I mentioned a few days ago that--should the worst case scenario play out and we find ourselves unemployed*--we would light out, not for the territory, but to Languedoc. I had been reading How to Retire Overseas, and was thrilled to see that the author gave actual numbers.
As usual, I didn't explain myself fully. Funny responded that no way could she afford it. Shelley said the numbers seemed too high. I think both readers assumed that the numbers were EXCLUSIVE of housing.
Au contraire, my friends. The Languedoc number of $1495/month includes $650 for an apartment rental. The almost $3000 for Paris assumes you will spend $1500 on rent. Morelia (in Mexico) comes in at $899, which includes $300 for rent. The numbers also include household help (!), food, entertainment, transportation, utilities, and the like.
Not included: health care and transportation to and fro.
Now I don't really want to retire abroad. I would, however, like to live in all the above spots for, say, 6 months each. Not to mention the other enticing places discussed in the book.
It is a thrill to know that I could live in Morelia for less than I could rent my house for. In fact, I could save a bit to splurge on a few months in Paris. I love having the numbers right there, because they show me that extended stays in wonderful places are totally within reach for a middle-class girl like me. Isn't that wonderful to know?
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It is. I also dream of living in exotic places for 6-12 months at a time. I love nesting in a new place. I'd have to add the cost of moving all my stuff, though... Still, it is fun to dream!
How do you feel about home exchange? Several teachers I know do it regularly and love it. There are even sites catering to teachers.
@Duchesse--I think exchanges are great! It is difficult to exchange for a home in our sweltering summer environment, however. It is much easier in a more temperate clime--such as yours.
@Shelley--Don't take your stuff! OR just a little.
Frugal, the exchanges do not have to by synchronized, but of course you would have to be absent when the other party comes. My friends go to her mother's for the annual visit- just a week but then they get a place in England for one of their holidays.
I own a small bit of a Greek hillside with 40+ olive trees and a ruin of a little house, but when I go there I stay in a renovated apartment in the nearby village, which I have rented for several years. The little one bedroom costs me 200 Euros every month, which sounds like a lot for a place I spend only a month or two in every year. But whenever I feel stressed or depressed in the US, I remember that lovely tile floor, wraparound balcony overlooking the platea, my own bed already made, food in the pantry, books and music on the shelf, wine under the sink, my toothbrush by the sink, and Constandina who remembers my favorite kind of coffee, ready to brew it up again as soon as I pull up in my little rental car, and climb out to spend a little more time in my own little bit of heaven.
@Duchesse--That is a great idea and I never thought of it. We could let people come for Mardi Gras or Jazzz Fest...and we could go at another time. Love it!
@Cassandra--Oh, you have started me dreaming....Thanks for commenting.
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