Has America Lost Its Way?
Is this how you View Your Retirement?
The “American Way” of the 1950s made sense but the “American Way” of today does not. Whether it’s the high cost of living, atrocious medical bills, higher taxes, reduced social services, or lack of employment opportunities, many of us have concluded that America has lost it’s way.
Find out how a new breed of freedom seekers are living healthier, more prosperous, and happier lives abroad. Here are three examples of real people who took the plunge:
Chuck is a retired biologist from Florida who loathed the idea of wasting away in a retirement home playing shuffle board. Chuck paid a visit to Ecuador and was amazed by what he saw and how he felt. “I felt more energy, I had more time for enjoyment with less stress, and I cut my monthly expenses down to less than half what I pay in the States”. Chuck plans to relocate permanently to Ecuador with his wife.
Mary said “yes” to the adventure when she, her husband and two kids moved from Hawaii to a tiny island off the Pacific Coast of Panama. When her friends and family asked why, she replied, “why not?”. Mary feels her kids have received an education their schools back home could never offer. “They’ve learned to appreciate the simple things, and the cultural immersion has broadened their horizons. They’ve sidestepped a lot of the negatives coming from the TV culture back home.”
Karin discovered the lifestyle she always wanted when she and a friend visited Puerto Vallarta five years ago. “Now I spend every winter in Vallarta and I am so happy with all the new friends I’ve made”. “I can afford to practice my art here, and not worry about paying a mortgage because my rent here is so cheap”.
What do all of these people have in common? They all ignored what their friends said and “escaped” from their boring daily lives. And now more than ever, the benefits of moving overseas are many.
The American Way – Who Really Benefits?
Wall Street bankers were the first to get bailed out by the government as the recession got underway, while the middle class people lost their jobs, their home equity, and a good chunk of their stock portfolio and pension funds. Those who are still employed will carry all the burden of future debt and taxes to support the unemployed, not to mention a government rapidly sinking into mountains of debt.
Rather than promote free market enterprise and limit government involvement, America has gone in the opposite direction by subsidizing the entire mortgage finance industries, the auto industry, and very likely the health care industry.
A Better Life Abroad?
Want somebody to cut your lawn in the U.S. – that’ll be $50.
How about a massage? $150/hour please.
Would you like someone to clean your house once per week? Here’s a bill for $250 per month.
Need a cavity filled? $325 + tax.
Panama City
Go to Ecuador, Panama or Thailand and the rate for labor drops to under $10 per day.
A full time live-in maid costs $150 per month. A one hour massage is often less than $15 and if you need a hand with your landscaping it will run you about $8 per day.
Best of all, these service providers are happy to do the work and do so with pride, patience, and a smile on their face. They are truly grateful for the opportunity to work and provide for their families.
In the U.S., a fine meal for two will set you back $100, complicated medical procedures often exceed $10,000, and the only thing really cheap is junk imported from China.
In Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Vietnam or Brazil for example, you can anticipate a 50% – 75% savings off many common expenses. Many American retirees find they can live well off their social security check without needing to work or worry about making ends meet. Everything from medical care, housing, food, and entertainment are a fraction of the price found in the United States.
Living Standards
Less than 10 years ago, there were many sacrifices to make when moving to a “third world country”. Slow internet, terrible roads, corrupt police and risks of riots or civil war are just a few examples.
However, in the past several years, developing countries have modernized rapidly. High-speed internet is now available almost everywhere and makes it easy to maintain communication with friends and family back home or to continue work or business online. Satellite TV, top-end vehicles, appliances, advanced medical care, and other conveniences are widely available at reasonable prices in nearly every country in the world.
Security
A lot of people ask about crime and security in developing countries. They assume that the crime rates in “those poor countries” must be off the charts and that security must be a constant source of fear and anxiety.
However, the reality is that the murder and crime rates are much higher in the U.S. than almost anywhere in the world. Of the hundreds of people we’ve consulted for over the years, none of them have felt a greater risk to their personal safety after moving abroad.
Health
Not only is health care much cheaper in the developing world, but people’s lifestyles are healthier (less drug and alcohol consumption, less consumption of prescription meds, lower fat intake, and more exercise).
There is no secret to good health, it’s all about lifestyle and not about the drugs your doctor prescribes. Of course, in the U.S., “big pharma” (multinational pharmaceutical companies) are the ones who tell your doctors what to do about your symptoms, but we won’t get into that for now. The point is that many people who move abroad feel healthier because their lifestyle has changed for the better.
Employment
Well, surely there are no employment opportunities abroad. What could you possibly do for extra income in a place like Panama, Ecuador, Brazil or Chile? On the contrary, we’ve met with hundreds of people who are putting their skills and educational background to use in their new home – often with far better results.
Due to the economic growth of many countries around the world, all kinds of skills are in demand abroad. No longer is teaching English the only option – opportunities in real estate, construction, tourism, information technology, and health care are immense and in high demand throughout many “paradises” around the world.
Climate
We won’t even bother discussing this one. We’ll leave the tropical beaches, the eternal spring like climates, and lack of snow and ice found throughout most of the developing world for your imagination to ponder.
Entertainment and High Society
What about all those snazzy restaurants, social events, artistic expressions and creature comforts in the U.S.?
In countries like Panama, Argentina, and Brazil, there are classy restaurants, world class theater, impressive art galleries and many other cultural expressions in addition to a plethora of local festivals and celebrations.
Political Stability
While political stability is still an issue in some countries, many attractive destinations have very stable democratic governments in place. Even if the government is considered socialist or left wing – let’s face it, the U.S. government now subsidizes the entire mortgage finance and auto industry. It doesn’t get much more left wing than that!
Bahia
Measuring Wealth
Per capita GDP is not a measure of true wealth. A measure of true wealth is affordable access to healthy food and water that is locally produced, a sense of community spirit and respect for one’s neighbors, and a lack of unnecessary government regulation and taxes. By these measures, the developing world nations are among the wealthiest on Earth.
At the same time, the U.S. is no longer the world’s creditor, it is the world’s biggest debtor nation and owes what is left of its financial stability to the world’s creditors like Japan and China, who lend their excess cash to the U.S. by purchasing U.S. Treasury Bonds.
The financial realities of today’s economic order are already posing a serious drag on the standards of living of those residents who choose to remain in the U.S. through increased health care costs, reduced services offered by the state, higher taxes, and higher insurance premiums.
Education and Immigration
Education and immigration patterns shape our future more than anything. People often forget that it was a dynamic blend of immigrants who built the U.S. into a strong, prosperous economy.
Now immigration trends are beginning to reverse. A recent article by the Associated Press lists examples of college grads who cannot find work in the U.S. and are instead finding better paying and higher level jobs in China. Chinese, Indian, and Brazilian students often complete their college degrees in the U.S. but instead of staying and looking for work, they return to their home countries for jobs and careers.
How To Get Started
With more than 180 countries in the world – where to begin? Well, we’ve done a lot of the research for you and the reality is that some places in the world are much more attractive for lifestyle and retirement than others.
As a follow up to this article, we’ll be commenting on some of the best places to live and invest in future issues of Escape From America Magazine. Alternatively, you can enter your email below to receive a free report right now about the top places in the world to live, retire or invest.
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Editor’s Note: Michael has traveled to more than 35 countries and has lived and done business abroad for over 10 years. Michael has been interviewed by the New York Times and Newsweek for his comments about living and investing abroad. Michael is the author of:
- The Top Five Places To Retire Worldwide
- The Top Ten Retirement Visa Programs Worldwide
- Panama 101 – E-Book Guide To Living and Investing in Panama
- Ecuador 101 – E-Book Guide To Living and Investing in Ecuador
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I have been laid off three times in the past four years due to either corporate downsizing or workforce cutbacks. Now I have found work but it’s a bitter pill to swallow – I am a low-paid “contractor” (read – no benefits, and the company doesn’t have to pay taxes or unemployment insurance on us), doing what is called “transition labor.” “Transition” means we provide a low-paid workforce so the multi-billion-dollar mega-company where we work can lay off hundreds more people in the Midwest. I am, for all intents, the modern corporate version of a scab, only we aren’t taking the jobs of striking workers but rather, laid off workers. It makes me want to puke. Has America lost its way? That’s a very, very nice way to describe the canabalistic monster that is modern corporate America.
I would leave in a heartbeat if I could find a job somewhere else and not have to survive in a favella on the outskirts of Sao Paulo. But how? It takes every penny I make now just to keep a roof over my head. I’m a middle-aged single dad with a Masters Degree, tons of experience in cooking, journalism (15 years as a reporter and editor), and many other skills, but there are no decent jobs. This e-zine needs practical, specific nuts and bolts articles about finding a job (where to look, who to contact, etc.), where to get settled that won’t cost an arm and a leg, and THEN we can worry about the other stuff.
Michael – go to where the money went – China. I am an Aussie and lived in Memphis for 11 years loved it, but as a consultant in business it was getting harder and harder – and so I searched the web and found a little marketing job in China. I went with my wife and thought I landed on the moon. But, they supplied an apartment, air tickets, furniture and a modest salary that was the equiv. of $1,000 Us a month .. and we lived well on that. And, their shopping malls are more modern than the US, public transport far more efficient, banking dead easy .. only problem is the language.
Now, I am fluent as I decided to get with the program and master it – as China wil soon become the No1 country, believe it or not. I just affected a huge merger bringing an aussie company to merge with a china one … and opportunities are everywhere. Massive growth in every sector … although the companies making stuff for the US market has slowed, but those workers have jumped into more lucrative jobs in construction etc.
I would not go to thailand, malaysia, singapore – the first two have way too much red tape and no expat I know does good there – malaysia is all too islamic, thailand all too sleazy. singapore is nice but not many opps. And even those countries are clamoring to join china.
With a Masters, you could so easily get a teaching job and enjoy it, put your kids in school there (they wear uniforms and are heavy into study and achievement) and your kids will learn Mandarin. While teaching, you can look for better roles… and even do part time teaching to triple your salary, on th side — unlimited market.
Takes guts, but we only live once, so whynot? If you need some guidance talk to me: onehamish@gmail.com
Hello Michael:
I want to echo Hamish and say that China offers an incredible opportunity right now. I am just returned from 9 months over there and I would liken the situation to that of the US at the turn of the 20th Century. In spite of all the “press” devoted to China stateside, you must really see it to believe it.
I might also recommend a book entitled “The New Global Student” by Maya Frost. She uprooted her family and moved to Argentina many years ago and shares a truly incredible story. Most importantly, she makes this whole daunting process sound doable.
As an asside, my daughter just returned from her junior year in highschool abroad. After 10 months in China she didn’t want to return to the US! She has such a strong network of friends and so much opportunity awaiting her, she can’t wait to return. There is just incredible opportunity over there, plus you will open up a whole new world for your kids.
And to Hamish, I would ask if you could refer us to a good source of job listings in China for expats? I may well turn to teaching English at University as that pays well enough. But with an MBA and Fortune 500 experience, I wonder what other options I might have over there. Any advice would be appreciated.
Lastly, I am in my 3rd year of Mandarin and can finally speak at an intermediate level. It is a big challenge but so incredibly rewarding to open yourself up to 1.4 billion people. I look forward to returning in the fall of ’10.
All best
I absolutely believe that America has lost it’s way – for all of the reasons you mentioned. One other biggie for me is the “war on men.” I am a healthy, attractive, educated, outgoing man. In the US, women are not attracted to me – at all. When I visited Thailand and the Philippines during my time in the US Navy, I felt desire from women for the first time in my life. I made the mistake of marrying a Filipina and bringing her to the US. She became “Americanized” in a short period of time and I eventually had to divorce her to keep from killing her. Since 2000, I have visited Thailand, the Phils and several other Asian countries, as well as Costa Rica, for vacation. Each time I try to imagine living there. Each time i decide I prefer the peace and quiet of my my condo on the golf course in Florida. But it’s lonely here, surrounded by old people and PC attitudes.
The way you fellows describe China is quite appealing. I would definitely learn the language if I moved abroad, but I would always be a “foreigner.” From my travels, I know how frustrating communication can be. Every little thing can get screwed up. Plenty of brownouts, streets flood when it rains, etc. One thing that amazes me is the noise level – from honking car horns to crying babies to shouting kids in the internet cafe, playing games or playing music out loud. WTF – they have no consideration for other people. The adults take all this in stride (wish I could). And the pollution! Cars, buses, trucks and motorbikes all spewing pollution while pedestrians must wear face masks in a futile attempt to protect themselves. Maybe I will find a gated community on the mountain top above Cebu City, although my gf tells me it’s very expensive up there. What I really want is some male friends to hang out with. It’s hard to do anything alone with no one to share the adventure – including moving overseas.
You had me until you made the comments about the so called “left wing” politics of the developing world and the current US government. One of the things I’d like to escape is the right wing lies and propaganda that infest the US airwaves. You sound alot like Glen Beck.
Oddly, I agree with many of the author’s conclusions, but not how he got there. Taxes today are a lot LOWER than they were in America’s economic glory days of the 50s and 60s. When Ike was president the top rate was 91%, while it was 71% at the time of the moon landing. The recent housing bubble and meltdown on Wall Street was a result of too little regulation and rampant greed in the private sector. Maybe the government failed to regulate (thanks in part to bank lobbyists), but the trigger men, if you will, were all private-sector, just like in the 1920s. It was a colossal failure of the market system. I’m not saying we ditch the market system, but we need to regulate it again just like we did after the first depression. Reforms in FDR’s era prevented another bubble-collapse for 50 years or so before the 1980s S&L crisis (enabled by deregulation). We didn’t learn and got an even worse hit later.
Above all, though, we need to pay more attention to QUALITY OF LIFE in the U.S. The real thing many expats are fleeing is this overemphasis on income and the notion that quality of life just takes care of itself. In other countries we learn that you can live much more efficiently and less wastefully (especially if you can do without a car!), spend a lot less, make limited funds stretch further, and REGAIN CONTROL OF YOUR TIME. Maybe things like helicopter tours on rushed vacations are no longer in the budget, but an afternoon reading a good book on a 20-baht beach chair substitutes well. In the U.S. we have (and always have had) a culture that plows all productivity gains into more income rather than more free time. I suspect many here have discovered that they’d rather have the free time, and that “enough” on funds is less than what they had been led to believe.