Proper Planning Needed Before A Move Over

[Mr Lee]

Today I woke up to email and text messages from guys who live in the Philippines or their ladies asking for help for them. I am unfortunately seeing more and more of this with the exchange rate going bad for some of us and with the cost of living rising. I wonder how many of you know people affected by this new changing world and what you are doing to help them or prevent yourself from becoming one of the statistics? I for one am having enough problems with family and close friends to be able to help acquaintances out of the jam they apparently gotten themselves into by poor planning. So why am I writing this, to make sure those of you who are not yet in that position, do not find yourself in it.The time to cut costs is never better than today no matter where you are living, so maybe it is time to look around and see what things we can do without, in order to save up a few extra bucks for a rainy day. I had suggested to one a long time ago to get rid of his home phone and just use a prepaid cell and I even gave him an older phone I had, but he did not listen and has even given up his health insurance in order to try to survive, and that is not a wise move at our age IMO. Guys, please plan your futures with some extra cushion so you do not end up like the many people that I am now seeing finding themselves having to ask others for help.  :SugarwareZ-037:

[Art2ro]

In my younger days when I was still working, I just made enough to pay our bills each month and not really saving anything because there was nothing left to set aside at the end of each month and my wife didn't work at that time, but in my mind's eye I knew, once I could retire early and move to the Philippines we would have more money due to the low cost of living and live a comfortable life once I started collecting my other two pensions at age 60 and 62, I was only 49 when I took an early retirement, I just wasn't the working kind to work for a__holes all my life and have nothing to show for it! We waited patiently for 11 yrs while just making ends meet for that to happen! So, after living in the Philippines for 11 yrs and now at the age of 62 and my wife (still a good looker) at 47, we are now finally financially stable some what and plan to live here indefinitely, because going back to the U.S. is not on our agenda any time soon, but maybe just for visits only once every 3 yrs and other places in Asia we would like to go see on short vacations 3 or 4 times a year! We are content where we live, we own our home, have good neighbors, close friends and we are happy and comfortable with our lifestyle! It's great when a plan comes together, but it took 11 yrs in the making! Life is what we all make it to be!

Edited December 15, 2010 by Fil/AmArt