We all know that traveling is an expensive hobby, but as one couple has shown, some regular things can be even more pricey.
After hitting their 50s, Richard and Angelyn Burk decided to retire and travel the world as they had always wanted. Yes, the venture is expensive, but as Angelyn, who is an account, worked out, doing so is actually cheaper than paying a mortgage on a house!
Since May 2021, the couple has technically been homeless as they decided to sell their house and live on cruises instead.
“We love to travel and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense,” Angelyn explained. After crunching some numbers, she worked out that it is much cheaper to do so than paying back the bank for a home on land.
The couple owned a residence in Tukwila, Washington where the average price of a house is around $604,000. This equates to an annual mortgage repayment of $44,000 if putting down 20 percent.
In contrast, living on a cruise ship for about $100 per night comes to $36,500 a year.
“When planning out cruises, I try to stay on the same ship as long as possible, as long as it is cost-effective,” said Angelyn.
And why not live on a cruise?
By living from port to port, the pair has food, entertainment, bed, board, and transport all covered!
So far, their travels have included a 51-day trip from Seattle to Sydney, and docking in Singapore, Italy, Canada, and the Bahamas.
“We don’t plan to permanently live on land in the future,” confirmed Angelyn. “Where else can you have your resort take you to different countries while relaxing by the pool or sleeping in a comfortable bed?”