I am not an experienced hill walker, so when my wife and I planned to start walking The Camino Way, we had to go and buy new gear. If you have ever been in an outdoor store, you know there is almost unlimited amount of stuff you can need and most of it is expensive. I could not possibly afford all the gear in one year and if I did buy it all, I would have to go without some other time and I didn’t want to do that. So I asked experienced hill walkers what is the most important:
I spent money on making sure I got good quality for each of these items (the €20 I spent on 1 each pair of socks was worth it!). For clothing, I used what I already had at home and it did the job fine. As we go back to complete the entire walk over the next few years, I will add to what I have, bit by bit because I know I have the foundations right in having good shoes, socks and bag.
Starting off the financial planning process can be the same. There can be a huge list of things that you need to do and you will spend a fortune trying to do it all in one year. You need to start with the foundations. For most people, this is a pension, so you have sufficient income in retirement. Income protection, so you have sufficient income if you are sick. And life cover, so your family has sufficient income if you die. We can then add to this as the years go on.
What do you think you should have as your foundation? Let me know by sending me an email at steven@bluewaterfp.ie