Second time round, Thinking of retiring abroad for economic reasons?

I agree, but this topic is also about travel...and not related to one specific country or just about retirement....unless I am missing something? For Thailand, I use thaivisa.com. Great site for info on living and retiring there...

My last post was really oriented towards Raisuli....sorry....

Gypsytoes: I totally agree with you regarding Panama. My wife and I went there last winter on a scouting trip. Based on what I had read, it was suppose to be a retirement paradise. We really liked it there, but not enough to move there. Same gut feeling that it was just not right. We also felt the same way about Costa Rica. Too expensive, too Westernized, etc. Love CR, but not enough to move there...crime is also on the rise significantly....

We had a preretirement experiment that lasted seven years in Europe, we'd winter in Spain and travel around in the summer in other parts in Europe. We did it cheap like Gypsytoes did we lived in a VW van, there was my partner, me and our dog who is part husky/german sheppard. A good sized dog with us in a small van. We did our laundry by hand too and cooked our own food. We loved it and thanks for the label Gypsytoes that was our preretirment experiment.

It went very well, I wish we could make it permanent. Although, I'd need to earn some money so I thought a small business would be a good idea. I've met a lot of people who have done this there's many in Spain. The major problem is always not having enough money. I think doing business in a country that practices having a siesta is right up my ally to be honest and it is my dream but I'll need to do it here first. But, that will give me valuable experience to do it in a country that has a siesta. It's so civilized.

I've been going back to places that seemed like good retirement spots when I last visited, and so far none of them seems right. After spending as much as six months in each place, I've rejected Thailand, Malaysia, Panama, and Nicaragua so far. I'm in Mexico right now, and I'm hoping somewhere here will seem like the right spot. If nothing works out, then I'll just choose someplace for purely economic reasons.

Majortraveller: Very interesting. My wife and I are talking about doing just this. VW van and all. I found a place in Holland that sells second hand vans for about 4k Euro. They are refurbished also. I think what you did is awesome and hope I can duplicate that some day....we are also looking into larger RVs also, but not sure we want to deal with the extra hassles of driving a larger rig....

We just got to Buenos Aires. Stilloutthere, have you been here? It is completely different from other Central or South American cities I have visited. I have been to pretty much every country in CA and SA, except a few. So far, we really like it here. Very civilized, great people, GREAT wine and steak, and relatively inexpensive. We head to Montevideo next week, then Mendoza, then Santiago. Just being a tourist, but keeping an eye out for a cheap retirement place. We saw ads near our Palermo apartment with units for sale around 70k USD. One bedroom units. Palermo is a very nice area with lots of upscale restaurants and shops. But still with reasonable prices. And plenty of gringos also!

Are you driving Craigt3365? I've never been to Buenos Aires but I'd love to go there.

We've driven down to Mexico a couple of times and have made it as far as Guatamela overland. We did that trip in VW van that we paid five hundred canadian for, it didn't even have a radio. We broke down more times then I could count but what a time we had. We love travelling in a van it gives us the freedom to go where we want, stop for as long as we want, travel as slowly as we want and go on the roads we want. We travel slow, on secondairy roads, we take out time, we camp wild, we cook our own food. I guess we've had a number prepreretirement experiments.

I think we were lucky to have gone to Guatamela when we did in our ratty old van that we paid 500 for it's a wonderful country and one I'd visit again someday but sadly not right now. I'd love to hear about your trip I hope you find your nirvana (cheap retirement place) please let us know how it goes we need to learn how it's done.

"The Adventurer's Guide to Early Retirement A Common Sense Approach" by Billy & Akaisha Kaderli http://retireearlylifestyle.com

Sorry the link didn't work last time

The couple in this book use the 'Debit Card Gypsy' approach to retirement. They have a homebase in the USA and spend most of their time doing long term travel.

I'm not planning to retire overseas, (I like where I live in California) but I would like to spend alot of my time on the road after I retire. What interests me is the finanical aspect of retirement and long term travel.

I knew a couple from California who spend every winter down in Mexico on a beach Raisuli. They would drive down in thier RV like snowbirds and stayed on a beach that they could camp on which was very under developed. It can be done if you go cheap on holiday and you live cheap at home. That's the way we've done it up to now.

I've often considered moving abroad - but I'd never do it purely for economic reasons. I'd have to really like the country I'm thinking of settling in.

Majortraveller: we do not have a car now as we are in Buenos Aires. Which is an absolutely awesome city. We are very impressed. Very similar to NYC or London, but a little rougher around the edges and MUCH cheaper. Not sure I want to live in such a big city, but is sure a great place to hang out for a few months. Especially if you like beef!

We will be renting a car in Chile for a few weeks and again down in Patagoina. Until then, we just hire taxis. You can go along way with a taxi for the same amount you would pay for a rental car.

We have done the snowbird thing down in Mexico a few times with our RV. Not for us. The spots are really tight. The good sights book up 1 or 2 years in advance. That may be changing with the rise in gas prices and the crime down there now?

We did stay for a month right on a beach 2 hours south of Mazatalan. Very nice, but NOTHING nearby. I need some nice restaurants, good grocery stores and some entertainment. We really enjoyed it, but not for long term.

We head to Uruguay to check it out in a few days. Then to Mendoza, which I have heard is awesome. Then to Santiago/Valpariso for a week. And will work our way down to Cape Horn over about a months time.

Raisuli: I spent 25 years in California. Love it, but you really need a lot of money to live there comfortably. Anywhere near the ocean is outrageous. And all the extra taxes sort of make me mad....My home base is Nevada for tax purposes. A huge savings for us.

Paddythered: Totally agree with you. There are many places much cheaper than N. America if you just want to save money. But it has to be interesting...and safe! Otherwise, forget it. I was in Cuba a few years ago and met many Canadians living there for the winter cheaply...IMHO, not a great place to hang out. Food is horrible! As are the police...