How to Stay Where You Are ...

... stay where you are, as in where you currently live.

I realize the title of this blog may be confusing, but I write this in response to the many articles I have read about relocating out of the country in order to save money, once people find themselves on a fixed income.  Those articles typically cite high taxes, exorbitant medical costs, etc., to which I agree wholeheartedly.  Yep, the United States is not known for cheap living.  Indeed, many members of my family who have never lived in the States are convinced that the streets are paved with gold "in America."  They still imagine "America" as a fantasy land, where the living is easy, and money grows on trees.

There is something to be said for that fantasy: Life IS easy here.  Some of my family live in Japan, where simply getting around is a major hassle.  I recall one visit when my husband and I decided to do some sightseeing, and needed nine forms of transportation to get off the island and back into the city! That's not a typo - bus to the ferry, 3-hour ferry ride to the mainland, bus from the ferry to the train station, train ride to the next bus stop, taxi, etc. - you get the picture.  I found it exhilarating, but I was on vacation, and could afford to be adventurous.  I would not dream of a daily life with so much chaos.  Moreover, transportation costs are quite high in Japan.

Back to the States, where the living is easy.  Here, you hop into your car, and drive to your destination.  Period.  One form of transportation.  Yes, you have gasoline costs, insurance costs, repair costs, and miscellaneous costs, but it is relatively easy to get from one point to another in your daily life. 

How about your housing? If you are fortunate enough to own your own home free and clear, that is indeed a bit of good fortune.  You still have property taxes, insurance, and repairs to contend with, but the overall costs are more or less in line.  Japan (since I referred to it previously, as a point of comparison) is not nearly as onerous a place to own a home as you might expect.  Yes, there were reports of half-million-dollar 500 sq.ft. apartments in Tokyo in the mid 1990s, but that was during the boom.  Moreover, just as with the proverbial "$25 hamburger" touted in Japan, many of those stories are greatly exaggerated, either by reporters, or tourists who are not accustomed to a region, and are led by tour guides, or remain glued to their luxury hotels.  Trust me: You can find apartments for under $100,000.  In good neighborhoods (see my article on Akashi).  Moreover, property taxes in Japan are minuscule compared to the States, as is house insurance.

Back to the $25 hamburger.  How sad that disillusioned tourists return from Japan with sticker shock at the "cost of food."  Sad because restaurants abound with extremely reasonable fare, say, $6 for a full breakfast of cafe-au-lait, toast, egg, and a fruit, or $8 for a full lunch including ramen, fish croquettes, salad, rice, and soup, and dinners with prices comparable to those in the States.

Yet, with all this advice about living abroad in order to save money, you may be just as well advised to stay exactly where you are.  Psychologically, few things are as disorienting as relocation.  Even moving from one city to another, you must say good bye to friends, relatives, your dentist, your familiar surroundings, to start all over again somewhere new.

Next, I'll discuss ways to save money.