Damn, he’s done it. Adam Baker of Man vs. Debt has written the book I meant to write and never did. He’s gung-ho like that, never letting a good idea sit for too long. In fact, he’s included interviews with big names in personal finance and simplicity like JD Roth of Get Rich Slowly as well as a forward by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits.
If you want to find out how Adam and his family …

(Ed. Note: In honor of our house officially going on the market this week, here is the post where we hashed out whether we should sell or not.)
One of the myriad of questions we had to confront in our planning is whether we want to sell our house in Seattle before we leave on our trip. This issue has both financial and emotional considerations so coming to a decision requires a great deal of openness …

This week I took a trip from Seattle to New Mexico with my cat, Roo. She is going to live with my mom before we head off on our adventure, and I thought I had planned everything perfectly:

Food and water with containers in my backpack
A checkup and health certificate from Roo’s vet
The appropriate carryon carrier for a pet

When I got to the airport I went to the desk to pay Roo’s fare. (If you were …

The first stop on our big adventure is Ecuador at 9,186 feet. We currently live in Seattle, which ranges from sea level to 520 feet. Pretty big difference, huh? Well, that difference can make a person really sick.
A few years ago I flew in to Telluride, Colorado for a hiking trip in the fall. It was gorgeous, and we exerted ourselves a little bit too much (plus had margaritas with dinner), and my first night …

You guys remember a few weeks ago when we went to the University of Washington Travel Clinic and got all those shots? Well, it is almost time to go back for round 2 (Hepatitis A and B boosters). And we have to decide soon whether or not we want to get vaccinated for rabies.
If you recall, the vaccination costs about $900 for 3 shots over the course of 3 months and will give us 7 …

Reality shows like The Biggest Loser, Intervention and Hoarders are popular for a reason. Seeing someone at the extremes of behavior makes us feel better about our own shortcomings.
My great-grandfather was a severe packrat. He would go to the local dump every day looking for treasures, and his house was covered up inside and outside with his finds. He never threw anything away and dressed like a homeless man when he had plenty of money …

Today’s post is inspired by a conversation with my friend Debb, who thinks I need an intervention for my reverse kleptomania. What’s so funny about this post is that I originally planned an article about hoarding today (you’ll get that next time). Read on to get the full story.
We’ve been downsizing in stages now for a few years, and things are starting to get really aggressive.
The house goes on the market in just a couple …

When it comes to making big changes in your life – saving money, decluttering, following your dreams – we often think of bold moves, things like winning the lottery or having a television show film your clutter in return for having an expert clean it up for you.
In reality, though, success is made up of a series of very small steps.
We’ve often talked about strategies we’ve used to save money for our big trip. But …

This is part of a regular segment called “You want to know WHAT?!”  where we answer some of the questions we get from readers. Have a question? Email us.
[Gentlemen, you may want to skip today’s post. It is likely far more information than you ever wanted to know about the time of the month you want to avoid anyway. Feel free to skip down to the comments to suggest a “men only” topic for Warren …

Oh my god. Did I just say the word “itinerary?” It sounds so…planned. And that’s not really the way I want this to go, at least not like people generally think of planning a trip.
Watch as Warren and I discuss the first stop on our trip and why we chose to begin in Ecuador.

What do you think we should see and do in Ecuador?

Yes, we are officially on our way to Ecuador on October 1, 2010 at 11:55 p.m.  A redeye from Seattle to Miami with a long layover on October 2 will allow us to have lunch with our friend Pat before we board the plane to Otavalo.
How much did this flight cost us?  $100!
How did we do it?  Well, like we do everything…a lot of planning.
First, we have always been good about keeping track of frequent …

I have a confession to make:  I have a love/hate relationship with resolutions and the new year.  Most people I know (including me) come up with the same resolutions every year – lose weight, save more money, exercise – but we fall off the wagon before turning the page on January.  Why does this happen?  I think it has to do with not having a plan.
This year Warren and I were inspired by Chris Guillebeau …

This is the first post in a new feature I’m calling “Of course you can do it!”  Each post will tell the story of someone who did something big and give few pearls of wisdom you can use to pursue your own goals.  We’ve got stories from people who have lost 50+ pounds, ridden bicycles on 100-mile races less than a year after taking up the sport, gone back to college, saved a lot of …

Happy New Year!  For us this is an especially important day because it begins our last 9 months before leaving on the Big Trip.  Last week my friend Karen pointed out the similarity to a pregnancy, which I’ve been thinking about ever since.  And in the immortal words of Prissy from Gone with the Wind: “I don’t know nothin’ ’bout birthin’ no babies!”
Fortunately for me, we are spending today away from phones, the Internet, and …

Do you know how long you have to work to pay for your stuff?  A picture is worth a thousand words (or, in this case, perhaps a thousand dollars).
Matt over at Steadfast Finances has made me see our possessions in a whole new light.  He has used a Google Calendar to show how many days of work it takes to pay a mortgage, car payment, utilities,  etc.  Click here to see the photo.
If you do …

Tripbase started a meme about the best-kept travel secrets and it finally made it’s way to our little old blog thanks to Audrey at Uncornered Market.  (Audrey and Daniel have been traveling continuously for 3 years already – my heroes! – check out their blog if you haven’t already.)
Tripbase plans to put all of these tips together in a huge list, from great places to go, what and how to pack, and the best ways …

Good news! This Friday I’ll be a guest on the Femme Finance radio show in Seattle.  The host, Debb Whitlock, is a financial advisor here in Seattle who specializes in working with women.  We’ll be talking about money, specifically the lifestyle and financial changes we had to make to get ready for this trip.
The nice spin on this interview is the fact that Debb and her husband Pat (“The Mayor”) were with us at dinner …

Whether you’ve ever had a one-night stand or not, you’re probably familiar with the phrase “walk of shame.”  That’s the next morning, when you are still dressed in your glittery clothes from the night before and have to make your way home amongst the regular people getting coffee and going to work.  Everyone can tell by looking at you that you went overboard the night before.  Chances are you probably have a hangover as well.
This …

We get some really cool questions, both in person and online.  And over the last 14 months we’ve answered many of them in blog posts.  But you guys know I tend to get wordy, so Warren came up with the brilliant idea of putting them together in a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.
We received a few really great questions last week that haven’t made it into the FAQ yet, so I’ll answer them here now. …

Have you ever been dying to know the answer to something but felt too embarrassed to ask?
We often do this in group learning environments because we don’t want to look dumb.  But when it comes to gossiping with our friends, there seems to be no limit to the questions that can be thrown on the table.
Now that we’ve all become such good friends, I’d like to gossip a little bit with you.  And I don’t …

This is part of a series called How We Saved Enough Money to Change Our Lives and How You Can, Too. Click here to get all the posts delivered directly to your email inbox or feed reader.  You’ll want the inside scoop on how we saved $75,000 for the adventure of a lifetime!
There, we’ve done it.  You now know exactly what we did to save half our income last year to take the trip …

This is part of a series called How We Saved Enough Money to Change Our Lives and How You Can, Too. Click here to get all the posts delivered directly to your email inbox or feed reader.  You’ll want the inside scoop on how we saved $75,000 for the adventure of a lifetime!
You can really complicate your budget process by adding a bunch of tools, reading a ton of books, and listening to everyone’s advice. …

This is part of a series called How We Saved Enough Money to Change Our Lives and How You Can, Too. Click here to get all the posts delivered directly to your email inbox or feed reader.  You’ll want the inside scoop on how we saved $75,000 for the adventure of a lifetime!
One thing that can easily throw you off track with your budget is a birthday or holiday.  Guilt, habit, and social pressure make …

This is part of a series called How We Saved Enough Money to Change Our Lives and How You Can, Too. Click here to get all the posts delivered directly to your email inbox or feed reader.  You’ll want the inside scoop on how we saved $75,000 for the adventure of a lifetime!
As part of this series I want to show you other people who have reached a personal financial goal. …

This is part of a series called How We Saved Enough Money to Change Our Lives and How You Can, Too. Click here to get all the posts delivered directly to your email inbox or feed reader.  You’ll want the inside scoop on how we saved $75,000 for the adventure of a lifetime!
One woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure.  And what’s right for me may not be right for you.  But I think we …

This is part of a series called How We Saved Enough Money to Change Our Lives and How You Can, Too. Click here to get all the posts delivered directly to your email inbox or feed reader.  You’ll want the inside scoop on how we saved $75,000 for the adventure of a lifetime!
Back in my spending heyday, it was nothing for me to drop $300 on a pair of boots, plan a weekend trip …

How much are you spending?
Can you tell me how much per year you spend on groceries or cable TV? Or how much money you charge each year on your credit cards?
If you don’t know, you are not alone.
What’s important to many of us is what we can have right now, not what we can have later on.  So it makes sense that our spending habits function much the same way.  We worry if we have …

This is the first in a series called How We Saved Enough Money to Change Our Lives and How You Can, Too. Click here to get all the posts delivered directly to your email inbox or feed reader.  You’ll want the inside scoop on how we saved $75,000 for the adventure of a lifetime!
How much money do you think it takes for two people to travel around the world?  Actually, let’s take it a step …

Most people don’t move as often as we do, so they don’t get the chance to become experts in the process.  After a couple of local moves (within 30 miles) and a few cross-country, we’ve developed a system that makes moving almost painless.
Today I shared these tips with Redbook magazine for an upcoming story about making your new community feel like home and wanted to share them with you.
7 Ways to Take the Stress out …

This is it!  We are now one year exactly from our departure date to Ecuador, the first stop on the big trip.  It is hard to believe that it is so close, and we still have so much to do.
At the end of each year I like to take an inventory of what has been accomplished and what I want more of in my life going forward.  Since we are now on a one-year countdown …

So, how are you doing on your New Year’s Resolutions? Yeah, me too.  They started going south when the weather was still cold, and here we are at the end of summer already.
Do we just cross them off the list and say we’ll do better next year?  Give up all together?
One thing I learned during the 3-day Novel Contest was that you can sustain even a very big effort if you put a boundary around …

I have wanted to write a novel since I was 8 years old.  Quick math tells me that was 30 years ago.  In the last 30 years, guess how many novels I have written?
If you guessed zero, you would be right.  If you guessed higher than that, I thank you for your optimism about my work ethic and hate to disappoint you.
Ever since we decided to redesign our lives and take this trip around the …

Today is the anniversary of the day we decided to take the trip.  Oh sure, it started out as a tipsy conversation after a long dinner and a few margaritas on a holiday weekend.  But the more we talked about it, the more we liked it.
Maybe we were loosened up because of the holiday and festive atmosphere.  Or maybe we were just ready to make a big move in our lives and needed a little …

Today marks 400 days until we leave on our trip around the world.  Yes, it sounds like a ridiculously long time away to be marking as a milestone, but I just love to count down to events.  Plus, when you consider I started the countdown when there were over 700 days to go you will realize I am a bit obsessed.
Counting down is how I have marked big occasions throughout my life.  It started when …

When we first decided to take this trip a year ago, we didn’t know anyone who had done it.  Oh sure, there were famous travelers like Tim Ferriss and Rolf Potts, but not anyone we actually knew or could relate to.
We started our blog partly because we couldn’t find the information we needed to plan such a big trip.  That statement seems really funny to me now because we have virtually and literally met dozens …

Making the decision to leave your job and career is daunting.  It requires you to face a some significant issues head on: money, pride, security, opinions of others, uncertainty, and fear.  I admit that making the decision to step off your career path and head in a new direction is not for everyone and certainly not to be taken lightly.  However, I hope my story helps give you pause to consider the possibility.
First, a …

Imagine there was a movie made about your life.  Not the life you already have, but the life you have just started.
Well guess what?  I just saw my movie!
Julie & Julia is the story of the blogger who spent a year cooking Julia Child’s recipes and writing about them in her blog.  Along the way, she grew as a person, deepened her relationships, and even gained more confidence in herself.  And she learned to cook!
Now, …

Have you ever thought of combining your favorite causes and your free time into one great vacation?
Last week at the Vacation Matters Summit in Seattle, Bonnie Michaels spoke about this method of vacationing and why she an her husband enjoy it so much.  Bonnie is a life coach based in Chicago and is a spokeswoman for the Take Back Your Time project.
Besides meeting people from all over the world who share your passions, you get …

Can you believe we’ve been blogging here for almost a year? In that time we have covered a lot of ground, and new readers to the blog might need a little help finding the information they need.
We developed a Beginner’s Guide page for both new readers and longtime readers who may want to refresh on a particular topic. I’ve also made a video for the page, so we are back on schedule with …

Since we’re starting our worldwide adventure in South America, it makes sense to learn a little bit of Spanish. If you look at our Wish List, you’ll see that it is also one of our goals.

Up until now, we’ve been investigating free and low-cost options, like Meetup groups, language podcasts, and practice sessions with native speakers. Our goal was to use Rosetta Stone, and we’ve been trying to figure out when we should buy it (now and have a lot of time to practice, perhaps incorrectly vs. later where we can practice with locals). The price is about $500 for 3 levels of one language.

Enter TechCrunch. They wrote a blog post about Rosetta Stone’s TOTALe interactive language learning solution, which is Rosetta Stone on steroids. In addition to the highly rated learning program, there is an online class where students can practice their pronunciation with the teacher and other students. This solves our problem! But then there’s the cost – $1200 (currently $999 as an introductory special). A bit steep for a program we aren’t sure will work for us, but also not outside the ballpark if we compare it to language school.

REI is a fun place to go shopping if your idea of a good time is anywhere outdoors.  We have the flagship REI store here in Seattle, so we recently took an afternoon trip to try on backpacks.  Because we had signed up for the REI newsletter, we also had a handy 15% off coupon if we found something we liked.
When you go to REI, you get a sales associate with some outdoor experience.  Our …

As a veteran traveler and someone about to get rid of everything to travel around the world, I’ve got some opinions about what is really necessary for a trip.
Most people don’t travel as light as I do, and that’s okay.  But there are a lot of people who travel with so much stuff that it actually gets in the way of them – and their traveling companions – having a good time.
Unless you have your …

I was listening to This American Life this week, and one story was about a man who acted out his dreams at night, to an often hilarious or scary result. His doctor told him he was missing a key chemical in his brain that signaled his body to stay sleeping while he was dreaming.
Think about that for a minute.
Our bodies produce a chemical that keeps us physically controlled while we dream. Sure it is for …

Making the decision to travel around the world was, for us, a wonderfully liberating experience.  Betsy has done a lot of wonderful writing on how we reached that moment and feelings since then.  For me, the morning after started with a litany of questions and mountains of research possibilities.
After taking a couple days just to explore all the possibilities, I set down to the task of identifying the big questions we would need to tackle. …

We are in the process of simplifying the website, so you may see some changes over the next couple of days as we work through this.  The goal is to make a more streamlined site for you with easier navigation and better access to information.
(Hey, when I told you we were into downsizing and simplifying, you should have known we would eventually get to the website.)
Feel free to email us or leave your comments as …

I am a Planner and not just in the sense that I love to plan. In truth I honest to goodness (who talks this way?) have the title Product Planner for software company here in the Seattle area. They actually pay me for the opportunity to look 3-5 years out and determine what functionality and strategy we need in order to meet the market needs. For a person that loves to plan, this is a …

Today I told my boss that I would be quitting my job next year to travel around the world.  WOW, I feel more liberated than I could have expected.  He was incredibly supportive and happy that I gave him 15 months of notice.  Given that I just got a new role with more responsibility on Monday I would say he took it extremely well. In truth, he was amazingly supportive and I am fortunate to …

Last Friday we helped some friends clean out their garage. No, we don’t do this for fun, though I have to admit we had some. These friends had just consolidated a big chunk of their outside life into their personal garage, and they needed help getting their space back.
Enter the Craigslist Guru, also known as my husband Warren.
He has a very effective method you can use:

Assign one person as the picture taker/ad poster; everyone else …

A few of you have emailed me about putting the decluttering advice from earlier this year into an ebook, and last week I finally got around to finishing it. (See how productive I can be without cable?)

Those of you who have known me for years know that decluttering is a new skill for me. As a matter of fact, I was packrat and “shopping for the fun of it” kind of person until 2006. So …

Today is the day we celebrate our country’s independence. There will be fireworks, big meals, and parties all over the USA, and rightly so. Without the planning and action of our founding fathers, we would not have the freedoms we celebrate today.
Which brings me to today’s subject: Personal Independence Day.
We talk a lot about lifestyle design on this blog, creating the life you want out of a series of small, deliberate steps to get …

Editor’s Note: This is the final post in a short series on vacations.  Click here to read from the beginning.
It happens all the time:  You plan the trip of your dreams, and somewhere along the way you fight with your travel partner and end up almost ruining the trip.  To top it off, the fight was over something stupid, like forgetting to pack an item, or even worse, a fight over something completely out of …

Editor’s Note: This is first in a series on vacations.
Most of us don’t think we get enough vacation.  And most of us are right.
The average American gets two weeks of vacation a year, and if one week is typically spent visiting relatives that leaves just one week for a true getaway.  Not much compensation for 245+ days of work, is it?
As part of your overall lifestyle design, you can start working on long-term plans to …

We’ve been taking about lifestyle design for some time now, but I’m not sure I’ve ever told you the whole story of how Married with Luggage got started.  Interested?
(Make yourself comfortable. You may want to take a bathroom break now and freshen up your beverage.)
Once Upon a Time
We married in 2004 in Maryland and moved almost immediately to the Boston suburbs for my husband’s new job.  I was doing pretty well with my job, so …

Editor’s Note: Since the theme this month is Money, on Fridays we will be featuring a money-making or money-saving idea.
Today’s money-saving tip comes from my friend Karen Rosensweig, also known as The Incredible Chef.
Karen spends each day cooking a month’s worth of meals for clients who have food allergies, medical conditions, need to lose weight, or are just too busy to cook healthy, delicious meals.  She also has classes to teach people how to do …

Editor’s Note:  The current theme is Money.
“I used to think being frugal was spending as little money as possible” but that’s just being cheap. Now I know frugal is being wise with your purchases and spending money carefully to receive the most value.” ~ Rachel at Small Notebook
When it comes to changing spending habits to reach a lifestyle goal, many people make the mistake of becoming cheap instead of frugal.  In fact, a lot of …

“Don’t give up what you want most for what you want right now.” ~ Lynn Mitchell
The hardest part about lifestyle design is keeping your eye on the bigger picture.  Your friends won’t be changing along with you; they may not even agree with your lifestyle goals.  So comparing yourself to them in terms of what they buy, where they live, and how they spend their time is pointless.
Easier said than done, right?
We are all social …

Editor’s Note: Since the theme this month is Money, on Fridays we will be featuring a money-making or money-saving idea.
The SmartyPig contest drew in a lot of comments on how to be creative in saving an extra $50 a month.  Married with Luggage Readers are not only good-looking; they are also smart!
The winner won’t be announced until Monday, but we can all benefit now from these savvy tips.  (Have you entered your tip yet?  …

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Erica Adams of SmartyPig, the online savings company. Be sure to read to the end for your chance to win a $50 savings card.
In an ideal world, the need to constantly obsess over your finances would never happen. But the world we’re currently living in, especially from a financial perspective, is far from ideal. Money makes the world go ‘round. And in almost every corner of the …

The theme this month is Money.
You actually don’t need a page for this – you can actually sum it up in one sentence.  Spend less money than you earn.  But you may already be past that point with credit card bills, loans, and hard-to-break habits.  Many people are.
No sweat.
Trent Hamm of The Simple Dollar has broken it down for you in a fun 1-page drawing followed by 48 pages of sound advice.  Best of all, …

Editor’s Note: Since the theme this month is Money, for the next 4 Fridays we will be featuring a money-making or money-saving idea. This one is for all of those frustrated writers out there looking for a paid gig and comes courtesy of Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer’s Coach.

If you dream of leaving the 9-5 rat race to become a full time freelance writer, you need to think BIG but start small. You won’t break …

Editor’s Note: The theme this month is Money.
Now that you know how to make a budget, you can get down to the nitty gritty of where to spend and where to save.  And if you have a partner, the decisions can get complicated.

Your wife wants to keep her $150 hair appointments every month, even though you are over your head in credit card debt
Your husband plays golf every week to the tune of $100, not …

The theme this month is Money.
Budgets get a bad name.  Most people associate them with being broke or having a spending problem.  But budgets are really just coordinating your resources with your expenses.  And if you want to design your own lifestyle, you have to get control of your money.
So, let’s do it!
How to Set Up a Budget

List all your net (take-home) income sources for the year and divide by 12 to get your monthly …

This month’s theme is Money.
When it comes to lifestyle design, money can make or break your plans.  No, I’m not talking about the amount of money you have – you can usually live quite well on much less than you think.
What I’m talking about is your relationship with your money.  Do you manage it and use it to steadily reach your goals?  Or do you wonder why it is so hard to make it to …

You’ve accomplished a lot this month, from learning the basic decluttering styles all the way down to disposing of your old medicine.
Whether you made a huge impact on your space or simply needed to straighten up a drawer or two, give yourself a pat on the back.
Learning to let go of the junk serves two purposes:

It frees your space, both figuratively and literally, so you can create the life you want.
It teaches you that you …

The bathroom is where we rush to get ready in the mornings and the room we probably spend the least amount of time, yet it accumulates an awful lot of stuff:  shampoo bottles, medicines, grooming products, cleaning supplies, towels, and appliances like hair dryers and electric razors.  Most bathrooms even contain a mini library!
That’s a lot of stuff for one small room.
If you are starting to feel a little crowded in your bathroom, it is …

I’ve received several emails and phone calls from people who have cleaned up their closets, but it seems like many of you are too shy to submit a before picture!  That’s okay – the main goal of the project is to clear out the clothes that respresent the old you, not the current you.
Because isn’t your current ‘you’ the best ‘you’ yet?
There has been a lot of great discussion over this topic, though most of …

Editor’s note: Don’t forget the closet challenge! The winner will receive a $50 Amex gift card. Contest details are here, and the deadline for submission is Monday at 5 p.m. Pacific.
Now that you’ve done an initial purge of your closet you can start fine-tuning the arrangement.
First, we’re going to sort the closet for easier use.  You may think this idea is a little bit obsessive, but I promise it will make your life easier.
First sort …

We keep a lot of memories in our closets:  the dress we wore when we were at that “perfect” size, those high heels that hurt our feet but we can’t get rid of them because they cost so much, and especially those jeans that we are determined to get back into.
In fact, most people only wear 20% of the clothes in their closets.
If you keep focusing on what you were in the past you …

Are you feeling less overwhelmed by your home office space? We’ve covered a lot of ground this week:

Gaining control of the paper that comes into your home
Clearing out old electronics and creating a permanent home for your favorite gadgets
Simplifying your computer filing system and gaining control of email
Creating a boundary between work and home

In addition, you’ve gotten resources to recycle, donate, or sell your unwanted items (my favorites are Earth911 and Gazelle).
Weekend Challenge:  Follow through …

If you work from home even part-time, you know how hard it can be without the proper setup and boundaries.
Working at the kitchen table or in a corner of the bedroom or family room over time will cause you to stop thinking of those spaces as “home” and more like “work.”  And who wants work to interfere with a great dinner, spending time with the family, or getting enough rest?
Potential Problems

Back and shoulder pain from …

Everyone’s computer or laptop looks about the same on the outside. After you turn it on, however, all that changes.
Quick Computer Clutter Quiz (say that 3 times fast!):
* How many emails are in your inbox?
* Do you have folders, or do you dump everything in My Documents?
* Do you have a system for naming files so you can easily find them?
* Do you have a backup system and use it regularly?
* Do you have a temporary folder for downloads you don’t need to keep?

Remember when we all had a single-line phone at home and a home office often didn’t even contain a typewriter?
Most people now have at least one cell phone and computer in the house, not to mention all the other gadgets that keep us connected and entertained.
How do you keep your portable electronics uncluttered? More importantly, how do you keep the cords straight?

Before we start decluttering the office, we have to address one big issue: Paper.
If you don’t solve this issue now, decluttering will only provide temporary relief. It is like going on a diet and then resuming your old eating habits as soon as the weight is gone. And we all know what happens after that.
So let’s think about your paper situation for a minute.

How do you feel about your kitchen now? We’ve made some good progress this week with only a minimal amount of time spent decluttering.
It doesn’t take long to make an impact.

Do you have a system for your refrigerator, or do you just put food wherever you can find an empty spot?
If you use the latter method, you probably see more food spoilage. In fact, you may have to occasionally go hunting through the fridge to find out “what is that smell?!”
Keeping your refrigerator decluttered is a fairly easy process once you develop a system.

Your Pantry: The place where cans of cream of mushroom soup and boxes of brown rice go to die a slow, lonely death. My pantry is really just a cabinet, and a messy one at that.
Even if you are an organized person, you may have way more food than you actually need, which means it will likely expire before you get to it.
Size doesn’t matter

When it comes to decluttering your kitchen, it is easy to focus on cleaning and stacking things neatly. But before you start stacking and scrubbing, first make sure you need all that stuff. Organized does not equal decluttered.
How Much is Enough?

Flat surfaces are dangerous for most of us. We see a counter and find something to put on it. School work, craft projects, folding laundry – just about everything but a regular meal happens at the dining room table.
Think about how you use the flat surfaces in your kitchen.

If you don’t already honor it, it isn’t special.
Okay, this is where it gets tough. Most of us have the ability and desire to get started on a decluttering project, but when we run into “discoveries” we get sidetracked with memories and a feeling of “I can’t get rid of this.”
Even when you find it in the bottom of a drawer or long-neglected and dusty in a closet. (“Oh, a matchbook from our great dinner in New York 10 years ago!”)

Before we start decluttering, we need to know what to do with all the great (but no longer great for you) items that will need a new home at the end of the project.
Some items will go in the trash and you’ll wonder why you ever kept them (broken coasters, anyone?). Other items need recycling (such as old batteries), and still others will go to Good Will or your local consignment store.
But what about the “good” stuff that you know would sell quickly if you only had a way to advertise?

As we kick off this month of decluttering, we should first explore a few schools of thought on the simplification process.
One thing in, one thing out

If living in a walkable neighborhood is important to you, Walk Score can help you find the perfect location.
Picture a walkable neighborhood. You lose weight each time you walk to the grocery store. You stumble home from last call without waiting for a cab. You spend less money on your car or you don’t own a car. When you shop, you support your local economy. You talk to your neighbors. ~ Walk Score
The site has …

As we prepare for our big trip, we’ve got the bases covered in saving money, downsizing our possessions, and sorting out our work lives. One thing we are struggling with is losing weight.
You see, living on the road and carrying around a backpack is going to be physically demanding anyway, and carrying around any extra weight on top of that is just asking for trouble.
We’ve made a few small changes to our lifestyle to help …

When you have a big goal that requires money, one of the first things you probably cut out of your budget is eating out.
What that means brewing coffee at home, packing a lunch every day for work, and eating in at night.
This may not be hard at first because of your enthusiasm for your goal, but over time it can become frustrating if you do not plan well.  And if you are like me …

Beginning in April we will have a theme each month.  This will allow us to focus on a topic in more depth and better explore what it means for each of us. 
I have a list of topics I would like to explore, but this blog isn’t just for me.  It is here for you, too, so I would like your input.
Below is the general editorial calendar I have put together for the rest of the …

Okay, so you looked.  What does that tell you about the power of negative commands?
Negative Commands Don’t Work
Recently I’ve become fascinated by this subject.  For instance, when you tell a child  “Stop running!” they immediately visualize running, which is why they don’t seem to listen (at least not right away).  They are also unsure of what to do since they have not been given an alternative.
By saying “Walk slowly” instead, you give the child an …

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth post in the 5 signs of a great life series. Click on the introductory post for links to all 5 signs at the end of the series.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” We all heard that dozens of times as kids, and you may still ask yourself that every now and again.
One thing happy people have in common is a goal.  It doesn’t have to …

At least according to Diddit.  This social media site asks you to list what you’ve done and star the things you want to do, sort of like a biography in checklist format.
The lists are built along with other people, so you have a “master” list that includes things you may want to try as well as what you have done.
Browse the directory and you’ll find a curious assortment of topics, like “being born” in the …

Do you have a great life, or are you just getting by? If you have to think about that question, keep reading.
A great life doesn’t come by accident, and those happy people you know are not just lucky or more intelligent than you (though it may make you feel better to think that way).
For years I’ve had people tell me that I’m lucky, and after working my buns off to show that I “deserve” this …

“Clutter drains your energy – and you don’t realize it till it’s gone. Every item in your home has an energy to it. When items go a long time unused, unloved and uncared for, they become stuck, stagnant energy that actually physically drains you of your energy.”
~ Ariane Benefit
This week is National Clean Out Your Drawers Week.  Okay, I made that up.  But seriously, this is a great time of year to do this.

The weather …

In an effort to get used to living with less and having to carry all my possessions around on my back, I decided to make every trip until the big one an exercise in simplicity.
First experiment: a weeklong trip to New Mexico to visit my family.
Here is a recap of my old travel style.  To visit my family for a week, I would bring a large suitcase to be checked, a stuffed carryon bag, and …

Editor’s note: Today’s post is from veteran travelers Margo and Mike.  Read on to see why flexible travel plans are a good idea!

A few years ago, Mike and I went on a trip to the East Coast. 
Before we left we set up reservations for many different places.  Among them was a Bed and Breakfast in Bar Harbor, Maine. Neither of us had ever tried a bed and breakfast, but we had heard great things about …

People often express a desire for simplicity, and then they go crazy buying all the “stuff” needed to simplify: attractive boxes, magazines, books, and clear containers for all the household products that already come in containers.  It sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
Whether you are planning to purge everything to travel full-time like us or not, here are 12 ways you can easily simplify your life every month. 
January:  How many coats, gloves, mittens, and scarves do you …

Editor’s Note: Even if you aren’t planning to ditch all your possessions to run away from home, you can use this strategy to plan for downsizing your home, preparing a relative to move into an assisted living facility, getting a child ready for college, or just simplifying an overly cluttered life.
When you decide to take an extended trip around the world you have to account for the belongings that stay behind.

Do you get rid of …

The biggest requirements for a year on the road are time and money.  With more money you can see the world in less time, and with less money it will take more time.
We are focusing on saving enough money for a $200/day budget with more time spent in less expensive countries and less time in the more expensive countries.
Besides just saving the money, our situation is further complicated by the fact that we own a …

Last night we watched a terrifc movie called The Visitor.  The movie was about 2 illegal immigrants – one from Senegal and one from Syria – who live in NYC and meet a lonely widower who has closed himself off from enjoyment.
I won’t go into a review of the movie (which is very good), but I do want to talk about the music.  The character Tarek is a drummer and he shows the widower Walter …

Trent over at The Simple Dollar has a great post on The Suitcase Test. He compares his packing habits now with his packing habits from college. For those of you who don’t know, Trent has gone from financial meltdown to financial success, and he outlines his simple strategies for saving money and simplifying life on his excellent blog.
Trent’s Suitcase Test is very simple: If you had to fit all of your belongings in a suitcase …

Planning to fly to your Thanksgiving destination?  I’m always amazed at how quickly security lines can get bogged down during holiday travel.
By following these rules that regular travelers already know, you will save yourself a lot of time and aggravation.  And possibly make the travel day a little less stressful for everyone else, too.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Last weekend we attended the Rick Steves Travel Fair in Edmonds, Washington.  Rick is based in Edmonds, and I was surprised at the number of people who came from all over the US and Canada to hear him speak.
He gave slideshows of trips to Iran, Eastern Europe, and Ireland as well as seminars on traveling in Europe and packing appropriately.
The thing I really liked about the fair was Rick’s attitude about travel.  My favorite line …

When I am not working, and occasionally when I am, I find that my mind wanders to the future and how we can orchestrate the change we dream of achieving. Having started a company in the past, I know the rewards it offers and sacrifices it can require. However, I am not sure that I am ready to start a something again that will require staffing, big investments, venture capitalists, etc. Right now, I would love to start something that is simple and just solves a customer problem.

I think I would love to create a web design company that helps small business owners grow their revenue. It seems so rewarding to take a person who is living their dream and help them make it a reality. I could offer sites for $500 and build them from anywhere in the world. All the communication could be via email so time zones will not be an issue. The challenge will be recruiting customers, since my goal would be 10 new customers per month. This would give me a comfortable living, though nothing extravagant.

I am delighted to exchange a big paycheck for the freedom that comes with embracing your life and future.

I just spent a few days in Vancouver, British Columbia at a conference.  While there, I was exposed to non-American newspapers and viewpoints.  It is amazing to see the different perspectives on American and global events from people outside of the US, and my ignorance of global affairs is embarrassing. 

In order to make the most of our trip, we will have to start immersing ourselves in global news and opinions now.  I’m adding the International Herald Tribune to my Bloglines account now, and would appreciate any suggestions for news outlets of a global nature. 

Of course we will focus in on information for specific countries as we make plans to visit, but it would be great to have a more global view of news and events before we even leave our country.

More and more we are considering this trip as an opportunity to change many aspects of our life. I work for a large software company, have established a nice career for myself, and make a great salary. We are currently on track to retire by the time we both reach 57 based on the “retirement number” we worked out with our financial planner. By all accounts, we are on track to follow the typical American plan to a “T”.

But we stopped and asked ourselves why should we have to wait 20 years to see and do everything that is on our Wish List? Who is making us stay in the rat race and follow a traditional path? The answer, we found, was nothing.

And so we sit here with the biggest decision in our life in front of us and we could not be happier. How can we turn this trip into more than a year off, but into a new career/life? I will use the next few posts to explore this idea.

I worry too much. I worry that we will not have plans in place when we get to a new place. I worry that I will not be willing to let go and just enjoy the experiences that are in front of us. These thoughts consume me 725 days before we leave on our trip and now I worry that I am thinking too much. As I said, I worry too much.

The truth is that I really do not know yet the level we should be planning for this trip. When you start thinking about a year long trip it can overwhelm you. The feeling is wonderful, scary, and at times – all consuming. Should we book a month in Buenos Ares? If we decide to stay another week, will that ruin our plans in South Africa? Frankly, I cannot decide how much planning we should do versus just "wing it". The problem is, I have yet to determine how comfortable I will be in 2 years with spontaneity.

So, I will spend the next 2 years planning with the expectation that I can be more spontaneous when 9/1/2010 arrives.

One of the first things that I started to think about in this process is what do we want to see. It is amazing how quickly you start to image all the places you always have said "I wish I could see that someday". As soon you are make the decision to go, the flood of ideas begins immediately. I find myself wishing I still had my 5^th grade history book listing all the amazing places that are out there. Luckily today we have instant access to tools like Wikipedia and Lonely Planet to tempt us every night after work. I know that at some point we will need to narrow down our list, but for the next several months I am looking forward to letting my imagination go wild.

• Do we want to go to Antarctica to see all 7 continents on this trip?
• Could we work in winery in New Zealand for a month?
• What would it be like to spend a month in a monastery in Tibet?
• What would we see if we took a train from St. Petersburg due east across the massive expanse of Russia?
• Should we take time to scuba with the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands?
• Can we spend a week in the wilderness with gorillas in Africa?
• Will Morocco be as amazing as the memories we have of our favorite meal in London?

For now the possibilities seem endless and we are going to embrace them all as we start the process.

Last night we went to dinner with some old friends.  We haven’t seen them for over 2 years, and it was great to catch up with them.

We had an amazing dinner, good wine, and great conversation followed by…the bill.  Holy cow!  Did we really just spend that much on one night out?  A weeknight?

Our bill was $250 for drinks and dinner.

We cannot continue to spend money like this if we are going to save for the trip, but we also need a way to spend time with good friends and still maintain a life of connections with the people we love.

We decided to set September 30 as our "day of reckoning" about the extra spending.  We have a previously booked trip on September 25, so this will give us time to close out our prior financial commitments toward travel and begin saving for the 2010 trip.

And progress on the budget started last night.  Some good friends invited us to brunch on Sunday, but we turned it around and invited them to our house.  We will likely do a lot more entertaining this way in the future.

We’ve done a strict budget before when we started the company, and I know we can do it again.

One of the many decisions that we need to make is when to tell the company I work for that we are planning on taking this trip.  Right now it is 2 years seems like a lifetime in many ways, but when I think about my career it seems like a blink of an eye.

After talking to several trusted people I have decided to keep mum for now and tell my boss 6-12 months before we leave.  This goes against my desire to tell everyone and get their support and involvement in the planning process. However, I also know that by telling them now it will affect my bonuses, raises, promotions, and stock grants for 2 full years.  Given that we really want to use that money for our adventure I hate to risk losing it. 

I do believe there is a good chance that I could return to the company after the trip and I worry that by keeping this a secret for now I could risk that opportunity.  For now though I am taking the advice of my dear friends and thus the "big secret" is born!

It all started with some friends and a margarita.  Or three. 

And the discussion turned to travel and how we couldn’t really plan on big trips until we were retired.

Or could we?

As late 30-somethings we have been focused on career and building security for over 15 years.  We have had the luxury of some great travel, but never more than 10 days. 

• What would it be like to travel for a year while we are in prime health? 
• Could we interrupt our careers to do this?
• What happens to our regular life while we are gone?

The third margarita made us bold, and we decided while walking home that we would do it – celebrate our 40th birthdays during this year of travel.  We would go everywhere, do everything!

The next morning, I wondered if our enthusiasm would hold up to the cold light of day.  And you know what?  It did.  So join us as we take the next 2 years to save and plan for our dream trip around the world.