Posts Tagged ‘cheap retirement living’

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.

Internet income ideas is a broad heading under which you could list thousands of different ways to ask people for their money. Not necessarily make money, just ask for it. For every idea of how to make money via the internet that works there would be hundreds that are nothing more than ‘GRQs’, or Get Rich Quick schemes. They all tend to lack one thing… value for the customer.

According to the entry in Wikipedia for ‘Passive Income’, “Edward de Bono in his book Handbook for the Positive Revolution states that “at some point value must be created in order to be distributed and enjoyed.” There is a lot of real value on the Internet, and a lot of it is free to any websurfer. There is value in free information, free education, free entertainment, free socialization, and social interaction platforms. Since the beginning of the commercialization of the Web, entrepreneurs have been trying to find viable business models of selling the web content and services. Some of the problems of selling the online content can be attributed to high cost of software, high cost of qualified labour, expensive equipment, office space etc. These can be minimized in one person operations which use free software and have very small business overheads. In such cases, even a relatively modest income, together with frugal lifestyle, might be sufficient enough to form a basis for a viable passive income model.”

That sounds like it is right up our cheap retirement living alley. However… always keep in mind two things. First of all, Caveat Emptor. Let the buyer beware. Secondly, if it seems too good to be true then it is. A lot of ‘passive income’ web sites come across as being run by genuine, transparent regular run of the mill folks who have discovered a secret that will make anyone who applies it very rich. Think this through. If it were that easy then surely the really rich people of the world would surely have this sewn up and monopolized!

Some people do make a good income from the internet but they are in the minority. Most people make NOTHING. It is worse than a hobby for them as it costs them money and doesn’t give back the enjoyment even stamp collecting or scrap booking would because of unmet expectations.

My advice is that you can make a modest income from the net, at least enough to supplement your other income streams, but it does take some knowledge and effort. It is all learnable, even for old dogs so don’t despair. Just be a little more cautious about slapping down your hard earned dollars to learn the latest ’secret’.

Indirect Savings Are The Secret To Saving The Most Cash!

Indirect savings are the monies saved when you either buy something… or don’t buy something! Nobody can save 100% of their income except perhaps the President or a kept woman or ‘toyboy’! We need to spend money every day to live: to buy food, pay rent or mortgage or for utilities such as electricity and water.

While direct savings are the percentage of our income we put aside and don’t spend, this page and linked pages are all about saving money when we do spend it. Buying smarter in other words.

When you are on a fixed income as most retirees are, it is important to wring every cent of value out of each dollar that you can. When that fixed income also has the adjective ‘low’ included then it is even more imperative.

We can save a lot of money each year in many ways. Not buying something. Buying in bulk. Buying at the right time and only when items are on sale. But there is more to it than that. Asking for discounts and making it a habit to do so, every time you part with money and no matter to whom or where.

We need to switch on to how we can save when we spend and a little time and effort applied will reap rewards in the form of money. YOUR money. As the saying goes, it is better in your pocket than his! This is not rocket science but it is important to think before handing over your money.

Do you really need this item? Right now? Think it over for 24 hours and if you really need it tomorrow, then go back and buy it. You will be surprised how few times you actually return! The reality is that for most of us we impulse buy. We buy things we want or like but don’t need. Fine if it is just now and then but sadly we are conditioned to be consumers and we do it habitually.

Let those with the big pay checks keep the wheels of capitalism and industry turning. Cheap retirement living aficionados are not responsible for keeping the global economy afloat. For us it is often a case of plain old economic survival.

People who made it through the Great Depression and the Post-War years know all about tightening belts and getting by on less. They know it can be done and it can be fun doing it, too! We will look at lots of ways of saving money and enjoying the process. It will take some mindshifting but if you approach it as a challenge to meet then you will emerge not only financially better off but I think you will soon prefer living within your means and not beyond it. All the while contributing to the ecology of our planet. Even if you can’t be a part of the solution, don’t be a part of the problem!

Health – You Only Get One Serving Per Lifetime.

Health is vital to successful retirement living and especially cheap retirement living. It can be a major concern and once lost, it may never be recovered.

Learn about the most common ailments facing men and women as they age, from cancer to hemorrhoids. An ailment doesn’t have to be life threatening to make retirement living not only uncomfortable, but expensive, even totally draining of ones’ finances. Not all ailments require expensive medical treatment. We will explore home remedies and natural alternatives to expensive medical treatment. As well, we will look at the cost of professional care overseas and weigh up the cost -vs- risk factors for you.

What if you choose to retire overseas, far away from your usual medical support system? We will explore international standards, insurance schemes and medical evacuation options as well as compare what you can expect from location to location.

SAVING MONEY – Not Quite The Same as Making It!

Saving money is important to all of us and more so to those who are keen to develop habits that facilitate their cheap retirement living. There are two ways to save your cash; directly or indirectly.

Directly means you take cash and you save it, either in a bank account or under the mattress or some other form of secure holding. Earning high interest and ‘making money’ from your savings is not the immediate goal here but it is something you should keep in mind. What is most important at this stage is to start the saving habit as soon as possible. When the time comes that you have enough saved to make it go to work for you, simply visit the pages of this web site that cover that topic.

Indirectly means not spending money. If you can avoid spending what you have worked so hard to gain then that is as good as saving it in a piggy bank for a rainy day. We will look at many ways you can save money by not spending it in the first place. You might be surprised how a few minor mindset adjustments can have you saving thousands of dollars every year and enjoying the process.

Cheap Retirement Living will help you to live well and live within your means when retired or semi-retired because many of us are concerned that we won’t have enough income to last out our remaining days once we finish full time employment. This site will demonstrate how easy it can be to live well and well within your means. Whatever those means may be, living within them is the ideal state of your affairs and it is achievable – and this web site will explore how YOU can achieve sustainable, enjoyable, affordable retirement living both at home and in selected overseas locations.

Cheap Retirement Living is all about just that, living cheaply in retirement. Not living like a pauper or subsisting from pension check to pension check on pet food and pitying looks. Living with dignity and with a zest for life on a shoe string budget. Making the most of every resource you have and discovering all those resources you never knew were there for you to use.

Living cheaply does not mean living in fear or living on the wrong side of the tracks. Location is important and we will look at how to live where you want to and, enjoy doing so. Or, having the freedom to live wherever you want, whenever you want to and enjoying the journey inbetween as you move from place to place. Staying safe, secure, fit and healthy as well as happy and in control of your own destiny as much as Life will ever allow any of us to call the shots.

Whether you live where you have always lived or you sell up and relocate overseas, perhaps to the Philippines, Mexico, Costa Rica or Tasmania – maybe you hit the road or go to sea – with your life partner, your new soul mate or all by yourself – Cheap-Retirement-Living will be your companion resource for ideas, inspiration and information.