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Retiring Abroad – 5 Reasons You Should Consider Moving Abroad
By Sacha Tarkovsky
More Americans are buying their second homes or retiring abroad than ever before.
Here we will look at the advantages and how you can obtain a much better standard of living than you can in the US and do it easily.
So what are the advantages of retiring abroad?
1. Proximity
Many Americans are looking at Central America and with good reason, its just a few hours from the southern States of the US, flights are frequent and their cheap.
So, you can have all the advantages of a higher standard of living and still be close to home.
For Americans retiring abroad Costa Rica remains the number one destination of choice and we will look at all the advantages here:
2. It’s Cheaper your lifestyle is better
You can buy houses at up to 70% cheaper in Costa Rica than in the US Southern states, you also get a better standard of living and when you retire abroad here and you can live comfortably on $2,000 a month
3. Its beautiful and peaceful
Imagine stunning beaches, volcanoes, rolling hills, rainforest and beautiful wild life in a country where the people are friendly, serious crime is rare, people have time to talk and there’s no traffic, when retiring to Costa Rica you get all this and more.
4. You have the comforts
You would expect you would have at home including great communications, entertainment, nightlife and many shops your familiar and of course you can enjoy a leisurely round of golf or maybe a rain forest tour.
5. Retiring in Costa Rica is easy!
People retiring here is one of the main reasons the economy is booming and the government makes it easy for foreginers to retire to Costa Rica.
You get the same rights to land and property as Costa Rica residents, there is no tax on your social security and there are plenty of specialist companies that make retiring easy.
It’s only a three hour flight, so you are ever far from home and the communications are excellent with broadband and an excellent phone network.
Ask yourself this question
Do you want the high prices of the South coast of the US or do you want to maintain and increase your standard of life be close to home but have all the benefits of paradise?
Well, retiring to Costa Rica gives you all the above and much more and as it’s the number one retirement destination of choice for Americans. You wont feel out of place with a large and booming expat community.
Like many Americans you may be concerned about inflation, high prices and maintaining your standard of living when you retire. Retiring to Costa Rica not only allows you to main your standard of living but improve it!
You have worked hard all your life and now its time to enjoy yourself, so retire to Costa Rica and do just that.
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How to Move Overseas the Right Way
by Nick J
Moving overseas can be quite an adventure. The idea of creating a whole new life in an exciting new location can be a dream come true. By researching online you can learn a lot about your new country, from local customs and traditions to the best restaurants and shopping areas in the neighborhood you’re moving to. There are many message boards and websites available for expatriates. The word “expatriate” has taken on an entirely new meaning in today’s global economy. An expatriate isn’t someone who has turned his back on his home country, but simply someone who is living overseas. There are Australian expatriate groups all over the world. People keep in contact with expatriate, or “expat”, groups in order to ask or give advice on how to adjust to life in the other country, learn about local laws and customs, or even learn which Australia-based companies have the best shipping rates when getting products shipped from home.
For some people, the excitement of moving overseas can come to a screeching halt when you start trying to figure out how you’re going to pack up the life you’ve built here, and move it to an entirely different country. But it isn’t as complicated as it may seem.
For the smoothest moving experience possible, it’s best to hire a removalist company to pack your home for you. A professional removalist company knows how to pack delicate, breakable and expensive items for air transport or for a long ocean voyage. The removalist company will be able to work with you to decide which items or how many shipping containers you want sent to your new home via air transport, and which items can take longer to ship or can’t be sent at a reasonable cost on an airplane. They will also be able to tell you about potentially flammable or corrosive items that you may not think of that can’t legally be transported by a removalist company overseas, such as batteries, garden and household chemicals and even some beauty products such as nail polish remover and aerosol containers.
Be sure you understand the customs information and procedures for your destination country in order to ensure that your items aren’t held up in customs when they arrive. Make sure all of the necessary forms are filled out, given to the proper people at the proper time and you have additional copies of everything just in case something is misplaced along the way. Be sure also that you have insured your items for an adequate amount in case something is damaged.
When your shipping containers arrive in your new country, they will be transported by railroad and/or truck to your new home, where the crates are opened and the boxes moved into your home. Be sure to examine your belongings for breakage or damage as soon as possible after they arrive so that any necessary insurance claims can be made in a timely manner.
Once you have gotten your belongings moved to your new country, you can begin enjoying your new home and all of the unique experiences you will have overseas.
Moving may seem like a job for anyone with a truck, but for those who have actually done it they quickly realise it is no easy job. It only takes a broken vase and a few scratched walls before you start to think it may have been better to hire a professional. Finding professional removalists Sydney wide, needn’t be a chore. Visit the Jones removals website to get a free quote on the cost of your move.
Read our customer testimonials to see what others think of the quality of our removalists service. We can handle any sized move over any distance. So for an experienced interstate removals company you can’t go past Jones Removals.
Survival Tips for Working Overseas
by Lisa Jenkins
For most people, the choice to live and work or volunteer abroad means a large change in what they new at home. Quitting a current job, taking a leave of absence, moving away from friends and family, or simply being brave enough to choose a path less traveled. For many the choice is temporary; a different experience in a different country for a few months and for some, even a few years. It goes without saying that for most people, the choice to leave turned out to be the experience of a lifetime. Languages learned, friendships gained and lifetime memories made. And while the experiences gained from living abroad are some of the most personally rewarding, gaining experience that transfers into something valuable when you return home is priceless.
THE RETURN HOME
For anyone returning home, having something to show for your time abroad is extremely helpful. It aids in the process of procuring a new job or when looking for an interview. Having more than just a gap between jobs shows potential employers that while you decided to end a previous profession you remained dedicated to something productive during your time off. This does several things for your resume besides building character in the eyes of your potential employer. It diversifies your work experience - an incredible advantage when looking for a new job. It naturally sets you apart from your peers who have been experiencing more traditional work and internships. If you lived in a non-English speaking country, and obtained bilingual skills this is an incredible asset for your resume and one that companies and employers are eager to employ. This excellent skill not only makes you a candidate for more jobs but it sets you even further apart from your peers. For companies who have branches abroad, your newly acquired bilingual skills may transfer into other travel and work opportunities.
It’s easy then to turn your experience in a foreign country into one that works for you. Using it to enhance your resume and as a forum to build new skills for your return turns your decision to leave a good job at home into an opportunity to return to an even better one!
VOLUNTEERING
Choosing to volunteer overseas is a great choice for numerous reasons. Besides the obvious resume boost, it gives you the opportunity to complete something you might not otherwise have had the time for. For graduate school admissions, volunteer work is highly respected and your time spent doing so may turn into something incredibly valuable for your future. In non-English speaking countries, volunteering is a great way to learn the language without having to pay for classes. In many volunteering opportunities volunteers end up teaching English to young kids who live in at-risk environments while also speaking the local language.
Most volunteer jobs abroad are non-paying and there are several organizations that connect volunteers with organizations in need. However, this usually comes at a cost to the volunteer, so don’t get roped into paying too much for the service. There are hundreds of online programs that can assign you volunteer opportunities. While a majority of these profits go to the organizations in need and solidify your place as a volunteer, many volunteers living abroad cannot afford the fees. A little research on your part will land you an excellent volunteer position with no money out of pocket. Asking other expatriates where and how they began volunteering is a great way to start. Getting some contact information from a person at an organization that needs a volunteer is also a great way to go. A little ingenuity on your part will go a long way in taking the time to find the organizations for yourself, rather than paying a company to do it for you.
Expatriates usually love the experience to get to know locals while performing a service which really matters and for a shorter stay abroad volunteering offers some structure that is great for a resume with plenty of time remaining for travel and fun living abroad.
WORKING
Working abroad is perhaps the best scenario for someone who is living in a foreign country. It allows your time abroad to be used doing something productive as well as providing spending money for travel and living expenses. Getting the most out of your work abroad experience means finding a job that not only meets your needs in terms of expenses but also gives you something to work from when you return. Having any kind of work experience in a foreign country sets you apart from your peers however, if your work experience is in a field related to your work interests at home you’re at an even greater advantage. For many young expatriates however, a job is simply a means of earning money so they can remain abroad. And while teaching English for instance isn’t exactly the most ideal job description for some, it can be used to show diversity in work experience and used to outline other advantageous skills that were acquired during your time abroad.
Teaching English abroad is one of the most popular jobs for expatriates and takes many forms. For those with previous teaching degrees and experiences, the job may be more formal, teaching English to classrooms in schools and universities. Expatriates without teaching experience or degrees are usually paired up with older students who desire to learn English in the context of their profession. This is where business, science and other backgrounds besides teaching are advantageous. For instance someone with a background in business is often paired up with a working professional who needs to learn English for business. These relationships often lead to a deeper knowledge of the profession and can often segue to other jobs and relationships. While some jobs don’t directly relate as clearly to a professional interest, the simple act of working in a foreign country means setting yourself apart from others in the work field. It is truly a unique experience; one that certainly requires you work hard and one that conversely should work hard for you.
Too many people look at an experience abroad as a departure from a work or educational path that will slow you down. And while the decision to leave a secure line of work for something unknown is often risky or scary, it rarely turns out to be a mistake. In fact, nearly every person returning from an experience abroad will tell you it was one of the best decisions of their life. With a little forethought and inventiveness, your life abroad can become one of the largest stepping-stones of your education or career.
There are many places to find work abroad opportunities as well as overseas volunteer jobs. Find out how to maximize an overseas job experience from Lisa Jenkins, who is a freelance writer for JobMonkey. Her material includes tips for teaching English abroad, volunteering in locations around the world, and guidance for acquiring work visas and other documents.