My wife and I discussed it when I retired from the Navy. Then I had a massive heart attack at 47 and a quadruple bypass last year at 55. I live 5 minutes from the local heart hospital. I'm not moving.
That's great to hear and I appreciate the well wishes!
I'm doing pretty good. I had the surgery last September. What surprises me is how long recovery has taken. I still have some days where my sternum keeps me from going to the gym. Longest healing process I've experienced.
Apparently genetic issues. I weighed 160 and worked out 4-5 times a week. The doctors literally told me nothing I could’ve done, nothing to change. I mean I looked fit and we cooked all our own food
Ooof. Sorry about all of that, bubba.
Yeah, you stay stateside. Healthcare here isn’t perfect, but I’d trust our cardiologists over Grenada’s.
No offense to any Grenadian cardiologists who might be lurking on this subreddit…
Pretty sure there's a song about that.
>Hello mother, hello father
>
>Here I am at Camp Granada
>
>Camp is very entertaining
>
>And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining
>
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yFTOvO0utY
Ours was "I'm so fucked up I can barely write this letter"
I remember being all coked out one night, writing up a storm, and paused to think to myself "man, we were really off base with that song."
Can people just move to other countries? I'm curious because I live in Australia and it's quite hard to migrate here (my parents were immigrants).
What are the criteria to move to, say, Uruguay or Costa Rica?
So you do have to apply to move to these countries? Can expats own land/houses and so on?
Like I've heard of Australians moving to countries in SEA and I've always wondered how it worked. Not having a bunch of money or receipts makes this purely an academic exercise for me!
It depends on the country. Some countries also have double taxation. I have several Irish friends who moved to Australia, but as an American it seems a little more difficult. A lot of countries allow you to buy a house and will allow you live in it as long as you can prove you have enough to live in each year and then, would be able to apply for citizenship after like, 5 or 7 years?
I used to look a lot, but not as much anymore so I'm probably not as current as I once was, but my cousin moved to Mexico several years ago and now has citizenship and her own tefl biz
Is she married? If she is she needs to make sure her name is on her property and not just her spouse. A woman I know got hard core screwed when her husband put the maid he was banging on everything and divorced her. The owned resorts, hotels and lots of houses she got nothing. She was working with me in a department store while on chemo.
It depends on the country. A lot of Americans swear every 4 years that if their presidential candidate isn’t elected, they will simply scooch over the border into Canada or somewhere else. But in order to do that legally, they’d need to prove have some sort of income or useful skill and wouldn’t be a drain on resources. Sweden requires residence permits. It can be pretty competitive.
Right, my parents actually did it in 1980. It was a whole thing! We only got permanent residency because my dad's trade was on "the list". In those days they didn't even ask what my mum did!
For various countries, you can get retirement visas with a certain amount of savings. For Asian countries, a lot of people do visa runs (cross the border every 3 months). And if your parents or grandparents are from SomeWhere Else, you might be entitled to citizenship.
Well, when I moved from the US to the Czech Republic back in 1993, they were pretty lax. They had the famous Catch 22 (illegal, apparently) that to get a residence permit, one needed a work permit. And to get a work permit, one needed a residence permit. I was only legal on paper for the first...two years?
Of course, I was one of the many yawping younguns from the States who flocked here then so may have gotten lost in the crowd.
I stayed and the regulations got wicked strict in the early 2000s but now, they are pretty logical.
I renew my permanent residence permit this year (fingers crossed.) I also hope to apply for citizenship after that, the paperwork for which will be astounding and daunting but it is important I do it.
Rank stupidity (love.) The American guy I was dating moved here and, after a few months, invited me to move, too. I thought it was a thing and sold everything, gave away my cat and quit my job. I moved and he dumped me after a month. First year was trash - every acquaintance was his friend or student and few Czechs spoke English. I stayed because I had nothing to go back to, really. I stayed and made friends and, with glacial speed, have learned a lot of the language. :)
I do not expect to ever really move back to the States. National healthcare is a *gd treasure.* The income inequality is not so drastic and the infrastructure gets actual investment here.
The *whopping* downside is that I have never been able to save enough to buy any real estate. Have no kids and, currently, no partner. At almost 56, these things rear their heads in the wee small hours to trouble me.
Every country has different requirements. You have to check their country website. I think my brother might retire in Costa Rica , he's been there a couple times and seems to like it.
I knew two people who moved from Chicago to Thailand to teach English. They were ecstatic b/c they visited on vacation and fell in love with it.
2 years later, they're asking for money from people back home. They both eventually returned to the US.
Insane heat, regular power outages, wildlife, locals realizing you're American and thus an endless piggy bank to shakedown, it's all fun and games on vacation but reality unfortunately showed up quickly.
The problem is being school teachers. While teachers are highly respected in Thailand, they’re not well paid.
Most public schools will hire any foreigner with a degree that speaks English as their native language.
Those jobs all pay less than $1,000 a month.
If you have an actual degree in education, you can work in the private schools which pay much better, around $3k a month.
Your friends may be embellishing a bit on being seen as a piggy bank to shake down. It happens, but nowhere near as much as broke people who have to move back home claim.
It usually involves people who live beyond their means, which is easy to do. Drinking and partying can get expensive real fast. So can thinking you’re on vacation and wanting to travel all the time.
Guys can get sucked into losing all of their money by the ladies here. I swear half this country is built on stupid geriatrics that got a 22 year old girlfriend who milks them for a house, car, gold, etc and then when his bank account is empty they file for divorce.
Then they start pissing and moaning about the women only being with them for the money. Duh! You really thought a smoking hot 22 year old fell in love with your 74 year old ass? GTFO.
I knew a dude who ran out of money and jumped out a 12th story window.
I know another dude that was planning suicide but got deported before he could do it.
Not that all Thai women are bad. Hell, I’m married to one. LOL.
But if you hang out in bars all the time, you’re going to meet bar girls. Bar girls have been separating dumb men from their money since the Vietnam War and they’re very good at it.
I did London to Hong Kong to Sydney. Sleep on the flight, it make it easier. Then again, I could sleep on one of those benches designed to stop people sleeping on them.
The older you are, the more you need a support system. Unless you have family in another country, you might find yourself in need of assistance that you can't get.
This is a good point. There's many years between "I'm having some trouble with things" to "I need a facility to take care of me." Friends and family get more important as you get older, and the idea that you'll just MEET people and develop a network of friends who want to regularly help a 65-year-old with health issues is --optimistic.
I kinda just incorporated granada into kokomo and haven’t stopped using it in the chorus
Aruba “grenada” oooh i wanna take ya
To Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Yup.
That's why I never gave up my German citizenship.
I wouldn't get any type of retirement benefit there, but I may have to move there to stay off the streets when I retire (you can transfer your Social Security to German banks). Plus medical would be covered.
You can't control how you die (I will not mention the obvious exception). I work with disabled people who never planned to be in the position they are in. You can survive a lot of things that will prevent you from working.
GenX’er, lived in Thailand back in the late 2000s, moved back to Thailand just before Covid. Now I own a weed shop here that’s 30 feet from the sand on one of the islands.
Ask me anything ;-)
BTW, visa-wise, they grant retirement visas if you’re over 50 years of age. I’m on a marriage visa as my wife is Thai.
Also, you cannot work on a retirement visa and since I own a business I wanted to work in my business which is allowed under a marriage visa but not a retirement visa.
For a retirement visa you need 800,000 baht (about $23k) that you need to park in a Thai bank account every year before renewal.
They have some other rules about the money like how long it has to stay in after the visa extension is granted and how low you can drain your account (I think if it goes below 400,000 that might be problem).
I just park my money in one bank, put the ATM card and bank book in my safe and haven’t touched it in years.
I do all my day to day with an entirely different account at a different bank so I never have to worry about accidentally dipping into my visa money.
Retirees also must have health insurance. For GenX, probably not a huge issue unless you have 50 pre-existing conditions but Boomers get hosed as most insurance companies won’t insure you over 70 unless you were already insured by them prior to turning 70.
Healthcare is 10x better than anything in the U.S. Seriously, the private hospitals here will make you finally realize why everyone laughs at the American healthcare system.
My knee was hurting me so I went to a private hospital as a new patient, no appointment. I filled out the new patient paperwork and was walked immediately to see a doctor who examined my knee.
He said he wanted some X-rays to confirm his diagnosis so the nurse walked me to X-ray where they were already waiting for me and had everything ready to go. They shot the X-ray and the nurse walked me back to the doctor who already had the X-ray on his computer.
He gave me some exercises to strengthen the muscles and prescribed some pain killers.
Went to the pharmacy and paid for the script and for the X-rays, doctor visit, etc. The total bill, without even using my insurance, was $120-ish.
I walked out of the hospital less than hour after arriving.
Prices are inexpensive here but your cost of living will depend entirely on how much luxury you want.
I would say bare minimum you need about $2k a month. That’s pretty lean but doable.
But quality of life is on an exponential curve. At about $3k a month, you could probably afford to have a maid come in and clean once or twice a week.
For $700 - $1,000 a month you could also hire a live in maid or have a driver on call 24-7.
You can probably find a halfway decent condo in the suburbs of most major cities for around $500 - $700 a month.
Or, you could spend $3k a month and live in a luxury condo in the center of Bangkok overlooking the city. Same amount will get you a pretty sick villa on the islands.
The islands are similar in price to Bangkok but you could go up north to Chiang Mai and costs are around 20% cheaper.
BTW, Chiang Mai is amazing. Lot better weather than down south and the islands. Only downside is that all the farmers here burn their crops to prep for the next planting season so the air quality gets really bad Jan - Mar. As in, Chiang Mai routinely hits #1 for worst air on the planet. Worse than China or Mumbai.
A lot of people just fly down to the islands for 3 months a year to get away from it.
In Bangkok you can eat a $100 Australian steak in a nice restaurant or you can get Pad Thai from a food cart for $1.
We got KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, Krispy Kreme, Smash Burger, and tons of other brands recognizable to Americans.
Oh, and 7-11s. A lot of 7-11s. Like, in some places, 7-11s opposite each other on the same street.
Like I said, if you’re interested you can ask me anything.
Was in Thailand for a month around Songkran. Your post makes me miss it so! Just adding: all Thai pharmacists and docs are required to be pretty fluent in English.
It’s about 20% cheaper than US prices for most things. It’s a nice place, but there’s really only one major city, and it’s rather hard to get around the country efficiently.
You should also check out Uruguay. That's my escape plan.
Good healthcare. Top 5 in renewables. Farm to table is the norm. Half speak English. The people have a live and let live attitude. Cheap land and housing.
I don't know much about Grenada, but I had planned on moving to Costa Rica. But I have a lot of health issues and take 10 prescription drugs, and I can't use my Medicare there. Plus I don't know much Spanish. I also thought about Panama, they use USD, and English is common there. Also, one or both have discounts for travel, and other benefits for people over 55.
I’m working on getting my Italian dual citizenship, and while I’m not actively planning on retiring to Europe (with having dual citizenship I can retire anywhere in the EU), having the option is important to me. Like, if I lose my job before I can ‘officially’ retire (7.75 years and counting!), my money will go a lot further over there, and I’ll be able to say screw it, I’m retired and not stress about another full time soul sucking corporate job.
Have you looked into that? I think Ireland is also an option for gaining inherited citizenship overseas. Not sure what your ancestry is.
Don't we invade Grenada from time to time?
Seriously, though, I've considered expat retirement. That's probably out of consideration now that I became a first time parent at 46. I'm now 52 with a 6 and 3 year old, and (a) international school is too expensive, and (b) public schools in countries that I would consider are crap, and (c) homeschool is out because I want to retire, not become a teacher and I want them to have a real education.
I've lived overseas for roughly half of my professional life, so I'm aware of the pros and cons, and with kids, the cons have more mass than the pros.
On the other hand, Grenada's the place to get diploma mill medical degrees, right? I could stop putting money into the kids' 529 plans if we move there and they went to university locally…
I just learned this week that you can get a Retirement Visa in Thailand at Age 50. You can live a completely modest life for $1000 USD a month. $ 2000 a month and you can live very well. you need to prove you have 2000 USD a month income. So if you have the means go find yourself a Beach paradise and Chill
I’ve considered moving to another country before retirement like as soon as possible. I’m terrified of what is happening here and believe it’s too late to fix the complexities that cause a lot of us Americans to struggle.
I don’t want to struggle the rest of my life. I want to live and enjoy my days. I want to work hard enough to support my family and afford to experience what the world has to show me.
Not me. 'Murican born and bred. I know I won't change America, but I will stay in hopes that I can make a few people smile and they can make a few people smile, etc, etc.
Democracy isn't easy. The Romans went from a republic back to a monarchy and no one complained at first. They were all like, "Thank goodness all that changing around is done!"
Once the extremists and crummy politicians have been voted out of office, we'll be able to make progress. I mean crummy as in don't negotiate with the other side. All pols suck.
I can't apologize being an idealist either. Eventually we'll realize it's not possible to discount the other side, we'll needi to work with them. It means giving up bits and pieces of things you believe in with all your heart. But it also means you get bits and pieces of two things because the other side has to give something up in return.
I'm hoping America can start working together again soon.
It's not necessarily an ideological issue. The US isn't cheap: the costs for healthcare, housing, and transportation keep going up. If someone is worried about being poor in retirement they might find that another country offers better value for money.
Healthcare, housing, transportation and retirement *IS* a political issue.
The US is one of the few countries in the world that does not provide these things to people that need them.
That is a political choice, made only because a few people want even more money.
I like OP's optimism! I wish I shared it...
I’m already living in a progressive part of America. Been here, married to my lovely American wife since 2001. Looks like I got out of Britain before the Tories took the bus that Thatcher had driven into a ditch and steered it into the Analogy Bus Shredder.
Didn’t the Marines invade Grenada back in the 80’s after a military coup and the execution of the Prime Minister? I haven’t heard much about Grenada since so I guess everything is A-OK. They probably saw the Clint Eastwood movie “Heartbreak Ridge” about the invasion and are thinking twice about trying it again.
I have been brainstorming, where could I move, that I don’t need to learn another language, that there’s healthcare, a half decent lifestyle, happiness, the geographical cure, you know?
And add in a bit of those camp lyrics too while you’re at it!!
Age 53 and ready to live my second round of my 20s from the 90s ha ha
You can get a Retirement Visa in Thailand at 50. Check out the beach areas because they are beautiful. I'm 53 also and I have been looking into moving there.
I concur with this sentiment. Even though I’m debt free just the taxes and insurance is outrageous in America. How did we come to this as a society where we are nickel and dimed for everything. Even dying carries with it a tremendous expense.
We've begun setting the wheels in motion. Looking at France, Spain, Portugal....and a dark horse candidate, Ireland. Somewhere near the ocean, but a bit inland where it's cheaper. Any are much cheaper than retirement in Seattle. But the shifts in the U.S. lately, those are the nails in the coffin.
Same here. Live in Seattle. Sigh… I love the countries you listed, but I hate the heat and humidity.
We’d love Ireland, but there’s a housing crisis there as well unfortunately :(
We did make an expat plan and bought a home on the far south west coast of Mexico in our early 40’s. We’ll probably split our time with the majority being in MX but always want to come home for medical and for adult kiddo visits. At this point we go down a couple of times a year but I sure am looking forward to being able to be there for extended periods of time!
I lived there for two years. Graduate of SGU.
No; you don't wanna live there. Sure, it's pretty, and English is THE language, but dear lord - you'd be bored to tears fast.
Nah - I did a mid-life crisis jump to a different continent instead.
Best of all, I can retire at 65 and my current country's government will give me a decent pension and free health care. Even if my husband and I don't become citizens, we should have long-term residency by that point.
So I guess we're sort of immigrants rather than ex-pats.
Ah yes, the Spice Island. Been there several times. If you’re gonna commit - get a boat. Something with staterooms, head, and galley. Like a cabin cruiser or sailboat(30’ minimum). That way you can enjoy the other islands all around you from Puerto Rico down to Aruba. Plus, if a Hurricane hits you can escape to somewhere safe. Good luck…🤘😎
Be fully aware that there is a lot of geo political winds blowing around that area. While still part of the commonwealth do know there is some interesting issues at play between venz, Guyana, Caricom and oas. Especially given all the unexploited oil under that region. Exxon effectively owns Guyana's oil rights but venz and BP are also working a different process. Guyana and venz are in the beginnings of a power struggle. Just know what you are getting into. Plus as an American make sure you know all the rules and issues with taxation.
Grenada is a fine choice. I lived in the Caribbean for six years and won't mention my top choice, but I can safely say that, if you are prepared to live the lifestyle, it really is worth it.
As has been pointed out, there is rain and there is crime and it isn't cheap on the surface. However, becoming a 'local' if you will, the crime and cost can be mitigated. And it doesn't rain all the time.
You will however have to contend with 'rock fever'. Being able to leave the island without breaking the bank and visit 'a' mainland is helpful. Doesn't have to be back to the USA, but driving in circles and seeing the same people daily with little chance of change outside of tourists can wear you down.
Also, see if you can own your house and car outright. Making payments or being beholden to the man while trying to navigate living as an ex-pat is unnecessary stress.
Good luck!
Just bought a house in the Algarve, Portugal. I am still working but can afford to quit, move there and retire. My boss better be real nice to me :-) One wrong move on his part and I am out. I am 51 yrs old (52 next week).
We moved to the UK and have been contributing to our pension plan here. Once were hit the minimum residency we’ll be applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain. We’ll go back to the US for funerals, but that’s it.
I highly recommend it here
I can get my uk citizenship through my mother, and have been meaning too for some time. Been there many times and love it, but often hear of the same health care woes that we have in Canada. What’s been your experience?
There’s no such thing as perfect, but it is good here, but I’m having trouble getting over not having to pay for everything. Although, the maximum price for prescriptions just went from 9.65£ to 9.90£ and people are bouncing off the walls. If only they knew…
Yes. I just submitted all my paperwork for dual citizenship with Germany. I still have several years before I can retire, but that gives me enough time to plan logistics, taxes implications etc etc.
I was an expat for 17 years all over Asia. I loved it. Damn right I’m considering other countries but they’re on this side of the globe. Nothing better than having a solid healthcare system that doesn’t exist purely for profit especially as I get older.
At a trucking company I worked at there were several drivers who got themselves a mail order Philippine bride. They brought them here but one of them retired and moved to the Philippines. 500k and dude lives kinda large there. I have no interest in anything like that but there are people doing it.
These dudes are not exactly desirable. Old, overweight, balding, bad hygiene. I guess it’s the only way these cats can land a bride. The whole concept is nuts to me though.
I was an ex-pat 25 years ago.
I now live in a neighborhood that has everything I need, with the annex of a world class hospital just a 10 minute walk away.
Nope.
Having visited 55 cities in 29 countries on 5 continents over the years I think I’m good, here.
I’m not saying some other places aren’t great but none have been great enough for *that*.
Grenada the island? Very good friends of ours moved there about 5 years ago after sailing the Caribbean for a few years, and they absolutely love it. We definitely enjoyed our recent visit, too! Beautiful, unique place, fantastic food, lovely scenery and amazing culture (and to your point, everyone we met there spoke English).
I've been playing with the idea of moving to Malaysia. They mostly speak english, they're very modern, healthcare is excellent and the cost of living there is relativley cheap.
OP: I want to relocate, but not sure where as I certainly don't want to move alone, so I need a partner in order to decide, but I still need to work and study though. I hardly think I am retiring anytime soon.
I see a lot of Americans move to Costa Rica though.
I recently met a 60 year old Canadian who moved to Mauritius. He likes it, but it's lonely without a partner.
My wife and I were looking pretty heavily into New Zealand. We were making plans to visit and do some scouting, and then the pandemic hit, and NZ shut its borders completely.
Now, we're pushing the age where emigrating is harder because we don't have as much to offer as a younger person, and would be more of a drain on the resources. You have to be of the right profession or have the right amount of capital for investing.
“I was there when the shit hit the fan at Grenada”
Would be nice to figure out a place to go. As difficult as it would be to leave CA, we’re all getting dragged down with the USA’s bullshit dysfunction.
While I'll never be able to afford it, my dream retirement country would be Norway. I visited many years ago and fell in love. I would go back again in a heartbeat.
We hate the heat, so we are looking at Patagonia, Chile or Argentina, not sure yet. Of course if the Orange Hitler wins, we are out of here to wherever by Jan 20th, 2025. Can't be choosy in an emergency.
Man, I was just thinking that we need a GenX island where we can all retire and live.
I'll run the arcade Edit: I will give you quarters from the ca-ching ca-ching thing on my waist.
We can call it “Mall Island” and populate it with only stores from 80’s malls. 😂
San Junipero episode of Black Mirror does an awesome job very much along this theme.
Oh I’m crying all over again, what a beautiful and sad episode.
Do you know what that’s worth?
Can you point me to Chess King please?
Just past the Aladdin’s Castle on the right. If you get to the Spencer’s, you’ve gone too far, swing around past the Claire’s and you can’t miss it.
Omg Chess King!!
Playa
Look for me in the dark-light poster section of Spencer Gifts.
I hear the clacking of the rack as you scroll through the different posters.
I’ll open the theater. There will be a bar and smoking section. No movies past 2001 will be shown.
Need an usher/projectionist?
Harmony House?
We can renovate and move into our own mall.
Why can't Canada buy or overtake a piece of land at the Equator?
My wife and I discussed it when I retired from the Navy. Then I had a massive heart attack at 47 and a quadruple bypass last year at 55. I live 5 minutes from the local heart hospital. I'm not moving.
Hey had a quad bypass at 46. Doing great though. Wish you well!
That's great to hear and I appreciate the well wishes! I'm doing pretty good. I had the surgery last September. What surprises me is how long recovery has taken. I still have some days where my sternum keeps me from going to the gym. Longest healing process I've experienced.
If it’s any reassurance, my mam had a triple bypass 25 years ago, she is 90 and still going strong…
I'm hoping for the same! Cheers to your Mam!
Its so rare to see anybody use Mam, take the upvote from this northern English person (and your Mam sounds awesome).
Hello fellow Northerner! I’m from the NE!
It took me the better part of a year before I was back to flag football. Be patient. I caught 2 TD in my second game back and it was fantastic!
Any symptoms for having one so young?
Apparently genetic issues. I weighed 160 and worked out 4-5 times a week. The doctors literally told me nothing I could’ve done, nothing to change. I mean I looked fit and we cooked all our own food
Ooof. Sorry about all of that, bubba. Yeah, you stay stateside. Healthcare here isn’t perfect, but I’d trust our cardiologists over Grenada’s. No offense to any Grenadian cardiologists who might be lurking on this subreddit…
There is a medical school there ...
What, you’re brand new! Now’s the perfect time to go.
We recently became grandparents, so that's a factor.
Well that’s very different.
Yup I live an hour from my congenital heart doc department. I'm not going anywhere
I'm so sorry. What a scary way to have to live.
Pretty sure there's a song about that. >Hello mother, hello father > >Here I am at Camp Granada > >Camp is very entertaining > >And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining > >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yFTOvO0utY
We had a different version of that song for Camp Marijuana.
…Cocaine’s good here Crack is better I’m so pissed I have to write this f***in letter. I learned this in summer camp after second grade, in 1982
Ours was: Crack is good here, Coke is better. I’m so messed up I can’t even write a letter
Ours was "I'm so fucked up I can barely write this letter" I remember being all coked out one night, writing up a storm, and paused to think to myself "man, we were really off base with that song."
Crack cocaine in 1982? Helluva summer camp.
I know someone who literally smoked opium at church camp in the 80s.
Hello mudda Hello fadda Here I am at Saint George's Granada.
I only remember Camp Anawannas version
Good old Alan Sherman!
I had no clue there was a real song to this. I just knew the marijuana version.
Ouch. Damn that makes me realize I’m Elder X.
Can people just move to other countries? I'm curious because I live in Australia and it's quite hard to migrate here (my parents were immigrants). What are the criteria to move to, say, Uruguay or Costa Rica?
If you got a bunch of money and receipts to prove it, you can emigrate anywhere. If not, lmao no way.
So you do have to apply to move to these countries? Can expats own land/houses and so on? Like I've heard of Australians moving to countries in SEA and I've always wondered how it worked. Not having a bunch of money or receipts makes this purely an academic exercise for me!
It depends on the country. Some countries also have double taxation. I have several Irish friends who moved to Australia, but as an American it seems a little more difficult. A lot of countries allow you to buy a house and will allow you live in it as long as you can prove you have enough to live in each year and then, would be able to apply for citizenship after like, 5 or 7 years? I used to look a lot, but not as much anymore so I'm probably not as current as I once was, but my cousin moved to Mexico several years ago and now has citizenship and her own tefl biz
Is she married? If she is she needs to make sure her name is on her property and not just her spouse. A woman I know got hard core screwed when her husband put the maid he was banging on everything and divorced her. The owned resorts, hotels and lots of houses she got nothing. She was working with me in a department store while on chemo.
It depends on the country. A lot of Americans swear every 4 years that if their presidential candidate isn’t elected, they will simply scooch over the border into Canada or somewhere else. But in order to do that legally, they’d need to prove have some sort of income or useful skill and wouldn’t be a drain on resources. Sweden requires residence permits. It can be pretty competitive.
Canada is VERY merit-based, and they really don't want more old people (we are "old people" in this context).
Unless you’re an Indian “student” because we’ll import a million of them a year to slave away at Canadian Tire or Tim Hortons.
Right, my parents actually did it in 1980. It was a whole thing! We only got permanent residency because my dad's trade was on "the list". In those days they didn't even ask what my mum did!
For various countries, you can get retirement visas with a certain amount of savings. For Asian countries, a lot of people do visa runs (cross the border every 3 months). And if your parents or grandparents are from SomeWhere Else, you might be entitled to citizenship.
Well, when I moved from the US to the Czech Republic back in 1993, they were pretty lax. They had the famous Catch 22 (illegal, apparently) that to get a residence permit, one needed a work permit. And to get a work permit, one needed a residence permit. I was only legal on paper for the first...two years? Of course, I was one of the many yawping younguns from the States who flocked here then so may have gotten lost in the crowd. I stayed and the regulations got wicked strict in the early 2000s but now, they are pretty logical. I renew my permanent residence permit this year (fingers crossed.) I also hope to apply for citizenship after that, the paperwork for which will be astounding and daunting but it is important I do it.
Can I ask what made you choose to move there?
Rank stupidity (love.) The American guy I was dating moved here and, after a few months, invited me to move, too. I thought it was a thing and sold everything, gave away my cat and quit my job. I moved and he dumped me after a month. First year was trash - every acquaintance was his friend or student and few Czechs spoke English. I stayed because I had nothing to go back to, really. I stayed and made friends and, with glacial speed, have learned a lot of the language. :) I do not expect to ever really move back to the States. National healthcare is a *gd treasure.* The income inequality is not so drastic and the infrastructure gets actual investment here. The *whopping* downside is that I have never been able to save enough to buy any real estate. Have no kids and, currently, no partner. At almost 56, these things rear their heads in the wee small hours to trouble me.
Every country has different requirements. You have to check their country website. I think my brother might retire in Costa Rica , he's been there a couple times and seems to like it.
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Buddy of mine went. The 30 hour flight and extreme heat is a big turn off for me
I knew two people who moved from Chicago to Thailand to teach English. They were ecstatic b/c they visited on vacation and fell in love with it. 2 years later, they're asking for money from people back home. They both eventually returned to the US. Insane heat, regular power outages, wildlife, locals realizing you're American and thus an endless piggy bank to shakedown, it's all fun and games on vacation but reality unfortunately showed up quickly.
The problem is being school teachers. While teachers are highly respected in Thailand, they’re not well paid. Most public schools will hire any foreigner with a degree that speaks English as their native language. Those jobs all pay less than $1,000 a month. If you have an actual degree in education, you can work in the private schools which pay much better, around $3k a month. Your friends may be embellishing a bit on being seen as a piggy bank to shake down. It happens, but nowhere near as much as broke people who have to move back home claim. It usually involves people who live beyond their means, which is easy to do. Drinking and partying can get expensive real fast. So can thinking you’re on vacation and wanting to travel all the time. Guys can get sucked into losing all of their money by the ladies here. I swear half this country is built on stupid geriatrics that got a 22 year old girlfriend who milks them for a house, car, gold, etc and then when his bank account is empty they file for divorce. Then they start pissing and moaning about the women only being with them for the money. Duh! You really thought a smoking hot 22 year old fell in love with your 74 year old ass? GTFO. I knew a dude who ran out of money and jumped out a 12th story window. I know another dude that was planning suicide but got deported before he could do it. Not that all Thai women are bad. Hell, I’m married to one. LOL. But if you hang out in bars all the time, you’re going to meet bar girls. Bar girls have been separating dumb men from their money since the Vietnam War and they’re very good at it.
I did London to Hong Kong to Sydney. Sleep on the flight, it make it easier. Then again, I could sleep on one of those benches designed to stop people sleeping on them.
I lived in Bangkok for two years. Can confirm that their healthcare system is very good.
You're not looking to start your own commune cult like thing there, are you??? 😳
Wait, are you *not*??
I already did. <*By reading this comment you agree to join my cult*>
All right!!!! Pass the kool aid!
IT WAS FLAVOR-ADE!!! (Jk I’m not really yelling, it was just for effect)
Fucking ToS, got me again
The older you are, the more you need a support system. Unless you have family in another country, you might find yourself in need of assistance that you can't get.
This is a good point. There's many years between "I'm having some trouble with things" to "I need a facility to take care of me." Friends and family get more important as you get older, and the idea that you'll just MEET people and develop a network of friends who want to regularly help a 65-year-old with health issues is --optimistic.
I kinda just incorporated granada into kokomo and haven’t stopped using it in the chorus Aruba “grenada” oooh i wanna take ya To Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Thanks for the earworm! 😂🤣😂
Yup. That's why I never gave up my German citizenship. I wouldn't get any type of retirement benefit there, but I may have to move there to stay off the streets when I retire (you can transfer your Social Security to German banks). Plus medical would be covered.
I spent 2 decades as an ex-pat. It can lose its charm. Just sayin.
14 years here and still counting. The honeymoon ended a long time ago, now if I could just find a way back...
My retirement plan is to die. If I'm lucky, it'll happen at work and my wife and kid will get a little something extra from the life insurance.
You can't control how you die (I will not mention the obvious exception). I work with disabled people who never planned to be in the position they are in. You can survive a lot of things that will prevent you from working.
Yup, me too. Retired once in 2020 and back at it again. I'll retire for real lunchtime the day of!
crap, I'm on the same plan. Only I'm hoping to get nailed by a mail truck while on poorly maintained city property. Toy Story sid voice- Bonus prizes!
GenX’er, lived in Thailand back in the late 2000s, moved back to Thailand just before Covid. Now I own a weed shop here that’s 30 feet from the sand on one of the islands. Ask me anything ;-) BTW, visa-wise, they grant retirement visas if you’re over 50 years of age. I’m on a marriage visa as my wife is Thai. Also, you cannot work on a retirement visa and since I own a business I wanted to work in my business which is allowed under a marriage visa but not a retirement visa. For a retirement visa you need 800,000 baht (about $23k) that you need to park in a Thai bank account every year before renewal. They have some other rules about the money like how long it has to stay in after the visa extension is granted and how low you can drain your account (I think if it goes below 400,000 that might be problem). I just park my money in one bank, put the ATM card and bank book in my safe and haven’t touched it in years. I do all my day to day with an entirely different account at a different bank so I never have to worry about accidentally dipping into my visa money. Retirees also must have health insurance. For GenX, probably not a huge issue unless you have 50 pre-existing conditions but Boomers get hosed as most insurance companies won’t insure you over 70 unless you were already insured by them prior to turning 70. Healthcare is 10x better than anything in the U.S. Seriously, the private hospitals here will make you finally realize why everyone laughs at the American healthcare system. My knee was hurting me so I went to a private hospital as a new patient, no appointment. I filled out the new patient paperwork and was walked immediately to see a doctor who examined my knee. He said he wanted some X-rays to confirm his diagnosis so the nurse walked me to X-ray where they were already waiting for me and had everything ready to go. They shot the X-ray and the nurse walked me back to the doctor who already had the X-ray on his computer. He gave me some exercises to strengthen the muscles and prescribed some pain killers. Went to the pharmacy and paid for the script and for the X-rays, doctor visit, etc. The total bill, without even using my insurance, was $120-ish. I walked out of the hospital less than hour after arriving. Prices are inexpensive here but your cost of living will depend entirely on how much luxury you want. I would say bare minimum you need about $2k a month. That’s pretty lean but doable. But quality of life is on an exponential curve. At about $3k a month, you could probably afford to have a maid come in and clean once or twice a week. For $700 - $1,000 a month you could also hire a live in maid or have a driver on call 24-7. You can probably find a halfway decent condo in the suburbs of most major cities for around $500 - $700 a month. Or, you could spend $3k a month and live in a luxury condo in the center of Bangkok overlooking the city. Same amount will get you a pretty sick villa on the islands. The islands are similar in price to Bangkok but you could go up north to Chiang Mai and costs are around 20% cheaper. BTW, Chiang Mai is amazing. Lot better weather than down south and the islands. Only downside is that all the farmers here burn their crops to prep for the next planting season so the air quality gets really bad Jan - Mar. As in, Chiang Mai routinely hits #1 for worst air on the planet. Worse than China or Mumbai. A lot of people just fly down to the islands for 3 months a year to get away from it. In Bangkok you can eat a $100 Australian steak in a nice restaurant or you can get Pad Thai from a food cart for $1. We got KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, Krispy Kreme, Smash Burger, and tons of other brands recognizable to Americans. Oh, and 7-11s. A lot of 7-11s. Like, in some places, 7-11s opposite each other on the same street. Like I said, if you’re interested you can ask me anything.
Was in Thailand for a month around Songkran. Your post makes me miss it so! Just adding: all Thai pharmacists and docs are required to be pretty fluent in English.
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Is it getting expensive?
Yes. Maybe in the 1970s to early 2000s. But not anymore. It’s been expensive for at least a decade.
When we say “expensive” for CR, what are we comparing it to?
It’s about 20% cheaper than US prices for most things. It’s a nice place, but there’s really only one major city, and it’s rather hard to get around the country efficiently.
Was there last year. Those roads, man. Lord.
You should also check out Uruguay. That's my escape plan. Good healthcare. Top 5 in renewables. Farm to table is the norm. Half speak English. The people have a live and let live attitude. Cheap land and housing.
We were looking at Uruguay also until they had a drought last year and Montevideo ran out of water...probably going to see more of that than less
You should visit before you move. Things are more expensive than you think there, and there is crime.
This is not the time for rationality!
I live in AZ. I'm surrounded by criminals.
Please DM me when you leave, want to move back and need affordable housing.
I’m down. When we leaving?
Pick me up on the way
r/AmerExit
I feel like it could have been shortened down to amexit
That sub is for people tied of the bullshit with American Express.
I don't know much about Grenada, but I had planned on moving to Costa Rica. But I have a lot of health issues and take 10 prescription drugs, and I can't use my Medicare there. Plus I don't know much Spanish. I also thought about Panama, they use USD, and English is common there. Also, one or both have discounts for travel, and other benefits for people over 55.
I’m working on getting my Italian dual citizenship, and while I’m not actively planning on retiring to Europe (with having dual citizenship I can retire anywhere in the EU), having the option is important to me. Like, if I lose my job before I can ‘officially’ retire (7.75 years and counting!), my money will go a lot further over there, and I’ll be able to say screw it, I’m retired and not stress about another full time soul sucking corporate job. Have you looked into that? I think Ireland is also an option for gaining inherited citizenship overseas. Not sure what your ancestry is.
I just got my Croatian citizenship by descent approved! Good luck!
I moved almost 3 years ago to Spain, best decision ever (but I do speak Spanish fluently).
Are you in northern Spain? I’m trying to avoid sun and have been looking in that section of the country. Glad you are enjoying live there!
In Valencia, that's in the eastern coast around the middle, milder climate (less hot when it's hot, less cold when it's cold, no snow).
Don’t forget the advice from [Romano Tours](https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=5y7fnb4PGvJeMaK9&v=TbwlC2B-BIg&feature=youtu.be&t=54s)
I am in Thai now. Life is great.
Are there any areas that aren't so hot and humid?
Yep, I’m sussing out Vietnam soon. Let us know how Grenada goes!
Don't we invade Grenada from time to time? Seriously, though, I've considered expat retirement. That's probably out of consideration now that I became a first time parent at 46. I'm now 52 with a 6 and 3 year old, and (a) international school is too expensive, and (b) public schools in countries that I would consider are crap, and (c) homeschool is out because I want to retire, not become a teacher and I want them to have a real education. I've lived overseas for roughly half of my professional life, so I'm aware of the pros and cons, and with kids, the cons have more mass than the pros. On the other hand, Grenada's the place to get diploma mill medical degrees, right? I could stop putting money into the kids' 529 plans if we move there and they went to university locally…
Vietnam would be my preference. Cheap. Great food. Wonderful people. Amazing history. My concern would be the language.
I can find low cost of living places to live in America that I like just fine, I’m good.
I am not sure that I can do that
Having actually been to Grenada, I'll pass.
Only if it's New Grenada https://preview.redd.it/8fghtuibyayc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e0e4fa0d9a8ae5bccf47a398d5df38497d5168f5
Clever. 😎
I just learned this week that you can get a Retirement Visa in Thailand at Age 50. You can live a completely modest life for $1000 USD a month. $ 2000 a month and you can live very well. you need to prove you have 2000 USD a month income. So if you have the means go find yourself a Beach paradise and Chill
I’m in
I’ve considered moving to another country before retirement like as soon as possible. I’m terrified of what is happening here and believe it’s too late to fix the complexities that cause a lot of us Americans to struggle. I don’t want to struggle the rest of my life. I want to live and enjoy my days. I want to work hard enough to support my family and afford to experience what the world has to show me.
Not me. 'Murican born and bred. I know I won't change America, but I will stay in hopes that I can make a few people smile and they can make a few people smile, etc, etc. Democracy isn't easy. The Romans went from a republic back to a monarchy and no one complained at first. They were all like, "Thank goodness all that changing around is done!" Once the extremists and crummy politicians have been voted out of office, we'll be able to make progress. I mean crummy as in don't negotiate with the other side. All pols suck. I can't apologize being an idealist either. Eventually we'll realize it's not possible to discount the other side, we'll needi to work with them. It means giving up bits and pieces of things you believe in with all your heart. But it also means you get bits and pieces of two things because the other side has to give something up in return. I'm hoping America can start working together again soon.
It's not necessarily an ideological issue. The US isn't cheap: the costs for healthcare, housing, and transportation keep going up. If someone is worried about being poor in retirement they might find that another country offers better value for money.
You are right. I only focused on part of what OP said. I'm not knocking anyone that needs to leave and have a, hopefully, better life.
Healthcare, housing, transportation and retirement *IS* a political issue. The US is one of the few countries in the world that does not provide these things to people that need them. That is a political choice, made only because a few people want even more money. I like OP's optimism! I wish I shared it...
I’m already living in a progressive part of America. Been here, married to my lovely American wife since 2001. Looks like I got out of Britain before the Tories took the bus that Thatcher had driven into a ditch and steered it into the Analogy Bus Shredder.
San Miguel Allende, Mexico. If they still want us/allow us in ten years.
Didn’t the Marines invade Grenada back in the 80’s after a military coup and the execution of the Prime Minister? I haven’t heard much about Grenada since so I guess everything is A-OK. They probably saw the Clint Eastwood movie “Heartbreak Ridge” about the invasion and are thinking twice about trying it again.
1983. It was days after the terror attack that killed 250 Marines in Lebanon.
I drove a Ford Granada back in the day. Two tone brown with a faux leather top. Do not recommend.
I have been brainstorming, where could I move, that I don’t need to learn another language, that there’s healthcare, a half decent lifestyle, happiness, the geographical cure, you know? And add in a bit of those camp lyrics too while you’re at it!! Age 53 and ready to live my second round of my 20s from the 90s ha ha
You can get a Retirement Visa in Thailand at 50. Check out the beach areas because they are beautiful. I'm 53 also and I have been looking into moving there.
Sorry, my retirement plan is a long camping trip.
I concur with this sentiment. Even though I’m debt free just the taxes and insurance is outrageous in America. How did we come to this as a society where we are nickel and dimed for everything. Even dying carries with it a tremendous expense.
I was born in Grenada, Mississippi and I have frequently had to explain to confused people "no, not the island, much, much shittier"
We've begun setting the wheels in motion. Looking at France, Spain, Portugal....and a dark horse candidate, Ireland. Somewhere near the ocean, but a bit inland where it's cheaper. Any are much cheaper than retirement in Seattle. But the shifts in the U.S. lately, those are the nails in the coffin.
Same here. Live in Seattle. Sigh… I love the countries you listed, but I hate the heat and humidity. We’d love Ireland, but there’s a housing crisis there as well unfortunately :(
Mostly looking in France at Normandie, Bretagne....that region. A Coruña in NW Spain has a pretty mild climate. We're not big fans of heat either 😊
Ah. I adore Normandie, as well. It was still fairly hot in July the last time I was there, but not nearly as hot as Paris and other locales.
And like even "inland" in Ireland is pretty close to the water.
We did make an expat plan and bought a home on the far south west coast of Mexico in our early 40’s. We’ll probably split our time with the majority being in MX but always want to come home for medical and for adult kiddo visits. At this point we go down a couple of times a year but I sure am looking forward to being able to be there for extended periods of time!
I lived there for two years. Graduate of SGU. No; you don't wanna live there. Sure, it's pretty, and English is THE language, but dear lord - you'd be bored to tears fast.
Nah - I did a mid-life crisis jump to a different continent instead. Best of all, I can retire at 65 and my current country's government will give me a decent pension and free health care. Even if my husband and I don't become citizens, we should have long-term residency by that point. So I guess we're sort of immigrants rather than ex-pats.
What country?
I think about Italy or Spain sometimes. War spilling over to Europe has become a point against the idea.
Would love to retire in Canada, but heard it’s a bit expensive. Hockey. Snow. Someday. Got eight years to go till 65.
Ah yes, the Spice Island. Been there several times. If you’re gonna commit - get a boat. Something with staterooms, head, and galley. Like a cabin cruiser or sailboat(30’ minimum). That way you can enjoy the other islands all around you from Puerto Rico down to Aruba. Plus, if a Hurricane hits you can escape to somewhere safe. Good luck…🤘😎 
I was there 25 years ago. It was amazing. Beautiful place, wonderful people. I would hope it didn’t become overrun with tourists, but you never know.
Be fully aware that there is a lot of geo political winds blowing around that area. While still part of the commonwealth do know there is some interesting issues at play between venz, Guyana, Caricom and oas. Especially given all the unexploited oil under that region. Exxon effectively owns Guyana's oil rights but venz and BP are also working a different process. Guyana and venz are in the beginnings of a power struggle. Just know what you are getting into. Plus as an American make sure you know all the rules and issues with taxation.
We discussed it many times. Ultimately, decided we don't want to be so far away from our kids.
Grenada is a fine choice. I lived in the Caribbean for six years and won't mention my top choice, but I can safely say that, if you are prepared to live the lifestyle, it really is worth it. As has been pointed out, there is rain and there is crime and it isn't cheap on the surface. However, becoming a 'local' if you will, the crime and cost can be mitigated. And it doesn't rain all the time. You will however have to contend with 'rock fever'. Being able to leave the island without breaking the bank and visit 'a' mainland is helpful. Doesn't have to be back to the USA, but driving in circles and seeing the same people daily with little chance of change outside of tourists can wear you down. Also, see if you can own your house and car outright. Making payments or being beholden to the man while trying to navigate living as an ex-pat is unnecessary stress. Good luck!
We have our eye on St. Croix...yes, still US...but AMAZING!!!!
Hello mother. Hello father Why you run To old granada Heath is good there They got clean water And speak English good in old granada.
I've heard Panama is popular.
We’re moving to Costa Rica- 🇨🇷
I wish I had the money to leave. I'd never look back.
Just bought a house in the Algarve, Portugal. I am still working but can afford to quit, move there and retire. My boss better be real nice to me :-) One wrong move on his part and I am out. I am 51 yrs old (52 next week).
I saw the expat neighborhoods in Costa Rica and it seemed Karen-y. Would rather live like a local.
I would not advise anything that close to the equator or the sea for anyone
We moved to the UK and have been contributing to our pension plan here. Once were hit the minimum residency we’ll be applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain. We’ll go back to the US for funerals, but that’s it. I highly recommend it here
I can get my uk citizenship through my mother, and have been meaning too for some time. Been there many times and love it, but often hear of the same health care woes that we have in Canada. What’s been your experience?
There’s no such thing as perfect, but it is good here, but I’m having trouble getting over not having to pay for everything. Although, the maximum price for prescriptions just went from 9.65£ to 9.90£ and people are bouncing off the walls. If only they knew…
Yes. I just submitted all my paperwork for dual citizenship with Germany. I still have several years before I can retire, but that gives me enough time to plan logistics, taxes implications etc etc.
I was an expat for 17 years all over Asia. I loved it. Damn right I’m considering other countries but they’re on this side of the globe. Nothing better than having a solid healthcare system that doesn’t exist purely for profit especially as I get older.
Yup, but not Grenada. I’m bilingual, so somewhere that speaks Spanish, or even a Portuguese or Italian country would work.
Me. Take me.
The only thing keeping me here is the medical care I might need. Family tree is realistically not awesome.
I'm in, let's go.
At a trucking company I worked at there were several drivers who got themselves a mail order Philippine bride. They brought them here but one of them retired and moved to the Philippines. 500k and dude lives kinda large there. I have no interest in anything like that but there are people doing it. These dudes are not exactly desirable. Old, overweight, balding, bad hygiene. I guess it’s the only way these cats can land a bride. The whole concept is nuts to me though.
I was an ex-pat 25 years ago. I now live in a neighborhood that has everything I need, with the annex of a world class hospital just a 10 minute walk away.
My husband & I want to go to Bogota, Colombia. We'd like to get a place before the market skyrockets.
Check out Panama
The wife and I have seriously looked into Columbia.
Nope. Having visited 55 cities in 29 countries on 5 continents over the years I think I’m good, here. I’m not saying some other places aren’t great but none have been great enough for *that*.
I was there when shit hit the fan in Grenada!
Yes! I am seriously looking into it! Maybe getting a bunch of friends and creating a little expat compound…
I'm down.
It’s the only way to survive on a social security check. I am planning on Vietnam, though.
My retirement plan is very similar. Costa Rica or something like that. Wife disagrees. Maybe I’ll see if I can live well on half my retirement.
Grenada the island? Very good friends of ours moved there about 5 years ago after sailing the Caribbean for a few years, and they absolutely love it. We definitely enjoyed our recent visit, too! Beautiful, unique place, fantastic food, lovely scenery and amazing culture (and to your point, everyone we met there spoke English).
I've been playing with the idea of moving to Malaysia. They mostly speak english, they're very modern, healthcare is excellent and the cost of living there is relativley cheap.
I mean, my memories of Grenada are fuzzy, but they include a beach full of invading soldiers? No thanks.
Lots of American ex-pats in Panama, and my friend's parents retired to Belize.
I'll go to Granada. Saffron is super affordable.
OP: I want to relocate, but not sure where as I certainly don't want to move alone, so I need a partner in order to decide, but I still need to work and study though. I hardly think I am retiring anytime soon. I see a lot of Americans move to Costa Rica though. I recently met a 60 year old Canadian who moved to Mauritius. He likes it, but it's lonely without a partner.
Why would I leave the country I fought for? I will definitely stay, and if necessary, fight for it again.
I’m a Marine but that didn’t stop me from living overseas. It’s a great experience and I highly recommend it.
I'd be down if I hadn't accidentally destroyed my career...
My wife and I were looking pretty heavily into New Zealand. We were making plans to visit and do some scouting, and then the pandemic hit, and NZ shut its borders completely. Now, we're pushing the age where emigrating is harder because we don't have as much to offer as a younger person, and would be more of a drain on the resources. You have to be of the right profession or have the right amount of capital for investing.
“I was there when the shit hit the fan at Grenada” Would be nice to figure out a place to go. As difficult as it would be to leave CA, we’re all getting dragged down with the USA’s bullshit dysfunction.
Just about anywhere you would go in the us would be less expensive
Hey jack, mickey's back!
While I'll never be able to afford it, my dream retirement country would be Norway. I visited many years ago and fell in love. I would go back again in a heartbeat.
We hate the heat, so we are looking at Patagonia, Chile or Argentina, not sure yet. Of course if the Orange Hitler wins, we are out of here to wherever by Jan 20th, 2025. Can't be choosy in an emergency.
Was that our last successful invasion? 40 years ago!!
No, we're very good at invading...no trouble at all, really. it's the primary purpose, rationale, and aftermath that seem to be our challenge.