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and while I get chided severely for breaking all of the many C-D 'retirement rules' for my 41 yo daily driver....(C-D retirement rule #76118)
Our hosts today in No CA NEWEST car is a 1965 Beauty Beetle. (They have 6 cars and 8 MC (some with side cars). They have never paid more than $500 for a car (I have broken that rule a couple times)
Prop 13, + Tricare, so this retirement couple is able to live on 5 acres / 6 bdrm home for $2,000 / month in Napa Valley
Very nice fresh 'edible landscape' for breakfast, omelet from free range chickens ...
The biggest problem with vehicles I have is deciding which one to drive. The Tesla, Mercedes or the Rolls Royce.
I am also considering buying a small island this year.
At a an auction today of customs-seized goods, we bid on a 2014 RR Ghost with 8600 miles on the ODO and as near as I could tell in near flawless condition. The winning bidder -- not us -- got it for $200K plus a 15% buyers' premium (commission) plus sales tax on the both. (200K+30K)*1.08125=$248,687.50, plus registration of course. We got up to leave, and the winning bidder followed us, made a left turn to go into the bar, and called out to her husband, "Guess what I just bought." By my estimation, she overpaid by quite a bit.
I do disagree with Ian_Lee's idea that you will be sicker or have a shorter life simply by virtue of living in a low COL area. A statistic that indicates a correlation (living in the south = shorter lifespan) is not necessarily a causation. Living in the south doesn't make you live a shorter life. Eating fried food doused in cheese and gravy, however, does. Unfortunately, that is how many southerners were raised, and have lived their whole life, and it affects their health. That doesn't mean that moving there in retirement is going to change an individual's health, or eating habits just by moving there. I moved from CA to TN in retirement, do you think I suddenly started eating at Meat + 3 places? That's just silly. I eat what I've always eaten.
Living in a "healthier state" doesn't make an individual healthier or sicker. Now if you suddenly start adopting poor habits it might. Moving to Hawaii does not make one more active, or necessarily change what one eats. They have McD's in Hawaii, you know. If you eat McD's your whole life and move to Hawaii, you'll still be eating McD's. My entire immediate family (mother, father, sister, brothers, aunts and uncles) every single one has diabetes. They all have lived in CA their entire life. Those that are still living will probably be lucky to make 70 years old. Many have heart disease, and some have had cancer. If my family moves to Hawaii, will their diabetes and heart disease go away? Will they live longer because the chart says people in Hawaii have a longer average life span?
One thing to keep in mind is that there is heavy peer pressure to eat certain ways, especially around here. It's oftentimes hard to avoid that completely.
On my own, I eat pretty healthy. I cook pretty simple meals. A lot of turkey burger, lean pork loin, occasional flat iron/cube steaks, all lean cuts of meat, sandwiches with whole wheat bread - a lot of greens and salads, and mostly fresh vegetables, seldom canned occasionally frozen. Occasionally I'll make a stew or soup. I prefer local and organic stuff to no name from Walmart or Food City. No butter, extra salt, baked bread, biscuits, etc. I don't get a lot of enjoyment from cooking, and although I'm not a great cook, I'm decent enough that I can cook enough stuff to keep me going most of the time and only eat out occasionally.
Back here, all my family and most friends heavily salt, butter, and sugar everything. If you get fresh strawberries, sugar is dumped on top of them. Mashed and baked potatoes are the favorite vegetable - of course, with lots of salt and butter. Get a watermelon? Salt it right up. Mashed potatoes and canned corn were staples growing up - I don't mind occasional mashed potatoes with hot sauce and Mrs. Dash, but don't like them enough to make them myself, and certainly not enough to eat them two or three times a week. I despise canned corn - I'll do steamable frozen over heavily salted canned. Canned comes salted, then most folks salt and butter on top of that.
My dad has always been reasonably healthy and active. He was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, after having no problems at 55. Always drinking sweet tea, regular Coke, lots of carbs (potatoes, biscuits and bread, corn), a lot of ice cream and "Little Debbie" treats, eats fast food biscuits 2-3 times a week, fast food for dinner 2-3 times a week, and is completely sedentary four days a week due to his call center job. He does exercise 1-2 days at the YMCA, but you simply cannot eat like this, be so sedentary, and expect to live very long. He also comes from a family of "sudden death" heart attacks for men in their 60s. I've tried to get him to moderate this stuff, but ultimately, what can you do? Basic nutrition advice is common knowledge these days.
Other than one aunt and a dedicated runner uncle (late 50s), all of my immediate family (parents, grandparents, aunt/uncles, most first cousins) are overweight or obese. Go to any dinner, and anything is going to be heavily salted, maybe buttered. Go out to eat, and they only want to go to unhealthy places. Especially after a long day at work, it's easy just to get some Bojangles take out and not think about it.
I've gained about ten pounds since moving back to Tennessee, and that's largely due to pressure from eating like everyone around me.
Thanks for the laugh! 'lectricity indeed. Indoor plumbing is nice to have.*
Down here in the equator we are living on around $1,400 a month, or less. In a new beachfront condo. But no cars, property taxes of only $48 annually and full-service health care at $80 per couple which I've mentioned before. No co-pays, no deductibles, any facility anywhere, free prescriptions, dental and vision. Quite amazing.
That's why I didn't do the expat thing....
I budget $1,925/month and every month but November, December, and April (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter traveling)
I save $100-$300 of that!
That's WITH 2 cars, an Airstream and a ($301) mortgage.
(Property taxes on 2k sqft on 80 acres went up.... to $211/year.)
None of the numbers made it (from a purely financial standpoint)
Made it worthit.
Although I might go visit a few countries next winter for a couple months. I like the beach in addition to the mountains where I live.
(Ozarks)
I should note: I could easily live on less, tomorrow night I'm taking 2 friends out to dinner, eat steak 1x/week etc. But I've got my overhead low enough I don't see the point in squeezing Lincoln further.
yep , there is far more poverty in these cheap low cost rural areas than most cities yet by the same token they never move to where the food is .
the nice thing about high cost of living area's is they tend to have higher wages and with that higher social security checks for life regardless where you move to later .
also a homeowner who see's 3% a year average appreciation on a 600k home in a hcol area can end up with a whole lot more dough selling it than that owner of a 150k home in cheapsville ends up with figuring ,the same appreciation .
many transplants from hcol area 's tend to have far more wealth than locals in cheapsville if they relocate with that pile of dough and bigger ss checks .
Let's talk about that "poverty"
As stated, I live on under $2k/month and once my land is paid off (built the house for cash) my actual expendatures will 9/12 months be under $1,500/month.
But is this poverty?
You like your way of living, I like mine. I'm not knocking you for yours but.... I've spent time in NYC (A girl) it's HELL for me.
Conversely this place which is FAR removed from the "retirement home" you dispised has SO MUCH to do (for me.... not for you) and it's SO beautiful.
Also (comically) that $500 meal you had.... although I'm not a world class cheff.... that's (the sourced/quality of the food) is how I eat EVERY DAY (Unless I want junk food)
on the side table right now is a salad from my (organic) garden.
Lettuce, green onion, carrots, radishes....
I run my own cows on a friends land (business deal) so I KNOW what "goes into my meat"
I ate blackberries and rasberries from my bushes today. No strawberries or blueberries, but soon....
Pork comes from 2 miles away.
Free range organic chicken eggs about 6.
My fresh organic raw milk is probably 8
Etc etc etc.
This morning I sat on my porch watching the hummingbirds and looking at my garden... not a car or soul in sight...
WHO lives "in poverty"! ?!
Prespective.
As far as living in urban hell for your "healthy years" just to move out to paradise HOPEFULLY when you retire.... that's like telling everyone to never take a vacation, just travel when they retire.
I still work full time. DH retired last week at age 54. I hope to as so as we have enough money saved to pay healthcare for ten years until Medicare. My bank accounts say that we spent $42k last year. We have no car payments, no mortgage, just living expenses and eating out watch too much. I figure $6000 for nice vacations last Year. So when I retire, I'm hoping to have same standard of living, so I figure if we spent $42k in living expenses, we should be ok?
As stated, I live on under $2k/month and once my land is paid off (built the house for cash) my actual expendatures will 9/12 months be under $1,500/month.
But is this poverty?
You like your way of living, I like mine. I'm not knocking you for yours but.... I've spent time in NYC (A girl) it's HELL for me.
Conversely this place which is FAR removed from the "retirement home" you dispised has SO MUCH to do (for me.... not for you) and it's SO beautiful.
Also (comically) that $500 meal you had.... although I'm not a world class cheff.... that's (the sourced/quality of the food) is how I eat EVERY DAY (Unless I want junk food)
on the side table right now is a salad from my (organic) garden.
Lettuce, green onion, carrots, radishes....
I run my own cows on a friends land (business deal) so I KNOW what "goes into my meat"
I ate blackberries and rasberries from my bushes today. No strawberries or blueberries, but soon....
Pork comes from 2 miles away.
Free range organic chicken eggs about 6.
My fresh organic raw milk is probably 8
Etc etc etc.
This morning I sat on my porch watching the hummingbirds and looking at my garden... not a car or soul in sight...
WHO lives "in poverty"! ?!
Prespective.
As far as living in urban hell for your "healthy years" just to move out to paradise HOPEFULLY when you retire.... that's like telling everyone to never take a vacation, just travel when they retire.
the fact is most of the countries poverty is in the rural areas . it is not my opinion . it is published stats . i don't make up the definitions . it isn't based on what you eat or do .
No, it's due to poor self dicipline (ie portion control)
You can eat anything you want (baring health issues such as allergies) if you remember "moderation in all things"
I eat chocolate after dinner probably more days than not.
But the 2-3 pieces aren't going to cause enough harm to matter.
Now if I were eating candy bars left and right....
The thing is that eating unhealthy is also eating relatively cheap.
You can get take out from many fast food places for under $5 - if you eat off the dollar menu with no drink, less.
I live in an area with high grocery prices. Eating fresh vegetables, lean meat, etc., is not cheap here. For many people, especially those on lower incomes, it's actually cheaper to get take out than to cook healthy at home.
It doesn't take much of a portion to meet your calorie need when eating heavy with biscuits and fast food. A grilled chicken salad will be far more filling at the same calorie count. If you eat enough fast food to feel full, you'll have consumed a lot of calories.
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