23 April 2008 83 views No Comment

A popular misconception of the American culture is that you have to wait until you have saved up a fortune or retire from your job before you can live in another country. In many areas of Mexico you can have a higher standard of living at a fraction of the cost you currently pay in the United States. For instance you could hire a housekeeper to do your chores for a few dollars a day.

Tim Ferris, author of the best selling book The 4 Hour Work Week, observes that our culture has a tendency of deferring what we want to do until we retire. Ferris challenges people to go against the cultural norm and live the good life today. You don’t have to wait until you’re 60 to be enjoying Margaritas on the beach in Acapulco or Puerto Vallarta. One option you could explore is a mini-retirement to experience what life is like to live abroad. Another option is to work remotely or design a business that can be sustained with minimal time investment.

So before you work your whole life to retire in Mexico, read The 4 Hour Work Week and ask yourself if you could be essentially retired tomorrow.

Check out Tim Ferris’ blog on lifestyle redesign.