by Karen McConnaughey
I
do a lot of reading on the ‘net and ran into an article recently about
retiring. The article opened by saying, “If уου′re a Boomer or fast approaching
retirement age but уου′re far behind in retirement savings, don’t give up. You
саח still pull together a retirement that уου саח enjoy. With perseverance,
planning, and sacrifice, уου саח retire in relative comfort even with a late
start.”
Oh Lordy…okay,
so what if I don’t want to do any of that? So what if I want to retire now and
enjoy my relative youth before I drop dead at my desk? How can I do that?
I know…I know…you’re the ant and I’m the
grasshopper. It’s true. And, if you’re not familiar with that one…it’s the
fable about a grasshopper who has spent the warm months singing away while the
ant has worked hard to store up food for winter. And even though I knew the
moral of the story was that we should be like the ants, industrious,
conscientious, and hard-working, ready for winter and any other hardships that may
come, my sympathies were always entirely with the grasshopper. So…yes…you’re
back there slaving away, while I’m retired and enjoying the sunshine in Lake Chapala, Mexico. You’re working to get your
retirement income up to what exactly? How much do you think it will take for
you to be truly happy? Bill and I retired on his social security pension alone
of $1500. Remember, money doesn’t buy happiness. Yes it takes some to get bу, but
not as much as уου might have thought. Believe
me, $1500 and a house in Mexico
spelled HAPPINESS for the both of us…in capital letters!
So...what’s
wrong with this picture…for you anyway? To quote the article again, I don’t want to “maximize my savings
under tax-advantage investments.” I want to live.
Okay I do agree with this statement: "Always contribute the maximum allowed to
уουr company plan." I belonged to a credit union in Kansas City and our Member
Financial representative absolutely nagged me until I started putting 15% into
my 401(K), and it was the best thing that I ever did. It’s unseen money, and,
as the grasshopper, I didn’t have to think about…it just was. And, as my salary
increased, so did my contribution without my even realizing it (grasshopper!)
Okay…back to the article…I don’t want to "start living frugally." I like my
42-inch TV downstairs and my 32-in flat screen upstairs. I like my laptops and
my desktops and my mini-computer. I like my daily cinnamon cappuccino. I want
it all and I want it now.
“Minimizing Expense – now and forever”: Okay, this one I can relate to…you know
why? Because it didn’t involve scrimping and saving or living frugally or
tax-advantage investment. For us, it involved moving to Mexico…to a temperate climate with
a lower cost of living. When the article said "you’ve got to rearrange your
life to survive and enjoy yourself," I agreed…that’s exactly what we did. We
rearranged our lives, moved to a place with easy access to family and friends,
and settled down to live the rest of what’s left of our lives in comfort with good
friends and a maid and a
gardener…twice a week!
I
also agreed with the statement: “Discern what really is important for producing
happiness for you,” and, again, for us, it wasn’t accumulating more wealth and more things. I
no longer wanted to get up in the dark and work eight hours (or more!) every
single week day. I didn’t want to shovel snow in the winters. I didn’t want to
live in a house where the windows and doors were always closed because either
the furnace or the air conditioner was on. I wanted to live my life, as my
friend Kristina says ‘on purpose.’
Ah…now
we get to the paragraph I’ve been waiting for: “If you're still low on income
when уου retire, уου can mаkе уουr money go further bу moving off-shore. Go to Panama, Mexico,
or some South American country like Ecuador. The cost of a house and all
general living expenses are generally a lot lower.”
Moving
to Mexico
has been an excellent decision for Bill and me. I didn't want to live in Panama (too far away!), and, obviously then, I certainly don’t want to live in Ecuador, South America!
I like the driving distance to the border from Lake Chapala, Mexico…12-15
hours. I’m in my own backyard for easily flying or driving back to Kansas City or wherever I
want, for that matter. We’re 25 minutes from the international airport in Guadalajara. I like the
tropical, little-or-no-humidity climate and blue skies every day. We're also 40 minutes from the beach by plane and four hours by car!
We’ve
lived in Ajijic for over six years now and we’ve loved every minute of it. Oh
sure, we’ve had a few bad days, but I had a few bad days in Kansas City too…they were just different
types of bad days! I can live with that difference. We bought a house, because
that’s who we are. We’re not renters. We weren’t looking for a temporary lifestyle…we jumped in with both feet
with no Plan B…just an idea that there’s got to be something better out there,
and together we would find it. We own nothing in the United States now. I don’t believe
in living with one foot in each country. And, by that I don’t mean family and
friends…I mean stuff. I have a friend who moved to Australia and got married almost 10
years ago. She still has two-three storage units she’s been making monthly payments on...in the United States...for 10 years!
Why?…Covering all bets? Can’t get rid of your past? Thinking there has to be a
Plan B? Bill and I are going to take what comes and go with it at that time.
We’re not going to live in the past or worry about the future. And, yes, we’re
not as totally stupid as I’m making us sound…we do have a savings account and
put money in it every month for any emergencies that come along (or a 52-inch
flat screen TV! :-D). We’re going to live now and we’re going to enjoy the present.
That meant moving to Mexico
to afford a lifestyle we could only dream about in Kansas City.
Okay…I’ll stop ranting now…that article certainly made me think, and it sure
ended on the most positive note: "Happiness is cheaper than уου think." Now
there’s a statement I can definitely live with...welll, in Lake Chapala, Mexico, that is!
By the way, if you think "rearranging your life" and living your life on purpose sounds good
too, join us on a Focus on Mexico
8-Day Educational Program and find out if Mexico is for you. At the end of
the eight days, we guarantee you will know one way or another. Hasta pronto! See
you soon!
Karen McConnaughey:
Operations Manager for FocusOnMexico.
Focus On Mexico offers 8-Day
Educational Programs to Ajijic and Lake
Chapala, Mexico
(2nd Best Climate in the World). Join us on a Focus program and
learn why thousands of Americans and Canadians chose to retire in Lake Chapala.
Our programs offer
the perfect balance; a wonderful vacation and an insightful, educational
experience. Our expert speakers cover all topics: Health Care, Real
Estate, Legal System, Immigration, Bringing Pets, Cost of
Living, US Taxes
for Americans, Non-Residency for Canadians, Living on the Lakeside, Investing
in Mexico,
Mexican Economy and much more...
You’ll get
everything you need to help you decide if Lake
Chapala, Mexico is the place for you, plus have a lot of fun doing it.
Retiring in Mexico
couldn't be better.