In Costa Rica you can reduce your month to month living expenses and live very well.

Rory is from a small town outside of Chicago. He was banking on retiring and cashing in on his real estate investments that he had made years earlier in Florida. He had about $800,000 dollars on paper plus a pension and thought that would give him a good nest egg to retire comfortably. Well you can imagine what happened to his plans when the U.S. real estate market went belly up.

Rory was faced with waiting years for the economy to recover or be proactive and try to find a solution to his problem. He needed time and a way to stretch his pension.

Fortunately, a friend, who was in a similar position, sent him an article about living and retiring abroad that ended up changing Rory’s life. The article was published by a large organization which helps people move to affordable countries around the world. Rory started to do his research by reading about Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador. He made initial visits to all of those countries to gather information. After considering such factors as stability, climate, friendliness towards foreigners, cost of living, medical care, opportunities and more he decided on Costa Rica.

Rory ended up taking my combination relocation/retirement tour and seminar in early 2010. About two months later he made the move with my help and the resources provided by the Association of Residents of Costa Rica (ARCR). He has been here almost a year and finds he can live comfortably on his pension. If he had stayed in the U.S. he could have never made ends meet. Being an entrepreneur by nature he started a small business on the Internet which has started to supplement his income. He doesn’t expect to get rich off his venture but every little bit helps. He has also been dating a couple of nice Costa Rican women which is one of the perks for single men living in Costa Rica.

Carl’s Jr., has opened three outlets in Costa Rica and plans to keep growing locally. Currently they have a very strong presence in Mexico with more than 130 stores. The chain intends to keep expanding its operations into Latin America. Currently they have overseas outlets outlets in Panama, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Russia, Turkey, New Zealand, American Samoa, Kazakhstan, Canada and the Middle East.

The restaurants in Costa Rica are operated by Gold Star Burgers S.A., which have exclusive development rights for this country. The restaurants here have a varied menu, from big charbroiled burgers to chicken and fish sandwiches, fries and shakes.

I remember that growing up as a kid in California I used to enjoy eating at the local Carl’s Jr., so I was curious to check out one of their local restaurants. I chose the one that is located across from the west side of San José’s Parque Central or Central Park. Upon entering I though I was in one of their restaurants in the United States since the décor is just the same and the service is excellent. If your item is not prepared they give you a number which you put on your table and they then bring the food to you when it is ready. I ordered a fish sandwich which was done in less than five minutes. It came with a little mayonnaise, a slice of tomato, lettuce and two star-shaped fish filets served on a bun. It turned out to very good for fast food.

On the day the restaurant opened a friend mine was their first customer and they rewarded him with a free hamburger everyday for one year. Of course he was thrilled.

Other fast food chains in Costa Rica are: McDonalds, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Wendy’s, Subway Sandwiches, Quiznos, Pizza Hut, Dominos Pizza, Papa John’s Pizza and a few more.

Prior to the coming of the shopping mall era in Costa Rica, the heart of downtown San José was the country’s largest shopping center. Now, once again this area has emerged to be one the Central Valley’s premier places to shop. Bustling Avenida Central alone has over 200 stores selling virtually everything from A to Z.

The downtown area really comes alive during the Christmas season. Ornaments and decorations abound and the atmosphere is filled with the energy of thousands of people making their Christmas purchases. The other evening while I was walking through the downtown area I came across an open air Latin Music concert, a block east of the Central market. About five hundred people were gathered around a stage listening and dancing to the sweet salsa music which filled the cool December air.

Today is December 10 and San José will be the scene of the annual Festival de las Luces or the Festival of Lights Parade. More than one million people are expected to attend this year’s event with some of them arriving 24 hours in advance to make sure they can find a good spot from which to view the festivities.

When my son was younger we attended the parade on four occasions. Now I prefer to watch it on TV in the comfort of my home. It is fun to go in person but the traffic and throngs of people can prove to be a lot to handle. Nevertheless, I think that anyone who retires or moves to Costa Rica should view the parade in person at least one time to experience part of the country’s culture.

On Sunday November 27, 2011 I finished my monthly relocation retirement tour and I am proud to announce it was a complete success. One only had to see the smile on my client’s faces at the end of the tour to know that everything went smoothly and that they received all of the necessary information, tools and contacts to relocate to Costa Rica successfully.

I had fifteen people on the tour. I usually don’t have that large of a group but business has really picked up lately and it seemed like everyone wanted to come in November.

One the first half of the tour we visited the beautiful Dominical-Uvita-Ojochal area on the southern Pacific Coast. That part of Costa Rica is reminiscent of California’s Big Sur where the mountains come down to the sea. My clients were really blown away by the area’s beauty. While there we visited a breathtaking rain forest and ocean view community called Portasol. It really has to be seen to believed.

Next we spent the night in the Manuel Antonio/Quepos area. My clients saw the sights, strolled on a white sand beach, toured the new marina, and witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime sunset from the Mariposa Hotel high above Manuel Antonio Beach.

On our last day at the beach we visited Esterillos Este, Playa Hermosa, Jacó Beach and the Los Sueños Marina.

Next we returned to San José on Wednesday and spent Thursday and Friday in a highly informative relocation seminar sponsored by the Association of Residents of Costa Rica (ARCR).

Finally, on Saturday and Sunday we toured the Central Valley. We visited San José, Escazú, Santa Ana, Ciudad Colón, San Antonio de Belén, Heredia, Atenas, Grecia, San Ramón and Alajuela.

My clients thanked me for everything and I assured them that they were lifetime customers and to contact me if there was anything they needed.

According to Smart Money, In the past the whole idea of retirement was not working. But today’s retirees are increasingly becoming job-seekers. Roughly three out of four workers over age 50 say they plan to work at least part-time in retirement. Currently about 20% of retirees have a job. Indeed, working during retirement is becoming the “new normal.”

“The average boomer couple currently has a retirement savings shortfall of about $30,000, according to a recent study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, it’s a trend that experts predict with accelerate. Boomers aren’t as financially prepared for retirement as earlier generations. “

To make matters worse it takes employees over 55 more than 40% longer to get hired than their younger counterparts, according to AARP. Meanwhile, nest eggs are shrinking and retiree income is stagnating.

So what’s the solution? If retirees can reduce their living expenses significantly, then they might not have to keep working to make ends meet. One way to do this by moving abroad to a country like Costa Rica.

To start medical care is much less expensive than in the United States.

You won’t need a car here since public transportation is dirt cheap. This eliminates the need for costly auto repairs and maintenance, car insurance, yearly licenses fees and a lot of other headaches associated with owning a vehicle.

If you try to eat like the locals you can reduce your food bill. Weekend farmer’s markets are a place to find cheap produce. You can also have a decent meal for a few dollars at one of the local restaurants called, sodas. Go native and save!

Decent apartments can be found for around $500 and utility bills are a fraction of what they are in the United States. Heat and air conditioning are not needed in the Central Valley which equates to more savings.

Entertainment is also affordable with movies in costing around $5.

So, it is possible to retire abroad and have a quality lifestyle without having to work during one’s Golden Years.