There's a huge bang for the buck in Ecuador, Uruguay is progressive these days, parts of Mexico are wonderful for expats, Costa Rica is the place for middle managers to go, and if you've got millions, Roatan Island off Honduras is the place for you. In Europe, eastern Europe is nice, Portugal is reasonable and with no drug war.

However, the big crash that's coming will destabilize the whole planet. I sincerely hope I'm long gone before it happens, but it's not looking good. Banks are starting to panic and shove through sweetheart riders that let them count all sorts of things as assets, including your money and safe deposit boxes. Grabbing social security is the end game of this stuff, trying to shore up a tottering system that is starting to fail.

Anything this topheavy can't remain standing for long. There are a lot of things that indicate people are realizing its days are numbered and are acting accordingly, like the tiny house movement. You don't have it, you can't lose it, right?

I'll stick it out here because I'm old and too decrepit to leave. Should the crash happen before I kick the bucket, I'll be more able to negotiate this country than another. Were I young and able to work, I would consider leaving.

But unfortunately there's too many people who are going to need help here when the shit hits the fan. Maybe I'm stupid enough to think I might be able to do something in my community about it, but...I'm dumb enough to try anyways.

My granny kept a pot of soup on the stove during the Depression. If my grandfather wasn't around, the people who knocked on the kitchen door got their soup and bread without having to weed the petunias, even. Her brother owned a butcher shop, so she got bones and scraps for the soup broth and grew a lot of the veg.

I've got the stockpot and the knowledge. I'll probably have the soup going out the door, too. I will just have to hope I have the means to pay for what goes into the pot.

I think that if we come together as communities, we've got a shot at making it through all this okay. They are the building blocks of a larger movement. I think that if we can realize the power we have as a working class, then we might be able to take over enough for survival, at least in the short term. That experience of needing each other during the crisis will *crosses fingers* hopefully be enough for us to form a new system after this one collapses.

Good for your grandmother, by the way. People like that are the true heroes of the world.

Warm, peaceful, cheap, simple. A long way away though if you have grandkids.

You nailed it there. Well said.

Its like that with countries. Countries have no interest in Americans who do not have a lot of money. And if you have a lot money you would already know where to go... No country wants more poor people.

Somebody who'd be poor by U.S. standards can have a higher standard of living in some foreign countries. (Of course, if you'll want to visit friends and family here, the airfare will eat up a lot of the savings.)

There are companies that are in business to provide information to prospective expats. A quick search turned up this link and this link. (Warning: These are just search results and I'm not vouching for these outfits. I suspect the field is heavy with scammers, so caveat emptor.) I also found this HuffPo article. There's lots of other information available.

Yes you can live somewhere but if you are on a visa you have to leave at some point. You can get permanent status if you have enough money. Some people think they can easily get a job in another country. Maybe, it depends on what skills you have. But countries don't want outsiders competing with their own people for jobs.

I'll have to move to Bangladesh.

my garden, while chicken or horseshit will burn the plants to the ground if not composted first. As well, where, exactly, it hits the fan, what type of fan, etc.

One may not have a choice, but there is nothing wrong with planning in case there is an alternative to becoming a menu item.

And you get to learn about other cultures.

beautiful, progressive and your retirement would go far.

Costa Rica is also popular with ex-pats (also more expensive), Ecuador has a growing community and you can spend a lot or a little, depending on your means; a couple can probably live on $1500 a month, and Ecuador uses USD. Obviously harder to get to, though, as are other parts of SA. We do not have children or grandchildren, or in fact much immediate family to miss so that makes it easier. I prefer cooler weather so I stay away from the coasts except in winter and go for elevation to keep the temps in my comfort range (given that these countries are closer to the equator, they therefore have relatively small differences in day length from summer to winter and that makes a huge difference. Central Mexico at 5000 ft is much milder than summers I spent in CO and ID at similar elevations).

Learn Spanish and you'll have a lot of choices, but even without it there are communities where you can get by. Fresh fruits and vegetables are remarkably tasty and inexpensive; meat and dairy less so but we eat little of that. Health care is very affordable, but without the bells and whistles; but we decided some years ago that bells and whistles and heroic measures were not for us anyway. You will have to develop a tolerance for dysfunctional bureaucracy, particularly in Mexico. The drug war I don't worry about, as I am not involved in any illicit activities and being American is still good for something (hands off).

There's good and bad, of course, but just going with the flow and thinking "bless you" a lot takes care of most of it (or in a moment of pique, "bless your pointed little head&quot .