Live well on Soc. Sec. in BELIZE (55, state, coverage)

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by Teak

Belize is so last year, like Panama, Ecuador, Uruguay, Thailand, Costa Rica and etc. If you want to get by on only US$500 per month, then beat the crowd and check out these stellar offerings:

Afghanistan (especially in the south)
North Korea (bring your girly sunglasses with)
Zimbabwe

Are you joking?!!!

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by texdav

The mian thing to rememebr is that you are not any longer a citizen with the same rights and in a much more corrupt system as far as laws are concerned.

The US is awfully corrupt as it is. i'm sure that there's no difference.

[htlong]

I did a little checking into Belize and it talked about how everything was shipped in to the country and you were forced to eat the local cusine...I am a picky eater and just the thought of not eating what I want when I want was enough to stay in the states. I guess I am just a spoiled old American.......and lovin every minute of it!!!

[evilnewbie]

Its too far away from family for me to consider even though I don't see them often at all... ironic...

[sundrop]

My boss travels to Belize several times a year for extended periods. She just returned from five weeks there. She loves it ! The cost of living is low, it is very laid back but you lost several of the luxuries that we are spoiled by. For example, the water is not very hot for showers, only luke warm. Many of the homes, restaurants do not have AC, meat is very expensive and you often have to be at the market early in the AM to get it. Last year she lived for 8 months, she had to order a Thanksgiving turkey 4 months before the holiday.

Those aren't deal breakers but some would not like the inconveniences. She loves it and I do believe that once her boys are in college she will move there.

[LittleDolphin]

I love reading all these articles about where to live frugally on a limited income.

Then I start asking myself what I truly need to make myself happy...the answer is led by close, good friends who are kindred spirits...followed by beautiful nature with a temperate climate and a steady supply of many books--free (as from the library or shared from friends) or very inexpensive (as in books sales with books at fifty cents).

Guess I'd have to add in an atmosphere of personal safety and a non-repressive government and I suppose I could live most anywhere...

Hard to find a place that fits these criteria.

And though my food needs are mostly simple--I don't need fois gras or fancy food--I have found I miss certain basics beyond the rice n beans that are found in many outposts...love mangoes and papayas, for example, but sometimes really yearn for a crisp apple, which is hard to find in a tropical climate.

Then there's communication, very dear to a writer like me...were my Spanish fluent, I think that would open many more possibilities. But my Spanish is poor, at best, and I'd miss the nuances of being able to communicate and understand the finer points of exchanging ideas and thoughts. Of course, my fluency would improve, but would never be as fluent as my native language.

While I like to dream of a low-cost way of living in a pretty place, I always end up asking myself the above questions...

I do know some ex-pats who have successfully made homes outside the U.S. but 99% of the time, it's in largish ex-pat enclaves...nothing wrong with that, but it does seem to prove that leaving one's culture and touchstones behind is not an easy thing to do...

But I continue to devour these "Hidden Paradise on a Shoestring" articles and dreaming....even knowing that many of these articles are written and placed by PR firms to benefit their clients.

[brightdoglover]

If I had to retire somewhere strictly because I had a low income, I'd consider a mobile home in a cheap state (or a mobile home in my current expensive state) before I'd go out of country. Now, to be sure, a warm climate and oceans and stuff are not my priority.

[happyinca]

I have been to Belize. English is the official language as it was under British rule for many years. Most of the people are Black (Africian-American) I don't want to offend anyone so if I did...sorry.

Belize is POOR! Downtown Belize is not safe to be out exploring on your own. I recall 30% of the people don't have running water. Most people were sitting out on the streets as they had no jobs and really nothing to do.

We hired a driver to take us all around. He was very nice and polite. BUT no way in heck would I ever want to live there.

What you see on HGTV is a fancy island right off of Belize called Amber-something I can't remember. So it is a nice little tropical island but that is not the real Belize in my opinion. And it is super expensive so forget a low-cost retirement there.

I agree with others you can find a low cost life in the U.S. and not have nearly the issues that people deal with when they retire overseas.

Love HGTV House Hunters International BUT I have been to many places they profile, Costa Rica, Panama etc. and they only show you the awesome beaches and don't deal with crime, traffic etc.

It would be like saying Los Angeles is only Malibu and ignoring Compton, the City of Bell. Orange County is only Newport Beach with no Santa Ana. They provide the most lovely piece of the puzzle and leave out all the rest.

Just my two cents...

[markg91359]

Moderator cut: deleted post

I think the point is that "cheap" places to retire have their problems and that is why they are cheap. I personally wouldn't want to retire in a place where I was surrounded by an ocean of poor, impoverished people, while I lived something resembling the "good life".

The USA isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. We've solved many basic problems in country. We have safe water to drink. Public health measures that are in place keep us from getting sick from epidemic diseases. We have crime here, but we have a criminal justice system that for all its imperfections at least attempts to deal with it. We may not have eliminated corruption among public officials, but the odds of one of them coming to you and asking for a bribe is rare. This is not true in the Third World. The US is not cheap to live or retire in because all these things cost money.

People who do not have the means for a good retirement here in the USA have a couple of choices. They can (1) Try to work longer until about age 70; or (2) They can try to retire cheaply by living in a mobile home as some have suggested. This coupled with a parttime job such as "door greeter" at Walmart can make a lot of difference.

[jghorton]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

If I had to retire somewhere strictly because I had a low income, I'd consider a mobile home in a cheap state (or a mobile home in my current expensive state) before I'd go out of country. Now, to be sure, a warm climate and oceans and stuff are not my priority.

There's a lot to be said for the USA! -- For one, people from 'less expensive' countries are scrambling to get here, not vice-versa. For another, most folks who are evaluating another country for low-cost retirement, all seem to be looking for a large ex-pat community (language, cultural interests, social relationships, security, government, jobs, entertainment, similar housing, family & friends distance, Ameri-food availability, transportation, healthcare standards, etc.).

I investigated several countries (and even live-aboard sailboating), in the past, but concluded that 'cheaper living(?)' alone was not enough -- What may sound like a romantic ideal, quickly comes face-to-face with the reality of day-to-day living. I agree with Brightdoglover--Find a mobile home or less expensive area of the U.S. --- if lower cost is your only reason for moving out of the USA.