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Does this place have good health care I wonder? I need good diabetic doctors.
What does the “American Dream” mean to you?
For most people, it means if you work hard, you can raise a beautiful family, own a comfortable home, send your children to college and eventually retire.
Interesting. The question I always have is that these are "young " retirees. What do you do when you become the frail elderly ? Most of the out of country retirees seldom live in the local community. They're either in an ex-pat area or a newer gated area.
So what do you do when it's time for assisted living or nursing home care ? Or when one of the marriage duo passes on. Since the retirees seldom want to be truly part of the local culture ( which in Equador is Indian) , may not speak the language well, does that mean they're back to the States for the very last years of their lives? Or are they assuming that their kids will take them in.
Any ex-pats out there care to chime in. Anyone thought this through beyond living cheap and traveling ?
Work hard, serve my country, raise a healthy family, retire in my own home wherever it my be IN THIS COUNTRY, and in time be buried here along with my wife among my fellow veterans.
In other words, I ain't leavin'! Have lived in three other countries thanks to my Uncle Sam and while the experiences were interesting to say the least....click...click...click...."There's no place like home"
Does this place have good health care I wonder? I need good diabetic doctors.
What does the “American Dream” mean to you?
For most people, it means if you work hard, you can raise a beautiful family, own a comfortable home, send your children to college and eventually retire.
Well, this couple has had a lot of experience so doesn't seem to be diving in totally unprepared. But moving to Ecuador just to be able to live comfortably on $60K??? Doesn't make sense. They could do that here (rural Kansas) and not have to give up the military perks they'll have in retirement. I love Ecuador and wouldn't mind an extended stay there, but move there as a pensienado? Nope. Not unless I could afford to fly back to the US a couple or three times a year. I'm going through my dad's extended terminal illness, and I agree with willowwind--what would a sole surviving spouse do if needing to progress through assisted living, nursing home, hospice?
Ecuador is a very rugged country and no EMS service. If any spot on the planet could use an air ambulance (helicopter), it's that one. Ambulance there = back of a pick-up. I had the pleasure of spending time with a newly graduated doctor. All spend their first year out of school in public service. She was in the jungle, patients walked for miles, days even, to get care. Her clinic was minimally supplied, and she was expected to deliver babies, do minor procedures, provide routine health maintenance, and even perform any needed autopsies! I'm not talking residency grad here, just med school. I'd say, though, that after a year of that, the OJT would be priceless. Once her obligatory time was spent she hoped to come to the US for a peds residency, and there are many good docs in Ecuador. Just don't know about the system.
If the featured couple is moving for the adventure and experience, fine. But if they're moving because they'll have "only" $60K/ year to live on, big mistake. Maybe the bitterness of the hit to the 401K will ease (or the market will), and maybe she'll find a job. But it makes an interesting article even though it doesn't quite ring true.
A good lesson learned from this story when close to retirement is not to be invested so heavily in the stock market as they were. You can still have money in a 401k, 457, 401 whatever, but much less aggressive. I took a big hit with the tech wreck in 2000-2001 it all came back and in July 2007 dumped all my growth funds and went conservative with guaranteed funds, and did not lose anything when this couple lost 70% during that meltdown.
Agree with the others, you can retire in the U.S. on $60,000 if you want to, think they want the adventure and experience.
My brother retired early (in his 50's) and moved to Brazil. He speaks the language and knows the community. Married a longtime friend who lives inthe NE corner of Brazil on a ranch. His first wife was Brazilian as well - he has ties to the community.
We raised the very same questions about health care. And nursing home care.
And his 20-something year old kids still live in this country. He's visiting this month - with his new wife - who just secured a VISA to visit - after over a year trying to get one....because his kids can't afford to come and see him. A RT airfare is about $1500. You'd better have alot of time off to justify that cost.
The grass is NOT greener.
There are communities all throughout this country where you can live very comfortably on $60K a year.
If I want adventure - I'd rent for a month in a foreign country... but not move there.
One of the issues I've always had, traveling around South America is the noise! The lack of noise controls!
When I was in Ecuador 5 years ago, and being I love the smaller towns, I stayed overnight in a small town north of Cuenca. Some idiot, with an ear-splitting boom car, parked near the central plaza one afternoon, turned up his stereo full-blast, and even with my 33 decibel earplugs, it was painful! And my hotel was close to the plaza! Policemen around, did nothing!
You walk by the stereo shops, and to advertise, they put those huge speakers outside the store, music playing full-blast! Wouldn't consider even traveling down there without my ear plugs!
How many mornings, about 5am, I'm awaken by roosters crowing around the city! And the evangelical churches, they put their loud speakers outside the church, to get more people to come in, and blast away their sermons and music!
Along with that, the cacophony of car alarms going off all hours of the day, and you dare not live within 6 blocks of a noisey disco!
I'm a true nut when it comes to noise, can't stand it! Down there, a neighbor decides to have a loud, all-night rocking party, go ahead, call the police, see how far that will get you in controling the noise!
Aside from that, the global world will eventually reach every corner of this globe, and will it make any difference, cost-wise, where you live?
One of the issues I've always had, traveling around South America is the noise! The lack of noise controls!
When I was in Ecuador 5 years ago, and being I love the smaller towns, I stayed overnight in a small town north of Cuenca. Some idiot, with an ear-splitting boom car, parked near the central plaza one afternoon, turned up his stereo full-blast, and even with my 33 decibel earplugs, it was painful! And my hotel was close to the plaza! Policemen around, did nothing!
You walk by the stereo shops, and to advertise, they put those huge speakers outside the store, music playing full-blast! Wouldn't consider even traveling down there without my ear plugs!
How many mornings, about 5am, I'm awaken by roosters crowing around the city! And the evangelical churches, they put their loud speakers outside the church, to get more people to come in, and blast away their sermons and music!
Along with that, the cacophony of car alarms going off all hours of the day, and you dare not live within 6 blocks of a noisey disco!
I'm a true nut when it comes to noise, can't stand it! Down there, a neighbor decides to have a loud, all-night rocking party, go ahead, call the police, see how far that will get you in controling the noise!
Aside from that, the global world will eventually reach every corner of this globe, and will it make any difference, cost-wise, where you live?
Add gun shots and it sounds like almost any barrio in the U.S. Move into one and you can save yourself the price of a plane ride and move.
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