Synopses & Reviews
Economic turbulence and uncertainty about the future of social programs have, for many of us, turned retirement into a dreaded punishment rather than a long-awaited reward for a lifetime of hard work. Not the case for Suzan Haskins and Dan Prescher, who have been living and working abroad for over 12 years. They know that retiring abroad makes it possible to secure a happy, healthy,
affordable retirement, and in this book they provide all the details on how to make this dream a reality.
Around the world, expatriates are enjoying low costs of living, free or low-cost health care and a quality of life that matches or surpasses what they would be able to afford at home. In The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget, you’ll read countless true stories about people who have successfully relocated to places where their retirement money goes farther. These expats are saving thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars per year on insurance, medical, and housing expenses.
We work hard our whole lives so that we can enjoy the finer things when we retire, but today more and more people are finding that the finer things simply aren’t in their budgets. The strategies and suggestions in this book are intended to give readers the knowledge and confidence they need to rebuild their lives abroad, ensuring that retirement is what it should be.
Younger families can also benefit from The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget, which contains advice on expatriating with kids, overcoming language barriers, and researching foreign housing markets.
The authors have a neutral, informative writing style that clearly breaks down the pros and cons of retiring to the most desirable corners of Central America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Expatriation is not a decision to be taken lightly. Finding the right place for you, your spouse and family, and your budget is a complex—but, as the authors emphasize, not irreversible—choice. This book contains valuable information that will guide you in the right direction when it comes time to finding a new, more retirement-friendly place to call home.
Synopsis
Achieve your dream of retiring abroad while on a budgetThe International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget provides a detailed guide to one of the least-known but most effective retirement strategies in today's chaotic economic environment: retiring abroad. The premise is simple: Enjoy a happier, healthier, more fulfilling retirement than you could possibly afford in the U.S. or Canada by finding the right overseas retirement haven. The book reveals those affordable havens and the strategies for successfully making the move that could save your retirement. Aimed at retirees and near-retirees in the U.S. and Canada, this book's strategies apply just as well to younger people and people with families who are looking for ways to improve their quality of life while at the same time lowering their cost of living. It includes solutions for the challenges of continuing to work and earn money abroad, too.
As long-time contributors to the acknowledged leader in the field, International Living, authors Suzan Haskins and Dan Prescher have at their disposal more than thirty years of International Living experience and expertise in the topic. They've been writing about living overseas for more than 12 years and have created their own broad and deep body of work, including regular blogs on the topic for Huffington Post and AARP. The authors include information and strategies that can be successfully applied by anyone regardless of their political or economic opinions. For anyone who wants a happier, healthier, more affordable life, The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget shows you how to enjoy the romance and excitement of living abroad on an affordable budget.
Synopsis
Reinvent your retirementImagine retiring 5 or 10 years early to a charming villa with a guest house, an ocean view, a weekly home cleaning service, and fresh milk and flowers delivered every morning. Now imagine living this life on $2,000 a month or less while expanding your horizons and having the grand adventure of a lifetime. This is no fairytale—this is the reality that millions of baby boomers are discovering as they enter or near retirement. In this book, you’ll discover where to find the good life at a price you can afford, and how you can make this dream future your own.
Authors Suzan Haskins and Dan Prescher are a married couple who, over 12 years ago, left Omaha, Nebraska in search of a new life. Ever since, they have written about their expatriate experiences for International Living magazine, the only print magazine in the United States that focuses on living better for less overseas. In the pages of this book, their expertise is at your disposal, along with the most current information on purchasing property, securing health care, documentation requirements, banking, and more.
The first step to relocating to paradise is finding the post-career haven that’s right for you. The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget is a practical and inspirational manual for imagining a new life—and then making it happen. With the little-known information, tools, and insights in this book, retirement can be everything you always hoped it would be. Live your adventure!
For more information, see www.InternationalLiving.com.
About the Author
SUZAN HASKINS and DAN PRESCHER have been writing about life outside the United States for more than 12 years. Suzan and Dan ran a marketing firm in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2001, they moved to Quito, Ecuador to write for International Living. They have traveled and lived in numerous locations in Central and South America.
Table of Contents
ForewordBill Bonner ix
Introduction
What if you could retire better, more affordably, and even earlier than you expected? xi
Part one
Contemplating an Exciting Move . . .1
Chapter 1
Can You Afford to Retire Where You Live? 3
Chapter 2
Can You Really Live (Well) Overseas on $25,000 a Year? 15
Chapter 3
What’s Your Deal Breaker? 23
Chapter 4
The Most Common (and Avoidable) Mistakes Expats Make 33
Chapter 5
Health Care: Myth versus Reality 39
Chapter 6
The Challenges of Language and Culture 53
Part TWO
Making the Move: It’s a Big World . . . Where Should YOU Go? 61
Chapter 7
Belize: No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem (and It’s All in English!) 63
Chapter 8
Costa Rica:Your Easiest Choice 73
Chapter 9
Ecuador: Something for Everyone 87
Chapter 10
Mexico: The Top Foreign Destination for U.S. and Canadian Retirees 103
Chapter 11
Nicaragua: Ready for Prime Time 117
Chapter 12
Panama: The World’s Best Retirement Program (and Much More) 131
Chapter 13
Uruguay: More First World Than the United States? 145
Chapter 14
Europe: All the Ingredients for the Good Life 157
Chapter 15
Southeast Asia: Exotic and Affordable 175
Chapter 16
Boots on the Ground: Zeroing In on the Community That’s Right for You 189
Chapter 17
You Found Your Paradise. Now What?: Should You Rent or Buy? And How to Know When Halfway Isn’t the Wrong Way 199
Chapter 18
Once You Know Where You’re Going: Put Your Plan in Action 207
Part THREE
Once You Get There: Adjusting to Your New Life 217
Chapter 19
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitude: Maintaining the Bridge between Your Past and Present Lives 219
Chapter 20
When the Hammock Gets Boring: What to Do after You Retire and Move Overseas 227
Chapter 21
Moving On: This Is Not a One-Way Highway 239
Epilogue
If We Knew Then What We Know Now 245
Index 251