Men and Women retiring alone to a new city/state -- where will you go and why? (gorgeous, retired)

[Wisteria]

Laura: I say pick your specific activities based on what you like to do and those with the same physical/mental abilities will be the people you find there regardless of age. Just stay away from the general "let's keep them busy/alert/active" centers and you should be fine

Very good points! Thank you.

[nancy thereader]

How about the actual MOVE across the country? Just how difficult would this be (without any help)? How trustworthy are moving companies when dealing with women? Any suggestions from those of you who have done this?
thanking you in advance,
nancy

[Wisteria]

Nancy The Reader: How about the actual MOVE across the country? Just howe difficult would this be (without any help)? How trustworthy are moving companies when dealing with women? Any suggestions from those of you who have done this?

Hi Nancy. I've moved across country several times, but I didn't have any real valuable items, so I just sold or left things behind. I came across each time with just a carload and a carrier on top of the car and then got things again in the new place. I took things like some cooking items, which are harder and more expensive to replace, my stereo set, computer, scrapbooks, some clothing and a few sentimental items. I like to get new things in used stores when I move and paint the items a certain way, or just find things I'd never think of having if I had brought along all my old stuff. I have a friend, though, who always hauled her beloved bed headboard with her wherever she moved -- I never quite understood that, but it was important to her.

If I make the move to New Mexico, I might keep a bit more this time, but only if a friend of mine (who has offered in the past) will drive a U-Haul truck for me. Otherwise, I'll just take what I can get in my car and carrier and ship any other items by Greyhound (cheap).

Hope this helps.

[Tesaje]

This is something I've started looking into, altho my move is probably 3 years away. There are a couple of things I think would work well.

One of my big concerns based on experience is that moving companies always seem to break some things, scratch stuff, etc. They also seem to steal some stuff. Every time, I had a box go missing. There are all kinds of horror stories - your stuff held hostage until you pay 1000's more than you were quoted and things like that. The prices also are really high - $1000's.

Here's some things that make sense to me:

1. Get rid of all stuff I don't really love, I don't use much, or isn't worth much, including any cheap furniture. Pare it down to as little as I can bear, but it will probably still be a lot.

2. Pack it myself so I have absolute control over everything. I'm going to use a letter and number code to mark my boxes so only I know what is in them. Pack my car with essentials and anything super valuable that's small.

3. There's a couple of options for actually getting the stuff across the country. 1 is rent a truck, hire movers to pack up the truck and drive it across the country. Hire movers to unload the truck (probably to a storage unit for a while). There are companies who will have the labor ready on both ends that you pay for by the hour. This way, my stuff is always under my control and except for furniture, the movers never know what they are moving.

Another option I learned about on this board is pods. The ABS company seems to be reputable with a lot people happy with them. The pod is they drop off however many pods I need (something like an 8x10 box) into my driveway. I pack it up (I would need some movers to help with the heavy stuff) and put a lock on it. They come with a semi and load the pods and take them across the country to my destination where I unload the pods or have them store them. They also have another option to park an empty semi trailer in my driveway, I load it up with my stuff. They come and lock my stuff behind a big barrier. They then load other stuff to fill the truck up, deliver it, and then drop off the trailer at the other end for me to unload.

I did an estimate on their page and it came out to just about the same price as the rental truck option if you include the gas cost.

[StealthRabbit]

"downsizing" is best idea!! (I should take that advice...)

I have had friends use the PODS and the semi trailer. Both are likely better than a rental truck for moving a long distance. I will probably do several 20' containers and a 'hooklift' truck and ship via rail.

The PODS and containers are near ground level and are handier to load than the conventional trailer (unless you have a loading dock at home). (~ 5' off ground, and NO ramp)

The other option is buying a used truck and moving yourself, then reselling the truck. Trucks are very cheap to buy (and tough to sell...so don't pay too much). You can get a decent one (Uhaul size) for under $5000. The bigger trucks (semi's) are kind of expensive to insure and license, so the container / rail option gets more attractive. Rail / barge is very efficient for fuel costs. Rental trucks are often a hassle due to tight schedule to load / unload, and moving your stuff to storage increases potential for damage.

[Keeper]

I didn't move across the country but 600 miles away. I can tell you if it is just you doing the packing it is a BIG job. I paid a mover to move the big things and then rented a truck for the stuff I packed. I was lucky to have a very dear friend help me pack most of my thing. I left a lot of things behind because they just wouldn't fit in the truck.

Of course it was nice when I first moved but now I am not sure if they finally found there way here or I have just managed to buy this and that, but I definitely have more stuff now.

[Mgoodgadsdenchamber]

Try NE Alabama..... I know a lot of happy widowed women and they always have something to do... They go play, bingo, eat out and hang out together and attend all the activities or go hiking at the parks....Low Taxes, Low Crime, and beautiful landscape make people love NE AL. City or County life and the traffic is easy to access-no congestion. My aunt and mother-n-law are widowers and they are out all the time and dating and she is 65... One may start her a little boutique.

[lilypad]

Great thread, just found it. A Red Hat Society within CD! Lots of good advice, and liked the idea of the "pods" for moving.

I am mid-50s and dream of retiring, though is not possible yet, as I have not saved enough for retirement. I have started MBA program in my old age and would like to get into admin or management for 10-15 yrs. then retire. But think about it all the time! I must be ready....except financially. Would like to remain in Texas, get a few acres, put a manufactured home on it (then later build a little house), build a barn, and have some goats, chickens, a garden. My dream retirement plan. A nice place for friends/family to visit too.

Have also traveled over the years back and forth across country, and not had much trouble with renting UHaul type trucks. Just go in as the B*tch from Hell, and they will not take advantage. One outfit tried to accuse me of "stealing" one of their long loading boards! It was not put on the truck evidently. They finally let it go after alot of hollering, as I refused to pay for it, since the slackers on the other end forgot to put it on the truck as I was leaving. They did have the good manners to call and tell me they located it, at the other end. So make sure the loading slant is on your truck before you leave!

Before a move, I also would downsize, took boxes of stuff to GoodWill, sold some higher end items, etc. I did all my own packing, hired a few "good men" to help me load, had some friends on the other end to help unload. The biggest advantage is to plan and organize in detail, so that as little as possible can go wrong. And something always does go wrong, like a flat on the truck, or the engine overheating, and having to unload and reload everything onto a new truck in the middle of nowhere. Ugh ugh. But mostly because I planned carefully everything usually went okay. Traveled also with a yowling cat.

So with that am thinking of moving further north up the Panhandle, another future big move. Trying to keep things downsized, no new big items, gathering more boxes for GoodWill. Then I at least will be in the general area of where I would like to retire in the future.

[xz2y]

Originally Posted by localinsight

I am currently living in MN, after being an eastcoaster and westcoaster. Have been checking in on this thread from time to time, as it is interesting.

I wrote in to the Mexico forum to ask if anyone had ideas or experience in living in Mexico for retirement. I have been to Mexicali several times, for extended periods. Other than names of large border cities, no one wrote in.

Does anyone know anything about doing this as a US citizen? I imagine you would have to live in a border town to come back to the US for medicare, etc.

I would never do it without specific advice, as being single and female in one's own country can make you a mark for exploitation.

Another question - has anyone grown up on one coast, lived for most of their adult years on the other and then returned to the Former? I know you "can't go home again" and wouldn't try, was just wondering what it's like.

I enjoy the kindness of midwesterners. The big surprise here was the almost suspect attitude towards someone not from here who moved here without family. I was priced out of the CA rental market, along with thousands of others and was surprised that others would be surprised. I also live alone.

I will always miss MA because it seems like people there are more concerned with life outside of their little bubble. Relative to CA (southern, inland), I was liberal but I don't know about relative to MA. My remaining family is in NH, which I continue to not just conservative - kind of uncaring. Lots of natural beauty, though.

What part of MN are you in? I'm planning to relocate this summer to a new place and am considering Minneapolis (went to grad school there 30 years ago, and loved it). I too have no family, but always loved the Twin Cities. I still have to work for a few years, and I'm hoping that Minneapolis has a good jobmarket. I'm also considering Portland, OR, but have read on the OR forum on city data that it's a city of young people. I'm not sure if I would be able to get a job there; I don't need a career job, just something with health insurance, as I am 59. I have lots of good office skills, etc. Anyway, I've been reading this thread with interest, as there seem to be many of is (semi-retirees) looking for the same thing at this point in life: lower cost of living, opportunities to meet people our age, access to cultural amenities, etc. Do you like living in MN?

As far as MX is concerned, I have looked at that as well. Check out the following links:

chapala.com " Your Window to Mexico "
Buy the Book Here

Also, there are other good sites at International Living, Escape Artist, and Yahoo has several groups associated with Mexico (civilSMA is one).

[xz2y]

Originally Posted by Tesaje

This is something I've started looking into, altho my move is probably 3 years away. There are a couple of things I think would work well.

One of my big concerns based on experience is that moving companies always seem to break some things, scratch stuff, etc. They also seem to steal some stuff. Every time, I had a box go missing. There are all kinds of horror stories - your stuff held hostage until you pay 1000's more than you were quoted and things like that. The prices also are really high - $1000's.

Here's some things that make sense to me:

1. Get rid of all stuff I don't really love, I don't use much, or isn't worth much, including any cheap furniture. Pare it down to as little as I can bear, but it will probably still be a lot.

2. Pack it myself so I have absolute control over everything. I'm going to use a letter and number code to mark my boxes so only I know what is in them. Pack my car with essentials and anything super valuable that's small.

3. There's a couple of options for actually getting the stuff across the country. 1 is rent a truck, hire movers to pack up the truck and drive it across the country. Hire movers to unload the truck (probably to a storage unit for a while). There are companies who will have the labor ready on both ends that you pay for by the hour. This way, my stuff is always under my control and except for furniture, the movers never know what they are moving.

Another option I learned about on this board is pods. The ABS company seems to be reputable with a lot people happy with them. The pod is they drop off however many pods I need (something like an 8x10 box) into my driveway. I pack it up (I would need some movers to help with the heavy stuff) and put a lock on it. They come with a semi and load the pods and take them across the country to my destination where I unload the pods or have them store them. They also have another option to park an empty semi trailer in my driveway, I load it up with my stuff. They come and lock my stuff behind a big barrier. They then load other stuff to fill the truck up, deliver it, and then drop off the trailer at the other end for me to unload.

I did an estimate on their page and it came out to just about the same price as the rental truck option if you include the gas cost.

This is great info and very helpful, though if you drive a truck that has been loaded for you, how do you get your car to the location?