GENERIC:
THE QUESTIONS:
Do you feel like you are just existing? Do you want to LIVE rather than just exist?
Are you receiving a typical “first world” retirement income (from somewhere like the USA, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc) but struggling to make ends meet?
If you could LIVE more happily in another country on that same retirement income, would you be tempted to at least have a look?
THE METHOD:
GRANDPAcking is about a retired male, Shaun Richardson, spending 6+ years Flashpacking around the world in search of the best, affordable retirement locations. I am SHAUN.
My Plan involves spending several months in each of several target countries in South East Asia, Latin America, and South East Europe.
I started my travels in Indonesia in November 2014. I returned to New Zealand briefly in August 2015 to Sell My House. Come October 2015, I was back on the road again (re-starting my travels in Vietnam).
EXCHANGE RATES:
For Planning purposes, I used the following (simplified) exchange rates:
- NZ$1 = US$0.75 ; US$1.00 = NZ$1.33
- NZ$1 = €0.60 ; €1.00 = NZ$1.67
- NZ$1 = £0.50 ; £1.00 = NZ$2.00
These rates were realistic back in August 2014. Whilst on my travels I will give costs in local currency with the exchange rate(s) at that point in time.
THE OBJECTIVE:
My objective is to discover some wonderful places where you can truly and happily LIVE on a typical “first world” retirement income.
PLEASE NOTE: In 2014 New Zealand, this would be a yearly superannuation retirement income of NZ$29,300 / US$22,000 / €17,600 / £14,650 for a married couple (after tax). My figures are based on this couple living in nicely appointed Rental Accommodation so, obviously, if that retired couple owned their house in NZ, then they could sell up and buy a house (of equal quality for less money) in their new retirement location and live even more comfortably …
I will do the donkey work and tell you about the places that I have seen, where the special locations can be found, and how much income you would need to live there comfortably. These will be real figures… not theory… not hearsay.
I hope to provide enough information for you to be able to choose some locations that look right for you … and to tempt you to pack your suitcases and visit at least 1 or 2 of them to see them for yourselves.
I hope that My Plan grabs your imagination and that you are as keen as I am to discover the places that many people can only dream of … and to discover what the reality is about the affordability and options for retiring overseas.
FOLLOW ME:
I invite you to Follow Me as I execute this venture. Is my venture something that you would love to do but can’t?
A BIT MORE ABOUT SHAUN RICHARDSON (GRANDPA) …