[Nords note: Billy and Akaisha Kaderli have been early retirees and perpetual travelers for over two decades. I’ve known them for nearly 10 years, and they were a huge help when I was writing the book. They’re big supporters of the U.S. military and the many veterans they’ve met on their travels. This post describes a military-friendly lodging option in a travel destination that’s rapidly becoming more popular with veterans “of a certain age”, and it’s on my list. You might enjoy it at any age!]
Does living in the States just cost too much?
Creating a comfortable lifestyle in the States can be costly. The nation’s cable bills including Internet, phone and TV run an average of $160 a month. According to the IRS, in 2013 it cost 56.5 cents per mile to own and operate a car. So if you and your spouse each owned a car and drove a total of 40,000 miles per year between you, you’d be spending over $22k a year or $1,883 a month just for the privilege of driving! Even if you only owned one car between you it’s still over $900 a month.
Add home insurance, maybe HOA fees, an average monthly mortgage of $1,100 and property taxes, dining out, groceries, home repairs and pool maintenance, a modest-yet-comfortable home life can cost you three to four thousand a month easily. Go ahead and do the math.
And these figures are the nation’s average costs.
But we know you are not average.
Is that all there is, my friend?
You live in a cozy neighborhood and your routine is easy. Perhaps you return from your daily activities and sit on the couch to watch your favorite programs. Maybe you meet some friends for dinner on the weekend and the next week you get to do it all over again.
Some of you might be snow birds, leaving the cold north each year for your place in the sun. This could be Arizona, Florida, Texas or – for the more adventurous – across the border into Mexico.
Or you might own a timeshare but with annual maintenance fees they are expensive and generally inflexible on the dates of your vacation. And the resale market is limited.
But what if there was an additional choice in creating a satisfying lifestyle? What if you could live, vacation or retire more affordably?
There has to be a better way.
There is.
We were introduced to a new concierge company that specializes in long term, mostly inclusive overseas luxury residences. We stayed in the one located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Our studio suite had seven hundred square feet of quality living area with a kitchenette and spacious bathroom. Two bedroom options are also available.
For one price per month, breakfast and lunch were brought to our room or we could visit their dining room if we preferred. Weekly massages, manicures and pedicures were included and scheduled as we liked. Our laundry was cleaned and folded and all housekeeping services as well as turn down service, air conditioning, cable TV, and Wifi in the room were included in the fee. We had a personal driver so there was no need for a car, plus taxis cost $1-$2 depending on distance.
Plans are for future developments in Da Nang, Vietnam, Panama, the Philippines, Costa Rica and Latin America with complimentary usage of fitness centers and swimming pools. Others will have access to golf courses, and beaches nearby.
From the moment we arrived overseas we were taken care of. A comfy, climate-controlled airport transfer vehicle met us and we were transported to our luxury lifestyle.
What about an emergency or other activities?
Believe it or not, within the first 10 days I needed emergency dental assistance. Compass Living found me a dental office and sent a concierge assistant with me to help with translation, should I need it. My private driver took me there and picked me up, bringing me back to the residence when I was finished.
Did we want a restaurant recommendation? A city tour? The front desk service provided us with a tour guide and our private driver dropped us off and picked us up after we were done seeing the sites.
All inclusives can be tricky
Normally, deluxe accommodations and features such as these are taken only as a short vacation and the bill slams your credit card when you return home. Generally, all inclusives can be confining with options being limited and extra costs such as resort fees and tipping added on. What if you could live a luxurious lifestyle like this for months at a time? What if this all-inclusive living had built in affordability and personal freedom?
We were impressed. There are no real estate or timeshares to be purchased, no long term contracts, and no ownership headaches. One simply books their room and shows up.
We thought this was a viable way to live and travel the world, utilize these services as a vacation choice or even as a retirement lifestyle option. Billy and I generally travel “close to the bone” and live locally, but as we get older, comfort is gaining importance. And this couldn’t be easier. Everything mentioned above, minus the general hassle of travel runs about $4,000 per month for two people. And right now, there are discount packages available for military veterans.
If you would like to find out more about this lifestyle, vacation and retirement option to see if it would suit your needs, contact Compass Living at [email protected] and tell Vivian we sent you!
[Billy and Akaisha do not receive any commission or referral fee from Compass Living. They just generally think this is a good deal and wanted to spread the word.]
About the Authors
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on topics of finance and world travel. With the wealth of information they share on their popular website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com, they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since 1991. They wrote the popular books, The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your Retirement Dream IS Possible.
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