Many Americans are choosing to move overseas to destinations that offer a high quality of living – without the expensive price tag. South America, Panama, the Carribean, Ecuador and France are just some of the places where retirees and others can explore affordable and rich overseas lifestyle options. See the following article from International Living for more on this.
Imagine if every day was “your time” to relax…or to do whatever it is that helps you unwind.
Five IL readers recently made the decision to “just do it.” Here, briefly, are their stories…
– The last New Jersey snowstorm that Janet Grosshandler suffered through was what did it. She decided to become a “snowbird”—someone who spends the winter months in a warmer destination.
She chose a little village on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast: “I just started my Costa Rica life. This is my ‘try-out,’ my practice life abroad, and I am sucked wholeheartedly into its spell…”
– It’s not everyone who gets to say at their retirement party, “bye everybody…we just bought a house on a Caribbean island…”
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But that’s what Margot Brown and her husband (married 41 years) did in May.
How could they afford it? Easy—they picked Caye Caulker, an island off Belize that few people have heard of: “It hit me as soon as we stepped onto the pier off Front Street. To my right was the white sandy street with no cars and few bicycles. A handful of people walking. I realized: ‘This is it – paradise!’”
– Albert Fine is a “jubilado”. In other words, a retiree in Panama. He gets special treatment. He never has to wait in line. He pays less than everyone else for most things—including airfare, meals, health care…even movie tickets.
It’s not some kind of beautiful trick…but an entitlement. In Panama, retirees are treated right: “There isn’t a single place I’ve been that people won’t help hold open the door or find me a chair if I need one. Panamanians are kind and courteous, especially to its jubilados…”
– Last year, Lucy Culpepper moved to France with her husband and two children (age 10 and 7). The main reason they moved was for the children’s cultural education.
Lucy figured they’d find the cost of living tough in a country like France. But one year on, Lucy reports that they’re easily living on $786 per person per month—less than $26 a day: “Now that we have lived in the Pyrénées-Atlantic region of France for a year, I can say, with my hand on my heart, that our quality of life is very high. We have unlimited choices for entertainment; based on our love of the outdoors we can ski, surf, hike, canoe, sail, run, cycle…inexpensively or for free. There’s so much space and nature all around yet we can be in the center of town in 20 minutes where there are museums, a castle, markets, movies, supermarkets, malls, and a hospital…”
– Two years ago, Kent Zimmerman and his wife Christina decided to quit their jobs and move overseas. They wanted to try living in a new country.
They chose Ecuador—and moved to Cuenca.
Since then, IL has named Cuenca the world’s top retirement haven. Lonely Planet has crowned it one of the top 10 must-see cities anywhere.
Attention like this usually means an increase in property prices. But not in Cuenca: “Wander along the cobblestone streets and through the manicured parks in Cuenca, and it’s easy to imagine yourself thriving in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. A sea of red-tiled roofs pops against the blue sky. Ornate wrought-iron balconies cling to the colorful flat facades. Cuenca is one of the prettiest and liveliest cities in South America, known for its architecture, vibrant markets, and high-spirited festivals. But the best part about this walk-able city is that you can own a home for less than $100,000…”
– The easiest way to make your story turn out like Kent’s or Lucy’s or Al’s or the rest? Join us in Las Vegas in September at the Live and Invest Overseas Conference.
We promise—there is no better way to fast-track your retirement. See for yourself.
This article has been republished from International Living.
