A Better Life for Half the Price - 2nd Edition: How to thrive on less money in the cheapest places to live Paperback – November 5, 2020

I have read 6 books so far on moving overseas. This book is by far the best that is out there. How to Retire Overseas is the next best. The author covers getting residency, renting, food, climate, culture, monthly costs to live there, it's the best book you can lay your hands on for helping to narrow your choices down based on your own wants and situation. I have stayed in Budapest for 30 days in apartments over several years, and it was a country covered in this book, the author has destinations different than other books that give you more options. The author has traveled to most of these destinations, and has contacts in every location. Mexico, where he and the majority of ex-pats live, has 20 pages. Very thorough book. I may be joining him in Mexico shortly. Well worth the money.

Tim checks back in with expats regularly for updated information which is part of what makes this book so valuable. I've gotten several copies, and while my plans may not involve a total move, I keep my options open. Also, anyone I know who is thinking about becoming an expat, I refer this book to them.I've always enjoyed how Tim works very hard to provide updated information for this very fluid situation which shifts as policies, politics and people change all over the world. There is no permanent single book- because next year the visa requirement may change, or the cost of living may go up or down dramatically (Argentina, anyone). Tim's hard work pays off because every few years he's out fact checking, and the best location five years ago may not be today's. So if you're thinking of becoming an ex-pat, this is your book. You can also sign up for regular calls so that you can get first hand and more personal updates.The cost to get one every couple of years is minor compared to all the work you're saved with this research. Highly recommended. I may yet move overseas, and if I get to that point this is the book I will use to help me make that decision.

This book is nicely-written, not complete polished, perhaps self-published, but it is well done, with thoughtful essays about many different countries and the benefits and challenges of moving to each location. I have lived overseas in 10 different countries myself, and have recently done more research about retiring overseas -- this book is a very good resource for those doing similar research. It is not a sales job (as some publications are) for real estate or expensive newsletters or videos. Primarily from a US point of view, but would be useful for Canadians and Brits as well.

I bought Tim Leffel's A Better Life for Half the Price (2nd Edition) because I am at a transitional stage in my life, and I am exploring my options. Even though my primary home is paid off, and I am financially independent, there is nothing holding me at my present location, and nothing is off the table. Like Tim, I am a travel writer, but stuck at home during a global pandemic, I found BLHP a great escape read. That said, it was not a quick read. I took my time, digesting and dreaming of what it might be like to actually live in the many countries detailed in the book (Portugal, Ecuador, Uruguay, and Mexico made my shortlist). Many countries that didn't make my potential expat list, however, were highlighted as future travel destinations. Tim's expertise is drawn from his personal experiences traveling to many of these countries, intense research, and interviews with on-the-ground expats. The reporting is balanced, revealing the pros and cons of living in each country, and a wealth of resources for living abroad are included to assist readers with exploring on their own. If you think expat life is an option you want to consider, BLHP is a great place to start!

The book isn’t available in electronic form and I have no intentions of scanning the thing page by page in order to compile my own. I hate having to handle a paperback, especially in bed at night when I’d like to keep the lights turned out so that my spouse can sleep as I continue to read. Additionally, it’s much easier to find things you’ve highlighted in an electronic text than it is to flip page by page through a physical book.My only other complaint has to do with the lack of white space in the book. The lines of text are too densely stacked on top of each other for my tastes, and there are no graphics or pictorial illustrations of the places he writes about, which one might expect in a book of this nature.All in all, though, he does an excellent job of providing the kind of information one might need when deciding to migrate to another country. Place your toilet paper in a trashcan rather than flush it? That’s a no go for me.

I'm curious about the world, and have only seen a limited amount of it. I bought this for my son who will be traveling the world soon, but I decided to read it first. As a curious person, I really enjoyed it. There was something about reading about the details of living in these countries, and the insights and nuances that the very experienced author provided from his own experiences and from those of others in various countries, that made this really interesting to me. I really enjoyed learning more about what it would be like living day-to-day in various countries around the world. Perhaps this book may spark some real interest in at least a short-term international move once our nest empties out in a few years. Surprisingly enticing countries from this book, for me, were Albania, Panama, and Argentina. All with their pluses and often unique minuses. The #1 thing I picked up from this book, as an American, was jealousy for the much, much lower health care costs in many of these countries that otherwise have quality healthcare.