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Miserly_Bastard t1_ja6ameb wrote

This idea about retiring "comfortably" needs some work. It's very subjective.

If you live as the locals live, it's possible to spend very very little. That may entail eating a lot of local food or locally-crafted spirits each of which can be unbelievably cheap, living in regular local housing maybe without HVAC (or where you bring your own HVAC) instead of a modern apartment, and driving a scooter.

If you can't adapt to that and you also aren't rich enough to live like this and also be a member of a golf club then, honestly, you are probably going to have a worse time than if you'd just stayed put in a place where you're already adapted/acculturated.

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christian4tal t1_ja6tvek wrote

In Europe that's not a very accurate description of the 'locals', are you referring to subsaharan Africa?

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Miserly_Bastard t1_ja7kyr5 wrote

I was thinking of developing non-western countries for the most part. Having lived in SE Asia, that's where my head is, but yes you could apply the same lessons very broadly (e.g. if you live in Angola by choice then don't live in the same modern apartments where all the oil and gas expats live).

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phdoofus t1_ja942a9 wrote

In the US, as soon as you start slapping 'farm-to-table' and 'locally crafted' labels on everything you start paying a price premium.

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Miserly_Bastard t1_jaa5pkl wrote

It's not just that. We also mechanize and process the shit out of everything in large part because labor is expensive. Where labor is cheap, miraculously vegetables are typically less expensive than processed food.

We are also very used to eating comparatively giant portion sizes of meat and not very much offal. The developing world knows how to take tough meat, use it sparingly to maximal effect, and cook it well.

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phdoofus t1_jabdxvw wrote

Was just eating really excellent braised beef tendon in Singapore. In the US, you never see it on the menu (except maybe some beef tendon in pho). Easy enough to find dried tendon being used as dog chews though. I apologize if anyone thinks I'm referring to Singapore as part of 'the developing world'.

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