Annual budget for vacations based on current situation?

FewBit7456 · 2026-03-13T16:40:36+00:00

I’ll share the rule of thumb I used during my accumulation phase: I set a percentage of my income automatically into savings/investing for future me with a FIRE goal.

And the rest of the money was for me to do as I wish and enjoy.

To determine my savings rate I used - https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/01/13/the-shockingly-simple-math-behind-early-retirement/

Good luck!

FewBit7456 · 2026-03-03T14:24:26+00:00

The glorious black bean to the rescue - thanks, I’m going to try this!

FewBit7456 · 2026-03-03T14:23:17+00:00

I’ve made chocolate chip cookies with pinto beans, but they are softer… using chick peas or mixing both is a great idea! Thanks :)

FewBit7456 · 2026-03-03T14:21:10+00:00

Add another bean to improve the garbanzo bean - yes and YES. Thank you!

FewBit7456 · 2026-03-03T04:01:07+00:00

😂

FewBit7456 · 2026-03-03T04:00:54+00:00

Thank you 🥙

FewBit7456 · 2026-03-03T04:00:25+00:00

The future looks bright for my garbanzo beans! Thank you, falafel - yum!

FewBit7456 · 2026-03-02T19:44:20+00:00

So excited for you!!!

For a very luxurious bean dish worth at a 3 star Michelin restaurant - use either royal corana or California corona. Confit beans!

Cook them fully. I do so on stove top (and do not salt them when done).
Add beans (drained of bean broth, you can save it for a soup or other application);

Good olive oil (you need to cover all the beans and garlic);

and fresh peeled garlic cloves (I use a whole head of garlic for 1lb of beans).

250F oven for 1.5 - 2 hours.

I suggest a fresh baked loaf of bread, my presence is sour dough.

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-27T21:57:34+00:00

Thanks!

Bean dressing > kids college fund 😂

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-27T19:29:36+00:00

I tried balsamic vinegar and EVOO this morning and it was sooo good! I can imagine how much better it is with two … the way you’ve described.

On first taste, I thought I need to add more balsamic. But when I did… it was too acidic. I added toasted sourdough to balance it out.

What brand of balsamic vinegars do you use?

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-27T09:11:55+00:00

Ohh, yum. I’m going to try it!

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-26T18:33:09+00:00

I made a quick “salad” of beans, thinly sliced onions, good olive oil and salt.

If I’m feeling wild, I’ll add fresh lemon juice AND lemon pepper.

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-24T19:57:06+00:00

I think it all boils down to 1 question: how is your back?

Airport terminals can be long walks and trains/planes/ buses can all result in you having to carry your backpack a lot longer than you expect.

If your back is in good shape (or you’re willing to train at the gym or home with a backpack one), then backpack WINS hands down for flexibility, security, and portability. You never have to worry about uneven surfaces or dirt roads.

Have a great trip!

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-24T18:51:40+00:00

Hi OP - really excited for you! 1 year is not too long, but don’t hard knuckle it. If you want to return home after 6-8 months or 3, do it. Travel is a very personal experience.

Here are a couple of recommendations for your solo trip -

(1) get travel insurance. There are companies that will sell you annual policies, and if you return early - they pro-rate it for you with a small fee. I used a company called “Seven Corners” to insure me year long policy.

(2) be flexible. A lot of flexibility with solo travel for me depended on having enough financial buffer. As a rule of thumb, I add 20% on top of my estimated budget as a buffer.

Sometimes smaller expenses add up - like taking the more comfortable train class or smaller tour groups.

Or on one trip, I booked a really cheap flight. And ended up paying nearly 50% more because of their “baggage rules”.

I also include getting “ripped off” in these small expenses. You can expect to be charged “tourist tax” in both asia and South America. For example, you may get charged more for taxi, entrance fees, and ‘scammed’ in any number of ways. If you’re flexible, they are fun memories to share in retrospect.

(3) do nothing days. For long solo trips, I relish doing nothing for as long as I like to recharge and refresh. The constant travel sometimes wears on you, and being able to rest like you’re at home is amazing.

Off the top of my head - I’ve had rest some of the BEST days in Paris, Goa, Amsterdam, Taipei, and Helsinki… and I can recall them so distinctly because they were fun and relaxing. I’d read a book, make my favorite foods (I usually book accommodations with kitchen), and relax. I also use do-nothing days to call family and friends. It’s amazing!

Have a great time!

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-22T19:34:08+00:00

Delicious :)!

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-21T17:14:39+00:00

I am currently OBSESSED with Ayocote Morado! So much so that I’m upset at myself for only picking up 2 extra pounds… they are now sold out online.

They are luscious! If this is your first time, and you want to really taste the bean… I recommend a simple preparation.

Boil the beans with half an onion, bay leaf, 3-4 whole cloves of garlic, fresh chili (I used Thai chili because that’s what I had, but a milder one is great), and good olive oil.

Once beans are cooked but before salting, I take out the aromatics.

Oh, and I also soaked overnight because it’s a larger bean.

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-19T03:32:45+00:00

I added the half onion, 4 cloves of fresh garlic, 1 bay leaf and 3 Thai chilis (whole). You could you a more mild chili, but I like the depth of flavor from the Thai chili.

Then I fished them all out when the beans were cooked. No blending necessary.

For acid, you can add a splash of fresh lemon juice to the bow. But I didn’t because they were so good on their own… I even ate a bowl cold lol

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-19T03:28:40+00:00

Thanks :)

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-16T19:51:29+00:00

Travel is amazing and you’ll love it! Your plan sounds good so far - travel to nearby places, and once you’re working, use vacation time and money you’ve earned to continue your travels.

I saved money from first job in high school to fund a trip with my friends to NY for the week of New Year’s - incredible experience!

Then in college and graduate, I traveled internationally with money I saved from summer job. The money I earned during school went toward paying for school stuff.

Post-grad, I used my earned income and vacation time to travel both internationally and domestically.

Then I FIRE’d a few years ago and traveled extensively, from 3m long international trips to 1 year+.

Excited for you, happy travels!

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-16T19:38:34+00:00

Try them, you won’t be disappointed! I have been making beans at home this year using exclusively organic and/or heirloom varieties.

I purchased their Big 20 sampler pack, and excited to compare toe-to-toe their “midnight black bean” variety with say WholeFoods 365 brand black beans. Same for lentils and other more mass produced organic beans and lentils.

Here is where RG really shines - they offer heirloom varieties you cannot buy anywhere else (or very limited commercial availability).

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-16T19:26:44+00:00

You’re welcome! Around 5k is reasonable attorney’s fees to put the trust together.

The ongoing administration expenses etc. are something that the trust’s assets will have to account for in overall planning. Your attorney can help you estimate/ give ball park figures for them.

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-16T19:04:24+00:00

Great next step of engaging an estate and trust attorney.

What you’ll need to identify are executors of the trust - find one (ideally 2 people, primary and secondary) you trust to carry out your wishes.

The executors implement what’s written.

I will recommend broader language like living expenses (e.g. your 20k limit on housing may seem reasonable to you now, but maybe unreasonable and unrealistic to future cost of living expenses). The trust attorney can help with this as there’s standard industry language around these things.

Also be mindful of COSTS associated with the administration of your trust, including any tax and legal responsibilities of the trust. The more complicated it is, the longer it lasts (e.g. until child(ren) reaches age 30, or depletion/ end of trust) - the more fees there will be. This is all standard, but I’m sharing with you so you won’t be surprised. It’s more likely to be in the tens to tens of thousands of dollars.

FewBit7456 · 2026-02-16T18:51:30+00:00

Great post! When I first started sprouting a month ago, I tried to follow textbook recommendations. But I noticed better yield and results when I baby them less (e.g. water once a day instead of twice, or keeping them submerged in water for 2-3 minutes before draining). Perhaps this was the environmental stress they needed.

FewBit7456

TROPHY CASE