Archive for the ‘Retirement Locations’ Category

South America offers a wide range of retirement destinations and many of them are both safe and affordable. From the tropical north to the temperate south there is a range of climates and countrysides to choose from. South America offers the retiree far more than many at first think. We will explore these options as we build this section of the web site.

Description South America, the planet’s 4th largest continent, includes (12) countries and (3) major territories. It contains the massive Amazon River and surrounding basin – the largest tropical rain forest in the world; the toothy-edged Andes Mountains, that stretch the entire length of the continent, and some of the most diverse and spectacular landforms on the planet.

Continent Size: 17,819,000 sq km 6,879,000 sq miles
Percent of Earth’s Land: 12%
Population: 379,500,000
Highest Point: Cerro Aconcagua Andes Mountains, Argentina – 22,833 ft (6,959m).
Lowest Point: Peninsula Valdes Argentina coastline -151 ft (-40m) below sea level.

Mexico!

Mexico is a large and varied country that offers much promise for the retiree but of late has acquired a reputation in some areas of being the ‘Kidnap Capital of the World’. We will build this page with more information and explore that statement in due course.

The poorer countries of the world are attractive to many looking for an affordable place to call home. Somewhere that their retirement dollar will stretch to provide them with a decent standard of living, close to what they were used to back home when they were making a regular living. Sadly the burgeoning baby boomer retiree population is finding life in the First World a tad too expensive on what is left of their 401Ks, superannuation, pensions and what not.

So their attention turns to the third world where they can get more bang for their buck. The cost of living has risen in the Philippines just as it has everywhere else in the world. Risen sharply in many ways. I wonder how the average Filipino family manages, but then they have managed for generation after generation, so why should the current fiscal situation be any different?

If you want to live like a white rajah, then expect to pay for it! If you are happy living on a basic diet of dried fish and rice then you can get by on very little indeed. For most of us, though, we need to tread the middle path. You can live on US$500 a month in the provinces but it will be like camping in many respects. Forget airconditioning, driving your own car and going out to dinner all the time. This is you and the Filipina of your choice living in a small, rented house or apartment, shopping mostly at the local market and rarely buying supermarket items. You don’t travel around, you might have cable TV or internet access but perhaps not both and you don’t call home very often.

For US$1000 a month you get to enjoy some imported foods, turn on the airconditioning, drive a small, used car and go out a few times every month. For US$1500 you can live pretty much wherever you want to and live well and for US$2000 a month I’d say you can live in Manila and live well. Nice apartment, domestic helper, good food, lots of entertainment, everything you want.

How much do you live on now? How well do you live on that? How would you like to live in the Philippines?

Latin America As A Retirement Destination!

Latin America has a lot to offer as a retirement destination, especially for those of us on a shoe string budget or who simply wish to live within our limited means. Anywhere south of the Rio Grande; Mexico, Central and South America, over twenty possible countries for you to choose from.

Some of these countries do have serious security issues but not all the time and not in every city and town. Many are safer than the USA or many european countries and welcome retirees while others are for the more adventurous among us. These pages will present information and links to sites where you can gain more knowledge and make more informed choices.

Of course there is no ‘due diligence’ like actually taking a trip somewhere and seeing for yourself the lay of the land. ‘Time spent in reconnaissance is never wasted’ is the old maxim and it is as true for retirement as it is for war.

If you speak Spanish then the other ‘America’ is an attractive option for you to consider. Brazil speaks Portuguese, French Guiana uses French of course and Suriname is a Dutch speaking locale but there are a couple of English speaking options in Belize and Guyana. Not all countries are retiree friendly but many are and we will link you with the people who have the answers.

The Philippines – Fun, Friendly, Filipinas!

The Philippines has a reputation as a fun filled island nation that has Filipinas on tap and available, yet can also be a dangerous place for the expat or tourist. As is often the case the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

It can be a dangerous place but no more so than any big city in North America or Europe and a lot safer than most. Unless you go out of your way looking for trouble you can spend a lifetime in the Philippines and never experience anything more traumatic than a ‘brown-out’ (what they call a power failure or blackout).

The Filipina, as the female Filipino is known, is a loving and loyal person indeed, yet there are plenty who are ever ready to part the naive and the gullible rich ‘Kano’ (Amerikano) from his many dollars. Even if you are not at all well off by your own country’s standards, in the Third World you are richer than they are and that is good enough for some!

How do you identify the scammers and the cheats? The danger signs and the cultural indicators? Follow the links on this page to a treasure trove of experience and wisdom because forewarned is forearmed.

This English speaking country nestled between Asia and the Pacific is not the place for a first timer to choose to settle in or retire to unless they have done their research and due dilligence, perhaps even spent a few months there on vacation. For those old Asia-hands though, that first cold San Miguel will barely touch the sides and you will enjoy the familiar ‘I’m home!’ feeling just an hour after leaving Nino Acquino International Airport in Manila. Even if you are just waiting in transit to fly on to Cebu or ‘Fly The Bus’ to Angeles, you will immediately start to relax and feel those years roll off your shoulders. Welcome to da Pilipeens!

Relocate – Moving You To Where You Really Should Be!

Relocate And Escape The Rat Race! Relocate means to move somewhere else, be it overseas or over the road, even over the state line. Become an ex-patriate (colloquially known as an ‘expat’) and live in a foreign country where the cost of living is more affordable when you are on a fixed and perhaps less than generous income.

Escape to somwhere else and you can begin your life anew, start fresh and be whoever it is you want to be at this time of your life. This doesn’t have to mean being dishonest or deceitful but there is no rule that says you have to tell everybody you meet your life story. Why not become a man of mystery?

Relocating to somewhere else can stretch your income a lot further than if you remain where you were when you left work for the last time. Many third world countries actively encourage retirees from western countries while others tolerate you even as they welcome your hard currency.

Whether you have dollars, pounds, euros or sponduliks to spend, we will refer to your currency as dollars from here on in, just to make it simpler. You might choose Costa Rica, the Philippines, Panama, Portugal or Port Douglas in FarNorth Queensland as your retirement haven. Wherever you decide to settle, we should be ble to supply you with some valuable information and insight or at the very least, point you towards the web sites that can answer your questions.