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In Florida I was very poor. I also have Tri-Care for Life, a real blessing. I have many friends who retired to Philippines and here in Thailand who make less than $1000 a month on Social Security and they do well. Most of them must travel back to USA for major medical problems since SS does not cover outside USA. It works - it just takes a little fore thought and planing.
This is very interesting... kind of opens my eyes. One of the reasons I have always dismissed living outside the country is the quality of health care. Do you have good quality healthcare for every day type things? Major medical problems unfortunately become more common as we age. I can only hope to be so lucky as to not have to deal with such a diagnosis.
This is very interesting... kind of opens my eyes. One of the reasons I have always dismissed living outside the country is the quality of health care. Do you have good quality health care for every day type things? Major medical problems unfortunately become more common as we age. I can only hope to be so lucky as to not have to deal with such a diagnosis.
Health care in Thailand is as good or better than in the U.S. Most of these doctors trained in the U.S. anyway. Cost of health care is much cheaper here dollar wise. The problem being is that you must have insurance coverage or pay cash up front. The Philippines is right up there with Thailand on good care. Some of the best doctors I know are Filipinos and they too trained in the U. S. I don't know about the rest of the world but just look at the amount doctors training in the U.S. that are not Americans. I think the U.S. must train most of the doctors in the world. For dental work the Philippines is tops. I am 73 years old and have lived in Asia since 1996 and have no problems with these doctors.
Am I the only one who thinks it's funny that this thread titled "Retiring on a literal shoestring" is actually about retiring on a figurative shoestring?
Am I the only one who thinks it's funny that this thread titled "Retiring on a literal shoestring" is actually about retiring on a figurative shoestring?
Since I understood what the OP meant to say and did not think the choice of word would make any difference in the conversation, I concluded to myself that correction is not exactly a tactful thing to do.
I'm not trying to correct anybody, I just love irony. And that being said I'm not so good at tactful. My deepest apologies to anyone who may have been offended by my comments.
It's just that "literal" is one of those words that really isn't taken literally anymore, so I couldn't resist.
"I literally messed my pants when I saw that train coming!"
"Really? You messed your pants?"
"Well, no...."
To keep from completely hijacking this thread, I am way behind on my retirement savings and I hold out no hope that social security will be around when I retire, so I expect to retire on a shoestring myself. A figurative one. I will probably have to wear loafers because I won't have enough money to buy literal shoestrings.
Am I the only one who thinks it's funny that this thread titled "Retiring on a literal shoestring" is actually about retiring on a figurative shoestring?
We covered that ages ago, you missed it. I am a professional editor and I do know the difference between literal and figurative. I deliberately chose "literal" when I named the thread, using "writers' license" to emphasize "literal" to mean "really, no kidding, folks--a real shoestring" to distinguish between actual shoestringers and those with retirement security and lots of assets or trust funds who "live cheap" out of choice rather than necessity. I stand by my title, Retiring on a LITERAL (read: real, no kidding) Shoestring.
I suspect that a number of readers would like comments about how to keep healthcare costs down--any ideas welcome.
The best way to keep individual health cost down is to die quickly and suddenly. If you die slowly, you and your estate will incur tremendous cost just to keep you alive and in many cases suffer. It will also save healthcare expenses for everyone. The biggest cost of healthcare is to keeep the elderly alive when they have incurable severe chronic illnesses and they are in pain.
If one has lived a full live and got to a advanced age, then it is not sad to see one die quickly. Some of us have been in the situation where we had to make to decisions to end the life of our parents and love ones. It is obviously extremely sad when a young person or a child dies and those decisions are much more difficult. What I am talking about is those in advanced years who have reached a time where there is no quality of life, other than suffering, pain and expenses that only prolong the agony.
I hope everyday that I will go to sleep and never wake up. Yes, I am in chronic everyday pain but I am not ready to die, not today but maybe tomorrow. I am saying when my age and chronic conditions come together where there is no quality of life--let me die quickly. I do not want to use limited resources to prolong my life, when these resources can be used to help people who are younger and children; in addition to have more funds to do research to cure many diseases.
The best way to keep individual health cost down is to die quickly and suddenly.
LC must be in a negative frame of mind today.
Keep healthcare costs low by taking good care of yourself - eat in a way that is health supporting for you, exercise, sleep enough, reduce stress, don't smoke, drink very little if at all, etc.
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I am a professional editor and I do know the difference between literal and figurative. I deliberately chose "literal" when I named the thread, using "writers' license" to emphasize "literal" to mean "really, no kidding, folks--a real shoestring" to distinguish between actual shoestringers and those with retirement security and lots of assets or trust funds who "live cheap" out of choice rather than necessity. I stand by my title, Retiring on a LITERAL (read: real, no kidding) Shoestring. 
