Description
My wife and I retired at 45, and we're just your regular Joe and Jane. And, no, we did not win the lottery inherit money or invest in schemes. Want to know how we did it?
In today's economy, people are seeing their retirement base - the
principle they are using to fund their future eroding or disappearing.
Retiring early has truly become an impossible dream to many as they
struggle to pay house mortgages and medical bills.
On the other
hand, retired people are finding themselves forced back to work,
spending long hours on low paying jobs working midnight shifts just to
make ends meet.
These are tough times, whether you live in the
UK, Germany, France, Canada, the States or other affluent country. For
those struggling to pay their bills, the thought of retiring early is
ludicrous.
And then there are the idiots like me gloating that
they retired at 45. "He got lucky - a good paying job...won the
lottery...inherited money...
Wrong. The fact is, for most of us,
our situation in life is not the issue preventing us from retiring
early. The issue is: fear of the unknown, lack of knowledge on what can
make an early retirement possible, and the government's very persistent
message that to be truly successful you have to work work work, pay lots
of taxes, own your dream home and retire with no less than XXX in your
bank account (a million is the usual suggested amount for those in
Canada or the States).
Is it possible for the average middle aged
working Joe and Jane struggling to pay their mortgages retire early (as
in VERY early) and live comfortably?
YES.
I and writing
this book to share my experiences with you. It has no sales pitches, no
condos to buy or real estate to invest in, there are no seminars to pay
for or plans to purchase. What it does have is common sense knowledge
based on real people's experiences. It is honest, sometimes brutally so.
This book does not apply to those who want to get rich quick, or those
who don't want to work at all.
It applies to all those who have
worked hard but can't find themselves getting ahead, and to those who
are young but want to make sensible (and relatively painless) choices so
they can live their dreams. Included is help for those struggling
seniors who are barely making ends meet and need an alternative, and
specifics, with website links on those who have chosen the expatriate
route.
How can it be done? What about the medical bills so many
are drowning in? Is the American dream really the best way to live? What
alternatives are there? How have others done it? How did I do it? What
mistakes have some done along the way? How important is it to be
financially wealthy?
All of these questions and many more will be
considered. Whether you're 25 or 65, the information contained can give
you a realistic guideline to follow as you set your goals for a happy
retirement.
The Story Behind This Book
When wife and I retired early (at 45) and moved to an exotic country, we surprisingly met many who had done the same or who were in the middle of a lifelong goal.
Some had taken ten years out of their life to sail the world, others had gone on a continent or even worldwide hiking/biking/motorcycling trip, and although their trip stories were fantastic, I was particularly interested on how they could pull it off.
Surprisingly, many were in the same situation I was in - taking advantage of what we had to live our dreams. Others had found ways to live on little or next to nothing and were traveling the world on a $7 per day budget successfully, and more importantly, happily.
I thought, 'Hey, this would make a great book!' so I wrote it. Unlike many 'How to' financial success books out there, mine is primarily based on real experiences from regular Joes, just like me.