the last
three decades of financial independence, Billy and I have done some
extensive world travel. While we have seen the
large
cities, the amazing
architecture, eaten in some of the finest restaurants and enjoyed museums,
plays, and
concerts, generally, we are attracted to Village Life.
It might not be that different from the neighborhoods of our childhood days,
where we went to the butcher shop and actually knew the owner. He had our
meat order memorized, let us know when he had an item that was especially
tasty or fresh, and would procure something perfect for the First Communion,
graduation or wedding that was being planned.
Fresh vegetables were often grown in our own gardens, or neighbors would
collect together and have what is called today - a “Farmer’s Market.”
Neither of my immigrant Grandmothers drove a car – which they called “the
machine” – so my own Mother would drive them once a week to their respective
favorite cheese and meat shops, vegetable stands and bakeries. I, of course
attended, holding on to the house dress my Grandmothers wore, soaking in all
the sights and smells such a journey entailed.
Fast forward to today
Living in a small town like
Chapala,
Mexico or a village like
Panajachel, Guatemala reminds me of those days decades and decades ago.
I know the butchers, the bakers, the cheese and dairy shop owners, the
vegetable stand families, the chefs in the restaurants, the waitresses in
the coffee houses, and – for the purpose of this story - the
lady who owns
the Laundromat just up the road.
Johanna, a young, radiant mother of two runs this little shop. She and her
employees wash, dry, and fold our laundry, tying up bundles of tee shirts,
tactical shorts, handkerchiefs and kitchen towels in neat, ribboned packages. Her
prices are double what the Laundromat upstairs charges, but she uses
biodegradable soap, and she knows all her customers by name.
Johanna in her store
An added plus, all her employees know our names too.
Last Christmas, Johanna gave her most regular customers boxes of gourmet
chocolates to show her appreciation. She just has that personal touch, and
the Expats love her service.
Uh-Oh…
A year or so ago, on one of my busy days, I walked out with my laundry and
forgot to pay.
When I returned the following week with my daypack filled with soiled
clothing, she gently brought it up that I had forgotten to reconcile my
bill! Completely embarrassed, and in my best Spanish, I apologized and
cleared my debt. Later that day when I picked my items up, I was so
distracted by our animated conversation about how I forgot to pay, that I
began walking out once more, without giving her cash.
Oh mi Dios! What is wrong with me?
Johanna was not angry or daunted, and merely said my name and pointed to my
outstanding bill.
Well.
You can imagine how I felt. Where had I put my mind?
But we both laughed together and I thought to myself “I hope this
‘forgetting business’ doesn’t mean I’m getting old…”
A new challenge
It’s rainy season here in
Panajachel, and it’s been pouring liquid sunshine
from the sky for weeks. I had slipped into Johanna’s shop in between storms
to drop off my bags of laundry and was told by Margarita to comeback at 5pm
to collect my clothes.
As the time neared to return to the Laundromat, the rain had not abated and
even with the help of a tuk tuk, I would have been drenched the moment I
left my front door. I needed to retrieve my clothes, so I called the shop,
told the employee who I was and asked if she could send the laundry over to
my place and I’d pay her tomorrow.
This was not a problem!
WooHOO! I could stay dry and warm at home and have my package delivered
right to my door.
Twenty minutes later, a drenched tuk tuk driver knocked and handed me a
large bag of cleaned clothes. I tipped him and thanked him profusely. Later
that evening, Johanna called me to be sure I had received my items and I
confirmed that I’d pay the following morning.
Personal Capital – Threads of the Heart
My point to sharing this story with you is that one of the most important
components of living in a small town is building relationships. This is
having Personal Capital to spend when you most need it, like in the examples
I gave above.
I can’t imagine walking out of a grocery store in a large city, forgetting
to pay my bill and getting very far. Maybe I’d be prosecuted, not forgiven.
And yes, when I’m visiting the States I know that Amazon ships directly to
any location, and that there are dry cleaners that have home delivery of
freshly pressed shirts and suits. But somehow it feels different to me.
Here in these towns where we have chosen to live our lives and build
alliances and rapport, there are threads of the heart involved too. It’s a
tapestry of experiences and exchanges that makes daily living comforting and
less lonely, less cold.
Are you building Personal Capital in your lives too? Then you know it’s a
richness that cannot be purchased with money.
What's Your Number? - How much money do you need to retire?
About the Authors
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are
recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on
topics of finance, medical tourism and world travel. With the wealth of
information they share on their award winning website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com,
they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since
1991. They wrote the popular books, The
Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your
Retirement Dream IS Possible available on their website
bookstore or
on Amazon.com.
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