Welcome again to a different month-to-month replace from Root of Good! We now have been at dwelling in Raleigh for the month of July having fun with a calming break from globetrotting.
We spent the final half of June in England, Norway, and Iceland on board the Majestic Princess cruise ship. I heard some fellow passengers describe this as a “journey of a lifetime”. Given all of the superb sights we skilled, I’ve to agree.
As this publish goes stay in early August, we’re setting off for our subsequent journey. This time, we’re headed to the west coast of the USA for some out of doors adventures in Northern California with the entire household. It’ll be a brief journey so far as our regular holidays go. We solely have every week since our oldest two children are working full time now, and trip days from work are a scarce commodity.
Let’s leap into the recap of final month!
Monetary Replace
On the revenue facet, July was a gradual month for dividends. Our index funds usually pay quarterly dividends so March, June, September, and December are the largest months for funding revenue.
On the spending facet, July was a reasonably low spending month. Our electrical energy invoice was the one huge shocker at greater than $300 for the month. It was over 100 levels for an extended whereas, so that basically consumed a bunch of electrical energy to maintain the home cool. Added to which can be a lot increased utility charges in comparison with 5-6 years in the past.
On the web price facet, we’re nonetheless comfortably above $4 million on the finish of July. We even eked out a small achieve for the month.
Month-to-month Recap
Initially of July, we had simply returned from a 14 evening cruise which visited a number of ports within the fjords of Norway and circumnavigated the island of Iceland.
14 evening cruise round Norway and Iceland
Our day by day cruise itinerary:
- Southampton, UK (departure)
- Haugesund, Norway
- Skjolden, Norway
- Olden, Norway
- Alesund, Norway
- Reykjavic, Iceland
- Isafjordur, Iceland
- Akureyri, Iceland
- Southampton, UK
I’m masking the three ports in Iceland on this weblog publish. Final month I ready a full journey report for every port in Norway that we visited.
We beloved the fjords of Norway a lot that we’re planning on returning in June-July 2027 for a extra intensive highway journey by the western fjords area. I spent a ton of time researching this future journey through the previous month since we had been at dwelling all month.
Visiting Iceland by cruise ship
Throughout our cruise, we visited three cities in Iceland: Reykjavic, Isafjordur, and Akureyri. We had a really busy day in Reykjavic visiting the “Golden Circle” vacationer route. Our days in Isafjordur and Akureyri had been extra laid again.
The most important upside of cruising is that we didn’t must drive for 4-5 hours to get from one a part of the island to a different. No worrying concerning the logistics of lodging, eating, or intercity journey. Simply hop again on the cruise ship, dine, loosen up, and fall asleep. After we wakened the subsequent morning, we had been in a brand new port, recent and able to go.
The most important draw back of cruising is that we often had quick days in every port. Our all aboard instances had been 5 pm or 6 pm every day in Iceland which meant we needed to fastidiously plan our days in port in order that we might make it again to the ship on time.
I’m undecided if land-based or ship-based journey is a better option given the professionals and cons. I’ll say that it’s good to sail round the entire island of Iceland since we had been capable of see many various geographic options and climates from a maritime perspective. Nevertheless I do get pleasure from a slower tempo of journey and spending extra time in a single spot.
Reykjavic and the Golden Circle
Our first cease in Iceland introduced us to Reykjavic. We booked a rental automobile for the day. After a brief bus trip to the rental automobile pickup, we set out on the Golden Circle vacationer route which incorporates stops at three points of interest:
- Gullfoss Waterfall
- Thingvellir Nationwide Park
- Geysir thermal space
Since we needed to be again on the ship for a 5:00 pm departure, the day was considerably rushed. We spent a great little bit of time on the Gullfoss waterfall and fewer time on the different two stops. The spherical journey drive from Reykjavic to the waterfall and again takes about 3.5-4 hours. So we spent about half of the day driving.
The surroundings alongside the route was unbelievable, as had been the locations on the Golden Circle route.
My favourite was the Gullfoss Waterfall. An impressively highly effective torrent of water.
A brief drive from the waterfall introduced us to the Geysir thermal space. After visiting the geysers in Yellowstone a number of years in the past, this thermal space was somewhat underwhelming. The geysirs placed on a great present for us however they had been on a smaller scale than Yellowstone and never as quite a few.
Our final cease on the Golden circle route introduced us to Thingvellir. The Thingvellir Nationwide Park’s principal attraction is the rift between the American and European tectonic plates the place you’ll be able to stroll within the hole between the 2 plates. After a brief stroll by the tectonic plate hole, we arrived at a waterfall.
Isafjordur, within the northwest of Iceland
After Reykjavic, we visited Isafjordur within the far northwest of Iceland. We determined to skip the rental automobile and as an alternative opted to stroll across the village on foot.
We spent a number of hours strolling alongside the waterfront, visiting the village library, and heading up the close by hills for a leisurely stroll among the many flowers.
The Midnight Solar
One of many extra spectacular elements of this journey was experiencing the midnight solar. We had been lucky to go to Iceland and cross the Arctic Circle in late June proper after the summer season solstice.
For nearly every week, it by no means obtained fully darkish at evening. Most nights the solar would dip barely under the horizon for an hour or two however the sky would stay lit up, usually with a vivid orange glow for 4-5 hours straight. One evening the solar by no means set in any respect!
Akureyri, the biggest Icelandic Metropolis outdoors of Reykjavic
Our third port of name in Iceland introduced us to Akureyri within the northern a part of the nation. With a inhabitants of 19,000, it’s the biggest metropolis in Iceland outdoors of the capital area of Reykjavic.
We had been planning on taking a neighborhood bus to a waterfall about 45 minutes outdoors of city. Nevertheless there have been main highway repairs underway which meant the bus schedule was unreliable. We determined to skip the waterfall tour and take a neighborhood bus across the metropolis as an alternative. It’s at all times fascinating to see how different “regular” individuals stay.
Whereas on the town bus, a bunch of scholars and their lecturers hopped onboard to take a area journey to the native botanical backyard.
After passing by the backyard, we meandered again to the cruise ship, taking our time as we went.
Ideas on Iceland
Iceland was stunning although I do know we simply scratched the floor. It’s costly however very scenic.
Would we return? Perhaps. I preferred the fjords of Norway greater than Iceland’s surroundings so we’re visiting Norway for our subsequent huge land-based journey subsequent summer season.
Get free journey like us
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is providing a 100,000 level enroll bonus proper now. I can switch these Final rewards factors to over a dozen journey companions’ airline/lodge applications like United, Southwest, or Hyatt. For instance, I transferred 6,500 Final Rewards factors to Hyatt and used them to e book a $300/evening room that sleeps 5 through the peak season within the Virginia mountains.
Capital One Enterprise X card
One other favourite journey card in my pockets is the Capital One Enterprise X card. The Enterprise X card is a “keeper” for me. First off, it comes with a $750 enroll bonus after spending $4,000 within the first three months. The bonus is paid within the type of 75,000 bonus factors that you may redeem towards any journey purchases from wherever. You then earn a strong 2 factors per greenback spent without end! The opposite huge perk is airport lounge entry. You get free entry for your self into Precedence Cross and Capital One airport lounges (friends value further since February 1, 2026). Add to this major rental automobile insurance coverage protection and a bunch of different perks.
The Capital One Enterprise X card does have one catch – a $395 annual price. However they reward you yearly with a straightforward to make use of $300 journey low cost plus $100 price of factors. Collectively, that makes $400 they provide you yearly which fully offsets the annual price. Because the annual price is offset in full by journey credit every year, I personally plan on protecting the Enterprise X card without end because the card advantages are so nice.
Closing ideas
It’s August once more, which suggests I’m celebrating one other 12 months of being early retired. This 12 months marks 13 years of profitable early retirement since calling it quits means again in 2013.
It’s nonetheless laborious to consider that I solely labored full time for 9 years and that was sufficient to cowl a lifetime of spending (or no less than 13 years thus far!). “Save early and save usually” did the trick for me.
Now that my two grownup kids are working full time, I’m reminded of the luxurious of early retirement each time they head off to work. I’ve ample time to relaxation, loosen up, and revel in life. And when life throws me a curveball, I’ve the luxurious to step again for a minute, put the issue in perspective, and care for the difficulty.
In July, the curveball got here within the type of automobile bother. As I used to be backing into our driveway from our busy neighborhood avenue, the automobile simply wouldn’t transfer in reverse. After some fast troubleshooting I noticed the automobile wasn’t altering gears. I used to be caught in drive, going ahead!
Finally I obtained the automobile into our driveway, set the emergency brake, and turned the automobile off. Because the transmission was caught in drive, I couldn’t begin the automobile once more because the automobile should be in “park” to crank it up.
Oh no! My car is lifeless and I can’t even get it to the store with out a tow truck. I used to be afraid this was going to be a $7,000 transmission concern. After some youtube analysis I rapidly reached the conclusion that it was a comparatively low-cost half that failed and it may very well be mounted comparatively simply. I ordered the restore half for just a few {dollars} and hoped that might repair the difficulty.
A couple of days later, half in hand, I tore aside the dashboard within the van and located the offending damaged half. It was a gear shifter bushing that holds the transmission cable onto the gear shifter. As soon as changed, the gears shifted as soon as once more and all the things is again to regular. I’m additionally happy with myself for not breaking something whereas finishing the restore.
I used to be very glad to get the van again up and operating although we didn’t have wherever we wanted to get to urgently. And really grateful it wasn’t a $7,000 restore invoice! I often take the automobile to the store for repairs today, however on this case the ~1 hour DIY restore job was simpler than calling a tow truck, shuttling backwards and forwards to the store, and ready for the restore to be accomplished.
Again after I was working, this could be a serious inconvenience. Not with the ability to get to work for just a few days until I obtained the half that I wanted, and having to work my schedule round automobile points.
Simply one other good thing about being early retired. Final time flexibility!
Okay, that’s it for me this month. See you subsequent month as soon as we’re again from California!
How is your summer season going thus far? Glad the warmth is ending quickly or are you going to overlook these lengthy summer season days?
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