Where will you retire?

[jalanjalan]

And remember to plug car in before going to bed or good luck next morning. I remember someone from a warm climate seeing the extension cables trailing across the yard and commenting "Wow you have electric cars!" This was in the 80s.

Yes, it's always good to spend some money on a decent battery but things like this may happen. A week or so with temperatures below -20C combined with short commuting distance would kill most of the batteries.

Having said that I am probably one of the very few who really misses frosty winters (and other seasons) and not so much appreciates heat and humidity of Singapore. In that respect I am probably in a wrong place.

I miss autumn, and the first snowfall. But Jan-Mar, I am always thankful for nice warm Singapore.

[Lisafuller]

Alberta. Good skiing country.

Alberta, Canada right? Not MN I'm assuming.

Yes Alberta is still part of Canada, last I checked. Unless the US has designs on their oil?

Hahaha that's what I thought, though it's also a city in Minnesota, so just making sure

[MOCHS]

It’s not so South that it’s in Florida but traditionally considered a “Southern” state.

The first time I saw his state on the map, I was not convinced it was “South” but a bit closer to the middle. There were snowy winters in hubby’s childhood but recent years, the snow has been erratic.

[sundaymorningstaple]

It’s not so South that it’s in Florida but traditionally considered a “Southern” state.

The first time I saw his state on the map, I was not convinced it was “South” but a bit closer to the middle. There were snowy winters in hubby’s childhood but recent years, the snow has been erratic.

Sounds a lot like my part of the woods in the US. MD & Virgina. We've had our fair share of Blizzards over the years and while MD is a split Northern/Southern state, Virginia is considered a Southern State. I actually remember snow drifts one winter that were as high as the bottom of the roofline in some areas.

[Max Headroom]

I think this policy has a lot to do with the government, because the Malaysian government changes frequently. Although the prices in Malaysia are cheaper than in Singapore, the choice between these two makes rich people not very willing to go

As if to prove your point, MM2H has recently been revamped.

The good news is that requirements are significantly more accessible now, though you do need some discretionary cash.

Once you're in, however, it'll pretty much be easy-living, especially for Singaporeans residing in JB, because with RTS, you get Singapore thrown into the bargain. Best of both worlds.

[malcontent]

Since I started this thread, I think there have been a few retirements, myself included - - although I haven’t totally ruled out working again. Most seem to be retired (or retiring) to their passport country, including me. I guess that shouldn’t be too surprising, it’s still moving to a lower cost of living.. plus, guaranteed immigration benefits for any non-citizen family members can be a factor.

I’ve got 7 years to decide whether to make our retirement in the U.S. permanent. That is when the deemed expat rules kick in for my wife (the point of no return from a U.S. taxable standpoint). A lot can change between now and then, so I’m not making any wagers. We are still in a state of flux presently until we know for certain where our 17yo son will go for university… either next fall or the fall after that.

Dreaming about an even lower cost of living retirement isn’t a bad thing… I think of it as a back-up plan, should Plan A not work out financially, I have ready alternatives which could slash our costs by 70-80% and still live nearly as well or better. In the meantime, being closer to my aged parents is a good thing… in fact, I’m at their home right now for a visit (flying 4 hours sure beats flying 24 hours).

[PNGMK]

I was in Thailand for 10 days. While it's cheaper than Singapore, it really has had some inflation and I'd expect that to be something to consider for all of these lower cost countries. Certainly a few 'fixed income' retirees I met complained about it.

[malcontent]

I was in Thailand for 10 days. While it's cheaper than Singapore, it really has had some inflation and I'd expect that to be something to consider for all of these lower cost countries. Certainly a few 'fixed income' retirees I met complained about it.

Inflation was becoming an issue the last time I was in Thailand, and that was pre-COVID… I imagine it’s only gotten worse.

At least they haven’t increased the B65,000 (US$2,000) you need to transfer in each month for the O-A visa ..but the difference now, you might actually have to spend most of that.

[malcontent]

I was thinking about starting a related thread asking “what is your dream retirement”, but maybe this thread can do the job.

Mine would be island hopping around the Pacific; so many interesting and far flung places… like Pitcairn (Mutiny on the Bounty fame), Easter Islands, Tahitian islands, Samoa, Kiribati (straddling the international dateline, and disappearing fast), and closer to Asia, Palau, Guam, Saipan, plus so many more.

So, what is your dream retirement?