Sedrick and I did not get to have our FIRST non family, non parents, non seeing anyone we did not know OUT of the COUNTRY vacation until 5 years ago. At that age we were 38 and 39. Due to the fact that by societies standards, we married and had kids ( started a family) family young ( respectively with us and our other spouses 21/22) our focus was as MOST Families focus should be, YOUR KIDS, Maintaining, establishing a home, etc. There was NO ROOM in finances for EXOTIC Vacations and trips. so fast forward, divorces, remarried, grown young adult kids, and you are in the present day.
Now it's all about us, what will our future be? If you are one of those people who must see Mom or Dad everyday, or need to touch, feel an kiss on your kids and grandkids, daily, BEING EXPATS is not for you. You have to already be at the point of understanding and recognizing the WORD "VISITS" You will VISIT each other, not see each other daily, at least not physically, you can each other in the technology world, (SKYPE, WebCam, FaceTime, etc) but in my opinion, you;re doing something wrong if you LIVE in the Caribbean and you're skyping someone daily in Oklahoma City.
Our parents didn't even blink an eye, when we told them 4-5 years ago, WHEN we retire, we will NOT live in Texas, or North America, we will be in Central America. You are welcome to come and visit us anytime, but Texas will not be our home, Texas will be a place where we have a HOME. You might have to understand our parents to know this didn't even faze them, Sedrick is a Military Veteran and has been gone from home since 17, I am the oldest child and when I left home 3 days after high school graduation I have never lived back in my parents home, so you are talking parents who haven't had US underneath them in over 25 years. They are already use to us VISITING. As to our children, we aren't "helicopter" parents, hovering over them and needing to be next to them every waking second of the day, we truly realize you HAD them for 18 YEARS, your TIME is UP, it's their life now.
Currently expecting our first grandchild any day now, we had already accepted the fact of if we are going to INVOLVED in their life they will need passports. Think about if as a child, would you rather visit GrandMa and GrandDad in Mobile, Alabama or Costa Rica? Hmmmmmmm we will wait for that answer. Instead of going to some country town for the summer our grands will be welcome to come see CiCi and J-Dub in some new exotic location, where they can learn a new language, eat delicious foods and explore the beauty of a new country.
So again, WHY Central America....
One quick answer, North America is TOOOOOOOO Expensive to live in and ENJOY retirement. The attached photo is not our budget but a couple from Austin, Texas who left in 2014 and now live in Costa Rica.
Did you know that the No. 1 thing keeping thousands of Americans from realizing their dream of retiring in Latin America is their own set of misconceptions?
They think it’s too far or too expensive or maybe just too much of a hassle. Many worry about being away from friends and family or living without conveniences, like department stores or modern medical facilities.
Nearby countries offer easy transportation access and wireless connectivity. Carriers, like American Airlines, now offer direct flights to many cities in Central and South America, including Panama City; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Roatan, Honduras. For instance, you can fly nonstop from Atlanta to San Jose for $410.
Telecommunications are excellent and inexpensive in most parts of Latin America, too. For example, due in part to a long-standing U.S. military presence, Panama has widespread wireless availability. And a broadband connection in Boquete, Panama, will set you back only $19 a month.
Most countries in Latin America are very welcoming to foreigners. Their governments want you to retire there, buy property and invest in the local economy. As a result, they offer many perks and incentives to foreign retirees. For example, Ecuador lets you import household goods duty-free.
Your retirement dollars often stretch much farther than they do in the United States. While the cost of living can vary from country to country — or even from city to city within a nation — you can frequently live more cheaply in Central and South America while getting the same, or even better, amenities.
For instance, you can rent a furnished, two-bedroom condo near the historic city center of Cuenca, Ecuador, for under $500 per month. Or you could buy a charming Spanish colonial hacienda in Granada, Nicaragua, for around $50,000.
There are also potential bargains on day-to-day expenses, like groceries, utilities and domestic help. A week's worth of fresh fruit and organic vegetables in Panama costs as little as $8. In many Latin American countries, you can hire a maid or gardener for as little as $10 a day. Movies, sporting events and concerts are also inexpensive (sometimes even free) and retirees often score hefty discounts.
Health care in Latin American countries represents another big savings. Doctor visits range from $15 to $25, maybe slightly more for a specialist. Hospital charges and prescription medications are also as little as one-fourth of what you’d pay in the United States.
The quality of health care in Latin America might surprise you, too. Doctors tend to provide much more focused, personal attention than most North Americans are used to receiving. And many physicians there are trained in the United States.
So in a nutshell, OUR PLANNED Budget is to LIVE a GREAT GRAND LUXURY Life in Central America, with Loft High Rise living ( preferred) maid service, eating out, nightlife, expansive traveling to other countries, and NOT WORKING. (Meaning go and REPORT to someone daily) With ALL EXPENSES our goal is to remain under $2500 a month, with pension and savings we are estimated to NET approximately $5500.00 a month ( this is still being established) So for those saying right NOW, I DON'T Make $5500.00 a MONTH NOW, that is fine, did you read what we stated, we are not going to LIVE on $5500.00 either we want to have every bill paid for less than $2500.00 a month and live GRAND. Our home will not be a shanty with no running water, and washing our clothes in the ocean as they hang dry, we will not be riding a bicycle to get around town as our transportation ( we may ride a bike for leisure fun) we don't feel it is fair to tell someone they can retire to another country for $500.00 a month when those items listed will be their LIFESTYLE. That's not living, thats slumming. In comparison if we remained in the U.S. we could still retire, our living expenses would be about $4K a mont ( with paid form properties and cars) our retirement COUL be accomplished and we would be fine, BUT we don't want to live CHECK to CHECK, we want to LIVE!
Stay Tuned.