Post #5 in this thread
places to retire cheaply
- Thread starter investor2009
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Post #5 in this thread
Great to visit, but I wonder what they're like to live in? And I wonder what visas are available for Australians.
i qualify for an italian passport, but id never live there.
its for the kids to travel.
its for the kids to travel.
Durex did that in the survey results Dex linked to
The survey of 29,000 women in 36 countries is low at less than 1,000 people per country though
One may question the results
Plus number one was Ghana, a largely christian country. Doesn't that contradict his reasoning that it was due to Thais not believing in a personal god?
Also: http://www.yourtango.com/experts/mi...s/catholics-are-more-likely-stray-marital-bed
Obviously just as trustworthy a source as the one that dex posted.
The annual Global Retirement Index 2014 from http://internationalliving.com/ cites the below as it's top 10 ( I thought Croatia may have got a mention).
- Thailand
- Uruguay
- Malta
- Mexico
- Colombia
- Spain
- Costa Rica
- Malaysia
- Ecuador
- Panama
I like the thinking: is it a wiser to become an expat thus turning your $1 here into $6 there
Have you ever lived overseas before in a different culture? Lived in a place where you can't speak the language? You might see a lot of things (social discrimination, racial discrimination, cultural differences) that you might not be comfortable with.
Make sure this isn't just about you want to stop working and latching onto any way to do it without considering all the issues. As an example, selling everything before having a plan on what to do to invest the money is a sign of lack of preparation.
Go to Zimbabwe, turn $1 into $1000!
Great advice Red
We've kinda decided to do the Asian countries and work our way around from there toward the end of this year. We'll never know unless we first go
We've kinda decided to do the Asian countries and work our way around from there toward the end of this year. We'll never know unless we first go
75 cents for a haircut (30 peso) but I normally go to a nice salon and pay 50 peso
85 cents for a San Miguel Light or Brown
I lived in Thailand for 5 years and agree with some points Dex makes. Thais generally can't be trusted and they all lie. I think it's changed a lot in the last 6-10 years because tourism has spoilt them. It's not really a cheap destination anymore especially in tourist areas like BKK, Samui, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. I was paying AU$6 for a beer in Pattaya last trip. In Cambodia and Philippines it's $1 for a beer.
Staying long term in Thailand is a headache because they often change visa rules. If you're under 50 and own a condo you can get a non immigrant multiple entry type "O" visa valid for 12 months but you still have to do a visa run every 90 days. Most guys jump on a bus and go to the Cambodian border for the day which is a pain. If you're over 50 you can get a retirement visa but you need to show proof of 400,000 baht in your bank acc to prove you can support yourself and won't try to work illegally
You still have to do a visa run every 90 days or go to Immigration for an extension. This is another reason guys are moving from Thailand to Cambodia and the Philippines. You can get a Cambodian 12mth multiple entry business visa for US$280 no questions asked. I've been in the Phil's for nearly 6 months because the diving is excellent. I got a 59 day visa for about AU$40 from the Phil's Consulate in HK and extended it twice for about AU$230. To give an idea of prices I have a 1BR apartment 6 metres from the beach with wi-fi, mini kitchen and air con for 12,500 peso a month. This includes all utilities and the girls do my laundry and clean my room every 2 days. I rent a motorbike for 4,000 peso a month and dive at the shop next door for 900 peso a dive. Yesterday we saw a thresher shark and 2 eagle rays. My local gym charges 800 peso a month. Divide all figures by 40 for Aussie dollar (AU$1 = 40 peso).
The girls here are great and make a refreshing change from the Thais and their cold hearts. I've been bumming around Thailand, HK, Bali and the Philippines for 7 years and live well on about AU$40k a year. I was lucky to do it at 36yo but found it's best to fly under the radar and don't tell people you're retired... make sure you have a ready story to tell them otherwise you sound like a wanka and become a target for a set up.
I have friends that live in Bali. Some work and others are retired. We looked at relocating there years ago but we decided against it. I love Bali and go often. Most of my friends that don't work do volunteer work and the like. They got bored pretty quickly. There are others though that are happy to sit around their room or on the beach everyday.
I would not want to work there. Financially it is often better to work here for 3 months then holiday there for 9 months.
I definitely would not sell everything and make a big move to another place (even in Australia) without trying it first. It's very different living in a place for a year than it is visiting for a month.
Go for it Investor. I'm thinking seriously of taking a year off and just travelling wherever the whim takes me. My hubby is not so adventurous so working on that. He'd happily drive around Australia in the RV though.
I would not want to work there. Financially it is often better to work here for 3 months then holiday there for 9 months.
I definitely would not sell everything and make a big move to another place (even in Australia) without trying it first. It's very different living in a place for a year than it is visiting for a month.
Go for it Investor. I'm thinking seriously of taking a year off and just travelling wherever the whim takes me.
My hubby is not so adventurous so working on that. He'd happily drive around Australia in the RV though.
But what are you sacrificing??? minor in the scheme of things... NOT... Health, safety, family, friends, pets (yes, some of these counties eat their pets, dogs, no thanks)... can you speak the language.. bummer, mmm how frustrating.......is it worth it, not my idea of paradise???
Forgot to mention none of those really apply or can be mitigated.
- health .. excellent access to health care in SEA usually at a fraction of the cost in Australia, especially dental work and surgery. You can also get a top of the line health insurance policy from BUPA for about $800 a year.
- safety .. you're as safe as you want to be in most of these places.
- family .. nothing to stop you from seeing them in person if they want to come for a holiday or you go back to Oz every Christmas. Skype, viber, wechat, whatsapp, facebook, email and telephone all help reduce the distance.
- friends .. you'll make plenty of new friends and discover new hobbies and interests along the way. You can still keep in touch with your old friends too.
- pets .. that's a pretty disgusting and racist statement to make... no-one eats their pets! If you want a pet while living in a new country then go ahead and get one! You also have the choice of exotic pets like monkeys.
- language shouldn't be an issue.. Do you learn the language of every country you visit for a holiday? Nothing to stop you from learning the language of the country you're in and it's also a good way to keep your mind active and meet new friends.
You don't have sense of adventure MTR.
This is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone and broadening your horizons.
Wow Ting. You're really living man, thanks for the inspiration!
In reply to those less adventurous: We could all die tomorrow and working 6 days a week doesn't quite fulfill my life's purpose or goals. We're in a posirion to finally "live" and enjoy life to the max. But if you genuinely enjoy pottering here at home then I'm happy for you. We must ubderstand we're not all created or the same purpose.
And at least we won't be killed by a kangaroo
In reply to those less adventurous: We could all die tomorrow and working 6 days a week doesn't quite fulfill my life's purpose or goals. We're in a posirion to finally "live" and enjoy life to the max. But if you genuinely enjoy pottering here at home then I'm happy for you. We must ubderstand we're not all created or the same purpose.
And at least we won't be killed by a kangaroo
Yep, good way to look at it. I suppose if I wasn't tied down with dependants I would look at it that way too.
