American Couple Retire in Style on a Cruise Ship for Less Than $16,000 a Year

Robert Griffin
Richard and Angelyn Burk
instagram | nil

With each year that passes by the cost of living in major cities keeps rising. Inflation is real and that has adverse effects on the spending power of the people living in the major cities. For most couples as well as singles, rent or mortgage on a house is often the biggest expense every month. In most cases, it can exceed 50% of their monthly income. While people have been coming up with clever ways to reduce the amount spent on housing, Angelyn and Richard Burk from Seattle have taken things to a whole new level in order to reduce the money they spend on housing while also achieving their long-time dream of being able to travel the world.

Pre-Planning

Angelyn and Richard Burk always knew they wanted to retire early. And in order to do so, the couple lived below their means for a number of years saving each penny they possibly could. The couple started crunching numbers in early 2021 and once they realized they could make their cruise living a reality, they embarked on their first trip in May 2021. Angelyn Burk shared that being mindful of the budget and not getting sucked into spending for fancier rooms or beverage packages are a few ways by which the couple manages to stick to their daily allowance goals.

A Long-Time Goal

Richard and Angelyn Burk
instagram | nil

The couple first went on a cruise shortly after they got married in 1992 and since then it became an annual and sometimes bi-annual affair for the Burks. They always knew they wanted to travel the world once they retired and living on cruise ships marries two of the things they love the most. According to reports, the couple spends $43/day which includes food as well as housing on a cruise ship. This works out to a measly $15,696 a year which is several thousand cheaper than they would spend in any major city. Sometimes they allow themselves to spend up to $135/ a day which would total about $49,275 a year.

A Solid Retirement Plan

Richard and Angelyn Burk
instagram | nil

While speaking to CNN Angelyn said, "Currently, this year, we have secured 86 cruise days with an average all-in cost of $89/day for both of us. Which includes room, food, entertainment, transportation, gratuity, port fees, and taxes. This is well within our retirement budget." Thus far the couple has visited Singapore, Italy, Canada, Iceland, and the Bahamas sometimes more than once.

A Marriage of Two Passions

Richard and Angelyn Burk
instagram | nil

She continued, “Our original plan was to stay in different countries for a month at a time and eventually retire to cruise ships as we got older. We love to travel and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense.” When they are not cruising around the world on various ships, the couple stay on land often with friends or relatives. They set up base for a few days at one location before setting sail once again. They plan to do this till they are physically unable to do so.