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The ACA is quite good--it's the Trump adminstration that's undermining it. This "crony" and "non-citizen" blame is ridiculous..
Sad story from a previous poster about overseas retirees who are forced to return to the states after years abroad, not being prepared for the expense and not having stayed in touch with relatives, who may no longer have a strong relationship with them...
But again, retiring overseas does not mean you’re not going to maintain touch with your relatives. The people the veterans I should say in that story because it does make a difference who chose to go off by themselves and not stay in touch with their relatives made that choice to not stay in touch with their relatives. If you ask my niece if she’d rather come spend Christmas with me on the beach in Mexico, or an over 55 community in Raleigh Durham, she’d choose Mexico. She probably visit me more there than she does here in the same state.
Like I said before, it’s not any more difficult for someone in Indiana to visit a relative in Mexico than it would be to visit them in California. They even have cell phone and Internet, believe it or not. We have a poster here posting from Ecuador for goodness sake. There’s no reason not to stay in contact with people just because you move to another country.
As for expense, it’s cheaper there than it is here. The people she works with which I have to keep emphasizing are veterans, and I think that makes it different, chose to spend too much money and to cut contact with family. I think there are a lot of veterans with PTSD and other mental issues a lot of alcohol and drug problems, and I think that probably contributed more to their circumstances then they’re deciding to go to another country. In fact those issues are probably what made them go to the other country in the first place.
How can you say what our "point of retiring abroad" is? That's rather high-handed.
Ours was precisely to save money on a beachfront condo. The onions (peeled, no less) are just a bonus!
Maybe prices are low "for most things" in Ohio, but not other parts of the U.S. Property taxes were $4,000 vs $45 here. To name just one. HC $80 vs. $800, or $1,500 or....
Income taxes are a non-issue.
"Again I say"---if one can afford what they prefer in the U.S., by all means stay there.
You're making me consider Ecuador!
I visited there once (Guayaquil). It was crazy dangerous.
Being an expat for twenty years now I laugh at my original fear and trepidation at living outside the U.S.
Language isn’t much of an issue with Google Translate anymore either. I enjoy learning languages and it’s a great way to stay mentally sharp but I live part of the year in Japan and don’t speak Japanese (yet). I can go into a bike shop or hardware store though and carry on a complete conversation using Google Translate in speaking mode. Older Japanese people get a bit flustered carrying on a conversation via smartphone but young people slip right into it.
The posting you cited is almost totally about veterans. My guess is that most retirees are not veterans, nor are most retirees to foreign countries.
Veterans are the individuals the poster happens to have familiarity with. With the exception of access to VA healthcare, none of the issues discussed are specific to veterans. Anyone who leaves the U.S. for a long period of time, and returns in their senior years, could experience the same problems.
One of my "side gigs" twenty years ago was reviewing travel and travel related books. One of the books that I remember was "Retiring to Mexico on $800 per month." The author discussed how it could be done if someone lived away from the coast and was willing to live a relatively spartan lifestyle.In other words, you would need to live in a small apartment, in an interior city, and live a simple lifestyle.
With YouTube and other social media, you see people publishing their budgets on video or post stating how cheaply they can live.
For example, one guy on YouTube posted that he was living in Cebu, Philippines for US$1000 and how much cheaper it was in Chicago. Of course, he downsized from a nice 2 BR/2 BA in Chicago to a 100 sq ft room which he shares with his wife and daughter. There is no hot water, often no running water and no refrigerator.
Another posts that he is living for $1200. However, when he posts, there are major categories that he is not budgeting including his various trips including trips home and the like. The $1200 might be achievable some months but there always seems to be some exceptions that blow the projection out of the water.
Sure, i do know a few people who live under $1000 a month in Mexico. One friend helped a family build a home and was given a room for the rest of his life. This allowed him to eat with the family, pay no rent, and the like. But that is not a usual situation.
I would suggest that you take all of these articles with a grain of salt because it might not be quite as cheap as it seems for the lifestyle that YOU want to live.
One of my "side gigs" twenty years ago was reviewing travel and travel related books. One of the books that I remember was "Retiring to Mexico on $800 per month." The author discussed how it could be done if someone lived away from the coast and was willing to live a relatively spartan lifestyle.In other words, you would need to live in a small apartment, in an interior city, and live a simple lifestyle.
With YouTube and other social media, you see people publishing their budgets on video or post stating how cheaply they can live.
For example, one guy on YouTube posted that he was living in Cebu, Philippines for US$1000 and how much cheaper it was in Chicago. Of course, he downsized from a nice 2 BR/2 BA in Chicago to a 100 sq ft room which he shares with his wife and daughter. There is no hot water, often no running water and no refrigerator.
Another posts that he is living for $1200. However, when he posts, there are major categories that he is not budgeting including his various trips including trips home and the like. The $1200 might be achievable some months but there always seems to be some exceptions that blow the projection out of the water.
Sure, i do know a few people who live under $1000 a month in Mexico. One friend helped a family build a home and was given a room for the rest of his life. This allowed him to eat with the family, pay no rent, and the like. But that is not a usual situation.
I would suggest that you take all of these articles with a grain of salt because it might not be quite as cheap as it seems for the lifestyle that YOU want to live.
Basically Cebu is about 40% cheaper than Houston if you want to live like an American. However live in help is very inexpensive. Perfect for someone with a disability or disabled spouse. Also healthcare costs are much cheaper.
Yes, I can live in an RV and live on potted meat sandwiches quite cheaply here.
I plan to live on 2500 a month in Cebu and live well. SS and a trust give me a 3k a month income. Should not need to touch retirement savings except for an emergency.
Most Filipinos are living on less than 800 a month.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ocnjgirl
But again, retiring overseas does not mean you’re not going to maintain touch with your relatives. The people the veterans I should say in that story because it does make a difference who chose to go off by themselves and not stay in touch with their relatives made that choice to not stay in touch with their relatives. If you ask my niece if she’d rather come spend Christmas with me on the beach in Mexico, or an over 55 community in Raleigh Durham, she’d choose Mexico. She probably visit me more there than she does here in the same state.
Like I said before, it’s not any more difficult for someone in Indiana to visit a relative in Mexico than it would be to visit them in California. They even have cell phone and Internet, believe it or not. We have a poster here posting from Ecuador for goodness sake. There’s no reason not to stay in contact with people just because you move to another country.
As for expense, it’s cheaper there than it is here. The people she works with which I have to keep emphasizing are veterans, and I think that makes it different, chose to spend too much money and to cut contact with family. I think there are a lot of veterans with PTSD and other mental issues a lot of alcohol and drug problems, and I think that probably contributed more to their circumstances then they’re deciding to go to another country. In fact those issues are probably what made them go to the other country in the first place.
You're all going off on the premise that these veterans, their families or retirees and their families have money for such travel.
If a person retires elsewhere - most times it is because of money. They may live comfortably where they have retired - but that doesn't mean they or their family have the money to visit. Why it may be easy for some to hop on a plane from Indiana to Mexico or CA - it isn't for others - despite having the additional expense of a passport which some can't afford.
We have no idea if these people didn't stay in touch thru letters and phone calls and they very well may have been estranged even if they lived in the good old US. You are assuming too much from a 3rd party discussing a situation and including your own opinion based on you own finances.
I still find it funny that so many think because they feel this way or they do this - that everyone else lives in the same circumstances and can afford to do the same. We have people who have retired all over for different reasons and we have people from all different economic backgrounds.
You're all going off on the premise that these veterans, their families or retirees and their families have money for such travel.
If a person retires elsewhere - most times it is because of money. They may live comfortably where they have retired - but that doesn't mean they or their family have the money to visit. Why it may be easy for some to hop on a plane from Indiana to Mexico or CA - it isn't for others - despite having the additional expense of a passport which some can't afford.
We have no idea if these people didn't stay in touch thru letters and phone calls and they very well may have been estranged even if they lived in the good old US. You are assuming too much from a 3rd party discussing a situation and including your own opinion based on you own finances.
I still find it funny that so many think because they feel this way or they do this - that everyone else lives in the same circumstances and can afford to do the same. We have people who have retired all over for different reasons and we have people from all different economic backgrounds.
My finances? I didn’t mention them at all. I’m simply saying if these men cut contact with their families it had nothing to do with being overseas. They didn’t just not visit they apparently cut contact with them altogether for years them tried to reach-enter their lives when they were broke and sick. That has nothing to do with retiring overseas. You can keep in touch in many ways that cost nothing, again these vets apparently chose to run away from their lives and families and cut off all contact with them, that is NOT retiring overseas scenario it’s a troubled vet scenario.
I said it’s not any harder for someone in Indiana to visit a relatives in Mexico than California. I never said it was affordable. But the person who can’t afford to visit Mexico also can’t afford to visit California so again it has nothing to do with retiring overseas.
In my case my wife’s family is overseas and they are not allowed to even visit here under our current immigration bs.
That’s BS and I’m sorry about that. I’m guessing your wife didn’t just decide to retire here though and few Americans are going to retire in whatever country your wife is from so not sure it’s relevant to the topic.
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