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By Karen McConnaughey

I received an interesting email recently telling me. “This is your chance; this is your year. It's time to stop thinking about it...time to stop dreaming about it...time to make it happen.” And, it hit an emotional chord with me because it was talking about retiring in a foreign country.

As I continued to read, my mind wandered back to when Bill and I retired in 2003. Our first day in our new life in Lake Chapala, Mexico, was February 1, 2004. I was days shy of being 59 and Bill was 62. We had bought a house in Mexico in September 2003, after studying everything we could on cost of living in Lake Chapala…even down to the cost of eggs! We knew it might be a little challenging for us, because we both made good salaries in the United States, and we were used to spending freely and often. However, we were tired…just plain tired. We had both worked since we were 16, and we both had the same retirement plan…to drop dead at our desks. How exhausting is that to think you will never be able to afford to retire? We were becoming old before our time!

 When we made the decision to move to Mexico, we figured it would be a good trade-off…maybe a little bit less spending money, but definitely more free time to enjoy the many years we had left. No more alarm clocks, no more shoveling or driving in ice and snow and no more doing what we ‘had’ to do in order to exist. We decided we wanted to LIVE, so we were going to do what we wanted to do. Our wants were few but very specific for the perfect place to retire: we wanted a temperate climate, a lower cost of living, and we wanted to leave the rat race. Boy! In moving to Lake Chapala, Mexico, did we get more than we bargained for!

There were some things we didn’t even think about…sometimes we’re a tad naïve, and Bill likes to say “God takes care of idiots!” Did we think about wanting a healthier lifestyle or even consider health care options? No! However, after you’re here for awhile, you realize that just from seeing the sunshine every day, you’re feeling better. You also realize you’ve been missing color your whole life…that color can make you happy; and happier, as we know now, can also make you healthier! And, then you also realize you have a world-class, inexpensive health system that allows foreigners to participate…with many doctors who have received their training in the United States. Wow…that was unexpected…we figured out the cost of eggs, but never thought once about the cost of health care. We sooooooo lucked out by choosing Mexico!

On your wish list for retirement, is there also something about safer streets and friendly neighbors? We had heard the Mexicans were friendly and warm and very accepting, but was that all hype? Again, it turned out to be a BIG plus for us. We can walk anywhere in our village day or night without fear. Once when I was heading down to the plaza, I saw a group of about 10-12 teenage boys headed my way. I remember thinking, ‘wow, if this were happening in the U.S., I would be nervous, because when boys get together, they seem to dare each other to do things they wouldn’t do alone.” But I wasn’t nervous, not even a little bit (which amazed me!)…and as we passed each other, I said, “Hola. Buenos Dias!” All of them broke out in big grins and returned my greeting enthusiastically as we continued on our separate journeys. I just couldn’t stop smiling all the way to the plaza thinking about what had just happened and how happy I was to be in this beautiful country. As with everything that seems to happen to Bill and me, it was another life-altering moment in Mexico!

When we first moved to Mexico, we were so smitten with the Lake Chapala area, we arrived on Thursday, saw one house on a Friday and bought it on Saturday! We knew there was a large English-speaking community in the Lake Chapala area so we had a great support base.

Our Mexican neighbors were all so caring, considerate and very understanding of my minimal Spanish when we first moved here. They realized I was trying and so, instead of complete sentences, they would stick to one-syllable words and verbs when speaking to me. Also, the States has nothing on the neighborhood watch we have. When we would return late at night to our home, our neighbors across the street would always open their door to make sure who it was, and wish us a good night…Buenos noches!

I’m sure one of your concerns is the cost of living in Mexico. One of our guest speakers on the Focus on Mexico program (originally from Denver, CO, and a tax consultant and Certified Financial Planner) not only does a wonderful job demonstrating the lower cost of living in Mexico, but goes further by showing the reduction in taxes by a reduction in the amount of withdrawal from your 401K account. In fact, she shows that a couple, both receiving social security, can live in Mexico with minimal withdrawal from their 401K and pay no taxes, and live extremely well (providing they own their own home and aren’t paying rent). I’m sure you’re thinking right now, “I would sure like to hear that presentation!”

And, another plus that most of us could not even consider having living north of the border, is that Bill and I have a maid and a gardener, twice a week! I never thought I would be able to make a statement like that at age 63! Life is good!

Maybe you want to escape cold winters...never to have to pick up a snow shovel or scrape a windshield again. Winters in Kansas City were mild for the most part, but I remember well the days of uncovered parking, of sliding into a fire hydrant (or two!), of getting hit more than once on icy streets, and I remember a 10-minute commute turning into a three-hour nightmare one winter! It even snowed three feet on Bill’s and my wedding day…there was an omen if we ever saw one! I have to admit I never want to see snow again except in photographs!

Is the recession hitting you hard? Are you tired of seeing your hard-earned IRA money dip lower? Are you in a waiting mode (life on hold?) until it goes back up? Well…guess what?...As Focus on Mexico President, Ray Bullock, said in a recent newsletter article “I Need to Wait for Two Years to Retire.” …“if your ‘201K’…turns around and becomes a 401K again in the next two-three years…it will do so whether you…live in the U.S., Canada, Mexico or anywhere else in the world.” He also added that since your money will stretch further in Mexico…and we know this to be true (almost 30-40% further)…it may be that the money you think you’re making by continuing to work is just another excuse to keep your dreams at bay. Bill and I have lived here almost six years now, and I can’t even imagine what our lives would be like if we were still in Missouri, probably still working and feeling the pinch of the recession. It boggles my mind to think about it!

Is another of your wishes to seek a better quality of life…with less stress? Would you like to live in a country where negative and life-wasting emotions are replaced by a different worldview that seems to be contagious? Would you like to make a huge difference to the members of the community with a very low output of time and money? You can find it here! There are so many worthy organizations in the Lake Chapala area where you can make a huge contribution to the local community, and you simply cannot underestimate the “feel-good” factor in your health and well-being either!

In the Lakeside area, there are many classic examples of retirees who have reinvented themselves. In their book, “Don’t Retire, Rewire!” (Alpha, 2007), Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners provide a step-by-step guide to help people approaching the second half of life discover their passions and purpose.

Noting that many people “flunk retirement,” they list many reasons for retirees to “rewire,” among them a need for mental stimulation and a desire to remain productive, do something meaningful and make a difference for others. If that's what you're aiming for in your “second life,” you won't find a better place to do it than the Lake Chapala area.

As you can see, the email I read just had my mind racing about how good life is, which is why I had to write it down…to put my thoughts into words. It also ended on just the perfect note: “Whatever you're looking for, it's time to seize it. Time to move from the dream to the exciting reality of the new life. Get out of your armchair and get moving. Don't be intimidated. Don't be nervous. You're not alone. It's time to stop worrying about how you'll pay for life...and start enjoying it, instead.”

Whew…that’s an empowering statement, isn’t it? Retiring to Lake Chapala, Mexico, is really so much more than budget…it’s about your quality of life…it can be enriched in more ways than you can imagine.

Bill and I have never once regretted our decision to move to Lake Chapala. In fact, the only regret we’ve heard since living here is the regret voiced by someone who wished they’d done it sooner!

Again, as Ray said in his article, “starting now and reaching a major milestone in 2011, the Baby Boomers are going to be eligible for retirement (at the rate of 10,000 a day for the next 20 years, according to CNN and the Social Security office). My advice to you is to look at where they are planning to go and get there first! There are a number of options. Make a list and choose the one that fits with your ‘wish list,’ but do it before they do. When the herd starts to move, nothing will stand in their way.“

Mexico has been rated the # 1 place to retire by International Living for two years running and Lake Chapala is one of the most desired locations in Mexico. With the Pan AM games slated for Guadalajara in 2011, the Chapala area will be getting a lot of additional exposure between now and then, so if you are thinking of making a move to the Lake Chapala area (either full or part time), you certainly want to do it sooner than later. We are getting many people coming on Focus programs that are a few years away from retirement, but they are coming now so they can set their plan in place and get into the market now.

So…take that first step! Sign up for a Focus on Mexico 8-day educational program today, and find out if Mexico is for you. And, you don’t have to take our word for it…check out what one of our alumni, Mary Beth Kingsley, said about her experience.

Marybeth Kingsley, 2009 March 14 to March 21

Very, very, very informative. I could never have learned all this info on my own. The topics covered all the questions I knew I would need answered if I was going to relocate to Mexico. I had so many questions, and, voila, they were answered. The verbal presentations were accompanied by written materials so we could review…once we returned to our homes. Every question any member of our group posed was either answered on the spot or the answer was researched and shared later. Great! This is the type of information you really need even if you are not going to move to Mexico full time. Focus on Mexico is the most phenomenal program to anyone interested in Mexico and the Lakeside area in particular. The daily meetings with the Focus staff and local experts answered all the questions you may have and all those questions you didn't even know you had. Marie and Ray and their hand-picked staff guide you through visas, legalities, driving, groceries, real estate, healthcare, investing, cost of living, and on and on and on. Oh, did I mention the perfect recipe for the perfect margarita!!! Come down to Mexico and join a Focus on Mexico group. You'll be glad you did. Thanks Focus!

It’s time to start on your life path to living, not just existing. If you are considering making the move the Mexico, you need our seminar. Where else will you get to know the experts who will become your friends as they have become ours? On a Focus on Mexico Program you’ll learn valuable information that is simply not available to tap into on your own. You’ll experience the real Mexico and find out what it would be like for you to live here. You’ll get the taste of Mexico and enjoy different cuisine at different restaurants every day and some include entertainment. You’ll get an Orientation of Lake Chapala and into Guadalajara. You’ll go on walking tours and you’ll get to see real estate on our ‘Behind the Walls’ Tour. Nothing will be left out. Your one week 'focus' on Mexico covers it all.

Expert Speakers

• Immigration (Do you know whether you want an FMT, FM2 or FM3, and why that is important? Can I work? Can I bring my horse?)
• Bringing in your “stuff” (What papers do you need to insure you won’t pay any customs duties? And how long do you have to do it?)
• Heath care in Mexico (Do you know whether you are eligible to apply for the National Health Care System in Mexico?)
• Legal System of Mexico (do you know what to do so that you won’t have to pay a great deal of money in capital gains should you sell your house in Mexico?) This alone is worth the price of the program!
• Money Matters (Should you put money in a Mexican bank? What bank do you NOT want to put your money in?)
• Real Estate (Buying, building or renting? How do I know I’m not paying too much?)
• Taxes – U.S. and Canada (Do you have to pay taxes if you live in Mexico? Do you have to file? Can you buy your dream home through your IRA? As a Canadian, can you decrease your taxes by living in Mexico?)
• Language (Do I need to learn Spanish?)
• Living in Lake Chapala Mexico (Are there volunteer opportunities? Is there a synagogue? Can I get my favorite peanut butter Or cereal?)

On a Focus program you will give the answers to all of these questions and so much more, and you will have a total understanding on how things work.

I could go on and on, but I think you have the idea that our program is designed to give you valuable information to allow you to make an informed decision on whether Lake Chapala, Mexico is the place for you spend to spend “the ‘best’ of your life!” It is also designed to keep you out of trouble so you can enjoy every single moment of your new life lakeside.

Book now and get started on your New Life Adventure.

¡Hasta pronto! See you soon!