Archive

Author Archive

Looking For A Cheap Place To Retire?…Mexico

February 26th, 2010 No comments

Looking for a cheap place to retire? Your Social Security check will go a long way toward retirement in Mexico.If you have not considered Mexico as a place to retire you should.

That’s right you can live quite well retiring in Mexico on $1,000 to $2,000 per month. If you speak a little Spanish it will be cheaper…you can live anywhere you choose. More if you need to be surrounded by lots of fellow gringo retirees. Your choice.

A plus when retiring to Mexico is health care insurance …it is cheap, $270 a year, and adequate. Why so cheap?…few lawsuits. Even the Canadians who have free health care use this system…no ling waits for procedures they need. This insurance is comprehensive and provides good care.

And ladies this monthly figure of $2,000 a month or less includes a maid and or gardener. Retire to Mexico and you may have done your last ironing. Is your cheap places to retire list growing?

Do not believe that you will not have familiar shopping in Mexico. Currently there are 98 Walmarts and 31 Costco warehouses, located in Mexico. Big retailers know a good market when they see one. this is good for them and good for you.

Retiring to Mexico means choosing the climate you enjoy. You know about the beach resorts like Cancun and Cozumel…what many are not aware of is the spring like temperatures in Central Mexico. It is far enough south to be warm and has the elevation in the interior to be moderate. It is up to you to decide.

How about personal safety in Mexico. The drug violence in border towns is not prevalent in places where you would retire to. You are three times more likely to be a victim of violent crime in the US vs Mexico. Mexicans place emphasis on family life and welcome visitors and retirees.

Mexico should be on your radar for cheap places to retire. You need the latest most up to date information to see if it is a fit for you. That information is available on a monthly basis and is where you should start when retiring to Mexico. Interested?

Obtain the up-to-date Mexican retirement information. It is filled with the first-hand-accounts of people living in Mexico today. Gary Pierce freely shares his experiences on frugal retirement living. Do not quit on retirement until you got to this site. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

Frugal Living In A Park Model Mobile Home

February 24th, 2010 No comments

Park model mobile home living is a great way to enjoy frugal retirement . And it sure beats continuing to work to earn more money.

If your retirement portfolio has taken its lumps in the last two years…you have plenty of company…me for one. This has caused many to rethink retirement…reevaluating plans of any kind is a good thing.

Arizona, where I retired is a major center of park model retirement compounds. You can retire to Arizona and this lifestyle and retire very cheaply. See… reevaluating plans is sometimes good.

Mobile is not a very descriptive term. Although they can be moved again, usually the trip from the factory to the park model compound is the one and only time it is moving.

Although park model mobile homes offer frugal living we are not referring to sacrifice. In the Phoenix area, some have over 2000 units and offer every amenity you could wish for. They resemble a stationary cruise ship. You can do as much or as little as you choose…it is up to you. If you can not find something to do…it is your fault.

Many park model compound residents started out as RVers. You will find after RVing a few years you tend to visit the same places. It is a smooth transition from an RV to a park model. The smallest park model has similar dimensions, 400 square feet, to a 40 foot motorhome.

How about cost? Park models cost from $20,000 to $50,000 new and $10,000 to $20,000 used. The new ones do not include the land…the used models include the land and the furniture. This explains why two homes are in the financial reach of many. Home for the summer and Arizona or Florida in the winter.

Park model mobile home living is fun and frugal. It puts owning two homes in the reach of many people. Rethinking retirement plans is a good thing if you place more affordable and enjoyable lifestyles into the equation. To learn more about park models go below.

To get further information on park model mobile homes. Gary Pierce freely shares his experiences in frugal retirement living on his website. Do not give up on retirement until you visit the site. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

The Best Retirement States

February 15th, 2010 No comments

Picking the best state to retire in involves many criteria. It is best to look at all factors before choosing.

Looking solely at taxes can be misleading. Five states have no sales tax; seven have no income tax. The only state that has none of either taxes is Alaska. Alaska may be a tough sell as a place to retire.

The cost of living in Alaska is high. Why?…almost every consumer good is trucked in from the lower forty eight states. No sales or income tax…great but it does give you the total picture in choosing a place to retire.

High income retirees will be very interested in states that do not tax income. It is not a coincidence that Florida and Texas, have a high number of wealthy retirees. They are among the seven states that do not tax income at the state level.

In 34 states your Social Security income is free from taxes. If Social Security is your sole source of income it would be important for you to know if your best place to retire excludes SS from the income they tax.

Taxes are not the only criteria to choose a state to retire in others include:

1) Medical care…is it adequate?

2) Is the family close…or is it far enough away?

3) Cultural activities

4) Outlets for your hobbies?

5) Personal safety

Choosing the best retirement state involves many factors. There are two important approaches to your decision making:

1) Relax go slow…what is the hurry, you have worked all your life…take your time in selecting the state you will retire in

2) Rent before buying. This will not make you buddies with real estate salespersons…too bad… rent first. You may find that the spot you choose for vacation feels different when you live there. By renting first you keep yourself from making a big mistake.

You need all the information you can get on each state you are considering for retirement. Here’s how to get the information. It is free.

For further information on the best retirement states. Gary Pierce freely shares information on how to retire on less at best retirement states. It is loaded with free information on retirement lifestyles you may not have thought about. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.

Early Retirement Planning…Know What You Are Retiring To

February 11th, 2010 1 comment

If you say I am retiring early to get away from work…be careful. Retire to something not away from work…there is a difference in the two approaches.

It is easy to say I am going to do nothing when I retire. You will find if you do your retirement will be no different from work. Without firm, well thought out goals, you soon become bored and frustrated.

I suggest making up two lists. Make sure your spouse does the same…two lists. One will be of things you never want to do again…the other what you want to do in retirement. The first list may refer to no more shoveling snow…the second might be to lower your golf handicap ( be specific, how much lower). Why should both of you make lists? It is much better to discover the differences in what you both want now than later. You may be greatly surprised by the two lists.

Laying on the couch may be your idea of retirement…but you realize that is unhealthy. One of your retirement goals…this applies to every one…is to be retired and healthy for a long time.

Your lists need to be specific. Be honest with yourself. If you never want to rake leaves again, a big house and yard in the Midwest is not for you. If you want to sail year round San Diego may be better than Omaha.

The more focused and clear your goals are the better. For instance learning to speak French as a goal is too broad. Instead stay I will be able to speak passable French 6 months after I retire. Then it is OK to go buy the language software.

Do not just look at early retirement planning from the money side…you will not be happy if you do. You will not hear of making lists of your retirement goals from your financial planner. That is not his or her job…that is your responsibility.

I have been retired 15 years. My lists of goals and never agains are 20 years old. Take a look they may get you started on your lists.

To find out what was on the authors lists for early retirement planning. If you are contemplating retirement, but do not believe you can afford it you need frugal retirement living. Do not give up on retirement before going to this site.

How Much Money To Retire?

February 10th, 2010 No comments

If you are looking for the answer to how much money to retire… you are asking the wrong question.

Why not ask how much longer can I wait before retiring. For every year we work that is one less year for our retirement. Think about it.

Retirement planning that focuses solely on money…is not the smartest thing for you to do. Why? Because as we age we are less able to do the things we did when we were younger. Not shocking news I am sure.

I am not talking solely about sex either. As you age do you develop more or less aches, pains, ailments, etc? I thought so…as you age you are slowing down. Aging should be given more weight in retirement planning.

As an example let’s say you want to play a lot of golf when you retire. Great, sounds like a plan. Now ask yourself how much further do you hit the ball now, than 10 years ago…equipment improvements aside? See what I mean?

While you are waiting to accumulate that gob of money your financial planner tells you is necessary..you are enjoying golf less and less. who plays better as they age…very few, certainly not me.

How much money to retire? I heard this from friends as I prepared to retire 15 years ago when I retired at 49. The good friends that asked me that question are currently still working, some wealthy, but most in poor health.

The question how much to retire is different for everyone, there is no one correct answer. When we retired in 1994 we retired to a Jimmy Buffett lifestyle on a sailboat in the Caribbean. Boat work is a fact of life. But I am not so sure I would be as eager to go up the mast…52 feet off the deck…I am 64 now.

If you have seen your investment portfolio tank…mine sure has…it is not the end of the world. The key is to explore ways to retire that do not cost as much as you think you need. Then retire early while you can enjoy yourselves. Here is how we did it.

Here is how found the answer to how much money to retire? Here is information on the different frugal retirement living lifestyles we have enjoyed for 15 years. Do not quit on retirement, go to this site. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Living Frugal in an RV…it is a Lot of Fun

February 8th, 2010 No comments

Living frugal in an RV is not about depriving yourself. You will have lots of company with people who find this lifestyle fun and rewarding as well.

The current economy is not the best, causing many to reconsider their retirement plans. Lots of folks have seen their 401K turn into a 150K.

If you want a fun lifestyle, consider living frugal in an RV, you can still retire…you just won’t need much money. One full time RVer said,”All my homes, now and in the future, will have a steering wheel in the living room”. I ran into this fellow in Yellowstone National Park. This particular couple had been full time RVing for 10 years.

So if 2008 and 2009 have sent you lemons…living frugal in an RV is a great way to make lemonade from the cards you are dealt.

Living in a RV is also a great vehicle to find your more permanent retirement location. We RVed for 6 years before we decided on retiring to Arizona. By the end of the six years we were pretty sure that we had seen enough of other places. An RV is a great way of preventing an expensive mistake. You can stay where you want to retire for as long as you want before making that final decision.

Living frugal in an RV is easy with no sacrificing. You can travel where you want without incurring large motel bills. You are bringing your motel with you…and you never have to pack and unpack, all your stuff is with you.

If you find certain places you really enjoy, you will spend more time at each of your favorite spots. This is a money saver since parks will give you a big discount for a stay of a month or more. $500 a month is usually doable as an average monthly price. That is equal to 3 to 4 nights in a motel.

If you are considering frugal ways to retire check out RV living. It is fun…so, enjoy life on the road.

For more information on frugal living in an RV Gary Pierce, 64, has been retired for 15 years he has experienced various retirement lifestyles that are not only frugal but fun. Do not give up on retirement until you visit this site.

Five Compelling Reasons To Retire To Mexico

February 3rd, 2010 No comments

Retiring to Mexico…when you do there are certain things you can count on.

1) Americans are liked by the Mexican people…why would they not welcome you? You are spending your retirement dollars in their country…that means jobs and business for Mexico.

2) Mexico is not as unsafe as you think. There is violence around the border towns…even with that included, you are 3 times less likely to be a victim of violent crime in Mexico vs the US. You would not retire to the border towns anyway. You will feel very safe in Mexico.

3) Life is simpler and family oriented in Mexico…and that is what you want for retirement. You may feel that you have stepped back in time to the US in the 1950′s…not such a bad thing. The pace of life is slower in Mexico…but do not equate the relaxed pace to laziness. They have different priorities and you will soon be in the easy tempo of Mexican life. Retire to Mexico…less stress…live longer.

4) If you do not speak Spanish…not to worry. If you are polite, and I assume you are, you will find people willing to translate for you if that is an issue. It is always a good idea to try and learn but it is not totally necessary. If you do know Spanish you can pick and choose where you want to live. If you do not you may want to stay in areas where there are lots of expats.

5) How about health care? In the US we have the best health care in the world…it is also the most expensive health care in the world. After you have lived in Mexico one year you can apply for IMSS insurance…it will cost you $270 a year for full coverage for doctor visits, hospitalization and prescriptions. many Mexican doctors trained in the US. You will find the level of care to be very good.

So retire to Mexico, where $1500 to $2000 a month, is the average budget to live very well. That is eating out frequently and hiring domestic help. You will also have some company, over one million Americans have already retired to Mexico.

There is no question that living in Mexico, will cost a lot less than retiring in the US. Combine that with the slower pace of life it is no wonder why it is so popular as a retirement destination. You will need further information from many people who have lived in Mexico for many years. You need to put their experience to work for you before you make the move to Mexico. Here is how to get that information.

Get your owners guide to Mexico if you plan to Retire to Mexico. For further information on Mexico and alternative enjoyable, cheap ways to retire visit Frugal Retirement Living . You will be happy you did. This and other unique content ” articles are available with free reprint rights.

categories: retire to Mexico,retiring to Mexico,retire in Mexico,living in Mexico,Mexican retirement,lived in Mexico,retire,retirement,retiring