With the cost of living being as high as it is right now, many people are doing their best to try and find solutions. While some people may resort to having roommates or downsizing to an apartment rather than a house, one retired couple decided to forgo all of that and live an endless vacation.
In an interview with USA Today, Nancy and Robert Houchens admitted that they’ve been spending quite a lot of time on cruise ships and that it really does have everything they need. On top of that, they’re saving a lot of money compared to paying rent.
“We had a 3,000-square-foot home full of furniture … and everything we own now would fit in the back of a pickup truck,” Robert, 64, told the news publication. The couple, originally from Virginia, has been spending a lot of time at sea. The two have been on cruise ships for about nine months during the first year of their retirement.
Nancy, 71, even reached a milestone of sailing 1,000 days with Carnival Cruise Line since the 1980s, while Robert hit the 1,000-day mark just a bit after his wife. Nancy explained that she and her husband would take the occasional cruise with their kids when they were young, so they were familiar with the entire process.
“When it came time, we always thought when we retired, we’d buy a big rig and be full-timers – sell the house, the cars, you know, not have any other worries,” Nancy recalled. “We’d already been cruising and we’d been cruising on Carnival the most, and Carnival has great perks for those that are loyal. They do our laundry and, of course, they cook your meals, clean your cabin, and we kind of put the pencil to the paper, and I thought for the amount of money that we could spend, why do we need to drive somewhere?”
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While it may seem unconventional what Nancy and Robert are doing, the reality is that it probably makes sense considering many older adults are not able to afford retirement. So, by choosing to live on a cruise ship for the majority of the year, Nancy and Robert have found a way to be both creative and also practical. Rather than having to worry about rent, utilities, and even grocery bills, they traded it all for a more easy lifestyle on the open water.
In fact, according to a survey from AARP, an estimated 20% of adults ages 50+ have no retirement savings, and more than half (61%) are worried they will not have enough money to support themselves in retirement. Americans are also 15 times more likely to save for retirement when they have access to a workplace plan. Yet nearly 57 million people do not have access to a retirement plan at work.
“Every adult in America deserves to retire with dignity and financial security. Yet far too many people lack access to retirement savings options, and this, coupled with higher prices, is making it increasingly hard for people to choose when to retire,” explained Indira Venkateswaran, AARP Senior Vice President of Research. “Everyday expenses continue to be the top barrier to saving more for retirement, and some older Americans say that they never expect to retire.”
For some, retirement might be less adventurous than what Nancy and Robert are living, but they are certainly proof that it doesn’t have to be. In fact, choosing to travel the world might just be the more affordable option.
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Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
