u/Fantastic-Sun1669

I am in the early research stages of planning our one time only safari trip for sometime in 2029 (still can’t figure out the best time of year to go) and I have SO many questions. I’m really struggling with Tanzania vs South Africa - can folks share which is is generally considered to be the “ideal” safari for fit, healthy retired folks who would be 66 and 71 at the time of the trip?

In Tanzania, I love the idea of luxury tent camps because of the absolute authenticity of that experience (in a luxury tent, hearing the animals at night, opening the curtains on your open air porch to hopefully an elephant walking through the camp in front of you!) but I also recognize that I can be a little bougie and wonder if 10-12 days straight in this environment with the early mornings and long days is going to get a little overwhelming and exhausting.

Tanzania has those gorgeous scenery views to go along with the animals but it seems that wildlife sightings may have the animals be far off in the distance and the guides must stay in the main roads at all times so maybe you wouldn’t get to see them so well.

On the flip side, in South Africa they have the lodges on game preserves and those look beautiful but maybe
not as authentically rustic and cool as the Tanzania experience but definitely bougie and the animals can be very up close and personal sightings which would be amazing.

How on earth do people decide which type of safari to do? I think we are looking for a 10-14 day trip (unless that’s just too much all at once) and want to keep the safari costs to $15k for two all in (we know international flights from US, insurance visas and tips for guides are extra expenses) and are trying to keep the total budget to $22K if we can.

Is this a reasonable expectation? I honestly don’t even know how to begin planning this for us…and I am worried that I will choose Tanzania and be kicking myself that we didn’t go with South Africa or vice versa.

The ideal safari for me would be a combination of what I described - the first half being epic scenery/views with animals and staying for a few nights in luxury tents then the second half having some time to rest and relax a little but still doing some game drives with safe, up close animal encounters while staying at a beautiful lodge.

Does such a safari exist? Help please if you have advice or kind thoughts!

I am 63 and married for 30 years - husband is 67 and retired from corporate 2+ years ago. We are financially sound - our FA says we are in great shape with nothing to worry about and that I can retire at any time. I am burned out with my corporate job and am just ready. The original plan was for me to work another 2 years until age 65 and then retire once I have Medicare. We moved that to next summer when I am 64 and we were both ok with that - but work is just killing my soul and I am so ready to just lay it all down and start living the rest of my life without the stress and responsibility of my job.

My husband absolutely won’t hear of it - in his mind, he needs the emotional cushion of another year of my good salary and says it’s just too much money to walk away from. I only make $150k year and while some would say that’s quite a lot of money, in this day and age it’s not nearly as much as it used to be. He grew up a little on the poor side and really struggles with becoming a spender of our money as opposed to being a saver and doesn’t really believe our FA that we will really be okay and that we have enough saved to live very well. I, on the other hand believe every word and trust that we will be ok. Can things happen? Sure, but if the experts are saying you can have a really nice retirement for the next 25-30 years, then I believe them.

At this point, I feel like wasting a year of my life at my age when I am the healthiest I have ever been and have the energy, stamina and desire to try new things, travel and hike and just enjoy my life is just horrible. Every day at work is spent thinking of all of the other I could be doing that I want to do. Note: I am retiring TO my new life, not retiring FROM my old one. I am genuinely excited and have plans to try new hobbies, spend time at the gym without constantly monitoring the time since I am there on lunch break, spending time with him on our motorcycle, hiking with our dogs, learning to cook new foods - all the things. I am seriously ready.

How do I convince him that wasting another year of my life is unfathomable and that we should just enjoy our life spending the money we have worked so hard to earn? Has anyone been through this and if yes, any advice?

EDIT: wow! I never anticipated this many responses! There is no way I can respond to everyone but I wanted to add that I do love the man, I care about his feelings and his fears and I’m really just trying to find out how people go from being savers of money to being ok being spenders of said money.

We are best friends and love hanging out together so no, he isn’t trying to protect his space. We have been home together since the early 2010’s both WFH and we know how to coexist peacefully 24/7 - been doing it for many years. He’s not mean, nasty or a jerk - he’s just struggling to spend the money we have spent a lifetime saving. It’s s a completely different mentality for him and meanwhile, I am totally ok with that part. Doesn’t stress me at all.

He does all of the house/yard work except laundry and cooking which I do. We have a very equitable division of labor and responsibilities.

Hubby WFH, too at his corporate job for 23 years (way before it was cool and common) before retiring in 2024 at age 65. He retired for the same reasons as what I feel - just couldn’t sit down at that desk anymore, was struggling with bosses and processes and just wanted out. He was planning to work until July 2025 but went in April 2024 and I encouraged him. He was just so miserable.

Now you are going to say “well he should understand” and part of him probably does but he’s a guy and since the original plan was I go at 65 and he agreed to me going one year early next summer, then in his way of thinking, he has already met me halfway and says I should just stick to my end of the bargain. But I have since changed my mind and just don’t want to keep faking it at work when I just don’t care anymore. I want my real life to start.

I WFH and have for the past 15 years so it’s not the commute, the office and all the office drama to is affecting me. It is just dealing with being tied to my desk at home every day and feeling like every day I work is one less day I did what I wanted to do. I have absolutely “quietly quit” and do the bare minimum so it’s not the workload. It’s simply that I just do not care about the projects, the OKR’s, the profit margins and the clients. It just all seems pointless and I am tired of “circling back”, “putting a pin in that”, “moving the dial” and people “getting over their ski tips” 🙄

Hubs says “it’s not that bad, you aren’t at a breaking point like I was and you can do it for another year”. And I just feel trapped in my job and the next 12 months feels like 12 years ahead of me although I know I am being a little dramatic and time goes very quickly at this age. And I was just wondering if anyone had been through something similar.

Our portfolio is sound and FA has modeled all scenarios and we still come out in great shape even when the plan is stressed. Net worth of 2.2M and very low debt. Even spending what we need to spend to maintain our current very nice lifestyle where we more or less do and buy what we want and having a 20K+ travel allowance every year - we still end up leaving 1-2M to the kids after we are gone.

We aren’t taking SS until 70 for him and 67 for me so have another couple of years before he starts drawing and I am 4 years away. The plan still works.

If I retired today, I would do COBRA for 18 months and a bronze ACA plan for 6 months leading up to 65 in 2028 and the FA has factored all of that in. Waiting until the end of 2026 obviously means COBRA until Medicare which is probably the better idea and somewhere in me, I can work up the wherewith-all to make it another 6 months but I am honestly curious as to why I feel 6 months is marginally do-able and 12 months feels like prison. I guess that’s worth exploring in my side.

I do see a therapist and will certainly talk to her about all of this but I honestly just wondered if anyone else has been in this situation.