The World's 9 Most Irresistible And Welcoming Choices For The Retiree

Searching for a place to enjoy your retirement years, to stretch your nest egg, and maybe even to reinvent yourself and have a grand adventure at this stage of your life?
You'll be happy to know that there are 9 countries in the world that are competing for you... places where you could enjoy a far richer lifestyle... for a fraction of your cost of living back home... and never again have to worry about a dwindling nest egg.

Read more here.

A Trip From Panama To Colombia By Boat

By Rosella Campbell

Navigating across large water mass provides an adventure that most passengers would envy every time they are on board. Sailing from Panama to Colombia by boat has over the years emerged the predictable path that most backpackers utilize while navigating the American waters. Alike other new adventures, many travelers are hardly aware of the unpredictable nature their journey.

The culture of sailing by boat to Colombia is a welcome platform for many compared to alternative courses. Initially, traveling overland presents a mounting task for many owing to the risks posing threat to public safety. The rain forest region is inhabited by guerrillas lodging series of abduction for rookies. The natural habitat attracts poisonous snakes, thus making risk involved unbearable for travelers. Taking a flight would overcome the above mentioned challenges. Given that few would raise the high cost required, it offers a deterrence force that many would find difficult to circumvent. This leaves sailing excursions the comfortable culture for backpackers.

Although sailing aboard the prestigious vessels as the privileged individuals is a desire for many, the beginners would hardly afford the feat. For them taking a boat trip offers them admissible description of the navigation course. Completing the boat tour to the South American region from Panama involves a five-day pleasure trip. This mandates the sailors execute prepared navigation by implementing precautions to avoid exposure to the controllable risks.

The primary attention of sailor revolves around eliminating seasickness often associated to the motion. This requires the sailor to eliminate it amongst persons affected by strong air currents. Sailing in rainy weather grants a permanent solution to the condition as the sea environment experience lower winds. However, this would limit the sailing cycles, thus compelling use of medications to prevent the victims from suffering the full-blown phase. On the other hand, eating light meals reduces the incidence of the condition.

Given that most boats have limited space, few would provide ice for the beverages. This obligates the traveler to bring their own booze and ice, since the fridge is meant for storing the food. This suggests that few would provide ice for beverages brought by the passenger. It is essential to observe the zero tolerance to drugs policy by the coast guards. Equally, most sailors would advise the travelers to avoid purchasing beverages held in glass containers. This arises from the limited space for storing the garbage on board, hence preferring the plastics that one can crash easily.

Conducting safety meetings presents an opportunity where the sailors brief the travelers essential information before departure. At this point, all bags are organized and stored to create more space for all aboard the vessel. This will facilitate an environment where all will enjoy the night breeze since most trips start in the late hours for travelers to experience the beautiful scenery of San Blas Islands in the morning.

During the second day, the travelers would spend the time to stroll the islands, thus deriving unique experience from the coral gardens. A similar encounter with the golden beach generates a lasting impression that they would never realize in other modes of transport. Finally, the natural glimpse of reefs submerging the sun rays provides a spectacular view of the sunset.

Contrary to the wish of travelers, most boats leave San Blas on the fourth day. The sailors facilitate the timely dinners as the last stage while approaching Cartagena territory proves a difficult level with seasickness a common condition. Unlike the initial stages, a calm weather would present a peaceful environment for games and watching movies. The boat is expected to sail to Cartagena in day six slightly after breakfast.

About the Author:

You can visit www.bluesailing.net for more helpful information about Best Sceneries As You Sail From Panama To Colombia By Boat.

Which U.S. Cities have the lowest Cost of Living?

As you know we're very big proponents of 'getting out'. That is we believe the cheapest and happiest places to live are not to be found in the fast paced, get rich quick false promises espoused by the supposed developed countries like the United States, England and Canada. But for those who simply cannot see themselves breaking free of their homeland here's an interesting look at living cheap in  the U.S. 

CBS Money Watch asks, Which U.S. Cities have the lowest Cost of Living?

Jason McCormrick writing for Moneywatch reviews the Cost of Living data from the Council of Community and Economic Research  to show us the 10 cheapest places to live in the United States. 

The council hasn't produced one of those fluff with out substance lists either. This is a proper index that looked at over three hundred urban areas in the States and complied data on more than 50,000 prices for a huge basket of common good we all need to live. Things like food, transport and homes were examined. So, lets' a have a quick peak at which communities they found to be the cheapest -

#1. Harlington Texas has topped their list for the past 3 years as the most affordable place to live in the U.S. In Harlington you can rent for under $700 a month or buy a home for under $220,000. Movies are still under $10 and milk will set you back just over $2.

#2. McAllen Texas sits in second place. Interesting to note that the state of liquid gold also boost the top 2 cheapest places to live. I didn't look in detail at all the numbers but noted that the cost of buying a home was even less than Harrlington at just over $200,000

#3. Norman Oklahoma had a cost of living more than 14% less than the national average.

#4. Oklahoma hits the list again with Ardmore coming in 4th.

#5. Memphis Tennessee is the 5th least expensive city to live in.

#6. Fayetteville Arkansas

#7. Wichita Falls Texas - there's Texas again with it's 3rd entry into the top 10 cheapest places to live.

#8. And Oklahoma hits the list another time too with Muskogee in eight place.

#9. Not only is Pueblo Colorado the 9th cheapest places to live according to Livability.com Pueblo is one of America's Best Places to Live as well.

 #10 and coming in as the 10th cheapest place to live in the US is Ashland Ohio.

When you look at this list it could mean where ever you currently live in the States it may not be that far a stretch to see yourself moving to one of these cheap places north, south, east or west!

Now it's your turn - what do you think? Do you live in any of these places? Are you surprised, pleased to learn about these spots? Leave your comments below and let us know what you're thinking. 

The 10 Cheapest Places to Visit

I was skimming the Huffington Post last night and came across this interesting little bit that was reposted from SmarterTravel.com. Smarter Travel has created a nifty and current list for the cheapest places to go for 2014. It will be interesting to see if the list remains relatively similar a year from now.

Here's what the Smarter Traveler says are the best places to visit on the cheap this year:

The Philippines

The combination of cosmo affordability and beautiful nature (kind of sounds like Panama) make the Philippines one top place that gives you a lot for your money. Lonely Planet even called it one of it's top value destinations for 2014. According to C.I.O. Wealth Management research Manila boasts some of the cheapest shopping and best dining in the world.

Greece

Greece hopes to be the cheap place that for planes, trains, and automobiles and cruise ships too! The goal to bring visitors back to the ancient ruins and famed beaches they are known for.  Greece is now uber cheap and quite empty so there's lots of room to play.

Dominican Republic

While the Caribbean isn't typically known for being cheap the Dominican Republic is a bastion of great value in the green sea of high Caribbean prices.

Mexico City

Two things continue to make Mexico a cheap place to visit, especially for Americans, first are the flights. You can there from pretty much any major city in the US and for low fare. And once you're there you can enjoy high end benefits like first class accommodation for far less than you would pay anywhere else.

Round out the top five is

Lisbon, Portugal

According to C.I.O. Wealth Management research Lisbon's middle price range hotels are the cheapest of 72 cities surveyed, the average rate is just $80/nite -- that's 50% lower than the global average.

Tune in tomorrow as we finish off the list...

Cost of Living around the World

I just came across this very cool map and website called Expatistan.

Go check it out! It has an interactive map where you can hover over places to live represented by dots. It then shows you the cost of living for that place. You can drill even deeper on this site and even get sample shopping lists which give you a really good idea of what it costs for day to day items - things you need to live.

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Dr Michael Buna - Victoria Chiropractor

Dr. Michael Buna 

Dr. Buna is a Chiropractor in Victoria. A few months ago I had the fortunate opportunity to meet Michael. What a wonderful person and a true professional.

But don't take my word for read what these patients say about Dr Buna,

Bob Waters says, Dr. Michael Buna has been my first choice for chiropractic treatments for over 15 years. I rely upon his knowledge and skillful techniques to correct my back and neck vertebrae when misaligned, and to provide relief where other chiropractors have failed.

I am really thankful to know Dr. Buna. He has been most reliable and caring in all my treatments , with great results! Says Susan Yeats

And Stephen Hodges-Whittaker comments, Dr Buna has helped tremendously with back & neck problems and obviously cares about my continued good health

Those are just a few of comments from the hundreds of patients  who have visited Dr. Buna for their health challenges over the years.

If you live in Victoria British Columbia and are experiencing any kind of back, neck or joint pain related to a sports or other injury I encourage you to check out Health4Life Chiropractic and DR. Michael Buna.

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Sherman- Denison Tx one of the nation’s Ten Cheapest Places to Live last year.

Nate Strauch writing for the Herald Democrat reports that Sherman Denison ranks cheapest in the US.

"Consumer prices in the Sherman-Denison area moved lower in 2013 compared to the national average, catapulting the area into the 10 least expensive places to live in the country."

Strauch reviewed pricing data from part of the year end review conducted by the Council for Community and Economic Research. The Council analyses data quarterly on the cost of living for 308 areas in the U.S. conisdered "Urban" living. Sherman and Denison had the rank of 7th Cheapest place to live in the U.S. in 2013 while it placed 14 overall back in in 2012.

Cost of living in Sherman-Denison dropped to 13.6 % below the U.S. national average in 2013, which amounted to a reduction from 11.2 percent in the previous year, 2012. Economic Development Corp. President Scott Connell from Denison said the lower numbers fit well with an industry wide focus on higher quality workforce. Translation - higher productivity is bringing the costs of goods down in the area.

“One of the things we’re seeing right now — and probably will see for several years — is the focus on employees; both the ability to find the specific talents that they’re looking at, and the ability to attract those people to their facilities,” said Connell. “So a really effective cost of living in our market is going to help us build and grow our workforce. It makes it a lot easier to get people to our market.”

Tony Kaai, president of the Denison Development Alliance agreed, adding that lower consumer prices are not usually the first thing a relocating company looks for, but they do make up a very important part of the process for luring new job creating businesses to Denison.

“We definitely use this data because it's such a positive thing,” said Kaai. “If you and some other community or even two communities are tied with business (in terms of costs), then the secondary level - quality of life, can be the deal-maker. So we’re fortunate to have that here. It is value-added.”

At 120.4 % above the mean, Manhattan has the dubious honour of being America’s most expensive city to live in. As mentioned in our previous post Harlingen defends its title as the Cheapest city to live in the U.S. Harlington is 18.4 percent under the average. Each communities score is listed as a percentage of the the national average.

Other areas on the top ten least expensive (cheapest) list, can be found on our post from a few days ago - Here

The places in the U.S. you may want to avoid if you're looking to save money begin with #2, New York (Brooklyn), Honolulu, San Francisco, New York (Queens), San Jose, Calif., Hilo, Hawaii,  Stamford, Conn.,  Orange County, Calif., and Washington, D.C., 140.1.



See more at: http://heralddemocrat.com

Moving to Spain - Reboot for 2014!

If Moving to Spain is your idea of Quality of Life welcome! Spain came up 17th on the International Living list of the Best Places to Live back in 2010- only 17th? But who doesn't love Spain or at least the idea of living in Spain? Today Spain is even more attractive particularly for expats. Real Estate is at an all time low as is the cost of living and yet the Spanish people remain some of the most friendliest and hospitable in the world. For 2014 I.L. upgraded Spain to 5th spot for the best place to retire. 

We recently visited Spain and it's now top of our list for places we're seriously thinking of moving. Check out the great checklist below courtesy of SpainExpat for.....

How to move to Spain

If you're seriously considering a Move to Spain then there are quite a few things to take care of before you go like: learning at least a bit of Spanish; obtaining a visa; gaining residency; health insurance; opening a new bank account; and finding Property in Spain. I discovered a convenient checklist of 'Things to do before Moving to Spain' on SpainExpat.com and summarized it below:

Click Here!

SpainExpat suggested Things to do before moving to Spain:

1. Print this check-list for your move to Spain.
2. Take at least a 'Basic Spanish' language course - anyone who has moved to Spain will tell you this!
3. If you aren't retiring to Spain then you will need a job. Unless of course you're in a position to retire. With Spain's ultra low cost of living and Real Estate bargains you may find early retirement in Spain a real possibility. It's a good idea to have employment locked down before you move to Spain.
4. Maybe you're considering opening your own business in Spain. Be sure to find an English speaking lawyer in Spain and get as much done by email and phone before you move.
5. Apply for your Spanish Visa. This needs to be done in your home country before you go. Look up the nearest Spanish Consulate and get the ball rolling - it may take some time.
6. Do you plan on making this a permanent move to Spain? If so you may need to change your residency. This can also have some tax advantages particularly if you are Canadian.
7. Check into health care. What are the costs health costs and how will you pay? Make sure you have this set up before you change your current residency or cancel any insurance coverage you now have in place.
8. If you are not sure whether this will be permanent plan on sharing residency between home and Spain.  Keep some ties and in particular keep a bank account and credit card in your home. Find a bank that offers special accounts and perks for travellers and international residents. Many have low fee plans for example when it comes to taking money out in a foreign country.
9. Make certain your drivers license or passport are up to date. If they are getting old then renew them now before you go.
10. Remember living in Spain means most things will come with Spanish instructions. Computers and cell phones will have different, Spanish language keys etc. You may want to consider buying items like this at home before you move to Spain. Trust me, learning how to use a Spanish keyboard and settings can be very frustrating and time consuming. On another note make certain any electronics you buy at home will work in Spain.
11. If you are buying Property in Spain and need to move household items be sure to make your flights and arrival dates convenient for being there when your furniture arrives.
12. Will you be moving a car too (not recommended) or buying one once you settle in? If so you want to be familiar with the Spain Car Hire Agencies in particularly ones that offer long term car rental rates.  Also check into public transit. In Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia this is a great way to get around.
13. Is Fido moving to Spain too? You may be surprised what it takes to move a pet out of your country and into a new one. Allow time to get all the required paperwork done.
    
14. Go to your local post-office and arrange for your mail to be redirected to your new home for at least 6 months.You may even want to consider keeping a permanent post box at home and have your mail forwarded indefinitely.

25 of the Cheapest Places to Live in the World

Recently I came across this review on 'Top Lists' of the 25 Cheapest Places to Live in the World. It's always interesting to discover how cheap one can really live but it also makes one think - at what cost? Some of these places would be wonderful, I'm sure. Friendly people and beautiful locales but many also come with the price tag of high crime, corruption and weather that is, shall we say, not so great!

Have a watch and leave your comments below - which places would you consider? Which do you think are a complete joke, i.e. In your wildest most desperate times you wouldn't even consider them. Of course if you have first hand knowledge of any of these places then fill us in. Let us know the real story.

Early Retirement Tips To Follow

In this guest post by By Byron Jonas you'll learn some simple and easy tips for planning an early retirement. Sometimes work is the thing that is keeping you at a high cost of living. Have you ever thought about that? How much would you be spending on clothes, restaurants, heating or air conditioning if you were living on a beach in the tropics? In a place where all you need is a light shirt and pair of shorts? Where gentle trade winds keep you cool during the day and warm at night? You may be surprised to discover the Cheapest Places to Live could very well be the places you have been dreaming about!

When you talk about early retirement, many people do not think it is within their grasp. The truth is anyone can do it if they follow some proven methods to get there. A lot of the time people fail to follow some simple steps and they cannot quit working like they would. In this article, we have some hints and tips to help you reach your goals.

We are taught at a very early age to save money, but the truth is we never do. If you plan to retire early, than start putting away money as soon as possible. The more that you can put away the quicker you can reach your goals. Remember, it will take some time, but you can do it with a little work.





Forget trying to keep up with your neighbours or your family. Just because the neighbours buy a new vehicle, it does not mean you have too. It is great that neighbours and family are buying things, but you need to stay the course if you will ever reach the goal you have for yourself. Keeping up with others will just distract you from the goals you have set for yourself.

Use tax breaks to your advantage as well. Many times, you can get a break by opening certain savings or interest bearing accounts. Try to use these to your advantage when they become available. It does not happen all the time, so you will have to look for it.

Diversify the investments that you have right now. A good rule of thumb is not to risk everything on one endeavor. This way if something starts to falter for you, there will be other places that you can turn. Making sure you diversify is very important for long-term growth.

Any added cash that you get or earn should be put into the bank. This way you will not try to spend it and it can help you reach your goal much faster. It will also draw interest as well making you even more money.

When it comes to early retirement, the following tips above will get you off to a very good start. One of the keys is you must stay consistent in this process. Many times, we start off well, but over time we slow down. You must stay consistent if you want to reach your goals.

About the Author: Discover more from Byron and get the low down on early retirement tips and advice now in his comprehensive guide for Auzzies at http://glenvalesupportedliving.com.au/

Places (Cities) with the Highest Income Inequality

During my morning read and review for cheap places to live I came across this slide show on the Huffington Post. Although this doesn't point directly to cheap places to live this list may give you some places to avoid if you count yourself in the 99% vs the 1%.

Cities with the Highest Inequality in the United States

10. Baton Rouge, Louisiana

9. Dallas, Texas

8. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

7. New York, New York

6. Athens-Clarke County, Georgia

5. Gainesville, Florida

4. Miami, Florida

3. Washington, DC

2. New Orleans Louisiana

1. Atlanta Georgia - the U.S. City with the highest income inequality.

Interesting to note that 8 of the 10 are in the south. What do you think? What does this say?


Source: Cities With The Highest Income Inequality http://huff.to/1ap2v07 via @HuffPostBiz

We're Back!

Well, if you been reading any of this blog you have noticed that we have been on hiatus for quite awhile. Our deepest apologies for leaving you without current information on Cheap Places to live for so long!

I'm not going to go into a long winded explanation and excuse but hope you can just forgive and forget and we can move on with our discussion.

A big thank you to the Cheapest Places readers, subscribers and visitors for leaving questions, comments and suggestions on our various 'older' posts. Seems like finding cheap places to live in Florida and California are still hot topics. But with all of the gridlock and total frustration with U.S. politics we're going to spend even more time researching cheap places to live abroad all over the world.

We're also digging deeper and looking further to find you free or at least cheap resources to help in your search. When you subscribe you'll get these free tips from time to time. We'll try and provide a good descriptive subject line. So, if you're not in the mood or not interested in that topic you can just delete it. Please don't mark it as Spam. That just hurst everyone who values the free info we send. If you're finding our information or e-mails aren't helpful, just unsubscribe. It's easy as we always place a link at the bottom of each e-mail. You can always come back to the blog and resubscribe at any time.

Live Cheap and Retire too

Sound like a fantasy? Maybe not. Can you scrap together $500 a month? If you're answer is yes you may be surprised to find that there are beautiful, safe exotic places that are ready to welcome you with open arms.

Please continue to be generous in your comments and suggestions. The Cheap Place community has turned out to be a great place to share cheap places you've visited or lived and the reasons you thought them great or not so much. 

So, thanks once again for being patient and sticking around. Get ready, get started let's Go... again!

Top Reasons For Visiting Other Countries

This guest post by By Paulette Short explores the reasons for considering places beyond your home boarders for a new place to live....

There are many reasons for visiting Panama and other countries. First of all, it is necessary for them to do this when they wish to experience different cultures. Venturing into other countries will let the person to open their eyes into how the different cultures around them are truly fascinating and interesting.

It is also a good thing that the person can easily experience a wide range of possibilities and resources. There are thousands of countries that one can go to for the sake of traveling. If the person can make the right choices, then it should be easy to enjoy their stay with their own experience for the destination's culture, adventure, and relaxation.

Growing as a person is actually possible with traveling. There may be things that the individual will want to get right now. However, there may be lots of changes to those desires once the person starts traveling. The person can get exposed to various cultures to learn more about what life is, what they are missing, and how to live it to the fullest.

It will definitely help the person have better social skills. This is because traveling the world means that this person will be constantly in contact with other people. They can be locals of the place where one is in or they can also be tourists. It might be difficult to do this initially but they will surely become good at talking to strangers over time.

Since they can talk to strangers now, it should be easy for them to make new friends. Remember that traveling the globe will allow the person to meet a lot of people, regardless of whether these people are interesting or dull. They should aim to establish lots of friendships in the place where they are planning to go to.

Aside from that, it is a good method for the traveler to meet people from every nationality. It might not be necessary for the traveler to go through with this but it can be a fun goal to aim for. If possible, the person should consider speaking to a person who came from a different nationality to make new friends.

It will be interesting to pay with different currencies as well. Remember that every country have their own currencies. The fun thing about it is that the person can handle dollars, pesos, rubles, euros, yens, and many other currencies. There are even different notes and coins that the person can easily take advantage of.

Being able to enjoy various climates is a nice thing as well. People living in the tropical country only get to enjoy to seasons. That is why they should try traveling to countries with four seasons so that they can experience winter as well. They will definitely be overwhelmed with their first time experiencing new seasons. They can enjoy various climates for their own good.

The person who are visiting Panama and any other countries does not need to have lots of things with them. They can even go traveling without their usual gadgets such as laptops and cameras. All they should pack are their clothes and money to be able to pay for their apartment rentals, traveling expenses, and basic necessities.

About Paulette:

You can visit the website www.panama-breeze.com for more helpful information about Top Reasons For Visiting Other Countries by Paulette

Retiring In Panama Has Many Advantages

Marla Mills takes us through the idea of living cheap on a pension...

The facets of pension might appear like a desire when surviving in a location with a top price of living. One thought is always to go on to a location that's more affordable. This will contain retiring in Panama. That is one place that's a pension haven for individuals round the world. But, there are always several items that persons will have to know before getting the following step.

There is a higher typical cost for basic items in the capital city than different regions in the nation. The range has expanded in worth throughout the years and now sets back the finances increasingly to purchase a home and normal things. This would not joke about this is not the best place for a modest place to live within this nation. An unobtrusive plan will be in a vicinity of 1,500 dollars to 2,000 for every month.

Several other places in the US could have a less expensive and a far more moderate budget. This is often about on average 1,000 per month. Yet another purpose to prevent the money town is the buying price of rents is more than different destinations. The price of book is one basis for raises in the price of residing for individuals in this area wherever they could retire.

The contrast in rent from the city to the rent for a waterfront property is several dollars. This will be a huge investment funds for individuals who need to point of confinement they are using every month. There is additionally the expense that should be incorporated for human services. These expenses will shift dependent upon the accessibility of specialists and if the range has a major medicinal office.

The cost of health care in the area will be half or more than the cost in the United States. However, this may not be the best reason to move to the area for retirement. Residency is also a factor that people are having to take into consideration. Delays in the issue of a travel visa can take weeks to months as there are backlogs and other problems.

Banking was after a major reason to retire in that country. But, measures have already been taken up to shore up many duty benefits lots of people after enjoyed. There's today a discussing deal in position which is intended to switch duty info on the wealth of residents. What this means is there's less basis for the location to be properly used as a duty dodge.

One of the finest benefits to be in this region all through pension could be the currency could be the US dollar. There's number danger of unsure what the trade charge will undoubtedly be from time to day. Persons can simply buy those items they want or the merchandise which are applied each day. Consuming at eateries can also be simple when income may be used.

The alternative to retiring in Panama depends upon inclination and needs. This will mean there are numerous elements that have to be recognized before settling on any sort of choice. Be that as it may, one viewpoint that ought not be disregarded is the hot and moist climate that stays for the duration of the year.

About the Marla:

Read more about Retiring In Panama Is Beneficial visiting our website.

The Cheapest Places to Retire in the U.S. for 2012

One of my closest friend's recently introduced me to a new book he discovered - the name speaks for itself, 'The Cheapest Places to Retire in the U.S. 2012 Edition'. The cool thing about this book is that a great deal of research went into it. So, it's not just another one of those subjective lists someone has put together to promote their particular community instead it's a fact based directory.

The author is Thomas Corley who is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Financial Planner.He runs a company called the Rich Habits Institute which is dedicated to helping people and organizations achieve financial freedom. He's accumulated literally thousands of hours of research into the many different locations around the United States that he found to be the cheapest places to live and retire. It's no lie to Tom has "crunched" a lot of numbers to come up with this list. In fact, he and his team have analyzed over 3,000 cities, towns and communities across the U.S. to come up with his Top 100 list. He looked at ten key relevant factors and then applied a proprietary scoring formula to each factor to determine which communities ranked highest as the best of the cheapest places to retire in the U.S.  The following factors were identified and used to create the directory:

Ten Key Retirement Factors -

1. Lowest Housing Costs
2. Lowest Property Tax 
3. Lowest Sales Tax 
4. Best Climate 
5. Lowest Crime Rate 
6. Lowest Income Tax 
7. Closest to Major or Regional Metropolitan Areas 
8. Closest to Hospitals 
9. Closest to Airports 
10. Closest to Beaches or Coastlines

If you look around on the Internet you'll see a lot of lists that claim to give you the top 10 or 100 but what sets this directory apart is the hard analytical data and the volume of work done to come up with an objective measure of 'cheap living'. Not only that but this list of the 100 cheapest places to retire is substantially different from the others based on the criteria that was used.

Now I keep referring to this as a list or directory but make no mistake it's not just a one page list of the top 100. Tom has gone a lot further to provide a full page of detailed analysis for each and every place on the list. You can get the highlights from his snap-shot 'The Good and The Bad' bullet points and you can dive in with detailed stats on the key retirement factors as well as a good narrative.

By now I hope you agree this sounds like a great resource to help you uncover a good place to retire on a limited budget.  But just to be sure we've worked with Tom to come up with a free 'Sneak Preview' of his book. This will give you a good idea of the content of the big book - how it is laid out and how valuable it could be to you if you are looking for that perfect spot to retire on a limited budget. To get the Free Mini-Book - just fill in the form below and we will send it directory to your e-mail box.

Living in California

Is California the Best Place to Live in the U.S.?

With its prime location nestled next to the Pacific Ocean coupled with mountain ranges all around and some pretty nice weather year round it is no surprise that many are living in Southern California. Since California joined the union people have exclaimed the virtues of California and called it the best place to live in the United States.

Living in Southern California

There are many benefits to the living in the southern half of this state. Job opportunities abound here. If you are in the Entertainment field, there are a wealth of studios and production companies to work for, but Southern California has job opportunities outside of the stereotypical 'movie business'. Yes, Southern Cal has a wide variety of professions to choose from - from accounting to advertising, to working with technology or opening your own business or restaurant, choices and opportunities abound abound.

Southern California is a hubbub of recreational activities. With the moderate temperature of the ocean water activities such as surfing, diving, and parasailing are at your fingertips. If you prefer grounded movement, there are bike trails and hiking trails all over the regions. If you like roller coasters and water parks, Southern California has several zoos, aquariums and theme parks to choose from.

Living in Northern California

Living in Northern California can be an amazing experience too, although it is significantly more expensive than it's southern counterpart. Like Southern California, Northern California has a range of job opportunities, including great advertising companies, educational positions and various technology fields. There are mountains to hike and some great city trekking to be done in cities like San Francisco. The weather is more moderate here, and the rainfall and fog are significant, but they go great with a nice cup of coffee from some outstanding coffee shops and restaurants up North. As an added bonus a trip to the woods and to the neighboring state of Oregon are not far away either.

The Cheapest Places to Live in California

Most people are surprised to learn that there are inexpensive places to live in California, but it's important to note that these places are often in hotter parts of the state.

The cheapest places to live in California include:

California City, with a population of about 15,000 it is located in Northern Antelope Valley and has affordable homes in the $200,000 range and low rents for apartments too.

Hesperia, California, which is a couple of hours from Orange county has a larger population of around 80,000 people and homes that are in the $200,000 to 300,000 range.

To the north of Los Angeles is Bakersfield, California with a growing population of 300,000 and affordable housing.

The most populated of these areas is Lancaster, California with over 500,000 people and lots of schools to accommodate this growing area.

The Best Place to Live in California?

There is some debate to where the best places to live in California are. Some automatically default to Los Angeles and San Francisco due to their popularity. San Diego's name has been emerging, for it is not as populated as the former cities and there are jobs, recreation and good food there too, for a little less on the pocket book. If the best place to live to you is where there is a low crime rate, then cities like Palos Verdes Estates or Saratoga, California may be what you are looking for although living in these spots does come with a higher price tag. Wherever you end up in this great state, I think you will love it.

The Cheapest Places to Retire by the Beach

When it comes to living in retirement on the cheap we all know the concept is almost completely subjective - that is to say one persons cheap could be completely different than another. Lifestyle factors are the first consideration. For some living in the cold is no big deal. Some retirees may even have problems dealing with heat and exposure to the sun and therefor really want and need to live some where cool and cloudy or at least shady. On the other hand many people and in all likelihood the majority of people would say living by water and specifically near a beach would be wonderful. So, is it possible? Can one find a cheap place to retire by the beach? I think so! Let's have a look at -

The Most Affordable Places for Retirement by the Beach

Choosing the cheapest places to retire is not a task that should be taken lightly. Retiring abroad is the dream of many people who have lived and worked in the same places their whole lives and want to experience something different in their twilight years. In some cases people want to return to a place that they have visited on vacation before, in others they are looking for an adventure. It is always best to conduct serious research into any country before visiting, let alone moving there permanently. For the few who actually get to do it, choosing the right place usually involves selecting based on a list of criteria including personal taste, cost of living, quality of the healthcare available and familiarity with the culture.

Panama is One of the Best Places to Live After Retirement

Panama is one of the more popular places for retirement outside of the USA for several good reasons. The first is the potential for it to be a tax haven for those who meet certain qualifications. Another is the fact that the country has a relatively high standard of living while also being an affordable place to live. Panama also uses the US dollar as its national currency, making things a lot simpler for new residents as they will not have a new currency or new exchange rates to figure out. To make it all even more appealing, Panama has always had strong ties with the US and there is a large community of ex-pat retirees in place there already. Those retiring to Panama can choose between the bustling metropolitan life of Panama City or, for a more rural setting, they may want to venture into the the hills and forests of the county. For many, the selling point is the abundance of beaches and the relaxed atmosphere of the beach towns.

Mexico Has Some of the Best Beaches in the World

Good old Mexico has gotten a bad rap recently due to drug cartel squabbles, but the fact is that those occur mostly in border towns and therefore ex-pats elsewhere in the country should be relatively safe. Apart from being next-door to the USA, Mexico has good food, a plentiful supply of beaches and in the big cities it is possible to find a good standard of living and reasonable healthcare. This is to say nothing of the fact that there are thousands of ex-pats living there already, therefore newcomers will have a community ready and waiting for them to join in.

France Has an Excellent Healthcare System

France is well known as a tourist destination. French food, wine, and art are all of a high enough quality that people travel from all corners of the world to partake of them. The French beaches of Canne and St Tropez are also among the more glamorous and well-known Europe. In fact, it could be said that no one can truly consider themselves a world traveler without experiencing a trip to France. Well, France is no longer just for backpacking college kids and the average summer tourist. It is widely considered to be one of the more appealing places in which to retire. Apart from the culture and countryside, France is one of the all-round best places to live in the world and offers a number of benefits including relatively affordable home ownership some of the very best health care available anywhere.

Cheap, Safe, and Friendly: The World's Top Retirement Havens

There are places, the world over, where people are friendly, crime is almost non-existent, health care is excellent, and prices for everything from homes to groceries and doctors' visits could make you think it's 1953 again.


Places where it is possible to reduce your retirement cost of living, perhaps dramatically...while increasing the quality of your life.


We have prepared a series of five Country Retirement Reports that contain complete details on retirement opportunities in some of the world's top retirement havens right now.

Go here now to learn more

Is the idea of moving abroad for a cheap place to live in retirement just not your cup of tea? If you're goal is to live in retirement in the U.S. there are plenty of cheap places to live and many are on the beach. Check out the post below for a free report on the cheapest places to retire in the U.S. and a review of the new comprehensive directory by the Rich Habits Institute.