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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.
Good point, I forgot to mention evacuation insurance. Ours is Emergency Assistance Plus.
We avoid using public Wi-Fi for anything remotely sensitive. We have unlimited cellular data, and can create a personal Wi-Fi hotspot if we want to log in with our computer.
We are all different, but I would sell the car and forget about it. One less thing to worry about. No storage fees, no insurance payments, no worries about preserving its pristine condition, loss of value, etc. Whenever you return, there is Uber, etc., and should you plan to stay put here, then buy what you want. My goal in life is simplification, but again, we are all different.
Certainly a possibility for all those reasons.
My concern when needing long storage for a car I loved would be safety and security for the vehicle, not immediate drivability upon my return. If that sounds right for you, maybe be willing to put the car in a big storage locker, drain fluids, and pull the battery. Yes, you’d likely need a go over at a shop when you return, but surely that would be cheaper. Best advice I ever got about long travel: understand your travel as a journey, whatever that means for you. Travel in health and peace.
Thanks T, that’s an interesting angle. We’ll look into it.
We like your concept of travel as a journey, especially this kind of travel. We don’t really think of what we’re usually doing as a trip. Of course there are times within it that we’d call trips. Mostly it’s just the way we live, at least for now. And it is a journey, in more ways than one.
If you worried about the weight of the kettlebell while traveling, there are a number of versions that can be filled with water. (Emptied during transport and filled when at the destination to save the weight during travel.) Google “water filled kettlebell” or something similar. It might not help, but I thought I’d mention it.
Glad you mentioned it Nate. I briefly looked into fillable ones a few months back and haven’t thought about it since. As I recall, I didn’t see water filled any heavier than 35 pounds. I’ve seen sand filled that go up to 54, so that’s intriguing. Of course they won’t behave like iron and by necessity will be bigger than an iron bell of equivalent weight. But maybe better than no bell. I’d like to try one without spending $70 plus S&H for the privilege!
As it happens we spent the last four weeks in one place, so joined a gym to have more and heavier bells etc for a month, which has been nice. Will be able to do it again somewhere else in May after likely being with no bell for several weeks. I may have to make do with this, as we’re already talking about ditching a suitcase. Of course that would give me a free hand…
Thanks again for reminding me of this option.
I cannot emphasize strongly enough that you will be much, much happier, especially if you travel by train, if you travel light. I have traveled for months at a time with one 22-inch two wheeler and a day pack. (For European planes you need a 20-inch if you don’t want to check it.) My packing list is old, it dates from when I traveled with a backpack rather than a wheeled case, but should give you some ideas: https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/what-to-take-part-one/ This is more recent: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/packing-light
If you are staying put for a bit, looking for a local gym would certainly give you the opportunity to meet locals, but maybe a new life style calls for a new work-out routine? I found that travel wasn’t a bad workout on its own.
You’re so right, and your list is great!
We went to Europe with way too much last time. We’re taking less this time, and could still downsize more, but only to a point. A lot depends on what kind of lifestyle you want to have. If just hanging out and seeing the sights, one needs very little. If you want to go somewhere with a dress code, there’s that. I have a three day event that requires a “uniform” of sorts. Because we’re not taking a trip and going back “home” we have our computer as opposed to just a tablet. All that said, yes we could do with less. Baby steps 🙂
I’m cool shaking up the workout now and then. Had no kettlebells our last three month trip. This time I’ll need to renew my kettlebell instructor certification while away, so not really an option.
Glad you liked the list. I really should update it. More recently I traveled with an iPad, a smart phone and a digital camera, and a lot of people do without the camera. If you only need the dress-up clothes for three days it would be worth shipping them, at least one way. I don’t think the USPS actually ships anything any more (as opposed to flights) but you could check DHL, FedEx etc.
I suppose if you got really desperate, you could always lift the suitcase for some weight-bearing exercises.
haha, that is what I was thinking. And volunteer to carry other passengers suitcases, too….
If he travelled with the females in my family, he would pray for the lighter kettlebells! 🙂
Haha! Other weight bearing exercise is no problem, and I can always practice bodyweight strength skills. But ballistic exercises and kettlebell specific skills are much harder to cover without one, and ideally a sufficiently heavy one (or truly ideally two).
Sounds like an adventure! In your position, my having gone through over 75 autos in 50+ years as a back-door mechanic buying at auction prices and selling near retail. As well as having done something similar to what you’re doing when I was younger.These days. I’d opt for the option of leaving it with a friend, on the street if necessary, counting on a few scratches & new battery when you get back.You may be pleasantly surprised.
Thats really the only thing thats necessary under 1year.
The brake rotors will rust, that wears off after driving it again.
Other than that it’s only the battery.
You know the vehicles history. Thats important! It’s good to have something to count on for transport with minor input.
My Geico insurance will show up & jump or install, usually an interstate battery, for 8.00 annually, plus the cost of the battery. I always tip well these days because I remember the old days. Plus I’m still flipping autos.
Your call. Under 500 maybe, or renting & shopping for a hunk of plastic & metals till you like one. lol
Good points Evan. After all it’s a 2008, not like it doesn’t have a scratch or two. Although we’d likely need a set of tires too if parked for a year. Six months? Dunno.
I looked at Edmunds for recommendations on storing a car.( https://www.edmunds.com/car-maintenance/how-to-prep-your-car-for-long-term-storage.html ). Your list and their recommendations are very similar except they recommend a two week interval for the periodic starting and a short trip. If your car’s battery is a couple of years + old and you are gone for an extended time you may want to plan that after returning for your first trip to be to the auto parts store and have them drop a new battery in for heading out.
Happy travels.
Thanks William. Yes, we took a close look at these before storing in our own garage. Again, much simpler to contemplate when you (1) have a garage and (2) know how long you’ll be gone!
We have a brand new battery. That said, when we stored it before, we didn’t have anyone start it periodically, but rather just disconnected the battery completely. When we got home, we reconnected and she started right up; we just had to reprogram a few things (e.g., radio, seats and mirrors).
Our previous trips were only about three months, so we didn’t worry about flat spots on tires. But for a longer trip that could also be an issue unless the car is not only started, but driven.
Good point. My first long trip after buying my current Camry hybrid my friend just stopped by to check on things and I didn’t think to have him drive the car. When I got home I had to replace one of the batteries (my previous MX6 had survived just fine). I think it was driven every two weeks after that.
Michael, I would suggest that you go online to used-car sites and Craigslist, and research what other “Rexes” are selling for. You may be absolutely floored. The price of reliable used vehicles has gone insane.
I had a 17-year-old van that we weren’t driving much anymore. Last year I did the research and was shocked by what others like it were priced at. So I put it up on a couple of sites. It sold in a week for the asking price… which was 2/3 of what I had paid for it in 2005.
Good luck and have a great trip.
Thanks Mike. I did do that to come up with the $10k I mentioned in the article, but probably worth taking a relook.
Sounds like quite an adventure, I envy you. Have you planned it all out or just winging it?
We started out winging it. At this point, we happen to have more or less planned as far as August, with some unplanned gaps, but for sure across the pond through August and possibly further.
You say you may be in Europe for a year. You do know about the Schengen 90 day limit, right? (The UK gives you six months.)
When I was taking long trips (usually three months or so, but once ten months) I kept my house and garage and a friend drove my car every few weeks. Without a garage I would probably have left the car with friends. Your storage solution sounds good, and the difference between $180 and $240 probably small enough not to drive a decision.
Thanks for the heads up on visa policies. Yes, we’ve become well acquainted with those of the UK and the Schengen countries, as well as European non-Schengen countries.
I think you’re right about the storage solution. If you decide to pay for professional storage in the first place, the $180 to $240 hurdle isn’t that big.
Will you be blogging your trip?
We’ve no plans to.
If not selling it, I’d be inclined to leave it with a family member if they are agreeable to that and a care schedule . Call your insurance agent to explain the situation . I don’t think your premium will change that much unless they live in a higher loss area.
Thanks for the comment. As I may not have made clear, any family member we stored it with would have to park it on the street. So, not inclined to do this.
Also, if we store with family member A but have to get back to family member B halfway across the country, we might still need a rental. Meanwhile, professional storage would be near a major airport where we could enter and get the car before going where we need to go.