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Retire Early
Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler
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In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age
of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this
financially independent lifestyle, they invite you
to take advantage of their wisdom and experience. |
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Easy
Livin'
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
Enjoying sunny
Chapala once again!
When we write
about
living overseas in a
retirement
destination, one
of our criteria
is that it must
be “easy
living.” What do
we mean by that?
We love
day-to-day life
in a location
with terrific
weather, natural
beauty,
reasonable
prices, great
fresh food
choices, kind
people and no
need for a car.
Without a car,
there's no
parking, no
repairs, no
maintenance, no
theft, no
liability, no
insurance, no
hassles. We
either use
public transport
or hire a driver
for pennies as
compared to the
cost of car
ownership.
Or sometimes we
use Uber!
Sounds pretty
good, doesn’t
it?
General hassles
of everyday
living
The years we
lived in the
States it seemed
there was always
a “quick trip”
to the store for
this or that and
it would take at
least 30 minutes
or more
depending on
traffic and
parking. I am
sure you can
relate. We did
these trips many
times a week or
perhaps stopping
off at the store
on the way home
from work to
pick up a couple
of things. They
all take time
away from doing
something you
enjoy.
Living with ease
In
Panajachel, Guatemala, we walk out our door head up the street a bit and
there are little shops selling eggs, milk, butter, beer - the essentials. Or
if we need to load up, we can walk to the grocery for exercise and grab a
tuk tuk back (they are everywhere!) for 60 cents.
In
Chapala, Mexico,
our apartment is one block from the Plaza. Here we find markets bursting
with fresh organic vegetables and fruits, beef, pork, chicken, juice shops,
pastries, spit roasted chicken and several restaurants.
Medical and dental offices are
everywhere in both of these towns. If you don’t like one, there is another
all within minutes of our home, with no appointment necessary. And in
Chapala, there are five eyeglass shops, health labs, doctors, practicing
both Western and Eastern medicine, gyms, Cristiania Park with
volleyball and tennis courts, the lake and
malecon, and more than a
dozen restaurants all within easy walking distance.
Entertainment
Don’t want to cook? In both locations
there are restaurants everywhere with a variety of foods, and if we are
feeling really lazy we can order for delivery. We get sushi, Pizza, BBQ
ribs, great Italian pasta,
grilled lamb, and fresh fish and shrimp delivered.
We like living in a place that suits
our clothes and that means shorts, T-shirts and flip flops can be worn
year-round. A light jacket is sometimes a good idea for crisp mornings and
evenings when we go to the lake or for sitting in outdoor cafes or wine
bars.
And speaking of walking, not only is
it great exercise, but we are constantly running into people we know.
Stopping to chat, we catch up on the local happenings and the latest with
their families. It all makes us feel that we are part of the community.
Just to get out of the house how about
walking down to the lake for the sunset? It’s free and we often run into
more people we know. It becomes a social event and couldn’t be easier.
Recently, there was an
International Jazz Concert at Lake Chapala.
Other examples
There are other features that are
attractive about these towns too.
In
Panajachel, Akaisha got her
computer fixed twice, a hard drive replaced and software issues resolved for
a pittance. A selection of computer geeks all live in town each with their
own specialty. Billy gets his RetireEarlyLifestyle.com tee shirts made both
in Panajachel and in
Antigua,
a new travel bag was a cinch for the tailors there, and he’s gotten his
shoes and sandals fixed too.
The gym is a 5 minute walk in Pana,
and a 10 minute walk in Chapala from our places.
In both locations a Laundromat is
minutes walking from our apartment, 50 cents a pound to wash, dry and fold.
We have weekly maid service, Wifi, and
Cable TV in our room.
If you want to visit
a restaurant or
specialty shop in
another town, in
Chapala you can hop
on the bus for fifty
cents, hire a taxi
for $4 bucks or in Panajachel, take a
tuk tuk or ride a
lancha across the
lake. Lanchas
run from $2.50 -
$3.25 each way, per
person.
Want to have guests over to celebrate?
Meet at a restaurant instead, no dishes, no cooking, no shopping or
chopping. Meat eaters, vegetarians, teetotalers and beer drinkers can all be
satisfied in the same place with no stress on you to have everything
available. No extra stops to the store, no fighting traffic, no parking
problems. Just great food and conversation with your friends.
It’s true. We have become spoiled with
this Easy Livin’ Lifestyle. We have lived this way for so long now, that it
has become normal for us.
The days of schlepping through rain or
snow for groceries or fighting an hour on traffic-filled freeways to make a
doctor’s appointment are over for us.
Does this Easy Livin’ Lifestyle
appeal to you too? Take a look at our
Guide to
Chapala Living and our
Guide to Pana Living.
Remember, you have
choices! Follow your dreams!
What's Your Number? - How much money do you need to retire?
About the Authors
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are
recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on
topics of finance, medical tourism and world travel. With the wealth of
information they share on their award winning 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 available on their website
bookstore or
on Amazon.com.
Retire
Early Lifestyle appeals to a different
kind of person – the person who prizes their
independence, values their
time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly
follow the crowd.
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