It's not complicated. It's all about truly enjoying each other's company and essentially thinking alike.
Example:
The year was 2007 ...preceding the great crash and loss of lots of folks investments. I was learning about finances myself as we could no longer trust our financial advisor. All I was reading pointed to selling your real estate high and looking for a place to reduce your cost of living. (Bill & I had fully planned to stay in Hawaii another decade BTW...surfing til we dropped dead)
Hawaii real estate was inflated to about 3 times it's true value. Soooo over a years time ( 2006-2007) we sold a $3000.00 investment in a lot in the Bahamas we bought sight unseen through Surfer Magazine in 1980 ( our proposed surfing retirement spot)....get this, for $20,000. We took that asset...Bill bought the Harley always wanted and we took the rest and got our property ready for sale. Meanwhile I researched everything south of the Mexican border for a potential retirement place.
Fast forward once again...2007: I discovered a beautiful peaceful house with a hell of a view in the mountains of Panama...where a permanent visa is literally handed out to retirees on Soc Sec who apply. I went down there all by myself while Bill stayed in Hawaii and worked. I came back with pictures and full report and as well hired up an attorney there. In 2 1/2 months ( Bill was convinced) we had sold our condos in Hawaii (tripled our investment ) and moved to Panama. Bill sold his beloved Harley, something he has not yet recovered from. We removed all our retirement assets in stupid muni bonds that lost about $60K...and invested in the Asia direction...made all the money we lost back and then some. I could go on and on. BUT...these are HUGE life decisions we made together ia a sort of knee jerk sort of way...trusting each other, knowing full well how we think alike, and trusting our research together.
2013...Happy as clams in Panama. We still surf and enjoy all the things we loved in Hawaii ( except Billy's Harley). Don't miss working. We are a VERY thankful couple.
Our backyard....a view that's ever changing and always breath taking.
Two heads that think alike...and enjoy each other. How blessed we are !