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IT HAS BEEN THREE months since we closed on the sale of our home and drove away from the storage unit that contains everything we couldn’t donate, sell, give away or take with us. It was a big decision to have no fixed abode, and we feel great about it.
We’re about to move our rambling lifestyle across the pond to spend some time in the U.K. and continental Europe, and we have no return date in mind. That means our “living out of four suitcases” way of life is going to get real. No more four suitcases plus a couple of boxes, a shopping bag of extra shoes, and one of my 14 kettlebells in various nooks and crannies in the car. Keep in mind that the suitcases have a wardrobe for all four seasons, everything from shorts to synthetic down.
The kettlebell will be hard to leave but would also be hard to take along. I expect to struggle quietly with that decision for the next couple of months, but will spare folks that deliberation. I’ll focus on a different one that more readers can relate to: What to do with our car?
We have a 2008 Lexus SUV that we’ve owned since 2011, know very well and are happy with. Our four wheeled friend “Rex” had one owner before us who was as diligent about preventive maintenance as we’ve been. Rex is about to mark 140,000 miles and our mechanic estimates has many miles left to go. Yes, we’d like to have some of the comfort and safety features that come with newer models, but we’re in no rush to change cars.
Last year, when we went to Europe for three months at a time, it was easy to simply store the car in our garage. We’d fill the fluids, overfill the tires, disconnect the battery and, as they say, “Bob’s your uncle.” This time, our options are complicated not only by having no garage, but also by not knowing how long we’ll be gone.
An online estimate from CarMax says it’ll give us $5,000. Is that what it’s worth? No, that’s what we could easily and conveniently get for it, dropping it off on the way to Dulles International Airport. A better estimate of market value is what similar vehicles are going for, which some internet research tells me is around $10,000. No, that’s not based on Blue Book values, which I’m told are unreliable these days.
We found a good storage service that will keep the car covered and drive Rex within its compound, as well as run the heating and AC and cycle the power windows, for (gulp) $240 a month, with storage set at a four-month minimum. The service also has a more basic option that involves simply starting the car and letting it idle for 20 minutes each month for $180. But if it’s worth storing at all, it’s worth storing properly. Assuming we’re gone for a year, that’s at least $2,160, or more likely $2,880.
Unless an employer is reimbursing the cost, I suspect few people would spend that sort of money to store a $10,000 vehicle unless the car’s a rarity. Rex’s sentimental value probably shouldn’t move the needle much. Indeed, if we knew we wouldn’t return for a year, we’d just sell. The thing is, we don’t know. We may come back to the U.S. in a few months for whatever reason, and it would sure be nice to just fly in and pick up good ol’ Rex. What about renting a car instead? The cost for a month would be roughly what it might cost us to store Rex for a year.
There’s the middle ground of leaving the car with a friend or family member, but that comes with complexity of its own. How is it insured? How is it cared for? Anyone we can think of would still have it parked on the street. How easily can we get it back when we need it? Depending on the circumstances of where we need to be and how quickly, we might still find ourselves needing a rental.
It’s been a week since I drafted this article and we’re still no closer to a decision. Flights are booked. One way or another, a decision’s got to be made.
Michael Perry is a former career Army officer and external affairs executive for a Fortune 100 company. In addition to personal finance and investing, his interests include reading, traveling, being outdoors, strength training and coaching, and cocktails. Check out his earlier articles.
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Michael, Rather than lugging a kettle bell along, if body weight exercises are not sufficient variety to your regular program (see extensive list, including advanced more challenging versions, at https://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/fulltext/2022/03000/developing_a_home_based_body_weight_physical.7.aspx specifically the list link/download within the “Sidebar: Valuable Resource” https://links.lww.com/FIT/A201 ), then you could add elastic bands to your suitcase for minimal weight. If you have a variety of anchor points heights (low, medium, high, e.g. railing, playground structure, tree) you can do almost any exercise movement pattern and speed you can do with free weights or kettle bells. I added elastics to my home gym during COVID months, and really liked the addition and include them ever since. If you try elastics, I suggest you: (a) buy quality commercial grade ones, such as First Place Superbands from https://www.performbetter.com/ (I have no affiliation); (b) buy one each of a couple of different thicknesses (e.g., ¼ inch + ½ inch + ¾ inch) to allow you to combine them in various patterns to adjust the load; (c) take a 24 inch rope to connect the elastic(s) to the anchor (better than wrapping the elastic around the anchor); and (d) perhaps connect a handle with a strong steel clip for more comfort. I notice that the company listed above also sells bands marketed for “Travel” https://www.performbetter.com/First-Place-Travel-Band , which I have not tried. Also, I don’t have confidence in the door jam anchors so I don’t use them. Also, if you want to try heavy water filled weights, see https://ultimateinstability.co.uk/products/aquaball?variant=41598994809028 where the largest size weights up to 90 pounds when full. Bon exercice
Thanks S for the comment and links. Agree elastics are a great option for travel. In this particular case, I need to renew my kettlebell instructor certification this summer, so ideally want at least periodic access to some in the time leading up to it in order to be on top of the testing requirements.
I’ve figured the next few months of training sufficiently that my bell will be staying in the US. Still thinking about the car.
If the probability of you returning in 12 months is high, do not sell the vehicle. You know and love the vehicle. It could be difficult to get something similar on short notice. My recommendation is to leave the Lexus with someone who you trust unequivocally. The insurance and maintenance (couple of oil changes?) expenses will be a few hundred dollars. Let the person drive it for a few days a month. Its a win/win situation. You will have a car in good running shape when you come back. The individual taking care of the car will have free transportation for some of the time. Cheers!
Yep, except for the fact we’re now not convenient to people we know and trust unequivocally and who would want to do it. That would require a few extra days to relocate the car and fly out of somewhere else. And the issues raised in the article about leaving with friend or family. But not completely off the table.
Hi Michael. This isn’t exactly on your topic, but my husband and I are considering doing the same thing and leaving the US for a year or so to travel. What are you doing for healthcare while you travel and also, how are you dealing with dual authetification for financial accounts etc. (I have been puzzling over this). Anything you would feel comfortable sharing would be welcome. Thanks you. Bradley
Hi Bradley. Great things to think about.
Health care: Our plan covers us if we get hurt or sick overseas. It does not cover exams/wellness checks, so we’re making sure to be up to date on those before we go.
I think sickness/injury coverage is a must have. If your plan doesn’t include it, it’s available on the side. I think we could buy other coverage to cover wellness checks too, but haven’t looked into it. Also haven’t dug deep into what getting public health care would cost in Europe or anywhere else. Maybe others can comment.
Prescriptions are a pain. Talk to your doctor in advance about getting a year supply. And expect some pushback from your insurance company anyway. Start early. We got good tips from a pharmacist so you might talk to one.
Two factor authentication: we do it the same way we do here. We will keep our US phone numbers operational and on. We know folks in Spain who just pop their US SIM card in when they need to as institutions won’t use foreign numbers for this purpose. Btw we also have the apps for all our institutions on our phones.
Here’s another one o think about – mail. We have a mail service that gets and opens all our mail and lets us know what it is. We have them forward, shred or hold. This includes packages which we of course minimize.
Hope that helps!
I recommend evacuation/repatriation insurance as well as medical. I buy mine from Seven Corners.
I used to buy international SIMs, and then in-country SIMs, but now I have a T-Mobile account that works in many countries and includes unlimited low speed data.
If you are going to use wifi on public networks you need a VPN. Mine is from Proton although I have also used Witopia.