Category Archives: Automotive Hobby

Busted! When The Cloak Of Stealth Wealth Malfunctions

Automotive Hobby, Early Retirement Lifestyle, Non-financial Aspects of retirement, , ,

I never earned enough to build a giant portfolio but I still consider myself wealthy. I’m wealthy in the way that I can fund my early retirement lifestyle without NEEDING to work. That said, I purposely try not to appear wealthy. I’ve never been into status and my lifestyle is exactly aligned with the chosen socioeconomic level that I want to be in. But what do you do when your cloak of stealth wealth malfunctions? I made a small mistake that caused a crack in my financial cloaking. It caused questions within my social circle and within myself. 

Busted! When The Cloak Of Stealth Wealth Malfunctions

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Encountering Stealth Wealth Malfunctions

Stealth wealth malfunctions don’t have to be anything major to reveal one’s financial standing or challenge one’s chosen perceived standing. Retiring young already provides its share of social mystery. My stealth wealth deviation challenged perceptions and renewed long sidelined questions. 

It all started when I did something with nothing but joy in my heart. I decided to knock a longtime item off of my bucket list. Something others might consider silly, but one aligned with one of my lifetime hobbies. 

All it took was showing up in a new vehicle.

Yes, I bought a new car. Something that couldn’t be hidden nor did I want to hide it. I’m an automotive enthusiast and my car hobby is a big part of my retirement. I decided it was time to move on from my 21 year old Corvette that I’ve driven for 11 years and went to a new 2019 Jeep Wrangler 2 door Sport that was greatly discounted after the new year. I’ve always wanted to have a Jeep like this since experiences one summer with a CJ5 as a teenager. 

It was a “someday I want to” bucket list thing. 

To me it’s simple, it’s a convertible sports car that’s fun to drive in any season. Road conditions, what road conditions! Obviously it’s not a sports car like any of my past old Corvettes. But then again my driving desires dropped far below their performance capabilities long ago. Jeeps are common where I live in Colorado. In 2019 our last snow storm was the end of May and the first one in early October. Owning one is hardly a revelation of opulence. Mine’s even a stripped down model with manual windows and locks, just as I wanted. 

My automotive choices and hobby are well known and when I pulled up in it at my favorite coffee shop/craft beer purveyor I was stoked to talk about it. It took little time for that to happen because everyone knows that I have been driving the same old cars for years, for some of them even decades.

Where my stealth wealth sin occurred is in the way I answered the question: What’s your payment? 

Without thinking I just said, zero, I paid cash. That was instantly met with the snarky reply, it must be nice. Those who were within ear shot quickly jumped into the conversation. Look what Tommy just wrote a check for. When are you buying the next round of drinks for everyone here? They were obviously kidding me, or were they?

I innocently made a simple mindless slip. While I was successfully and happily living my lifestyle using stealth wealth practices, I was unaware that I’m in a perceived income zone with a financial status below the capability of paying cash for a new car. 

Whether or not in the overall scheme of things it even matters much to them, it mattered to me. 

Surprisingly, I found this unsettling. I’m someone who prides himself on not caring what others think about me. Especially those who flaunt their wealth and title. For them I go out of my way to let them know I dropped out of the rat race and retired early with just enough. Purposely choosing employment liberation over being a financially desperate servant to the system. But with this new slip-up within my chosen socioeconomic level I now felt like I might have messed up and revealed more about me than I comfortably wanted to. 

I enjoy being part of the socioeconomic groove I chose and am perceived part of. 

People accepted that I have enough to live on a budget and not need to work. I’ve preached my personal finance FIRE beliefs and was considered as being one of them, watching my dollars and making it all work out. But a new question will now have to be answered: Is it acceptable that I can make a cash purchase like this too? In my stealth wealth efforts I missed this aspect. This is the first time since FIRE that I broke character.

What I Did Right 

My Chosen Income Zone

We live in a moderate cost area where the median household income is $121K. I am sure that the published figure I’m using here is actually lower than what is current. Still, our overall household budget today comes in less than half this amount. It’s only that high because it includes the $20K a year I pay for our health insurance and associated out of pocket expenses. That is my chosen stealth wealth zone. It matches perfectly with the majority of my social circle. I enjoy frugal living and that includes free activities that most of my social circle are part of. What I did right is choosing an income zone where I never have to fake it to fit in or live the lifestyle I want to live. 

Don’t Drive Status Cars

Although I love cars and could have expensive rides, I instead have a few old purpose driven autos. When I say old, my daily driver (weather permitting) is a 1981 Toyota SR5 truck. I bought it in 1993 and my then 12 year old son and I customized it by turning it into a hardtop convertible. All of my cars together, including the Corvette, would add up to be worth $20K. 

Although the Jeep is new and raises my overall auto net-worth, it’s hardly unique or a status car and is less expensive than most newer autos on the road. 

Dress For The Income Zone I Want To Be Seen In

I prefer casual attire and that fits right in where I’m happiest. No expensive clothes, shoes, cell phones, or watches. I dress like the group I want to be part of and is representative of the way I prefer to live. 

Don’t Brag

I never self promote or brag about anything. I stick to my budget living the way I want to live and practice what I preach. I’m humble when talking about finances with anyone. Although my portfolio’s size is nothing like most FIRE aficionados, I keep it private and avoid talking about what I have. I know it’s most likely more than the majority of people in my chosen income zone.

Share and Encourage

I’ve a habit of talking about personal finances and share the common good practices that I’ve used to retire early. I use my early retirement story to encourage others that they could make it their goal too. I also volunteer in the community because I not only want to be part of my chosen social income zone, I really enjoy it and want to give back too. 

What I Did Wrong

I Got Too Comfortable With My Financial Freedom and Capability

It’s one thing to live in the perfect stealth wealth income zone that’s aligned with your budget, but another to underestimate onetime visible moves that challenges it. If we were a true $60K a year household living here, could we have been able to do this? Most of my social circle are local folks who fall below the median household income levels. While some who commute into the city for professional occupations earn more, many work and live in town where earning a $40K salary with benefits is a big accomplishment. For most people, paying cash for a brand new car even with a trade-in isn’t possible.

My Answer Was Short and To The Point Without Showing Pain

Although it wasn’t my intention, my answer that I paid cash could be seen as hubris or bragging. In a way, rubbing their nose in it that I can do this, when they probably can’t. My actual answer should have shown a sign of ordinary financial pain or sacrifice in making the decision to pay cash for it. It came across as being easier than it actually was. I was caught off guard and cut off by the snarky reply and the subsequent comments because I hadn’t thought enough about this aspect.   

What Now, The Cat’s Out Of The Bag

I’m happy to report that all is well. As the ribbing commenced one of the group came up and put their hand on my shoulder saying, I knew you would buy a Wrangler. You’ve only been asking me questions about mine for over a year. We should be buying your drink because you’re probably broke now.

That snapped me out of my malfunctioning fog. I was able then to say, I took some market profits earlier and was waiting for a great deal. I had just enough cash with my Corvette to pull it off with its discounted price. It’s something from my bucket list and after my recent health scare I had to ask myself, if not now, when? Best of all, it was all true.

All was forgiven. No, not by them, but myself. 

In the end they really didn’t care one way or another. It was all me. This malfunction only lasted a short time. But it stuck with me how I felt guilty about how it might have looked or came across. I care about these people and our relationships. I know and will never forget the struggle of trying to get by to make ends meet.

It’s just another mental issue of my early retirement to learn from. I grew up low income, raised a family, made it to engineer, cut living expenses, and invested until I had just enough. Then pulling the plug young while I was still on top and just walked away. Something I’m proud of but realize I had some luck to have pulled off. My brain decided to remind me of that. 

In my new ride exuberance I slipped up and was caught off guard. I said something in a way that should have immediately included the additional conversation. It didn’t matter that I stayed within my personal finance rules of which I also eventually included in extended conversations:

  • Only buying what I can afford to pay cash for. 
  • Doing all the research and clearly making sure it’s something that will add happiness to my life. 
  • Finally, if I’m going to do it, get the best deal I can. 
What else can I say about my stealth wealth malfunctions? 

I had done such a great job of living within my stealth wealth practices that my stepping out of character with this purchase messed with me. Early retirement continues to be an adventure in more ways than one. Just when you think everything seems figured out, something comes up to surprise you. Even after 10 years in early retirement I’m still learning new things.

Be Prepared To Handle The Auto Hiccups Of Road Tripping In Retirement

Automotive Hobby, Do It Yourself, Vacationing in Retirement,

Retirement and road trips go hand in hand for many people. But they don’t always go off without an automobile glitch when logging hundreds if not thousands of miles. No travel is guaranteed problem free in this world. Instead of just worrying about all the possibilities or ignoring all risks, it’s best to take simple precautions. Actions to either prevent or handle the hiccups of road tripping in retirement. Nobody wants what would normally be a nuisance to turn into a dreaded road trip nightmare. One that ruins or at the very least negatively weighs on the experience. Here are a few tips that can save retired road trippers time, worry, and money when it comes to automotive travel hiccups.

Be Prepared To Handle The Auto Hiccups Of Road Tripping In Retirement

Handling Typical Auto Hiccups Of Road Tripping In Retirement

It doesn’t matter whether we’re taking to the road in our trusty and reliable cruiser or renting one. Even as reliable as the newer cars are these days, mishaps and failures can happen to anyone. And most importantly, they can happen anywhere. It seems to me that the rules of universe dictates that if they are to happen, they must happen in the most inconvenient places and times. It’s one thing for our car not to start in our own driveway. It’s another story when it happens at the gas pump or our hotel.

Basic pre-trip preparation tips:

There are certain road tripping in retirement realities to keep in mind.

  • There isn’t always going to be cell service on our route.
  • We can’t always rely on the kindness of strangers stopping to give us a hand. It may come to that. But it’s best to be prepared to handle what we can so that we can be safely on our way.
Make sure the car is serviced and ready.

I inspect everything the best I can, including checking all my tail lights, brake lights, signals, and headlights to see that they are all working. My next move is to have my auto servicing done by getting a fresh oil change. I do this a couple of weeks before departing. Where I take my car for oil changes they also rotate my tires and inspect the brakes. If not offered as part of the oil change package, I also request an inspection of all fluids, belts, and hoses to make sure there isn’t anything that should be addressed. That way if something needs to be replaced or repaired I have time to get it finished without panic and stress.

It’s also important to keep up with recommended service intervals for things like tune-ups and transmission fluid changes. The first step to an enjoyable road trip is having confidence in our automotive magic carpet that we’re relying so much upon.

Find and remember where the car’s owner’s manual is.

Nothing can cause road tripping in retirement panic like a warning indicator light popping up on your dashboard. Usually our car’s owner’s manual will give a hint as to what might be the problem and its seriousness. It also will tell us where things like the spare tire, jack, and lug wrench are stored. So many people have no idea where these are located in their vehicle.

I rented a Dodge Caravan last fall to drive through 4 States to take the grand-kids to Disneyland.

I would have never found the spare had I not reviewed the owner’s manual before we left for the trip. Fortunately I found the owner’s manual in the console. Its spare tire was tucked up in the middle of the van behind the engine and transmission. I then made sure it was there, dropped it down, and checked to verify the tire pressure. It wasn’t needed during our road trip but I had peace of mind.

Check that the tires air pressure is at recommended levels. Also inspect them for any visible damage, wear issues, nails, or screws.

Most new cars will display the tire pressure on the dash when going through the display options. That will indicate whether any of them are low and need to be topped up. That’s good for all but the spare tire in most cases, which needs to be manually checked. An inexpensive tire pressure gauge is usually needed to check the spare and when using an air pump to get them where they need to be. If one tire is abnormally under pressure compared to the others it can indicate that it may have a nail in it or a poor seal on the rim causing a slow air leak. Just before departing check all tires as well as possible before taking to the road for any nails or screws that may be embedded in the tread and get it repaired.

I’ve changed a tire or two on road trips over the years.

I had to change one tire on the interstate after picking up a bolt dropped by a construction truck in front of us. A box fell and scattered the case of bolts across the highway. It’s not only scary dangerous, but any flat tire is a pain in the keister no matter where it happens. When I do get a flat I prefer to replace it with the spare and head to the nearest tire shop. Those tiny doughnut spares aren’t made for traveling long distances.

retirement road trip precautionBut I also carry a 12v auto tire pump. I use a 12v air inflator from Lowe’s made by Kobalt. If it’s a slow enough leak I can pump it up and get to a tire repair shop. It also comes in handy when you get a low tire pressure sensor indicator on the dash. Aside from the typical nail scenario, this can happen with changes in elevation or colder temperatures on your trip. Running tires on the highway with low pressure not only eats into your gas mileage and tire wear, but they heat up and can cause failure.

When in a flat tire jam there are also many tire inflator flat repair aerosol products. I do carry a Fix-A-Flat can in my tool bag for an emergency. However, most newer cars have tire pressure sensors and even though these products say they are sensor safe, I have never tested that claim. I carry it to use as a last resort, like in the case of multiple tire failures. Your rear tire can hit the same puncturing item as your front tire did just a second before.

Battery failure can happen without warning.

Before leaving I always check my battery terminals to make sure there is no corrosion and everything is tight. Batteries usually come with a warranty. For instance, I buy car batteries guaranteed for 5 years. But when I hit that 5 years I proactively replace them whether they are acting weak or not. I do this because a battery can fail without warning. The first time an old battery encounters a high heat period or it’s first cold can trigger its failure. Even with my battery replacement habit, I carry a portable battery jump box to jump start my car just in case I ever encounter a battery failure. The days of standing somewhere holding a set of cumbersome battery jumper cables hoping and waiting for a little assistance from someone are over.

I just returned a few days ago from 8 days of road tripping in retirement where we traveled over 1700 miles in our car and experienced battery fun.

We were in day 5 and packed up ready to leave for another city and the final destination of our trip. Surprise! The car wouldn’t start due to a dead battery. Because it was only 4.5 years old I checked to see if we left a dome light on or something else that may have drained it overnight. There was no previous indication of battery fatigue.

Useful Auto hiccup road trip precautionI used a jump box to start the car and figured it would charge during our next 2.5 hour leg of driving. If not, then the battery had gone bad. I used a small jump box made by Viking that’s sold at Harbor Freight that I bought on sale for $60. In any case, we were able to leave from a spot that wasn’t conducive to fixing anything and be on our way.

Carry a basic tool bag.

It’s a good idea to carry a small tool kit when traveling. Not for doing any major mechanical work, just little things that can come up and be easily repaired.

Basic Travel Tool KitI carry a small kit with a ratchet and associated SAE and Metric sockets, a few wrenches, pliers, needle nose pliers, and screw drivers. I throw into the tool bag a quart of oil, some WD40 spray, duct tape, and electrical tape. I’ve used items from my tool bag during road trips on numerous occasions. For instance, I needed the socket set to change out a burned out headlight bulb. The tool kit I have was bought decades ago during a Christmas season sale from Walmart.

As mentioned above, we experienced battery trouble last week on our most recent road trip.

We drove 2.5 hours, about midway to our destination. It was a good place to fill up the tank. But first I wanted to check the battery situation in a strategic spot. I parked in the parking lot of this little town’s Napa Auto Parts store and turned off the car to attempt restart but it failed. I went inside and made sure they had a replacement and had the store test it and it was indeed bad.

Their adjacent shop next door could change it for me but it was going to be a couple of hours before they could get to me, so I dug out my tool bag. Newer cars usually require removing more than just the battery tie down clamp and the battery cables. I used the tools to remove them. But also a structural support arm and the fuse box from the fender so that it could be slid up just enough to squeeze the battery out. The charge for the new battery was $53 less than the listed price. That was because I got a cash and carry discount. Not bad for 30 minutes of my time plus we were on the road again much faster than waiting for service.

Don’t let your fuel tank go below ¼ tank full.

No matter the road tripping in retirement temptation to push forward to another town, it’s always best to never run our gas tank below ¼ tank towards empty. Today’s cars have fuel injection and fuel pumps located inside the gas tank. They sit in the bottom of the tank and run constantly to keep the fuel system pressurized. It works it’s little heart out when driving at highway speeds for several hours on road trips. Like all electrical devices it gets hot when worked hard. Sitting in liquid fuel helps keep it cool. Run the tank down and half or more of your fuel pump will be exposed. It could possibly weaken or fail due to heat.

The other issue is fuel contaminants. Stuff like water and other light debris will most likely be floating on top of fuel. Run the tank down and it can be picked up by the pump causing it to plug its surrounding mesh filter or worse, pass the water or contaminant. Either case can cause engine shut down.

Have towing insurance and/or a service like AAA.   

Not everyone wants to tackle auto hiccups. There are also breakdowns that go beyond our capability and tool bag. That’s why it’s important to have towing insurance and/or a service like AAA. I make sure I have the telephone number of my insurance tow assistance saved in my phone. Having a single number to call who can find the nearest tow company and repair shop to tow to is a huge relief. Encountering a situation where we have to use the tow service or have someone come out to your location to change a battery or tire is going to impact vacation plans big-time with all the time delays, but at least we aren’t going to be stranded.

Other tips to get through auto hiccups while on a road trip

Be sure to place your jump box, tool bag, and air pump somewhere easy to get to when traveling. That way you won’t have to pull out all of your luggage first to use them.

Check the internet when you need to figure out how to fix something. I have found step-by-step replacement instructions online, even YouTube videos, for many DIY automotive repair issues.

When you get a pesky check engine warning dash light and your car seems to be running OK, you can go to any major auto parts store and have them pull the codes for you. Most provide this service at no cost. I have had this done at AutoZone and O’Reilly auto parts stores. One time I found out that the code that caused the check engine light was due to a loose gas cap. We just needed to simply tighten the gas cap for a better seal.

If you find your tool bag doesn’t have a needed tool to complete the task, many major auto parts stores will lend you the needed tool, sometimes without deposit if you buy your parts from them.

 

Vacation road tripping in retirement is definitely one of our biggest pleasures. We get to experience both the ride and the destination. This pleasure is tied to the emotional and mental experience of the trip. We can reduce the risk of a bad experience because of a nuisance auto hiccup by taking a few precautions before we hit the road.

My DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights Project

Automotive Hobby, Cars, Cars In Retirement, DIY, Do It Yourself, Halo Snout Lights

I want to share My DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights Project. I saved over $500 with this DIY project compared to the kit seen with various corvette parts suppliers. I wanted to add some lights to my 1999 C5 Corvette and update it a bit with Halo lights for my daytime driving. I always loved the look of rally race cars and the C5R 24 hour of Le Mans or Daytona race cars with their auxiliary racing light setups.

The available ready-made kits that I found offered don’t include a Halo light option so even if my frugality didn’t stop me from buying the kit the non-halo limitation would. The lights in the offered kits also seem to be smaller 3 inch lights and I wanted to maximize the space I had and instead use 4 inch lights.

My Inspiration for the DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights Project

A big part of my early retirement is my automotive hobby. I am a car enthusiast and after a while I just start feeling an itch to do something to customize my rides. An itch to just do a little something to set it apart from the other cars like it. Even if it’s a subtle change that many won’t even notice. It’s all about my enjoyment. Most car-freaks and nuts suffer from this same affliction.

C5R racingI loved the look of the C5R (C5 Corvette Racing) Auxiliary Racing Lights when in the 24 hour setup. I liked the look of the performance Mustangs (GT, etc.) with their grill mounted fog/driving lights. I was also inspired by all the new cars coming out with halo headlights and driving lights.

As much as I love that Auxiliary-Light look, paying over $650 for the C5 Auxiliary Racing Light kits that are offered is too much for my budgetary taste. Even when considering their easy out of the box installation and finished looking product results. So I set out to create my version.

My DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights Project Parameters

1-   First off it had to look finished and decent. I didn’t want to drive a Corvette with a half-assed looking setup.

2-   The project cost to be under $150

C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights3-   I wanted any cutting to the front bumper to be easily hidden by a license plate and keep the ability of replacing the license bumper plug. More or less totally reversing this project and returning to stock if I or someone else later didn’t want to keep this Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights setup.

 

4-   Install the largest Halo lights I could fit within the above parameters. That worked out to be 4 inch lights.

DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights Project Steps

Parts list and Cost:

Old License Plate. Preferably painted numbers (flat) instead of raised stamped numbers. $0.00

Strap or Metal to make “L” brackets. I had some 1” wide by ¼’ thick aluminum that I cut, bent and drilled. $0.00

Blinglights Corvette Project Blinglights kit- BL5000K. Kit includes two 4” halo fog/driving lights, wiring harness, switch, relay, and straight forward wiring diagram.  You will find them advertised for many different auto applications and prices but the BL5000K kit is the same. I found them associated to late-model Firebird/Trans Am for $89.99 (Amazon)

 

Stainless Steel 304 #4 Mesh. 6” X 24”. Project requires 6” X 13.5”.  $15.00 (eBay)

Unpainted Plastic aftermarket C5 Corvette front plate cover/filler license plate. I didn’t want to cut my stock color match painted license plate filler/plug. $29.99 (eBay)

Black Door Edge Guard. This can be found in any automotive section or parts store. $10.00 (Autozone)

Total cost $144.98

Steps:

BL TemplateLicense Plate for Mounting Lights

I used an old License plate to make my template. I then used some card-stock printer paper to make a paper template including the plate’s mounting holes. I then marked the center and drew 4” circles where there is a 1” gap between them and centered between the mounting holes. This way I can remove the snout lights and run a license plate later if I decide to return to stock.

 

Plate BracketUsing the template I traced out the two 4 inch holes on the license plate and cut it with tin snips. I made some “L” shaped brackets based on the light’s mounting hardware and attached them to the plate. I then painted it all satin black. The License plate is what I used to attach the lights to the car by using the stock license plate bolts.  Basically it’s all about Lights to plate, plate to car.

Note: So I could keep the bumper’s stock plate bolt mounts and the upper plate nubs I slotted the bottom template mounting holes to slightly slide it higher. Otherwise the 4″ holes cut away the stock bolt mounting holes on the bumper.

cut bumperUsing the template I traced out the two 4 inch holes on the bumper. I cut the holes using a sharp sheet-rock style knife. I used this method based on CF Forum recommendations from people who have cut their snout open to increase air flow to the radiator. I eventually had to cut a small notch to allow for passing through the “L” shaped light brackets I had attached to the plate.

Warning: Be careful cutting bumper holes as there are wires that may run behind this area. See photo.

Cut C5 Lic Filler PlateLight Cover

I cut the center out of the License Filler Plate/Plug to size. I used masking tape to create my lines and the shape I wanted. After trying the sharp sheet-rock knife, a hacksaw blade, and a dremel tool I found that the tin snips worked very well for cutting the plastic. I also cut the Stainless Steel 304 #4 mesh to length. This would be the time to paint the cut License Filler Plate/Plug if the satin black unpainted finish is not desired. I wanted to stay with the black.

Door Edge Guard finshes cut edgeI applied the door edge guard to the cut License Filler Plate/Plug opening to give it a finished look.

 

 

C5 Lic Filler GrillI then attached the Stainless Steel 304 mesh. I ended up using 3M two-way automotive tape. I first laid down some into the back of the cut filler plate/plug and pressed the mesh into it but it didn’t stick well to the mesh. I then pressed more tape from on top of the mesh (sandwiching the mesh) into the lower applied tape and pressed it in.

 

DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights - Halos onWiring

I followed the wiring instructions for the lights and mounted the license plate bracket with lights. I attached it to the car using the stock license plate mounting bolts. I also added 2 small screws to the upper part of the plate into the bumper for added support. I then attached the new mesh plate filler cover.

 

DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights-Drive lights on Note:  Pay attention to how you mount the lights to the plate. The plate will sit at a back angled slope so the light placement will be mounted where the top of your lights will protrude a good ¼ to ½ inch beyond the license plate and the bottom of the lights will be flush with the license plate. This is so they aim at “level” and not upward to avoid blinding oncoming traffic when the drive lights are in use.  

Additional Wiring/Switch Details

The light kit came with a wiring harness, relay and switch. I did have to modify the end of the harness to accommodate the two lights being so close together rather than split far apart like most driving light configurations.

I also elected to cut the provided switch from the harness and went with wireless off/on control switches. I did this instead of pushing the wires through the firewall to mount the cabin switch provided.

I used Logisys RM 01 1 wireless switch boxes. One for the halos and one for the drive/fog lights. $14.99 each. $29.88 (Amazon)

That did put the project over my initial $150 limit by $25. $144.98 + $29.88 = $174.98. It was still far less than the $650+ kits found and I also got the halo effect that I wanted and they did not offer.

In Closing

It was a fun project. I don’t run a front license plate in the designated area of the bumper so the license plug seemed like wasted space. Sure it says CORVETTE on it but everyone recognizes the car as a Corvette.

FRC with C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout LightsI do run the Stow and Show front license plate setup when necessary which sits off to the passenger side of the front bumper. Even when the plate is up and visible the Snout Lights are still in full sight.

Before deciding to do this or a similar project it is important to understand your local laws. If this is a violation it will draw unwanted attention.

I am happy with the results and I am confident that I am more visible on those two lane twisty roads that are so fun to drive. I also think it adds a kind of updating to my 17-year-old car.

I am aware that this project isn’t for everyone and may be a “like it” or “hate it” modification. I did not do it to offend any Corvette purist. It’s just a little subtle DIY modification to my car that I happen to enjoy driving.

Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90: The steps to an affordably good paint job

Automotive Hobby, Cars, Cars In Retirement, DIY, Do It Yourself, Frugal Living, Rustoleum Paint, Saving Money

Being an early retired Leisure Freak means I always look for ways to save money. Or at least spend it sensibly. Car repairs are something that can strain the budget. I try to do what I believe I can do or handle myself. One of my money-saving efforts was Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90. In this case my truck. I painted it at home without special painting equipment or skills.

Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90
Mini-Truck Rustoleum Paint Results

This paint job is now in its third year and is holding up great. It is doing far better than I expected or was warned about. I thought I would share what I did and where I got the details on how to pull it off. Anyone with some time and a little space can do this if you have an older auto that looks like crap and you would like to have it look more presentable while offering surface protection. The bonus- Not having to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars.

                                                              My Situation.
Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90
Busted Frame- Ready to Resurrect

My 1981 SR5 Toyota custom pickup that I have driven almost daily since 1993 finally had a life ending catastrophe. The frame had rusted through and cracked over its then 31 years on the road. There is a reason you see few old import cars/trucks on the road, RUST. This truck has huge sentimental value as it was my son’s and my first automotive project together. He was just short of 13 when we turned the truck into a hardtop convertible. We had many father and son adventures with it spanning 5 western States.

 

Frame and Bed swap
Frame and Bed Replaced

It took some months for me to find a suitable donor truck where I could harvest a good frame to resurrect my long-time truck. I also kept the bed from the donor truck as mine had far more rust in it. Even this new bed had some rust bubbling on the side where the inner wheel well is. That rust is another reason I elected to go the frugal paint job route.

Please note that buying the donor truck and paying someone to complete all the work for the frame/bed swap cost me all I could logically spend regardless of sentiment. That was another reason for a frugal paint solution. The lowest painting bid I got was $1400 and there is no stopping rust. After a few years it will return. I could have waited for the local MAACO Discount paint shops to run a sale but that would still cost hundreds. My truck was a light Yellow and the new truck bed was Red. I was ready to roll in it so I needed to do something about the yellow and red Ronald McDonald color scheme.

Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90 – The Rustoleum Auto Paint Job

Primered the red swapped bed
Sanding, Primer, Decal removal begins

I decided I would look into painting the truck myself. I kept coming across all these posts and You Tube videos where people had done a fair paint job using non-automotive Rustoleum Paint and a high density foam roller. That’s right, Rustoleum. The same oil based enamel stuff you get at Lowes or Home Depot to paint your patio furniture that comes in the little quart cans.

I then came across another site where they just used high density foam brushes.  The roller method can leave a lot of bubbles and require a lot of sanding to smooth out. I decided to follow this one guy’s brush technique and I have to say it went real well. The point was to reduce the amount of sanding to do. I will admit there was still sanding needed but I have to believe far less than I would have trying to remove bubbles.

Frugal Car Painting Supplies Needed
  • Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90Rustoleum high gloss paint – 4 Quarts. For me to get a light Yellow I needed a 3 Gloss White to 1 Sunburst Yellow mixed. Most cars will take only 2 or 3 quarts depending on size, SUV or full-sized PU more. I had over half of my mixed paint left.
  • Odorless mineral spirits – 3 quarts to a gallon. (Used for surface cleaning, prep, and paint thinning which allows paint to dry faster and for it to flatten out after brushing on).
  • Rustoleum Primer spray paint – 1 Can (I needed 3 to cover the truck bed, always best to use the same brand of primer as the paint)
  • 3″ High density foam brushes – 10 ea.
  • 2″ High density foam brushes – 10 ea.
  • Paint trays – 3 ea.
  • Wet Sandpaper – 3 packs (600, 800, 1500 grit)
  • Painter’s tape – 1 Roll
  • Old Newspaper or plastic for masking work
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Spray Bottle
ready to paint
Sanded and ready for first Rustoleum Paint coat

The Frugal DYI Rustoleum Auto Paint Job Process

At a high level the job goes like this:

Getting the Car Ready
  • Wash the car and if there is any dents or body blemishes you need to fix get some auto body filler and make repairs. For small blemishes just use auto body finishing glaze/putty that is easily sanded. I had old peeling decals I needed to remove so I ordered from eBay a decal remover eraser that you run in your drill to get all the old and nasty decal stripes off.
  • Wipe car down with mineral spirits to clean any oils from the surface. (Read and follow all safety and warnings posted on the product can while handling product).
  • Remove anything from the car you can that you don’t want painted.
  • masked and ready to paint
    Taped/Masked and ready to paint

    Mask around everything on the car that you don’t want painted.

  • Sand all surfaces to be painted with 600 grit sandpaper. If there are areas like rust that need to be smoothed get lower grit paper to smooth it out. You are sanding to rough the paint and level the surface not remove all the existing paint.
  • Primer any areas where sanding went to bare metal. In my case I also primered the Red truck bed to Grey to help with Yellow paint coverage.
Paint Time
  • Mix your paint with the mineral spirits using a 50%/50% ratio. (Read and follow all safety and warnings posted on the product can while handling product).
  • Prep the paint surfaces by wiping your car down again with mineral spirits.
  • Apply the paint and allow to dry. The 50%/50% is very thin and should dry in a few hours. I did this while still working (Career #2) so I waited until the next evening.
  • 3 coats
    First 3 coats down & questioning my sanity

    Repeat – Prep the paint surfaces with mineral spirits and apply the paint and allow to dry.

  • Repeat – Prep the paint surfaces with mineral spirits and apply the paint and allow to dry.
  • Once the third coat is dry, Wet Sand lightly with 600 grit to smooth out the paint and scuff for more paint to be added. I used a trigger pump water spray bottle to wet the surface and the paper instead of running a hose. You will question whether this is going to work due to a lack of coverage but the paint builds upon itself in all the layers. Just don’t sand off all your work.
  • Repeat painting process 3 more times. The process is paint 3 coats and sand, then repeat as necessary.
  • 6 coats
    6 coats down & starting to see results

    Sand and inspect. Repeat painting process as necessary until you get the right paint coverage.

  • Once satisfied with the paint coverage use 800 grit and higher grit to polish out any imperfections out of the paint including any brush marks easily seen at your discretion.

 

I know this is very high level.

If you are interested in trying this I recommend you get the more deep details from the source I used – Poor Man’s Paint Job  ( http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Poor-Mans-Paint-Job-or…-How-to-paint-your-c/?ALLSTEPS ) Note: If the details end with the disclaimer, scroll down a little farther until you see the Download/View all steps/Next buttons and select View all steps

7 coats
7th coat coverage

Another good source of information about the use of Rustoleum paint to paint a car using a foam roller and foam brushes was the article put out by Hot Rod Magazine    (http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/paint-body/hrdp-0707-1962-ford-falcon-budget-paint-job/ ) Note: Just click on “view all 36 photos” or bottom of the first photo where it shows “1/36” to get a photo and step by step.

My Frugal DYI Rustoleum Auto Paint Job Results

painted convertible mini truck-top on
Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90- Mini Truck project complete

I am sure everyone’s results are different depending on the car and color of paint being applied to and used. Your masking will also make a difference on your final results. Yellow is a color that does not cover well so I had up to 10 coats on flat surfaces like the hood and roof (I had some primer spots) and 14 on the truck bed sides to cover the grey primer. I also spent time sanding with high grit sandpaper to remove as many brush marks as I could. They are only visible in certain light but I wanted as close to a sprayed paint job as I could get. There are still a few spots that I can see brush marks but nobody else has unless I point them out and they look very carefully.

The Results That Really Matters
  • I ended up with a great 5-footer paint job and maybe better than that.
  • The Truck is protected from the elements and all one shiny color.
  • I will be able to inexpensively do touch-up paint myself.
  • It cost me 14 days and less than $100. The first day was a few hours but the repaint and light sanding was only 1 to 2 hours each day.
  • my 1981 Toy SR5 Convertible Mini Pickup
    Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90- Mini Truck project complete

    I wax it once a year and the paint has held up as new. However this truck is parked in a garage when not in use. Over time UV exposure will fade and oxidize Rustoleum paint so washing and waxing will help it look good.

  • The Paint is hard and doesn’t easily chip or scratch as some have warned. Because it is built up from multiple light layers it holds up far better than spray can paint. I used Satin Black rattle cans for inside the truck bed and spray paint is a thinner coat of paint and does scratch way easier than the brushed on Yellow.
  • After 3 years I am just starting to see signs of that rust on the bed. It is starting to bubble again so in a year or so I will grind, sand, finish putty, and repaint that area soon with the left over paint.
  • Update June 2018: It’s now 6 years into this paint job. It still looks like the day I painted it. The rust area is still very small and barely noticeable. There are 5 small 1/16 inch raised circular blemishes but no discoloration. I haven’t felt the need yet to make paint repairs.
Final Comments

I can’t guaranty this is the best choice for everyone or that by doing it you will be completely satisfied. A perfectionist or traditionalist will probably not agree with this method, product used, or results. I get that and to each their own. No need for hateful comments.

Know that by using a paint like this if later you or someone else decides to take the car in for a traditional shop paint job that all the Rustoleum must be sanded off first. However it does sand off and you can do that or I am sure they will probably just charge extra to do it. I have no intentions of doing that given the probability of rust’s return and my satisfaction with the results. It looks great and I can repair it myself when needed at little or no cost.

Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90 using Rustoleum was a fun experience and I would do it again on the right vehicle under the right circumstances. I may even try the roller method.

Do you have a car that isn’t worth the cost of a traditional paint job that you might maybe try this method on as a frugal DIY project?

Do you think it is just stupid to use a non-automotive paint on any car to save money?

Preparing for Cold Weather Driving: The Easy DIY Steps I Take

Automotive Hobby, Cars, Cars In Retirement, DIY, Do It Yourself, Saving Money

I am Embracing Fall and Preparing for Cold Weather Driving. Every year the first cold day with ice or snow catches everyone off guard causing crashes and traffic jams. So come on people, it is no secret that there will eventually be that first crappy driving day.

I do all of our cold weather auto-readiness myself to save money and hassle. I spent a considerable amount of time yesterday on two of our cars and other than needing a couple of new tires for my Honda Civic things went without a hitch.

Most people just take their cars to what they hope is their trusted mechanic, tire, or muffler shop. As long as they are truly a trustworthy shop it comes down to hassle for me. Making appointments and dropping off a car requiring I get ride out of there by someone or having to sit in a waiting room for hours isn’t enjoyable to me.

Many tire shops will do what I just did (rotate, tire pressure) for free for any tires you bought from them. The thing here is they do that to find something else to get you to spend money on. Another hassle is my having to review, evaluate, and scrutinize what they claim and judge as a necessity. That and the hassle of dealing with them if I say no thanks. They can be very insistent. The biggest thing is I have a garage, the necessary tools and I kind of enjoy a lot of this.

Preparing for Cold Weather Driving – My List

This is a list of what I did yesterday and you should consider doing or have it done.

Change the Oil.

If it has been a while since you last oil change its time to see when that was. Today’s cars will tell you on your display the calculated oil life remaining. If you don’t have that then you have to stick to traditional methods like the number of miles driven since the change. All city stop and go driving the experts recommend change every 3000 miles or 3 months. Mostly highway and it is more like 5000 miles but they still stick to the 3 months.

That is because oil decays in your engine and loses its lubricating quality. Today’s oil is of a lot better quality than the past and I have my theory of oil changes that I use. If your car is under warranty then check your car’s handbook to stay within the factory recommendations.

My unscientific experience is once the car’s display gets anywhere near 25% oil life left it’s time to change the oil. Waiting for the warning to come is too late if you want to have a car that lasts a long time. My non-car calculated rule is 5000 miles or 5 months.

That is just me but I have a truck with 320K miles on it now that I have driven 22 years. Also a Civic with 310K miles on it that I have driven for 16 years. Maybe I am just lucky. The real point here is make sure you get the correct weight and type (Standard organic or Synthetic) for winter driving based on your manufacture recommendation. If the car is old like some of mine then I run 5w30. Cold weather driving is hard on the engine so you want to make sure you have the correct oil weight and highest lubrication standards met.

Check your Tires.

Inspect the tires for any side wall blemishes.

Hitting a few curbs can cause weakness and a slight bulge. This is a recipe for blowout. Same with any bent rim lips where your tire touches the rim.

Preparing for Cold Weather Driving- Quarter Tire Tread TestInspect your tread depth by using the Quarter coin test.

Place the edge of the coin head first into your tire tread and If you can see the top of Washington’s head, your tires are worn and should be replaced. In the old days this test was done with a penny and looking at the top of Lincoln’s head was used. It has been proven that using the penny actually was a little too worn for stopping and traction purposes. In any case you get the idea to check the tread depth. Tires can look perfectly fine but have worn past their safe use.

Check your tire pressure.

As the air gets colder the pressure drops. Fill under inflated tires to the recommended tire pressure. This can sometimes be found on the car’s driver side door pillar decal. Open the door and look below the latch. Correct tire pressure will save gas and avoid blowout on cold days. If you have no decal info check the tire sidewall for pressure recommendation. When all else fails I stick to 32 to 35 lbs. pressure. I have seen under pressure tires blow out the tire seal on cars and it’s no fun having a flat tire on a snowy day. Check your tire pressure monthly if you can.

Rotate your tires.

This is usually recommended every 3000 to 5000 miles for prolonged tire life and even-wear but people seldom do that. Tire shops that you bought the tires from will sometimes do this for free. If you haven’t been doing this at least at this time make sure you have your best traction (deepest tread) tires on your drive wheels. For most cars today that is the front wheels. If you are driving a truck or muscle car it’s the rear wheels. I rotate my own tires and use the opportunity to check the breaks when the tire is off. If they need replacing now or soon, better do it before it’s a snowy hell and cold time of year.

Preparing for Cold Weather Driving – Open the hood and inspect:

Hoses and Belts.

Look at the various hoses for bulges, cracks or leaking. Look at the hose connection for signs of leaking. Cold weather is tough on hoses. Look at the belts while the car is not running of course. Look for any signs of wear like cracks or missing chunks. Any defects that you find need to be replaced because when they go you are stuck.

Windshield Washer Fluid Tank.

Make sure your washer fluid tank is full and only use the winter-rated cleaner to avoid freezing in the tank and lines.

Radiator Overflow Tank.

While the car is cold look to see the correct amount of Radiator Fluid is there. You can see a line that says full when cold and another for when it is hot. If your car is more than a few years old and you don’t know when the last time the fluid was changed, you need to consider having it tested for its strength. This can usually be done anywhere that does oil changes.

Look at your Brake and Clutch reservoirs.

Cars with auto transmissions won’t have a Clutch reservoir. These are usually plastic and round with a black lid on them mounted on the firewall which is under the hood and below your windshield. You can see the fluid level through them and lines indicating correct fill height. Low level brake reservoir can indicate worn out brakes and you should have it checked out. If the Clutch reservoir is down it may also be worn or have a leak. Hitting the fill mark means there is probably something more needed than just filling them up with the correct hydraulic fluid.

Auto Transmission fluid.

If your car has an automatic transmission as most do check the fluid levels and color. The fluid should be deep red. If it is brown or very dark and has a strong smell you may have burnt fluid. It is recommended the fluid is changed every 60,000 miles or so. Look at your manufacturers guidelines. In any case if it has a lot of miles since the last change consider getting this done at a shop. I don’t do this maintenance myself anymore because they have machines that can pump out and change all the fluid. Winter driving is very hard on transmissions with all the slipping the wheels do.

Battery – Check for Corrosion

Inspect your battery terminals. This is where your cables attach. There will be a Power (Red) and Ground (Black) cable attaching either to posts on the top of the battery or threaded into the side of the battery. They should be tight and not move on the battery if you gently tug on the cable.

Look for and corrosion around these connections. It is highly corrosive so don’t get it on your clothing or touch it and get it in your eyes. It will appear as a white and somewhat powdery. The best thing to do if you see evidence of corrosion is to grab a wrench and disconnect the cable so can clean it all away using a wire brush and a mixture of baking soda and water. Left unattended this could cause your battery power to be interrupted and your car won’t start.

If you haven’t the tools or time to completely clean the terminals then you can flush some of the corrosion away with your baking soda/water mixture or by gently and strategically pouring a Diet Coke on the corroded posts. The potassium in the Coke will react chemically with the corrosion to flush it away. I use Diet Coke because it doesn’t leave the sticky mess that a sugar laden drink will. Also check to see how old your battery is. There could be a punch label. indicating month and year of purchase or a 2 digit year sticker on one of the sides. If it is 5 years old or older you might want to consider replacing your battery if you live in a cold area of the world.

Preparing for Cold Weather Driving -Check your batteryBattery -Make Sure it is Not Moving- Fill Cells If Needed

The battery should also be tightened down with a bracket so it isn’t rocking around on the battery tray where it sits. Some batteries are sealed but others will have what looks like two rectangular plastic caps. This is where you can use a small screw driver to carefully lift the cap up and inspect the cells for water. If you can see water in all the cells then replace the cap. If you look in the cell and the water level is below the lead plates then you need to add some distilled water to the low cell.

Replace your windshield wipers.

I replace these every fall. Even if they are still functional now the ozone has hardened the rubber and they will most likely fail you when you need them most. This is cheap insurance of good wipers through the cold weather months.

You can see how busy I was yesterday as I went through these things and finished them up for two cars. My embracing fall and preparing for cold weather driving will save a lot of money by avoiding problems later.

Do you live in a cold weather area and routinely prepare for the upcoming driving conditions?

Is there anything I missed in this post?

Car Fever in my Early Retirement

Automotive Hobby, Cars, Cars In Retirement, Passion, Retire Early,

I have a sickness. More like Car Fever in my Early Retirement. No, not the kind of car fever where I am dying to buy a new car. This is a car fever for the love of cars. Actually I am crazy for anything with wheels as long as it is cool. Vintage bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks, you name it. Hot Rods, Rat Rods, Sleds, Cruisers, LowRiders, Sports Cars, Muscle Cars, Imports and Customs. Even some of the new cars if they aren’t the run of the mill look like everything else. If you aren’t into cars then you probably could care less about anything I have listed here. But if you are into cars then you know exactly what I mean. I am also open to admire all kinds of cars. Unlike some automotive snobs out there. You know who you are.

So why the article about Leisure Freak Tommy’s car fever?

I guess I am just stoked because I just got a list of all the close-by local car shows for this month. One even includes a concert. It is going to be a busy month for me. I don’t usually take part by entering my ride except for a couple earlier in the summer. But I love to attend car shows and they are almost always free. If there is a fee it is usually modest and associated to a charity which is fine with me. My automotive obsession is one of my retirement hobbies. I meet a lot of like minded car lovers every time I attend one of these shows.

There is another point to this post.

Most early retirement articles or blogs you read will mention getting rid of cars. They preach going to a single car to attain early retirement. Even after you retire to save money. I do have to admit something to the early retirement world. I have a couple of non-utilitarian all-purpose cars and guess what? I still retired early. OK, before you start screaming out that Leisure Freak Tommy isn’t just a Freak but he is a full-blown idiot let me explain.

My Automotive Hobby is part of my Early Retirement Budget.

I buy and keep the cars that I enjoy and like forever. These don’t sit around as a museum piece. They are purpose driven. I am also trying to show that retiring early doesn’t have to mean you give up everything you love or are passionate about. It is about trade-offs. It’s about understanding what they are. How and if our actions or wants will negatively or positively impact our early retirement. These were over 10-year-old used cars when I bought them with cash. I never just look for a car and then buy one within a few days.

I actually hate buying used cars because of all that could be wrong and hidden. These things take much more time to get a good car cheap. Since I seem to already have a car when I am on the car-hunt I don’t have to be in any hurry.

Part of my Car Fever fun is always being on the lookout for something special.

At least one of my cars and for some people they might say both of my cars aren’t exactly frugally smart retiree utilitarian all-purpose vehicles. But they represent my hobby and car fever enthusiasm. A Leisure Freak has to have some fun.

Car Fever in my Early Retirement -Leisure Freak Tommy's primary rideMy primary daily driver car for the last 21 plus years is a 1981 Toyota SR5 mini-truck that I bought in March 1993. It had 140K miles on it and I paid $1300. My son and I had looked for the right truck for over a year and a half to customize and turn into a hardtop convertible. My son was just about 13 at the time which was our first car project together. We successfully made our economical fishing truck much more fun to drive. I have driven this truck through 6 western states and it now has over 320K miles on the odometer. There has been normal maintenance and some rebuilding through the years.

It’s actually very practical

Besides being my daily driver it doubles as a small hauler. A necessity for a homeowner. So far I have over 21 years of dependable fun. It has been worth every penny I have spent on it.

My son passed away 8 years after we did this custom work together. I will never part with this little pickup. I have many memories of our travels and adventures in it. It was a start to what would be his automotive career as an auto body repair tech and painter.

If I had to go to a single car in retirement, it would be this truck. My wife totally believes me when I say that and is not amused (no air conditioning other than going topless). She jokes that I will probably be buried in it.

Even though the mini-truck scene has long passed, there are so few of them left on the road that it sparks interest. I meet and talk to a lot of people who used to own or knew someone who owned a custom mini truck back in the day. It’s a driver and a decent 5 footer (looks great from 5 feet away).

My Early Retirement Ride

Car Fever in my Early Retirement - Leisure Freak Tommy's FRCI had looked 2 years for a 1999 Fixed Roof Coupe (FRC) Corvette. They only made about 4400 of them and I had an amount I was only willing to pay. Of which didn’t match what the market was asking. But in March 2009 when the Stock Market’s Dow dropped into the 6000s everyone panicked. Including the owner of what was to become my dream retirement ride. I paid $15k which was a huge discount of thousands of dollars. After all these years I could still easily sell it for what I paid or more. It had 40K miles on the odometer and like most of these FRCs had some work done to make it a race car.

We take this baby and travel across a few States yearly to the (BHCC) Black Hills Corvette Classic. Its LS1 V8 350 horsepower engine and 6 speed manual transmission will deliver over 30 MPG doing 79 MPH all day long. I have cruised with up to 36 MPG over 400 miles across Interstate 80 heading to Utah. It now has 62K miles and we do plan on cruising the Pacific Coast Highway soon with it.

In Closing

Both of these cars are totally worthless in snow so we have our regular cars for that kind of thing. I have budgeted for the yearly cost and without the daily commute adding hard miles to either of these two cars they should be repair-free for a while. I have to admit that it’s a good thing I only have a 3 car garage because I am tempted now and then to buy a classic car. This Car Fever in my Early Retirement is a sickness. But I am not ready for a cure. I am having way too much fun.

It is good to budget for your hobbies before you retire and have the funds set aside to do them. It is all part of planning ahead to what we are retiring to.

Am I a car crazy freak or just an idiot? Let me know what you think and whether you have some cool cars you hang on to or are looking to buy.

Extreme Frugal Life to Retire Early?

Automotive Hobby, Early Retirement Lifestyle, Frugal Living, Retire Early, Saving Money

Does it take living an Extreme Frugal Life to Retire Early? I believe there is no one plan or way for everyone to retire early. There are many sites and early retirement based articles. People who detail how they were able to retire early. Or articles providing advice on ways to reach your early retirement goals.

An article I read recently on Yahoo Finance was about people who successfully retired in their 30s by practicing what many consider an extreme frugal lifestyle. Based on what was expressed by many of those who commented on the article, the subjects of the article have retired to a lifestyle that would not be enjoyable. I am paraphrasing as some comments were a bit more negative.

I am not sure why articles about anyone who details THEIR successful early retirement strategies brings out some haters in the commenting world but I think people should read about their methods and take from it what will work for them.

There was a point made in the article which I feel is totally valid about figuring out what really makes you happy and living that life. That life shouldn’t be defined by stuff. I am sure that the frugal lifestyle that they live doesn’t feel deprived or extremely frugal to them at all.

Certainly anyone trying to accomplish early retirement should figure out what their idea of a life will cost. If you are aggressively saving for retirement you are probably already living that life. Obviously living an Extreme Frugal Life to Retire Early isn’t for everyone.

The definition of extreme frugality is different for everyone too as we all have our own thresholds of what that is. However it is a fact that the smaller your lifestyle expense footprint is, the less it will take in savings/investment money to support an early retirement. Everything has tradeoffs. I can see how living an extreme frugal lifestyle would certainly kick-start your savings. Maybe one could live that lifestyle for a predetermined period of time to pay off debts that are in the way of early retirement. A strategy of depriving oneself temporarily for a short time until financial goals are met. That would certainly be a valid strategy.

Did I Live an Extreme Frugal Life to Retire Early?

So how does Leisure Freak Tommy live in early retirement? I haven’t always lived below my means. In the early years when starting out and having 3 children I didn’t make enough to support us fully once my wife stopped working outside the home. Even with my working a second part-time job. I had enough to pay the monthly bills but any living costs above that ended up on a credit card. There were no emergency funds or vacation accounts.

We did have to live a somewhat extreme frugal life to keep expenses as close to income as possible. You do learn to be more self-sufficient. Learning how to repair things yourself, restrict going out, shopping primarily during sales and using coupons. Even though something was used when we bought it, it was still new to us. Most of the people I knew lived the same way. As salaries increased and the kids became older we really didn’t increase our lifestyle as it was time to pay off all of those debts and start saving more. Eventually there was a little more give in our budget, debts were all paid off, and we ramped up saving.

Some might say that my current lifestyle budget is a frugal lifestyle. It doesn’t feel that way to me, it’s just my lifestyle. I still have extended basic cable and I did keep my hot rod truck and sports car in retirement. I find enjoyment in my automotive hobbies. It’s my trade-off and accounted for in my budget. No different and possibly far less expensive than being a golfer. I would like to make this point. Being frugal is the easiest way to early retirement as it frees up more money for saving and then of course takes less to fund your retirement.

What Needs to be Done Frugally to Retire Early:

  • Determine what YOUR ideal retirement looks like and save, invest, and work just long enough to fund that life.
  • Find that sweet spot where you are living responsibly, below your means, and live it before you retire.
  • Try not to go into early retirement feeling like you are living a deprived life or one that doesn’t fit your vision of what your retired lifestyle should be.
  • Research and see what others have done to successfully retire early and take the parts of their strategies that works for you.
  • If your freedom is worth some extreme frugality then make that decision and go into it without feeling deprived.

So, is it worth it to you to live what others may consider an extreme frugal Life to Retire Early?