Where to retire, 2019

[Amynamous]

Although there are a few threads regarding where to retire, most are several years old or older. For better or worse, like it or not, the world is a very different place now.
I’m 56 and have had a nice career, but I am ready to step off of the hamster wheel. I live in the southwest, and don’t care for the extreme summer heat, or the intense winds, or the violent crime that persists here. One of my parents was born in Canada, which makes me a Canadian! woohoo...
I am very open to moving overseas, especially if i can join or buy into their healthcare system. My first consideration is the freedom to smoke and grow. My second is affordable housing. My retirement investments allow me a monthly income of$2500/ month to live on. I enjoy the outdoors, especially hiking, cycling, cross country skiing and scuba diving.
US, Canada, SE Asia, Australia...
Any thouhts or ideas?

 

[944s2]

Well,,,first off you don’t want to come to the uk,,,lol,lol,
Any nice area and the property will be a fortune,
Even if you go Rural,,for a nice village it still will be ££££££,,,
My friend lives in Laguna in the US which seems very nice
and I thought the parts of Ontario I visited were beautiful,,,
I would imagine like most things it comes down to budget,
I wish you all the best wherever you may end up,,,944s2

 

[Bud Green]

It's been quite a while since I was there, but New Zealand is a beautiful country...I spent a month there..

Lots of geographical diversity is a relatively small area.
Great mountain hiking and skiing in the South Island, beautiful beaches and trout fishing on the North Island..

They speak English there (of course), nice folks, great beer and USD $30K per year would probably be pretty darn comfortable...

 

[EsterEssence]

I am retiring right here where I am, I live in a small town in the mountains/ high desert in so Cali, if you can stand living a half hour or so from the city this place is great. I paid my property off, I. Still have to rent it from the county, but that works out to around $50.00 a month. I don’t have any retirement didn’t pay in enough but I don’t need much and have some money to live on. I can legally grow 24 plants and have a nice organic garden every year. I make rosin for myself and help out some seriously ill folks. I look forward to many more years of a quiet life...

 

[St. Phatty]

Although there are a few threads regarding where to retire, most are several years old or older. For better or worse, like it or not, the world is a very different place now.
I’m 56 and have had a nice career, but I am ready to step off of the hamster wheel. I live in the southwest, and don’t care for the extreme summer heat, or the intense winds, or the violent crime that persists here.

US, Canada, SE Asia, Australia...
Any thouhts or ideas?

Violent crime in the US Southwest ?

I think in most urban areas, you better have some off-street parking.

This was true 15 years ago in Sonoma County - near downtown Santa Rosa - where all the cops are.

A friend of mine, her niece's car was stolen twice. First the normal way, then by the cops. How many 19 year old women have $1000 to pay for impound fees ?


I think one question is, where can you go where there are smart people ? In some communities that is the Junior College - in other communities it is the gun range.

I think it is normal to take classes after official retirement, then find out FVCK !!! You're good at <whatever>.

But in order to make those kinds of discoveries, you need the right culture.

ETH Zurich in Switzerland is one example. Tuition $2000 a year. Good college, lots of skiing, 2 days drive to the Mediterranean.


I think Greece is one possibility. As an American you might be accepted, there are a lot of American military bases there.

I lived there as a teenager.

I suggest, go there for a vacation & visit Corfu & Crete. See if the ocean is clean enough to want to swim in.

It was an interesting place for slightly wild teen-agers. My brother bought potassium perchlorate etc. in downtown Athens & manufactured firecrackers (AKA small explosives) in the bedroom next to mine, supervised by my chemist father.

 

[944s2]

I am retiring right here where I am, I live in a small town in the mountains/ high desert in so Cali, if you can stand living a half hour or so from the city this place is great. I paid my property off, I. Still have to rent it from the county, but that works out to around $50.00 a month. I don’t have any retirement didn’t pay in enough but I don’t need much and have some money to live on. I can legally grow 24 plants and have a nice organic garden every year. I make rosin for myself and help out some seriously ill folks. I look forward to many more years of a quiet life...

Amen brother::,,,s2

 

[Lester Beans]

Massachusetts! Near the sea. Some beautiful property along the coast. You said you didn't like the summer heat but didn't mention the winter cold lol

I have been all over the place but I just kept coming back to the northeast. I love the 4 seasons.

 

[Stoner4Life]

Rural northern Minnesota is very affordable, but notoriously we have a five month winter, the worst of it being Jan/Feb can be quite harsh. If you had some way to travel motorhome, car/truck and the ability to visit somewhere southerly for those months you'd do well.

I'm sure there are plenty of affordable resorts in the south, or maybe an air bnb type of gig for 2-3 months yearly; condo rentals south of Daytona Beach (Ponce Inlet South) had some nice affordable units right on the beach. My boss gave me the room for 2 weeks every yr as I busted my ass on the job & never said "No" to him, never; anyway... waking up to the waves crashing on the beach below, was there once for sea turtle hatching season, very interesting...

You wouldn't spend $2500/mo in northern Mn, a nice 2 bedroom place on a few acres would run about $1200/mo, maybe $50-60 more for property taxes; so you could live for much less, save and apply that extra $$$ towards your winter excursions.

Are you leaving a network of friends behind? Family? arrange to park an RV trailer @ their home from a local place, tell the dealer it will not be moved (they'll bring it in & set it for a fee) and he might give you a break on the rate. Stay there for the winter months you wouldn't spend in MN.

btw, where I live there are lakes from huge (100,000+ acre) to small and all w/in short drives, same for anyone in the area, lakes, rivers (mississippi headwaters nearby), streams, 100s of thousands of acres of state & fed forested land to camp on, hike (famous North Country Trail runs thru here), atv on some trails, deer, bear, 100s of bald eagles nesting here, fucking nature abounds; or sit on the deck enjoying some tunes, coffee and bong hits, but that's just me.

This isn't even fly over country, when we hear a big jet overhead it's always a military plane heading to Grand Forks Air Force Base in ND. I can drive to Bemidji (my shopping town) which is 35 miles away w/o hitting a single traffic light, get to Bemidji & there's plenty of lights. It's quiet up here mostly, make your own noise.


Lot's of places lay claim to "this is God's country!" a bunch of stoners I found up here had a saying on the wall of their cabin about the area....... "This is the land where Jesus lost his sandals."

 

[Sunshineinabag]

Massachusetts! Near the sea. Some beautiful property along the coast. You said you didn't like the summer heat but didn't mention the winter cold lol

I have been all over the place but I just kept coming back to the northeast. I love the 4 seasons.

Move to Stowe Vermont ...I was born there and I can't complain.......I refuse to give up on my homestate! Regardless of where u land....I want to Thankypu for being a solid American .......by this I mean you went into the system and kept your head up! I see some who give in and become slaves to the disability fraud that is WAY too pervasive in American society.

 

[Hubbleman]

Its retirement living.......



Without retiring....

 

[Amynamous]

Thank you everybody. I appreciate the input.
@Stoner4life, i spent a couple of years in Duluth, MN and loved it. One of my favorite places, mostly due to the people. However, weed, medical or otherwise is not legal there. I’m tired of hiding. Part of what i’m looking for is the freedom to grow and be left alone.

 

[1G12]

Thank you everybody. I appreciate the input.
@Stoner4life, i spent a couple of years in Duluth, MN and loved it. One of my favorite places, mostly due to the people. However, weed, medical or otherwise is not legal there. I’m tired of hiding. Part of what i’m looking for is the freedom to grow and be left alone.

I'd look for some semi-rural place in the Pacific northwest. Anywhere from far northern Cali to the Canadian border....and weed's legal the whole way.

 

[Tudo]

Well, you may not be concerned about it today but you will be tomorrow, make sure you plant yourself near good doctors and hospitals when you are older

 

[GOT_BUD?]

I've been contemplating becoming an expat and moving to Czechia.

Weed is illegal there. But nobody gives a shit. Local PDs either don't know the smell or don't care. Because damn near every third house has a couple plants in the back yard.

The gun laws are minimal.

They have a fantastic health care system.

COL is on par with a midwestern town.

It is absolutely beautiful from the countryside to the castles.

The beer is better than Germany.

40 years later, they still remember what it was like to live under communist oppression and refuse to go back. One of the most libertarian countries in all of the world because of it. As long as you're not hurting anybody and the gov't gets their pound of flesh, you can pretty much do what you want within reason.

And lastly, I have family there.

 

[St. Phatty]

Well, you may not be concerned about it today but you will be tomorrow, make sure you plant yourself near good doctors and hospitals when you are older

Which means, completely avoid Oregon.

The 2 dentists who gave me a 7 month experience with blood poisoning are both still practicing.

Total actions taken by the state dental board re. the dentist who gave me the initial infection ... zip Zero Zilch.


Presuming you want to age as slowly as possible -

I suggest North County San Diego.