Retire in Paradise for Less – Page 3 – your travel and retirement guide to paradise

Creating an income in Third World Countries.

4 February , 2015 By John Arnold Leave a Comment

Ever dream of “work and travel” as a way to escape the grind of a 9 to 5 job? Well, I might be able to give you some ideas that can turn that dream into a reality. Teaching English in Thailand, is probably the most popular way to make a living, not lucrative, but if can pay the bills.

Many people who come to Mexico or Thailand are NOT retired and must work hard for another few decades in their new paradise! However, you can not just visit the USA and start a new job, well, not legally and the ramifications can be severe. Third world countries operate on a theoretical similar basis, so please be forewarned. These rules apply to both retired and non-retired expats.

The first thing to do is to acquaint yourself with the laws of that country. Make sure you have the proper paperwork in place before you embark on your new venture. Even volunteer work is frowned upon in some countries or just be downright illegal without the proper documents. So think twice before doing any kind community service deed, get the facts about doing such work.

I have several friends who have the ultimate job; they earn their USA salary and are allowed to live and do that work in Mexico. So high pay and low cost of living. Tough to beat, but it can be done! As a retired engineer, I know that I can also consult for companies while living in Mexico or South America and meetings can take place via Skype for project updates. Many, many no retired folks teach English, which can be low pay. In Mexico, teachers of English earn about $8 and hour, which for Mexico is a good income.

There are places in the world called “Digital Nomad Cities”. Basically, they have good internet infrastructure, low cost of living and also have things like free or very inexpensive workspace. So for example, if you can only afford a small room, with no internet then these workspace setups provide all that for you. The income of a “digital nomad” can be made from producing websites like this, writing your own e-book, freelance writers for magazine and journals, virtual consultants and so forth. Cities that make the cut are in SE Asia, Mexico and Morocco. Try THIS LINK to look at more details of these cities..but please come back here. I will miss you! Work and travel for digital nomads is a lifestyle that they all enjoy and a network of such people exists globally and as such, they often network to help each other out.

Teaching positions in Third World countries are big. Job agencies for these overseas jobs do exist online in USA and Europe. Since expat cities around the world often have International Schools, where English is the only language spoken, then English speaking teachers of every subject are needed in these schools.

If teaching English in Thailand is not your cup of tea then think “entrepreneur”. I have been astounded at the people I have met in Mexico that operate their businesses as expats; for example, a couple that has a kitchen remodelling service operates all their kitchen design and management from Mexico and yet the work is performed in 3 cities across the USA! Then there is my friend Lisa that runs an online travel agency for affluent holidaymakers to exotic destinations or expensive cruises. The ages of these expat workers is 25 to 70! Some (not the 60+ year-olds) are still raising small children!

A word of warning though. Since you may be working in a country that has no pension scheme in place then you will not be paying such taxes to fund your old age pension. That could be a problem if you have no savings or are not in a position to make investments that will replace a government pension.

I would encourage you all to take a look at your current job, or take inventory of your skill set and see how it could work in your own future; your warm paradise can be your new office.

Search this site for more specific articles on this topic.

Driving in Third World Countries

21 December , 2014 By John Arnold Leave a Comment

One of the great things about living in the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe is a certain level of expectations with infrastructure. Driving in these Third World Countries opens up a whole other dimension to the possibilities of insanity on the roads.

Road signs, traffic lanes and traffic signals are all “guidelines” in these countries. A red light hardly ever stops a man on a motorcycle, a painted traffic lane showing 3 lanes of traffic is a nice idea in theory, but when that third lane suddenly ends into a concrete divider, with ZERO warning,you know you are no longer at “Home”. Often road signs to proceed are so confusing that just sitting still seems like the best option.

Check all the legalities of driving your own car, a rental car or a car you bought in your new home country. Correct drivers license? Correct insurance, title to the car and so forth. Keep COPIES with you of all documents to show to the police in case of a checkpoint or you are unlucky to be in an accident.

No article on Third World Countries can possibly be complete without mentioning corruption. As you are merrily driving along the road suddenly you are stopped by local police. Their aim is simple, to improve their paycheck! They will cite that you do not have the required document (they will invent one), no seat belt worn, bad driving and so on. The fine is bartered from a silly high figure down to something you can afford to give them. If you do not want to pay the fake fine then just ask them to escort you to the nearest police station, sometimes the traffic infraction then goes away. magic! Try to only have a small amount of money in your pocket/wallet and keep the rest hidden in your car.

Driving at night is always a bad idea. Heavy rain can often turn roads into lakes, drunk drivers with no license are out there at night and things just multiple very badly when driving at night.

Search for articles on cities and countries for more detail on driving issues and Do’s and Don’ts in that locale.

The voices in my head

20 December , 2014 By John Arnold Leave a Comment

It’s always a good idea in Life to keep an open mind and be aware that your Plan A may need a Plan B and possibly a C and D sooner than you think. Finding the best place to retire is no different than any project in life. We all do our research and we forge ahead only to find out that we need to switch tracks. Job change, divorce, bad neighbours or a major mechanical issue with a new car all force us to re-evaluate our choices.

This article is about going with my intuition and accepting a huge change.

My choice of Mexico as my “best place to retire”, has recently forced me to take a step back and look at a few things. In an earlier article from about 2 years ago, I mentioned that there was no point in moving to a cheap place to retire if you do not feel safe in that same town. Well, in my mind, this is what is happening in San Miguel de Allende. Crime is up and so are the costs to live here. Double whammy!

This town, in just 2 years has seen a big change. In the summer of 2013 San Miguel was named, by the readers of the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler Magazine’; A fancy highbrow magazine for the wealthier traveller, as the “top city in the world”. Say whaaaat? TOP CITY? First off, San Miguel de Allende is hardly a “city” topping out at about 120,000 inhabitants and comparing this pueblito with the likes of Venice, Rome, NYC and so on, is in my humble opinion, a load of rubbish. Yes, SMA is a beautiful town, maybe world class even, but “the best”.. nope. Anyway, this accolade has caused one major negative: demand is UP and so are the prices. We are not sipping an espresso on the Champs Elysee here folks, but nevertheless, the cost of a coffee and all other meal prices, sitting on a cobblestone street in Centro, has risen 30% in just 2 years. Circle back to my “fixed income” article and 30% cost of living increase becomes a BIG deal to most people reading this. Rents, hotel prices have all risen dramatically and frankly, owner and operators have just gotten greedy.

Second of all: crime. I have never been the recipient of any violent crime in SMA, but several of my friends have been, one was even murdered this past year. Home invasions, muggings, rape and robbery are all on the rise and dramatically so. There is much debate on the topic at this moment with the argument that San Miguel is still much safer than the average town in the USA. For me, this doesn’t say much! Personally I feel less safe here now and so I take more precautions now, than I ever have done while living in Mexico.

Which brings me to the voice in my head. Honestly, just a few weeks ago I had planned on moving to Cuenca Ecuador. I visited Ecuador for 3 weeks June 2013 and liked the place; it was less expensive, perhaps safer and the natural beauty was far superior than the area I was living in Mexico. One sunny calm morning in Mexico I was strolling alone on a quiet beach just north of Puerto Vallarta and a voice in my head whispered to me: “Go to Thailand. Move to Thailand”. Thailand??? Where exactly is that? Moreover, who said that? :). I knew absolutely nothing about Asia let alone Thailand. Thailand is in Asia right, I pondered. I was waaaay too tall for Thailand at 6’3″ (191cm) I would be a giant pink man strolling the streets.

For about 3 days, I researched the very idea that my subconscious, angel?, had presented to me that morning. Thailand…hhhmmmm. Tigers there, BIG snakes, Buddhism, short people and a culture and language that I knew absolutely nothing about. Zero, zilch. However, a funny thing happened in those few days. That voice, that thought quickly consumed me and within a few days, the idea was now a passion that I felt in my heart. I am moving to Thailand! Whoah. I would have never had guessed this twist in my Lifes Journey.

Has this happened to you? Are you also researching your plan B because your initial retirement spot is not so rosy anymore? Please let us know in the comments section below. Thanks

Maids, Mariachi bands and siestas in Mexico

21 September , 2014 By John Arnold Leave a Comment

Siestas

Living and being retired in Mexico comes with several perks that make my life here just absolutely wonderful. It is often stated that “old people” need more naps. People make fun of this fact! Why? I think they are just jealous. There is nothing wrong with a 60-90 minute nap every afternoon, especially if you live in a hot climate like San Miguel de Allende in the summertime.

Staying indoors and relaxing/sleeping makes perfect sense in such hot weather, especially if you participate in the Mexican party life: which will mean staying out until 2 am or even later. You may need a sleep mask to cover your eyes and ear plugs because neighborhoods are noisier at 4 pm.

Maids in Mexico

Maids are an integral part of many Mexican homes owned or rented by Gringos. In another post, I describe how my rent, of $550 includes a maid twice a week. I have a sweetheart of a maid. She not only cleans my home, she will prepare food, cook the food, go shopping for groceries and even has sewn damaged jeans! I pay her extra for these chores but still – one stop shopping!

My maid, Sofia, does not speak a word of English and so one more added benefit: a Spanish teacher too! Sofia has also taught me a lot about Mexican produce and how to cook it. My attempt at any sort of soup in the USA was pitiful, but now I can make a really full bodied chicken soup with a big kick! Many skill sets I now have are partly attributed to my maid Sofia.

Mariachi bands

There is one style of music in Mexico that is very Mexican, mariachi bands originated in Mexico several hundred years ago and as far as I know only exist for real in Mexico and with some USA tourist places. I absolutely love the sound that these bands make. If anything in Mexico romanticises this beautiful and exciting country, this music is it! In all cities and even small towns mariachi bands play in a plaza or maybe some civic or private event.

Dating in Mexico

3 August , 2014 By John Arnold 3 Comments

As a single man I thought it would be a good idea to write an article with a brief outline of what dating, romance and love can be like in this beautiful country called Mexico. A lot of you have read, or are familiar with the book “Men are from Mars, women are from Venus”. Just like the books basic premise is that men and women think differently then so it is with how Western style romance is approached differently than romance in Mexico.

The first thing that comes to mind is money. A Mexican woman expects you to “take care of her”. A woman with children and whose parents are alive may also need financial help from you to care for here extended family. But that’s getting a little too far ahead. That will come at date #3. OK, that’s an exaggeration, just a little. A Mexican man will always be expected to pay for everything, the meal, transportation and so on. Sometimes your date will show up with friends, yes you pay for everyone. This gives the man an opportunity to flex his power and machismo. My Western wallet and mentality does not agree with this. I do it.. but I still have a hard time understanding why I pay for everything. A male friend of mine who lives in Mazatlan was very sad and a little angry when his Mexican girlfriend of 6 months and aged about 52 years old informed him that he would have to pay for their house rental, food, clothes.. everything!! He was perplexed because his girlfriend was 52, had a good business going and lived alone and so she was already able to pay for her own life. This is the way love works here in Mexico. Deal with it.

There are 2 things at play here with my friends situation. His ability to pay for his girlfriends life with him and his willingness to pay for her. This may end up with a resentful husband or boyfriend who is spending all of HIS money and the girl is SAVING here money.. often helping her family with their own finances.

Need info on Gringas dating a Mexican man? Well, honestly I have few data points except those of two friends of mine who are (trying) to date such a man and had a hard time getting the Western “dating” concept across to their boyfriends.

Public displays of affection here are over the top. In my local plaza young couples, as young as middle school, are often kissing, hugging and holding hands. People here are very affectionate and very open about it. Family is #1 in this culture and so you may find yourself taking a back seat to your wife’s/husbands parents or siblings. Their family needs always come first.

Baños, Ecuador. Volcanoes and spas.

2 August , 2014 By John Arnold Leave a Comment

I arrived in Baños by bus from Cuenca via Ambato. The towns full name is Baños de Agua Santa (Baths of holy water). On the bus ride here the winding road took us past quaint tiny hamlets, streams and seem to circle around the foreboding volcano named Tungurahua. This volcano has come close to destroying the spa town on a number of occasions and even as I visit now, the snow-capped volcanic mountain is very active!

I did my normal routine when I arrive anywhere at a new travel destination, I looked for a place to sit down and have a coffee or cold drink. Coffee seemed much more agreeable at this altitude of 1,820 m (5,971 ft) and a temperature of just 20 C. This is when I can relax, stretch my leg, look at a map and ask around about accommodation and generalities of the place I am visiting. One should always take time to smell the roses. We, travellers, know that the journey is the often the best part of an adventure.

A small spa Hostelería had been identified and off I went for a walk of about 300 meters. My room had a beautiful SOFT king size bed, views of cascading waterfall just 2oo meters away and the price of just 22USD included a hot and filling breakfast. Close by was the public and very, very inexpensive option of a mineral pool. To gain access to the pools you had to wear a swim cap, which can be rented for 25 cents. This was NO relaxing in a four-star spa experience, it was one of those “been there done that experiences never wanted to be repeated again”. Hundreds of people, often shoulder to shoulder were in 3 pools, half of which were kids and in water that was murky and tepid. I lasted a full 15 minutes and looked for a shower to clean myself pronto. Only a cold water pipeline was available… refreshing, to say the least, but it did the trick! Needless to say you can find more upscale versions of this whole spa thing dotted all over town.

The town of Baños was on my radar from both what I learned from reading and from people who raved about the place. Personally, I didn’t understand the hoopla about this town. Waaaaay over commercialized and not that pretty. However, the surrounding countryside is gorgeous for hiking and trying to get a better view of the volcano. Remember, it’s all good!