Here’s the last in our 12 Days of Christmas series of gift-giving ideas for expats. Everything recommended in Days 1-12 will help you or someone near and dear to you plan and execute their overseas move.

Now on the final day, we’re focusing on books and products that will help you prepare for this momentous move, whether it’s a guide to a country of interest or a program to help you determine the steps you need to take to get yourself from Point A to Point B.

Excelsior!

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, my expat gave to me. . .
Twelve “Prep the Move” Tools
Eleven Shiny Tech Tools
Ten Expat Books
Nine Freelance Tools
Eight Live Workshops
Seven Expat Movies
Six Travel Skill Sets
Five Writing Resources
Four Exclusive Clubs
Three Premium Blog Themes
Two Blogging Books
And a website for to earn some money

Preparing to Live Overseas

1. 52 Days To Your New Life Overseas — with extra holiday savings

   Kathleen Peddicord has used her 25 years of writing about the expat life, and 13 years of living as an expat in four different countries to create a guide to take future expats — step by step — from our home countries to our lives abroad. You can read my review here.

   And the best news is, you can save a bundle if you grab it by December 24. Just click here to order and use the coupon code 52OOPS. (You won’t get the savings unless you use the coupon!)

2. Cheap, Safe, and Friendly: The World’s Top Retirement Havens 
   There are places, the world over, where people are friendly, crime is almost non-existent, health care is excellent, and prices for everything from homes to groceries and doctors’ visits could make you think it’s 1953 again. 
   Places where it is possible to reduce your retirement cost of living, perhaps dramatically…while increasing the quality of your life. 
    We have prepared a series of five Country Retirement Reports that contain complete details on retirement opportunities in some of the world’s top retirement havens right now. 
   Go here now to learn more

   

3. Revealed: The World’s Top Undiscovered Retirement And Investment Haven

   I’ve found the city that I believe is on track to become one of the world’s most sought-after destinations, for both retirement and investment.

   This overlooked destination checks every box:

   • Perfect weather…it’s springtime all year long… World-class health care (5 of the best hospitals in all Latin America are here)…
   • Very affordable cost of living…
   • And the real estate? It’s a screaming bargain, both to buy and to rent… Plus, the people are friendly, the streets are clean and safe, the infrastructure international-standard…with its restaurants, cafes, galleries, and shops, this place feels more European than Latin American…

   
   Go here now to learn more
   
   
   

4. Interested in Panama? Here´s US $3,000 To Launch Your New Life There
   And that´s only the start of what we´re prepared to do help you realize your dreams in the world´s #1 retirement, lifestyle, invesment, and overseas haven…Learn how to earn free admittance to every Panama conference we hold…
   Plus, right now you can arrange to pay for your membership in installments. 
   This couldn´t be easier. And the opportunities in Panama right now couldn´t be bigger. 

   Go Here Now To Learn More About This Special Offer

   
   

5. If Europe Hits Your Hot Buttons. . . Here´s What To Do If Developing World Living Isn´t For You
   
   Not everyone is cut out for life in the Tropics or the developing world…
   If you´re more interested in Old World living, consider France. 
   France is the good life defined. The food, the wine, the art, the shopping, the history…
   And here´s what you may not realize about France: Living here, even in Paris, can be far more affordable than you might ever imagine. 
   Go Here Now To Learn More

   
   

6. Exotic — and Incredibly Affordable — Asia, Home of the World’s Cheapest Retirement Havens

   Amidst vistas of nearly indescribable beauty, you can pay US$100 a month for rent, spend only 1% of the usual cost of health care, and eat a full lunch for only 50 cents.

   The world doesn’t get any cheaper.

   This land of ancient kingdoms, emperors, explorers, adventurers, traders, and pioneers is also beautiful, safe, welcoming, and, in some parts, completely at peace.

   Go Here Now For More Details

   
   

7. If the Land of Vino and Tango Appeals. . .

   
   Own Your Own Vineyard In The Next Napa

   Live your dreams and plan for your retirement with a 12% annual yield.

   Here´s how to own your own vineyard, at a fraction of the price you´d find elsewhere
   
   

8. An English-speaking Paradise On The Caribbean
   
   
   Belize is a tiny, under-populated, under-developed country (there are but three highways in the whole place) blessed with a long Caribbean coast and a sprinkling of islands just offshore fringed by white sand and palm trees. It´s quintessential Caribbean served up for the non-jet-setter. For, while Belize is more expensive today, certainly, than it was the first time I set eyes on it, more than 20 years ago, it still can be called a bargain. 
   Plus, Belize has a great deal to offer beyond its Caribbean coast and islands. Inland, in the Cayo, Belize is a land of off-road mountain, jungle, river, cave, and waterfall adventures. And that´s not to mention the countless (and sometimes undiscovered) Mayan ruins. 
   Would it be a “good” place to live? Not for everyone. Belize is a 21st-century corsair´s playground, a frontier where you make your own way and the government interferes nearly not at all. This is a country for independent thinkers and self-sufficient sorts. 
   On the other hand: Belize is, in fact, one of the easiest places in the world to obtain foreign residency. It´s also one of the best tax havens in the world…
   Go Here Now To Learn More

   
   

9. Overseas Retirement Letter, and Bonus Report on Seven Places to Retire on Social Security Income Alone
   The average Social Security payment in the United States is slightly less than US$1,200 per month. If you qualify for Social Security, you can receive your monthly payment almost anywhere in the world. You can even have it direct-deposited to your overseas account in many countries. Then, Social Security check in hand, even if you have no other retirement income whatsoever, you could retire quite well in seven places our editors have identified. 
   A new report has just been prepared, detailing everything you need to know about receiving your monthly Social Security payments overseas. 
   Plus, this current special report introduces you to the seven most Social Security-friendly overseas retirement havens. 
   It can be yours free with our compliments when you take this opportunity to become a subscriber to the flagship retire-overseas publication, the “Overseas Retirement Letter.” 

   Find out how to receive your free copy of this new report here

   
   

10. Ecuador is consistently rated one of the best overseas retirement destinations. Learn all about it in the Ecuador Owner’s Manual New 2010 Edition
11. Mexico Owner’s Manual
12. France: The Owner’s Manual

So there you have it! I hope you’ve enjoyed our Twelve Days of Christmas gift ideas for expats and plan-to-be expats.

Merry Christmas!

If you’re about to move abroad, you certainly don’t want to collect more doodads, tchotchkes, knicknacks and other stuff you’ll have to store or move. So what do you give a soon-to-be expat for Christmas? I thought we could join the rest of America in some Black Friday shopping, but for things that will help you create the untethered expat life you’re looking for.

I’ve divided them into categories for you. At the top, the Time Sensitive Sales are special deals that will expire after this weekend. Below those I’ve divided them into our two main categories, Prepping the Move and Portable Careers. These are top-quality items I recommend.

All of them make wonderful Christmas gifts for that hard-to-buy-for expat on your list.

Time-Sensitive Sales

50% Off all Host Gator Website Hosting Black Friday Only, expires 11:59 PM EST on November 25.

31 Days to Build a Better Blog, Revised and updated for 2012. If you plan to blog as part or all of your expat portable career, you can get a jump start and save 25% through next Tuesday, November 29. Learn more.

25% off everything at StudioPress
Using the code THANKS at checkout (don’t forget that), you can save 25% off of anything you’d like at WordPress design shop, StudioPress. All you need to do is use the code THANKS when you check out and you’ll save 25% on anything and everything at StudioPress.com. This deal ends promptly at 7:00 pm Pacific time on Monday, November 28, 2011. Hurry up and claim your new WordPress theme before the code expires!

Premise for WordPress Get the best WordPress landing page plugin for sweet savings over Black Friday weekend. Only $95 for Premise Ultimate. All you need to do is use the code THANKS when you check out. This deal ends promptly at 7:00 pm Pacific time on Monday, November 28, 2011. Hurry up and get Premise Ultimate before they come to their senses!

International Coach Academy teaches you everything you need to know to become a certified life coach. It’s a growing field, and coaches — especially expat coaches — are in high demand. They’re offering 22% off if you enroll in their premier course before November 30.

Entire Live & Invest Overseas Bookstore!. Country reports, conference recordings, monthly Overseas Retirement Letter, the whole enchilada. Click here for more information.

Prepping the Move

Technology and Entertainment

I’m an avid reader, and I love to re-read books as well. Parting with my extensive library would be torture. Fortunately, we live in the digital age. With my trusty Kindle e-reader, I can get almost everything in a digital version.

There are quite a few choices now, unlike when I bought my first-generation device. The two I recommend are the Kindle Touch 3G and the new Kindle Fire.

Kindle Touch 3G

With this device you can download books from almost anywhere in the world, even if there’s no WiFi available, using the 3G network. There’s no charge for this connectivity. The device holds about 3,000 books, and newer features including borrowing Kindle books from your local public library in the US.

There’s a built-in browser, so you can even use it for light web surfing.

This Kindle uses e-Ink technology, which is easy on your eyes and allows you to read even in bright sunlight. Excellent battery life, lightweight, and available for either $149 or $189.

Click here for more information or to purchase the Kindle Touch 3G

Kindle Fire

This is Kindle’s latest offering, just released earlier this month. Think of this Kindle as a “tablet lite” more than an e-reader. Yes, of course you can read your Kindle books on it. But it comes in color, not e-Ink, has a fully functional web browser and allows you to download apps like a tablet.

You can stream videos, listen to internet radio, and lots more.

If you read for hours at a time, this is probably not the best choice for you as the display will not be as easy on the eyes. Also, because this is a lighted display, it’ll wash out in full sunlight. But if you want something you can surf the web with, enjoy some apps with, and do some reading with — all in a brilliant color display — this is the Kindle for you.

Click here for more information or to purchase the Kindle Fire

Books, Movies, Music and More

If you absolutely, positively need to have wrapped packages under a tree, take advantage of Black Friday specials throughout Amazon.com.

Narrowing your Country/City Search and Planning

After lots of searching and a few false hopes raised, I finally found something that will actually help you plan your overseas move, step by logical step.

52-Days to Your New Life Overseas

 

Don´t Let Another Single Day Pass You By–Launch Your New Life Overseas Now

It took me more than 12 years to launch my live overseas adventures…

Today, 13 years later, I´ve reinvented my life from Baltimore, Maryland, to Waterford, Ireland…then from there to Paris and on to Panama City, where I´m living today…

My advice to you?

Don´t let another single day pass you by.

Leverage my experience to launch your own dream retirement overseas in as few as 52 days from today.

That´s a specific promise that I mean literally and that I take seriously.

Research and reading will get you only so far. To make your live- or retire-overseas dream come true, you need a detailed plan. Here´s mine…for you…

Here´s How

Specific Country Information

There’s tons of good information available about specific countries. Here’s a representative sampling:

Panama:

• Live & Invest in Panama Home Conference Kit
• Panama Bridge Kit
• Panama Starter Kit

France:

Not everyone is cut out for life in the Tropics or the developing world…

If you´re more interested in Old World living, consider France.

France is the good life defined. The food, the wine, the art, the shopping, the history…

And here´s what you may not realize about France: Living here, even in Paris, can be far more affordable than you might ever imagine.

Go Here Now To Learn More

Asia: Yes, I know, Asia’s not a country. . . Around Asia

Colombia:

 

Revealed: The World’s Top Undiscovered Retirement And Investment Haven

I’ve found the city that I believe is on track to become one of the world’s most sought-after destinations, for both retirement and investment.

This overlooked destination checks every box:

Perfect weather…it’s springtime all year long…
World-class health care (5 of the best hospitals in all Latin America are here)…

Very affordable cost of living…

And the real estate? It’s a screaming bargain, both to buy and to rent…
Plus, the people are friendly, the streets are clean and safe, the infrastructure international-standard…with its restaurants, cafes, galleries, and shops, this place feels more European than Latin American…

Go here now to learn more

Argentina: The Argentine Vineyard Buyer’s Guide

Upcoming Country Conferences

The right conference can be a great way to jumpstart your transition from future expat to expat. I’ve attended two. One was specific to Panama, and the other took a broader view with information about 20 countries that should be on your radar for overseas retirement.

I recommend the functions that Live and Invest Overseas puts on. You can see a list of their upcoming events here.

Portable Careers

Writing

Travel Writing

There are two programs I recommend for future travel writers.

MatadorU Travel Writing Course A dynamic program for launching or advancing new media and travel writing careers is based on 12 weeks of rigorous coursework, including lessons, recommended reading, and weekly assignments critiqued by editors and peers. As a graduate, you’ll have lifelong access to the curriculum, all the forums and future Bonus Modules.

Learn more about it here.

AWAI’s Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program. It’ll take years off your learning curve on both the writing and the business sides of developing your career as a travel writer. Learn more about it here.

Copywriting

Copywriting 2.0 Your Complete Guide to Writing Web Copy that Converts. The market for copywriting is huge, and the market for web copywriting is exploding. Highly successful copywriter Bob Bly has called this program “the Bible of website copywriting.”

Learn more about copywriting for the web and this program here.

Secrets of Writing High-Performance B2B Copy takes your copywriting skills and shows you how to use them to specialize in writing for the B2B business to business) market. Learn how to take advantage of this $55 billion a year market — that’s not a typo.

Learn more about Business-to-Business Copywriting here.

Blogging

Blogging for Expats. First, although it’s not something you can buy, if you haven’t been following my Blogging for Expats tutorial series, check it out.

How to Become a Successful Freelance Blogger. Don’t want to maintain your own blog but still want to earn money blogging? Freelance blogging is the answer, and this guide by my friend Paul Cunningham will show you how.

Learn More about How to Become a Successful Freelance Blogger here.

31 Days to Build a Better Blog, Revised and updated for 2012. If you plan to blog as part or all of your expat portable career, you can get a jump start and save 25% through next Tuesday, November 29.

I highly recommend this ebook program, which I followed earlier in my blogging career. Learn more about it here.

Studio Press Premium WordPress Themes 25% off everything at StudioPress over Black Friday weekend.

Using the code THANKS at checkout (don’t forget that) you can save 25% off of anything you’d like at WordPress design shop, StudioPress.

1. Get the Genesis Framework for only $45
2. Snag most Genesis / design combos for a song and save close to $20
3. Wipe the entire shop clean and get the StudioPress Pro Plus All-Theme Package. Get Genesis plus every design they’ve made, plus every design they make in the future, and save more than $74 off the regular price and over $875 off the retail price — and that’s just the existing 43 designs!

All you need to do is use the code THANKS when you check out and you’ll save 25% on anything and everything at StudioPress.com. This deal ends promptly at 7:00 pm Pacific time on Monday, November 28, 2011. Hurry up and claim your new WordPress theme before the code expires!

Take Advantage of the Studio Press Black Friday Sale

Premise for WordPress
Get Premise Ultimate for only $95

Copyblogger Media just released version 1.2 of their Premise landing page software for WordPress, and it includes lots of cool new features and refinements. Most impressive of all is the introduction of an innovative 8th landing page type — the social sharing page. Premise Ultimate usually goes for $165, as it gives you:

1. All the landing pages you can build
2. Use on as many domains as you want
3. Access to ongoing optimization seminars
4. Copywriting advice from inside WordPress
5. 1,100+ custom graphics by Rafal
6. Unlimited technical support
7. Unlimited updates (you’ll thank yourself for this next year)

During their Thanksgiving sale, you can get Premise Ultimate for only $95. Yes, really. Just use the code THANKS when you check out and you’ll save $70 on the best landing page software available for WordPress. This deal ends promptly at 7:00 pm Pacific time on Monday, November 28, 2011. Hurry up and get Premise Ultimate before they come to their senses!

Photography

Turn Your Pictures into Cash. Photography is amazing. It can feed the soul and inspire people. It also provides a measure of freedom I suspect you value highly. You can live wherever you like, work whenever you feel like it.

Learn how to turn photography into a portable career that can support you wherever you live or travel.

MatadorU Travel Photography Course is based on 12 chapters of rigorous coursework, including lessons, recommended reading, and weekly assignments critiqued by editors and peers in Photo Labs. As with their Travel Writing program, graduates have ongoing access to the forums and new modules.

Learn more about it here

Coaching

Life coaching is a growing field, and expats and finding it meets all the criteria for a worthwhile and rewarding portable career. Get your training and certification from the International Coach Academy.

Enroll in the Certified Professional Coach Program before November 30 and save 22%.

Click here for more information about International Coach Academy’s course.

Websites

How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites. Not exactly blogging and not exactly a corporate website, learn how to create a content-rich site that provides an ongoing income — in just a few hours per week.

The traditional approach to savings and retirement doesn’t work anymore.
It’s time to take control!Turn a few “spare-time” hours a week into $750 … $1,500 … $3,500 and up per month.
Money that comes in whether you’re working, sleeping, playing golf, or relaxing on the beach.

Learn more about creating your own money-making website here.

Site Build It. Combine the fantastic tools and guidance available at SBI with the Money-Making Websites program above for incredible results. They’ve just upgraded the tools for building the site itself, keyword research and more.

Learn More About Site Build It here.

Website Hosting and Domain Name Registration

Dreamhost. Optimized for WordPress hosting, Dreamhost offers lots of “unlimited” features including:

• Disk storage
• Bandwidth
• Domains Hosted
• Email Accounts
• MySQL 5 Databases

DreamHost has also gone green — they’re carbon neutral.

Find Out More

Blue Host also offers a slew of “unlimited” features, including:

• Disk storage
• Bandwidth
• Domains Hosted
• Email Accounts
• MySQL 5 Databases

They’re a couple of dollars less than DreamHost.

Find Out More

Host Gator is also greening up, having purchased Renewable Energy Certificates for its servers.Their least expensive plan only allows for one domain to be hosted, but if you move up to the next plan, you’ll get unlimited disk space, bandwidth and domains.

50% Off all hosting plans today only, until 11:59 PM EST.

Find Out More

NameCheap domain name registration. Great prices and service for domain name hosting.

Find Out More

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? Check out our Resources section.

Note: Many of the links here are affiliate links. That means if you purchase something you’ve clicked on, I’ll earn a small commission. I only recommend products or services I have used myself, or from a company I’ve done business with and have a high level of confidence in. You can see my entire policy here. Buying from affiliates helps keep this website running.

photo by djlicious on flickr

And the winners are. . . drumroll please. . .

Yesterday evening the Live and invest Overseas Conference ended after a densely scheduled three-day smorgasbord of information for expats and plan-to-be expats. (I’ve decided that’s a better phrase than “wannabe.”)

Last month I speculated about the 20 countries they’d recommend, and I’m happy to report I pretty much nailed it. There was only one country on the list that really surprised me.

Here, without further ado, are their recommendations for the 20 top countries that North Americans should have on their list of potential places to live or retire abroad affordably.

If You Want to Live in Asia

Overall, Southeast Asia is the least expensive part of the world to live. There are notable exceptions, of course, like Singapore, but this region includes six out of the 20 top picks. Here are the best places to live in Asia, in alphabetical order.

1. China
2. India
3. Laos
4. Malaysia
5. Thailand
6. Vietnam

If You Want to Live in Europe

Although parts of Europe (Paris, London) are quite costly, other areas are surprisingly affordable. Follow these recommendations for the best places to live in Europe.

7. Croatia
8. France, particularly the Languedoc and Aquitaine regions
9. Ireland
10. Italy
11. Spain

If You Want to Live in Latin America

Nine of the top 20 countries are in Latin America. It’s not surprising, as proximity to the US and staying in time zones close to the US’ are important to many expats. Here are the best, most affordable, places to live in Latin America.

12. Argentina
13. Belize
14. Brazil
15. Colombia
16. Ecuador
17. Mexico
18. Nicaragua
19. Panama
20. Uruguay

I mentioned that one country’s inclusion surprised me, and that’s Brazil. While some expat experts have been promoting the country for a long time, Kathleen has held back. Her objections have been well thought out, and involve important issues like ease of moving your money out of the country when/if you decide to leave.

While the presentation on each country emphasized its positive aspects, there was also a discussion of the country’s cons. In short, the conference provided practical, actionable information for deciding on an overseas destination.

If your budget is really tight, remember that living in a major city is always more costly than living away the the metro area. In these countries, you can find areas that will work for you and your budget and give you a North American, middle class standard of living.

All the information from the conference will be available soon. . . watch for details!

Blogs by and about expats are a great place to find information, ideas, tips, and get a general feel for what it might be like to live elsewhere. Here are a dozen interesting expat blogs I’ve found recently.

Europe

Expat in Germany provides information about living in Germany (and a little bit about Canada). The author is a Canadian serial expat who’s also lived in Thailand, S. Korea and the US.

Not From Around Here, subtitled “Stranger in a Strange Land” is all about the adventures of a US transplant to the UK.

Emtpy Nest Expat is an American who seized the moment (kids grown, no grandkids yet) to lace up her traveling shoes. She’s lived in the Czech Republic and is currently in Istanbul, Turkey.

Adventures in Expat Land is the blog of an American writer living in the Netherlands, where her husband works with an international organization.

Latin America

Monday or Something is not an expat blog, per se, but an interesting account of what it’s like to live in a place for one month, then move on. So far the author’s published from several locations in Panama, Nicaragua, Belize and Honduras.

The Mexile looks at Mexico and the UK from a British point of view. Back in England now, he lived in Mexico for five years and loved it.

An Expat Life in Nicaragua, an American in San Juan del Sur for the past four years.

Rewired and Retired in Nicaragua, another couple who moved from the US to Nicaragua, in this case a tiny island. They’ve been happy there for seven years.

North America

With more than a dollop of the dry wit and self-deprecation the British are famous for, Culturally Discombobulated looks at the Big Apple. His take on Pop Tarts and hurricanes is hilarious. . .

Expatlogue chronicles the adventures of a British family newly arrived in Ontario, Canada.

Asia / Pacific Rim

Expatria, Baby is a tongue-in-cheek look at living in Japan with a small child. The author is Canadian, her husband is Swiss, and they’ve been in Japan for about four years.

In Search of a Life Less Ordinary follows a Brit married to an Australian who lived in Canada for a while and are now located in Sydney.

Want to move abroad but not sure where to start? Has your planning stalled? Don’t know yet where exactly you want to live?

Here’s something that promises to get you unstuck and help you find the overseas adventure that’s waiting for you.

Next month, Live & Invest Overseas will blow out all the stops and put on a conference for expats and wannabes that will talk about, not one or two, but 20 countries.

In a conference call recently, the company’s publisher, Kathleen Peddicord, promised the conference in Orlando, FL will be the most ambitious she’s ever been involved in during her 25 years as an adviser to expats.

“Our promise is to introduce you to the top 20 country choices worldwide. We’re focusing on three regions — Europe, Asia and the Americas.

“This won’t be a journlistic, theoretical look, it’ll be very real life with lots of how-tos and practical information.”

Last spring I attended the organization’s Live and Invest in Panama conference. I had promised to give you my honest opinion about whether it was worth the price of admission, and I did just that here.

I told you then that I wouldn’t advise ever attending one of these conferences — unless you’re really serious about moving abroad.

Frankly, I can’t wait to find out what their top 20 country picks are, and why. I have some educated guesses, based on the experts they’ve announced.

Here are the countries I think they’ll focus on, by region:

Asia

• Vietnam
• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Laos
• China
• The Philippines

Europe

• France, specifically the Languedoc and Aquitaine regions
• Spain
• Italy
• Ireland
• Croatia

The Americas

• Panama
• Nicaragua
• Ecuador
• Belize
• Colombia
• Mexico
• Uruguay
• Argentina

Of course, that’s only 19 countries. . . we’ll see if I’m right, and what the missing one is. . .

It’s happening in Orlando, FL on October 14-16, 2011 at Universal Studios. I’m arranging my schedule to be there.

They’ll Address Your Stumbling Block — Whatever It Is

Conference experts will address the most common stumbling blocks to an overseas move, and will answer questions like:

• How much money will I need?
• Should I rent or buy a home? How do I do that?
• What kind of visa is best for me, and how do I get it?
• I still need to earn an income, how do I do that?
• What about taxes?
• Healthcare and Insurance

They’ll hold workshops on each region, with breakout sessions for specific countries. . . You’ll meet other expats and people who are thinking about making their own international move. . . You’ll have the opportunity to talk with experts and get answers to your individual, specific questions. . .

In short, you’ll have a chance to get expert views on where you should think about going, and how to get there.

And, if it’s anything like the Panama conference I attended, you’ll have a lot of fun, too!

Click here for more information, then select “Retire Overseas Conference 2011″ from the list at the left.

And if you decide to come to Orlando for the conference, let me know so we can meet up!

What’s your biggest obstacle to moving abroad? Leave a comment. . .

photo by Jeff Keen on flickr

Every year International Living publishes its list of the top ten retirement havens. They’ve just sent out their September issue, and it includes their take on the best spots in the world to retire.

I’ve been known to take issue with their findings in the past (for example, in their 2011 Quality of Life list). This time, though, they’ve come up with a list that makes a lot of sense.

Of course, any time you’re relying on number crunching, your results depend on what you feel is most important. Here’s how IL weighted their results:

• Real Estate, 15%, with top marks going to the least expensive locales
• Special Benefits, 20%. This category includes governmental benefits for retirees like discounts, duty free imports and property tax rates.
• Cost of Living, 20%, with a higher score indicating a lower cost of living
• Culture, 10%, includes factors like literacy rates, number of UNESCO sites, and a “subjective rating of the variety of cultural and recreational offerings.”
• Health Care, 20%, includes an individual’s health care costs and the quality of health care available
• Infrastructure, 5%, including transportation and technology (internet and cell phone availability and usage)
• Safety and Stability, 5%
• Climate, 5% gives highest marks to countries with temperate climates and low risk of natural disaster (hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.)

What does this mean for you? If your idea of the ideal climate is one where you can ski nine months out of the year, or if you prefer to live where it’s hot and humid, you may not like their picks. So keep your own preferences in mind as you read. . .

International Living’s Ten Best Countries to Retire in 2011

#1. Ecuador

IL loves Ecuador, and it’s no surprise it tops their retirement index again this year. With super-low real estate costs (they gave it 100 on that score), good special benefits, a nice climate and low cost of living it’s a great bargain. The country also scored well on culture, although at 26 their infrastructure leaves much to be desired.

#2. Mexico

Only one country scored higher on climate, while Mexico came in at 93 in the culture category, lagging only behind France, Italy and Spain. Cost of real estate and living are low, and the country offers good special benefits to retirees.

#3. Panama

Panama beat out the competition in the special benefits category, with its well known pensionado visa offering significant discounts in travel, health care and more mundane purchases, and granting full-time residency to retirees who can prove $1,000 monthly guaranteed pension income. Real estate is inexpensive, the cost of living is relatively low, and health care is good. The climate, hot and humid throughout most of the country, lost it some points.

#4. Spain

Spain, along with the next three countries, scored 100 in the safety and stability category, 92 in health, and well enough in the others to put it in fourth place.

#5. New Zealand

Safety and stability, health, cost of real estate and culture accound for New Zealand’s fifth place position. Sadly, you can’t get a permanent visa here as a retiree so unless you qualify in some other way you’ll only be able to enjoy their beaches, beautiful mountains and quality of life for part of the year.

#6. France

France is the only country on the list to score 100 in multiple categories — culture, health and safety and stability. Climate was rated 88, but the cost of living there is quite a bit higher than the first five countries.

#7. Uruguay

Little Uruguay, nestled between Argentina and Brazil with its mild four-season climate, made an excellent showing, scoring 94 in both real estate and climate.

#8. Costa Rica

Despite big increases in real estate costs in Costa Rica in recent years, it scored a very good 95 in that category. An infrastructure score of only 29, however, dragged it down.

#9. Malta

International Living gave Malta a perfect climate score of 100. Not familiar with this Mediterranean island country? Read more about it here. The country scores high marks for culture and safety and stability, and boast no property taxes.

#10. Italy

Italy’s cost of living and real estate are a bit higher than the European countries that scored better in the list. Climate, culture, health and safety and stability are all top notch.

Read International Living’s article and outline of their selection criteria here. You can also see some real-life budgets of expats in Ecuador here.

If you haven’t discovered it yet, International Living is a glossy monthly publication that’s been delivering quality information since 1979. While I often find the intensity of their rose-colored glasses to be too much for me, they do provide interesting, factual information and are a good starting point for anyone considering moving abroad. You can get more information here.

Have you picked out your retirement destination yet? What’s your top choice, and what do you find most appealing about it?

It’s time for another peek in the expat mailbox.

I recently received an email from Matt. Matt’s a medical professional who’s starting to research a move to one of the Central or South American countries. He’s not sure how transferable his professional credentials are and asks:

“Thank you once again. I really want to get this project off the ground, and I’ll take all of the help I can get.

“Which leads me to another question: how can one get started in this without much money?”

When Money is Tight, Get Creative

Matt, you’ve come to right place. We were pretty much wiped out by the financial crisis of 2008-2009, so we’re making our move on a shoestring.

However, you really do need to have a little money or at least usable credit.

Matt didn’t explain what “without much money” means to him. Does he mean he doesn’t have $100,000 to invest in the country, or that he doesn’t have a few hundred dollars for a plane fare?

Either way, the first thing Matt should do is narrow down his list of countries from six to no more than three. Then he needs to figure out how he can visit the countries on his short list.

It doesn’t matter how great a place sounds on paper, until you’ve had your boots on the ground you can’t possibly know whether you’d be happy living there. Once Matt narrows down his country choice, he’ll be in a better position to figure out what he needs to actually move there.

When funds are really tight, you need to get creative. What can Matt do to get himself to one of his country choices?

As a medical professional, it’s quite likely he could take some time away without worrying too much about finding or returning to a job when he gets back.

My recommendation to Matt: explore possible volunteer opportunities. Look for something that will pay expenses of transportation, food and lodging in the country and arrange to stay as long as you can. Rent out your home or apartment while you’re gone.

Ideally, Matt could arrange back-to-back volunteerism so he could try out two or even three of his countries during a six-month period. At the end of the six months, he should have a pretty good idea of where he wants to live.

Then he can return to the US and go back to work for a bit while he maps out his next step.

How to Narrow Down Your Country Choice

There’s an almost limitless number of factors that can influence your country choice. Some of the more obvious include

• climate
• language and culture
• work or business opportunities
• cost of living
• health care
• ease of travel to “home” country

To weigh out what’s really important to you can require some deep soul searching.

And, if you’ll be moving with a spouse, partner or children, the equation becomes even more complex.

It’s certainly possible to step through this exercise on your own, or with free help from websites and online forums.

There are lots of good country-specific forums out there. I’ve been hanging around the Panama Forum quite a bit in recent months, for example, and there are some good country forums on Yahoo as well.

If You Can Afford Some Shortcuts

If you have a bit of discretionary income to invest in the process, though, there are a couple of resources I recommend.

The first is 52 Days to Your New Life Overseas. As its name implies, it’s a 52-day (or longer, depending on how much time you have to put into it) series of thoughtful and thought-provoking materials to get you from wherever you are now to your new country. (You can read a review here. For contrast, here’s a review of a program I found to be nothing but fluff.)

The second is not a program for expats as such, but was designed by a life coach to help you really understand what makes you thrive. Called Live Bold & Bloom, it promises to help you create a life that is fun, adventurous, peaceful, exciting, challenging, engaging and meaningful.

You can read more about Live Bold & Bloom here.

photo by paul-simpson.org on flickr

An organization called Nation Ranking recently released its 2011 Quality of Life Index. One hundred thirty-seven countries were ranked according to:

“a nation’s livability for its average inhabitant. It is a composite of six sub-indexes, each describing one of the elements which objectively influence the quality of life: health, education, wealth, democracy, peace and environment.”

You can find the entire report here. I’ve pulled out the Top 10 for you in the overall Quality of Life and several of the sub-categories.

Countries with the Best Quality of Life

1. Iceland
2. Norway
3. Sweden
4. Switzerland
5. Luxembourg
6. Austria
7. Finland
8. New Zealand
9. Germany
10. Canada

Additional rankings that might interest you: Australia is #14, France is #15, the United Kingdom — current scene of riots — comes in at #19, the US at #31. Expat haven Costa Rica is #36, Panama #44, Malaysia #50, Thailand #71. Not surprisingly, the bottom 10 include Haiti, Afghanistan, and eight impoverished African countries.

Also interesting to me are the sub-rankings.

Health

Factored into the Health index were life expectancy at birth, infant mortality and access to health care. “Mortality amenable to health care (when available)” was also a factor.

1. Singapore
2. Iceland
3. Japan
4. Australia
5. France
6. Canada
7. Switzerland
8. Spain
9. Israel
10. Sweden

The UK comes in at #18 here, and the US is #39 (behind Slovenia, Cuba, Hungary, Croatia, Poland, Chile, Bosnia, Serbia and Kuwait).

Education

This one was full of surprises, for me at least. The study looked at the adult literacy rate, school life expectancy and PISA results (when available). The PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) is a set of standardized tests given to 15-year-old students throughout the world. Including those results for some countries but not for others might account for some of the surprising rankings.

1. Finland
2. S. Korea
3. Canada
4. New Zealand
5. Cuba
6. Estonia
7. Netherlands
8. Australia
9. Switzerland
10. Germany

One of the surprises was #11, N. Korea. I really don’t understand how any educational system that relies on basically fabricated versions of “history” can get good grades. . .

The UK was #17, the US #22.

Democracy and Peace

Results were based on Freedom House and Global Peace Index studies.

Not too many surprises here. The Scandinavian countries scored highest in the Democracy category, with the US, Canada and the UK at #15, #17 and #17 respectively (there were several ties).

Countries without standing armies scored highest for Peace — New Zealand, Iceland, Japan, Austria and Norway were the top five. Canada was #14, Australia #19, the UK #31, and the US came in at #81. Last were Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan and Pakistan — again, no surprises.

Environment

Again, not many surprises here. Iceland claimed the #1 spot, followed by

1. Iceland
2. Switzerland
3. Costa Rica
4. Sweden
5. Norway
6. France
7. Austria
8. Cuba
9. Colombia
10. Finland

The UK was #12, New Zealand #13, Panama #21, Mexico #37, Canada #40, and the US straggled in at #52.

photo by o pallson on flickr

Were you surprised by any of these results? If so, which ones?

It’s been a while since I shared some of the expat-related blogs and websites I’ve been reading. Time for another roundup of interesting blogs by and about expats! Here are an even dozen for your enjoyment.

Africa

Africa Expat Wives, a UK citizen moves to Africa two days after her marriage, and raises a family there.

Middle East

Intercultural Meanderings. Lynne Diligent, a long-time expat and Middle Eastern resident since 1990, writes about interesting questions relating to intercultural business, expat issues and multicultural issues.

Asia

Our Big Expat Adventure, moving the family from Australia to Singapore.

The Dropout Diaries. No, not education related, this is one person’s account of packing it all in and going to China to teach. . . and what happens next.

The Sublime Portal, an online community and reference sites for all things Turkey.

Europe

Kitchen Chinese Adventures in Food, France and Beyond with chef and journalist Ann Mah.

Expat-En-Provence, tales of a young American woman in the south of France.

Central and South America

What’s Up El Salvador, an American woman falls in love with El Salvador and moves there with her husband and young daughter.

Xpat Escape tells about one woman’s move to Panama, with stunningly gorgeous photos.

Ecuador 4 U, a lovely photo blog about life in Ecuador.

Global Nomads

The Displaced Nation, a site devoted to global nomads.

Unwire Me — Work Anytime from Anywhere. All about portable careers.

If you’d like to see more of the sites I follow, check out my bookmarks page on Delicious.com – it’s all there!

Do you have an expat blog or website you’d like to recommend? You can share it on Facebook, or add it to the Comments below.

Interest in living overseas is exploding.

How do I know this? Not from any government study. . .

In the past few days, Live and Invest Overseas has announced their new conference schedule for the upcoming year, and to say it’s jam-packed is an understatement.

After promoting the spring conference as their only Panama event this year, they’ve added another in August and another in January.

In September they’re holding their Emergency Offshore Summit, and in October they’re coming to Orlando for the Retire Overseas Conference where they’ll talk about at least 20 different destination countries.

November they’ll hold their second Belize conference for 2011.

They’re adding events in:

• Mexico
• Columbia
• Europe
• Nicaragua
• Panama to Colombia Cruise

(If you want to see their complete list, head over here.)

International Living’s conference schedule is beefing up, too. They’ve announced sessions in Ecuador and Costa Rica, with more to come.

More and more of these conferences are selling out, and doing so earlier than the promoters expected.

Americans, especially, are seeing their nest eggs dwindle or disappear and their economic prospects getting worse instead of better. They’re looking for alternatives, and many attractive options are available south of US borders.

As Kathleen Peddicord, publisher of Live and Invest Overseas, wrote yesterday:

“A few months after we moved from Paris to Panama City, I reflected on the relative costs of living in these two places, noting that, in fact, our cost of living in Panama City was not proving to be noticeably lower than it had been in the City of Light.

“In July, we’ll have been living in Panama for three years. Now fully settled into our new lives in the tropics, how is our cost of living faring? Lief and I reconsidered our budget comparison, Panama City versus Paris, last night.

“It’s costing us about half as much to rent our house in Panama City as it would to rent a suitable apartment for our family of four in Paris. … Housing aside, our cost comparisons between Panama City and Paris get more interesting

“In Panama we have a full-time maid, a part-time gardener, and two full-time assistants, one for the business and one for our personal stuff and travel. In Paris, I had to negotiate with Lief to get him to go along with the idea of once-a-week, two-hours-at-a-time help around the house, and we paid half as much for that weekly help as we’re paying for my full-time helper (five days a week, cooking, cleaning, and ironing) here in Panama (and we’re paying beyond the very high end of the current going rate).

“In Paris, we never entertained the idea of a full-time personal assistant. You don’t employ people lightly in France. … the cost of even a part-time assistant in Paris would have been beyond our budget.

“The kind of day-to-day support, with household chores, with weed-pulling, and with travel planning, that we’re enjoying here in Panama has been liberating. If and when we move to a place where we can no longer afford it, we’ll feel the loss.

“In Panama City, we dine out at four- and five-star restaurants on average twice a week. In Paris, it was maybe twice a month. Panama’s capital boasts dozens of international-standard restaurants that, while not super cheap, are a bargain compared with the cost of fine dining in Paris.

“We dropped off 35 items at the dry cleaner’s yesterday. As Lief remarked, in Paris, where the average per-item cost of dry cleaning is about 4 euro, that would have been a significant cost item for this month’s budget. Here in Panama City, the cleaners we go to charges an average of 90 cents per item.

“Jack has weekly piano lessons and four-times-a-week Hapkido lessons here in Panama City for a total cost that is less than the cost of his weekly guitar lesson in Paris. And our Spanish tutor in Panama costs one-third as much as the French tutor I worked with in France.

“Lief’s haircut in Paris cost 40 euro. In Panama City, he has his hair coiffed for US$5. So he gets his hair cut twice as often.

“On the other hand, in Paris, we didn’t own (need or want) a car. Here in Panama we’ve invested in a Prado. You need a car to get around this city. As small as it is, it’s not a city for walking. And, if you intend to travel in the country beyond the capital, you need a four-wheel-drive SUV.

“Our utility costs are a little higher in Panama, thanks to the cost of air conditioning those 320 square meters we live in.

“What does all this mean for you? Mostly it’s an effort to show you the kind of thinking you should be doing as you prepare for your own move to wherever you’re thinking of moving. Even if you’re planning to launch your new life in Panama City, your budget probably won’t look anything like ours.

“We’re at a phase of our lives, thanks to our children and our business, where we need full-time help around the house. We have two children, each of whom needs a bedroom, plus we wanted room for guests. We like to eat out. We have a school-aged son who wants to learn to play the piano and to practice the martial arts. Etc.

“Your life might look almost nothing like ours, meaning your costs of living could be dramatically less…or maybe they’d be more. I don’t know.

“You could move to Panama City as a retired single or couple and get by on, say, US$1,200 a month. But that’s not the point.

“Here’s the point that Lief and I recognized last night as a result of our three-year-on comparative musings:

“Moving to a place like Panama City, from the States or, as in our case, from another developed-world spot like Paris, the big budget benefit isn’t necessarily a dramatic reduction in your overall cost of living. Living in Panama City could cost you less, maybe a lot less, than wherever you’re living today, depending where you’re living today and how you decide you want to live in Panama City.

“All tallied, and cost of housing aside, we’re spending about the same to live here in Panama City as we did to live in Paris. But that budget is buying us a considerably improved standard of living.

“And that’s the real point: Your budget, whatever you decide it to be, can buy you a dramatically elevated standard of living in this part of the world. Your new life can be more comfortable and better appointed. You truly can live better than you ever have until this point.”

(You can see Kathleen’s article in its entirety here.)

I’m not looking for a full-time maid, but for me, our upcoming move to Panama will let us live in some degree of comfort on an income that would barely provide subsistence in the US. And we are not alone.

If you’re considering an overseas move, what’s the biggest benefit you’re anticipating?