Hi,

I'm a 29 year old woman with a husband and 3 kids. I would like to move some place beautiful, and inexpensive. I don't really want to live in a very populated area. I want the people to be friendly and I don't want to be a tourist. I'm looking for a simpler life and laid back community. I don't want to have to compete with others over clothes, house, car; yet, at the same time I would like just a few of the conveniences--like washer and dryer, phone (not cell), etc. Mainly, I don't want my husband to have to work 120 every two weeks. I want quality time & life with family. If any one has any suggestions, I'm open to them. Thank you for your time....

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Gee, when you find that paradise, don't tell anyone else or the whole world will flock there and you'll be right back where you started again.

A couple things to consider if you're serious about moving elsewhere:

- visas. That is the biggest impediment to most plans to go somewhere else. They're getting harder and harder to get, no matter where you are headed in the world.

- language. Unless you speak the local language reasonably well, you'll always be a tourist wherever you go, or at least you'll be confined to an expat enclave. Outside the tourist areas ("tourist traps" as they say) very few people want to bother speaking English - or any other foreign language - on a day to day basis. This includes doctors, lawyers, sales people and (especially) any government official you may need to deal with.

- lifestyle. No matter where you go, it will be different from what you're used to in the US. Globalisation is making more and more American "stuff" available everywhere, but there is always something that will be missing, or smaller or larger or very much different from what you're used to.

You mention wanting just a few conveniences, like "a washer and dryer." Here in France, both appliances are much, much smaller than those you have in the US (to fit into the much smaller houses) and no way do clothes come out of the dryer in a fit state to wear. So even if you have a washer and dryer handy, you'd best have an iron and ironing board, too, and know how to use them. But, your husband's work hours would be limited to 48 per week, under EU social protection.

So, anywhere you go, there are trade-offs to be made. It's an interesting topic for discussion, however - thanks for raising it and let's see what other folks have to say on the matter.
Cheers,
Bev

Hi and welcome to the forum.

As Bev said, there really is no paradise.............................

I live in Argentina quietly by the Atlantic ocean, 250 miles south of Buenos Aires, where washing machines and driers are considered a luxury. Even things like an electric kettle, toaster and microwave are luxuries for many people, but everything is available here and American style.

I have three teenage children and they love the life here. There is so much for them to do and they have found a freedom that they never had in the UK. When they are not studying, they are out socialising (not sat at home in front of the TV or computer).

There is no ex-pat community, but there are many locals who speak excellent English. Many of the medical people have studied abroad, so you are likely to find many with good English skills. The Argentines love to try and speak English. Yesterday for instance, I was walking along the high road when a women asked me, in English, what colour something was in a shop window. She was so happy to be able to practise her English.

The cost of living is very low compared to Europe, but not as low for Americans. All the utilities have been capped by the government and therefore are still very very low. Saying that, salaries are extremely low also and if you have to rely on a local salary, it would be difficult. My children go to the only international school and they study 50% in English and 50% in Spanish - the school is based on the British system from the 70´s (the old style O and A levels). This school starts at 2 until 18 years of age and I live one block from it, which is great.

The city is still very much like the 50's, full of small privately owned family businesses. There is only one indoor shopping mall and three very nice cinemas for a city of nearly 700,000 permanent inhabitants. The reason I say permanent, is because during December to March, this is the main tourist city for Argentines and the numbers swell.

The beaches are not like the Caribbean, but they are still very nice, especially in the south of the city. The local transport is very good and cheap and the bus connections to all the major cities are excellent. Buenos Aires is 250 miles to the north, about 5 hours, by buses which have seats that lay down flat like a bed. Most people travel through the night, so you can sleep.

We got permanent residency easily, but my husband is Argentine. Saying that, there are many Americans living in Buenos Aires and they all manage to get their residency here. With a country so large, and so few people (about 40 million), I don't think they turn anyone away.

We certainly don't feel like tourists here and have really integrated into the local culture, learning Spanish and being much more laid back. In fact, we don't run any more. People here are really not materialistic at all - we haven't even bought a car - if we didn't have at least two cars in the UK, people would think us strange. We have learnt to use our legs

Good luck with your plans and please feel free to ask any more questions. Please check out my posts on the rest of the world country forum, South America, which you can find on the home page.

Regards

Michelle

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www.mar-del-plata-argentina.net

A wonderful place to live