Why retire overseas? The simple answer is because you’re likely to enjoy life more…and spend far less—up to five times less in some places—to do that.
There’s more to it, of course, but that’s what Live Richer, Spend Less: International Living’s Ultimate Guide to Retiring Overseas explores.
In the best retirement destinations overseas where the cost of living is so much lower than it is at home, you can enjoy better weather and scenic views...you could have access to quality healthcare
you can afford, a housekeeper and gardener, funds to travel and eat out whenever you want…and true financial stability. No more worries about outspending your retirement income or outlasting your savings.
Authors, and IL Editors, Suzan Haskins and Dan Prescher are long-time expats. They are experts when it comes to identifying the best strategies and the best locations for a successful move abroad. They first moved overseas in 2001, and since then, they’ve lived in seven different communities in four different countries. And they’ve traveled to far more than that.
In the book, you’ll gain the practical tools you need to help you see why a life abroad can make so much sense. You’ll be able to make rational decisions and understand if the overseas lifestyle is really for you—and if it is, the best way to go about it…to find a good fit, given your interests, priorities, budget, and dreams…
Live Richer, Spend Less serves as your trusty retire overseas guide. Inside you’ll learn about and be guided through issues such as…
More than two dozen countries around the world where you could live well on less than $25,000 a year, including the country that’s arguably the easiest place to settle…
Equations to help you fine-tune your Social Security strategies to ensure you receive the maximum monthly benefits you’re eligible for, along with how to best collect your benefits from abroad...
Six questions to help you determine your retirement preparedness...
24 questions to assess your priorities and make the best decisions about the best overseas communities for you...
How you could save five to 10 times on what it costs you now for healthcare costs, including private insurance...
How to overcome the “I can’t leave my grandkids” quandary...
How to find the best (and best-value) housing opportunities…
Is living full-time overseas right for you? Find out how to know… plus great alternatives that save you tons, deliver the joys of adventure, and still let you keep a firm foothold back home…
What kind of health insurance makes sense (and the best countries with low-cost but top-quality public-health systems – good news: You have lots of choice)…
A cornucopia of money-saving strategies when you live overseas...and budget-slashing travel tips, including how to stay for free in some of the world’s top tourist destinations...
Suzan and Dan distill their years of experience into a well-researched—and very real-world—resource that helps you understand why retiring overseas makes sense for so many reasons. In addition to enriching your finances, you can improve your health, grow your circle of friends, enjoy new experiences, and create a life you love.
The cover price of Live Richer, Spend Less: International Living's Ultimate Guide to Retiring Overseas is $37. You can go to Amazon and purchase a copy for that price. But for a limited time only to celebrate the launch of this one-of-a-kind book you can get your hands on a printed copy for just $19. Just click on the order button below to go to a secure order form:
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Ask the Authors
Q. What motivated you to write this book?
Dan: There is a lot of printed and online material out there about living, working, and retiring abroad, and not all of it is current or from personal experience. We’ve been writing and researching the topic—and living and working abroad ourselves—for nearly 20 years now, and we thought it was time we shared our most up-to-date advice for anyone thinking about doing it themselves.
Q.You make a powerful case for retiring early, by going overseas. Can you speak to how that can work for people?
Suzan: Just imagine the effect on your quality of life and your retirement budget if you move to a place with better weather, better healthcare, a cleaner environment, and a much lower cost of living than the one you live in now. That can not only have a dramatic effect on the quality of your retirement, but can allow you to retire earlier than you thought you could.
A lot of people daydream about doing this...about moving to an exotic, more carefree location and having the adventure of their lives. But they’re not sure how to go about it...how to get started. If that describes you, this book can show you how to get started. And not just that, we hope it makes the case for why you ought to do this right now. It needn’t be daunting or complicated. The book is designed to give you some gentle guidance and real-world pointers...the kind of advice we’d give a friend, the pointers we wish we’d had before we became expats.
Q. Chapter 5 is titled, “Expat Life Fulfills the Basic Requirements of Happiness,” how so?
Dan: Sometimes, if you retire in the same place you’ve always lived, you find yourself doing the same things, being with the same people...and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But when you retire overseas, you’re suddenly in a totally new environment...meeting new people, having stimulating conversations, doing things totally out of the ordinary, and engaging both mind and body. There is no way you’ll be bored or lonely. Expats tend to be outgoing and inclusive...you’ll find yourself with more rewarding social engagements than ever.
And you’re living daily life in someplace beautiful, warm, and affordable. What’s not to be happy about?
Q. Let’s talk about some of the challenges. Your book makes a compelling and persuasive case for retiring overseas. But you admit, it’s not always roses 100% of the time. What are some of the challenges people should know about?
Suzan: The rest of the world is not “America Lite”. If you expect other countries to be just like home at half the price, moving abroad is not for you. Know that when you move to another country, almost everything will be at least a little different than you’re used to. The pace will likely be slower, the language can be different, and cultural norms certainly will. If that intrigues and interests and challenges you, you’re on the right track. And even if it frightens you a bit, that’s okay. Read the book for our take on it all. Again, that’s why we wrote it: To give you our perspective and tell it like it is.
Q. You argue in the book that retirees can be ideal candidates for expat life. In fact, Chapter 6 is called “This is the Best Time of Your Life to Have a Grand Adventure.” What do you mean by that?
Suzan: Retirees are in a perfect position to try something completely different. The kids are out of the house, the old work life is over, and we tend to be healthier than ever these days. It can be the perfect time for the adventure of a lifetime — especially one that stretches a retirement nest egg or fixed income farther than you thought possible.
About the Authors
Dan Prescher
Dan was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, and is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Iowa with degrees in Journalism and Creative Writing. He and his wife and co-author, Suzan Haskins joined International Living in 2001, writing about their lives in Quito, Ecuador.
From there, they moved to Mexico in late 2002 and in 2006 they moved on to Panama and then Nicaragua before returning to Merida, in Mexico’s Yucatan state, where they renovated a colonial home. They also lived for eight years in Cotacachi, Ecuador. In addition to these locales, they have explored dozens more expat havens around the world, including locations in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ireland, France, Thailand, and beyond. They are currently residents of Mexico.
Dan is now a Senior Editor with International Living. As well as regularly writing about his experiences as an expat living overseas, he produces most of the company’s podcasts for www.InternationalLiving.com and serves as master of ceremonies for IL’s seminars, conferences, and other events held around the world. He and Suzan have produced in-depth webinars on several of the most popular expat destinations. Dan has been interviewed about living and working overseas for articles appearing in The New York Times, Fortune Magazine, Kiplinger, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNN, USA Today, The Business Times, CNBC, The Globe and Mail, Chicago Tribune, MSN, PBS NewsHour, AARP, and more.
In 2014, Dan and Suzan co-authored their first book, The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget, which quickly rose to the #1 spot in its category on Amazon. Following that success, the Haskins/Prescher team wrote an even more detailed guide to life abroad, called Live Richer, Spend Less: International Living’s Ultimate Guide to Retiring Overseas.
Suzan Haskins
Suzan Haskins hails from the great American Midwest, where she earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and spent nearly 25 years working in corporate advertising and marketing. Finally, in 2000, she said "not another winter in Omaha" and began looking for a way to live where the climate and scenery were better and lie moved at a slower pace, allowing her to do more of the things she had always wanted to do.
An International Living subscriber, she started pestering the company for a job. In 2001, the company hired Suzan and her husband, Dan Prescher, to write for them at InternationalLiving.com from Quito, Ecuador. From there, they moved to Mexico in late 2002 and in 2006 they moved on to Panama and then Nicaragua before returning to Merida, in Mexico’s Yucatan state, where they renovated a colonial home. They also lived for eight years in Cotacachi, Ecuador. In addition to these locales, they have explored dozens more expat havens around the world, including locations in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ireland, France, Thailand, and beyond. They are currently residents of Mexico.
Suzan is now Senior Editor for International Living, where she contributes editorial essays and speaks at conferences worldwide on the topic of retiring abroad.
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JOURNALISTS: If you'd like to set up an interview with Dan and Suzan, contact PR Managing Editor, Marita Kelly, +001 667 312 3532, mkelly@internationalliving.com