Castle, sweet castle
Can you really “live like a millionaire” when you move overseas?
Well, if you expect to be rolling around in a tub full of diamonds, you’re going to need to do more than just move to a new country.
However, if you’re looking for a bit more luxury than your current budget can afford, you may be in luck.
Here are a few examples of slightly luxurious things I, and other expats, have been able to afford after moving abroad.
Hiring people to help around the house
The first thing most future expats think about is hiring a maid, cook, gardener, or nanny.
With the lower cost of labor in many countries, this is often something you can do. From personal experience, I can tell you it’s nice to have someone come in a few times a week to clean and do laundry – a couple of things I always hated to do.
You do need to be aware that you may need to pay for your employee’s social security contribution and there may be other expenses.
In some countries, there is a “13th month”. Around the end of the year, you must pay your employee an extra month of pay. You may also have difficulties firing someone, especially if they’ve been working for you for years.
If you’re paying someone in cash, you may be able to avoid some of the extra expenses. However, that leaves you open to other problems. If your employee ever gets mad at you, they can report you to the local labor department and you may receive some expensive fines.
Custom-made shirts and suits overseas
Are you bigger or smaller than the standards sizes you find with most clothes in the store? Have you lost a lot of weight after moving overseas? Do you want some nice linen clothes, to help you stay cool during a hot Central American summer? Maybe you’d like a secret pocket in your jacket or pants, to keep your wallet safe.
In the US and Western Europe, custom shirts usually cost from US$ 200 – 500. Suits are easily US$ 2,500 – 5,000. In places like Hong Kong, you can get very nice custom-made shirts for USS$ 40, and suits starting around US$ 400.
Even if you’re retired, or not looking for business clothes, you may still find a tailor useful.
Almost everyone makes judgments based on appearances. If you wear clothes that don’t fit, and are falling apart, you probably won’t be treated as well as you will with well-tailored clothes.
Custom-made boots
I was looking for some boots the other day. I wanted something that would be sturdy enough for long walks, but looked more like a regular shoe than a big, clunky hiking boot. All I could find were the regular style of hiking boots, which cost around US$ 150-200.
However, there’s a shop near my apartment that makes custom shoes.
I found a picture of some boots I liked, and took them to the shop. After some pointing and interpretation assistance from the owner’s 12 year-old granddaughter (since my Spanish doesn’t cover much about shoe design and construction), I placed my order.
One week, and US$ 190 later, I had a pair of boots that are what I was looking for. The top custom shoemakers in the world charge thousands of dollars – so this is usually limited to something for the wealthy. However, with lower labor costs, you may be able to afford this luxury.
The boots I got weren’t the same quality as what you’d get from the expensive shoremakers. However, they look good, they fit well, and they’re the style I wanted.
Custom-made furniture
One expat I know wanted some tables to use for work. He wanted a certain size, to fit in his office, and a specific height, to let him work comfortably.
He drew some rough sketches of what he wanted and went to the local “furniture street” (where dozens of furniture makers have shops). After looking at the quality of what they made, and the prices they charged, he selected someone to make his tables.
A few days later, they were delivered to his home. Now he’s happily using them in his office.
Find the ways you can improve your life overseas
I know that some people are only looking to move overseas so they can live on less money. However, I hope everyone keeps in mind that living overseas can be a more than that – it can be a way to find more enjoyment.
For most of us, we often have limited choices. Companies decide what sizes, colors, and styles to make. Our food is manufactured on an assembly line and shipped to the freezers in our markets. We either accept it or do without it. Getting exactly what you want is something that is often limited to the wealthy.
Once you move to a new country, where materials and labor can cost much less than back home, you may find you can actually get exactly what you want.
So be sure to think about the luxuries that you’d like to have in your life, when considering countries in your plan for living overseas.
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