Anyone thought about relo outside of United States?

[tjsmiley]

Oh yes...I would find a little house on a beach in Roatan, Costa Rica, some remote area, and teach English in town. I think it can be done! Talk about affordable living, at least where it is not developed yet.

[maymay]

My husband used to travel the world on business and visited many places...he always used to say when he came home from various places that he wished he could send our kids to live there for three weeks to open their eyes and make them appreciate what they had here.

i agree with you, actually, we live so better than many other places in the world. we should treasure what we have now and live a happy life.

[shark66]

I resemble this thread!

On the eve of BK, I bought a cheap house with all the remaining cash I had, and as close to my state's exemption amount), and after going through the BK, moved to Eastern Europe to teach English (where I am as I type.) I pay my rent and feed my face with my earnings from teaching and the occasional distribution from my Roth IRA.

Interestingly, I have met more than few fellow American ex-pats who have moved abroad basically to avoid collections on their student loan and other debts. They all say that if they could find a good professional salaried job where they could live decently and make the payments, they would, but since that's impossible, they are just going to live abroad - and once their debt gets to be too big to be plausibly paid off even if they were to get a good job, then they plan to remain aborad forever.

Good for you and enjoy!

Eastern Europe has a lot to offer if you're one bit inquisitive...lot of history and tradition, great food and booze and that's just the top of the iceberg...

Take it from someone who grew up there, and has a degree allowing him to teach English at HS level, but ended up in the U.S...

Isn't life strange?

Good luck to us all.

[tobee43]

I resemble this thread!

On the eve of BK, I bought a cheap house with all the remaining cash I had, and as close to my state's exemption amount), and after going through the BK, moved to Eastern Europe to teach English (where I am as I type.) I pay my rent and feed my face with my earnings from teaching and the occasional distribution from my Roth IRA.

Interestingly, I have met more than few fellow American ex-pats who have moved abroad basically to avoid collections on their student loan and other debts. They all say that if they could find a good professional salaried job where they could live decently and make the payments, they would, but since that's impossible, they are just going to live abroad - and once their debt gets to be too big to be plausibly paid off even if they were to get a good job, then they plan to remain aborad forever.

impressive!!!!!!

[JackBondLove]

I resemble this thread!

On the eve of BK, I bought a cheap house with all the remaining cash I had, and as close to my state's exemption amount), and after going through the BK, moved to Eastern Europe to teach English (where I am as I type.) I pay my rent and feed my face with my earnings from teaching and the occasional distribution from my Roth IRA.

Interestingly, I have met more than few fellow American ex-pats who have moved abroad basically to avoid collections on their student loan and other debts. They all say that if they could find a good professional salaried job where they could live decently and make the payments, they would, but since that's impossible, they are just going to live abroad - and once their debt gets to be too big to be plausibly paid off even if they were to get a good job, then they plan to remain aborad forever.

[shark66]

I am not prejudiced against the rest of the world - the rest of the world is definitely prejudiced against United States citizens. .

On what type of experience and/or data is this statement based on?

As for immigration vs. temporary work visas, the vast majority of the "civilized" world - as well as many "up and coming" countries have the same or similar set of rules...that applies to U.S. citizens as well as to mostly anyone else...

There are countries that do not give out their citizenship to almost anyone like Switzerland, but Americans are in no worse position than the rest of the world even with their stringent rules...

Good luck to us all.

[IamOld]

I think the difference is (and what you say about their export driven economies is very true) that in times of crisis they will pull together, and state ownership of capital is not foreign and/or all that distasteful for them. So if need be they will turn inward. In addition, the EU is a huge market that if needed will/can/could turn inward.

Japan and Germany export almost everything they build. Without the US consumer buying BMW's and Toyota's I don't see how they will weather it better.

Their citizens save most of their money which is loaned to their Governments which will likely default.

They won't have a currency crisis however like we will since their debts are all internal while our debts are mostly external due to our low savings rate.

[banca rotta]

For what my humble opinion is worth, I think your analysis about China is astute indeed! However, I do think that - the frankly - more "socialistic" more egalitarian economies of Continental Europe and Japan will likely weather the winds better.

Japan and Germany export almost everything they build. Without the US consumer buying BMW's and Toyota's I don't see how they will weather it better.

Their citizens save most of their money which is loaned to their Governments which will likely default.

They won't have a currency crisis however like we will since their debts are all internal while our debts are mostly external due to our low savings rate.

[IamOld]

For what my humble opinion is worth, I think your analysis about China is astute indeed! However, I do think that - the frankly - more "socialistic" more egalitarian economies of Continental Europe and Japan will likely weather the winds better.

I think when the major economic collapse finally does arrive it will be global and the USA will suffer the least.

For this reason I am staying put for now.

I say this because we are a huge importing nation and pretty much all other countries depend on exports and they export their stuff to us more then anyone else.

Once the dollar collapses imports (including and especially oil) will cost 3 to 4 times what it does now. The good news is this collapse will make all US goods cheaper to Americans. The bad news is we will pay more for oil, gas and food since we won't be able to buy oil with our debached currency. (another reason I wish Obama didn't recently raid our oil reserves)

Unless China builds up their middle class to buy all of their junk they will be in a violent mega depression since they are so dependent on us.

It's going to happen whether very slowly or very quickly since Europe, Japan and the US have racked up debt that will never be paid ever.

Again because of this I am staying put for now. My only fear in the above is as Shark mentioned I don't want to lose any more liberty in the name of fixing the coming mess. I think our leaders have done enough damage as it is.

[banca rotta]

I think when the major economic collapse finally does arrive it will be global and the USA will suffer the least.

For this reason I am staying put for now.

I say this because we are a huge importing nation and pretty much all other countries depend on exports and they export their stuff to us more then anyone else.

Once the dollar collapses imports (including and especially oil) will cost 3 to 4 times what it does now. The good news is this collapse will make all US goods cheaper to Americans. The bad news is we will pay more for oil, gas and food since we won't be able to buy oil with our debached currency. (another reason I wish Obama didn't recently raid our oil reserves)

Unless China builds up their middle class to buy all of their junk they will be in a violent mega depression since they are so dependent on us.

It's going to happen whether very slowly or very quickly since Europe, Japan and the US have racked up debt that will never be paid ever.

Again because of this I am staying put for now. My only fear in the above is as Shark mentioned I don't want to lose any more liberty in the name of fixing the coming mess. I think our leaders have done enough damage as it is.

[kornellred]

I am not prejudiced against the rest of the world - the rest of the world is definitely prejudiced against United States citizens. You can live anywhere it is actually possible to travel to if you have the proper paperwork, but I am referring to immigration, not work visas. The implication behind work visas is that the situation is temporary.
And it's a lead pipe cinch that folks on this forum are not likely to do any better running away from their problems in the USA.

[shark66]

The rest of the world has no use for United States citizens - even the very few countries that will actually allow you to live there.

No reason to be prejudiced against the rest of the world.

First of all, your statement about "very few countries" is completely off base. If one has proper paperwork, they can live anywhere or just about. I've been roaming for the past three decades and can't say that I've experinced a shortage of Americans living elsewehere in the civilized world.

We would have to agree on what "do better" actually means, since it represents different things for different people.

Make more money? Unlikely for most people.

Have more services provided at the government's (aka taxpayer's) expense? Absolutely.

Retain the standard of living they're used to? Not a problem.

With all of that being said, an average American lacks the education of his/hers European counterpart in most cases and that could become a big issue...unless one is young and/or willing to learn fast...

One and only thing that is guaranteed is a culture shock.

Good luck to us all.

[kornellred]

The rest of the world has no use for United States citizens - even the very few countries that will actually allow you to live there. All of the other English speaking countries have their own social and economic upheavals going on, so unless you have some valuable skill to offer, you might just as well stay in the United States, because you will do no better elsewhere.

[Drazil65]

My husband and I have traveled to many countries including St. Petersburg, RU (amazing city) and one of our favorites is London. We talk about the possiblity of living abroad (through one of our workplaces perhaps as my company has an office in London and Berlin) for at least a year. Our son would get an amazing education on culture and people in general. I am originally from upstate NY and left there 11 years ago to live in another state (followed my best friend at the time). My entire family still lives there but now that I am remarried and have a child and live in the south (much warmer here) I get alot of company. Your family is still your family no matter where you live and if nothing else it gives you somewhere to travel to. If I had not left my home state I would have never met my current husband and had the incredible journey we have had with each other.

[tobee43]

i really like when you take a nice bite shark. always such good thoughts!!