Retirement is one of the pivotal points in people’s lives. Some people compare to starting school, while others say that getting retired as if someone is taking away your entire routine.
Once you find yourself with a surplus of time and less money than you had while you were still working, you need to change your lifestyle; or you don’t, given that you change the place of residence.
Moving abroad upon retirement is a popular trend among pensioners from developed countries. Let’s see what reasons lie behind such decisions and how to do it in the most desirable and efficient way.
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Better climates for elderly people
People living in the north of Europe or the USA and Canada make more money on average. European countries such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden or Germany are among the most prosperous places in the world. The same goes for New England in the USA or Canada as a whole. That’s why people from the entire world choose to spend their working careers in those countries.
But once they retire, living in those areas is not so attractive. A lot of rain, long winters, and short summers aren’t beneficial for the health conditions of the elderly.
As reported by WebMD, warmer climates get people to move and spend time outdoors. That way, they increase their quality of living, which can extend the lifetime and eliminate some health issues.
2. Lower living expenses
Let’s say that you worked in one of the states of New England, where you were retired at a salary of $5000. Your pension, together with the state pension and your private fund, most probably won’t reach that figure. While some people might have even more as retirees, since they’ve saved a lot, the majority of pensioners don’t save that much money.
If you want to maintain the same lifestyle, costs-wise, you’ll have to find an extra job as a retiree.
Since many people are tired of working once they’re retired, they decide to move abroad. For instance, $2000 a month might be a shoestring budget in Vermont but it’s a fair amount of money in Panama. So, if you want to have a lush or at least a normal middle-class lifestyle as a pensioner, you’ll move abroad. Business Insider brings a resourceful list of best countries to move to as a retiree so you can take a look at it.
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Similar social context
The whole world knows that thousands of retirees move to Florida every year. For decades, the main reason for this migration was the specific climate beneficial for elderly people.
However, in the last few decades, retired people have been moving there because of the social context, as well. Instead of living alone or with their children and grandchildren, pensioners find it interesting to live among other similar people. They have similar interests, problems, and expectations from life. Just compare a retiree spending afternoons with his or her elementary school grandchildren with his or her peer playing golf or walking by the ocean during slow, sun-soaked Florida afternoons.
Pensioners who want to try new things and feel that they’re still vigorous and potent usually decide to move where other people of their age live.
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New challenges, new youth
When you think about the ageing process in the elderly, you realize that they face numerous issues that we never think of. Feeling unwanted or useless once they stop working or being treated unfairly by their children can cause deep feelings of sadness and depression. Combined with a lack of activities or interesting routines, such a lifestyle accelerates mental and physical difficulties. As a result, some elderly people start suffering from various illnesses.
As opposed to that, when they feel useful and accepted, their entire life energy changes. Moving abroad is a tremendous challenge for most retirees, especially to a country whose language you don’t speak. Even though English is spoken around the world, now knowing the local language can be uncomfortable. But it can also be challenging and amusing at the same time. Meeting locals and other pensioners from other countries is also a great benefit. People can compare their experiences, backgrounds, and current living situations.
Some retirees who move abroad may take a new hobby, such as art, music or fishing, depending on the location they move to.
Every travel brings excitement and new things to learn, so moving abroad at an old age can mean a long-term combo of these two challenges.
Retirement brings many new things to the life of every pensioner. If you want to maintain a vivid lifestyle on your existing budget, think about moving abroad. You don’t have to move for good, but try to spend a few weeks or months there. Also, you might want to try several locations until you find the most suitable one. Regardless of your final decision, open your mind and keep exploring the world as a retiree. It will fill your life with bright and enjoyable colours and make you feel young and alive.
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