Haitian-Americans, do you plan to spend your retirement days in the United States or in Haiti?

An article released earlier this month on Investopedia spoke about the advantages and disadvantages of retiring in the United States vs. retiring abroad. For Haitian-Americans who are thinking aproaching retirement, this is definitely a topic worth talking about.


Alcima Fenelus - One of the Oldest Women in the World, Lives in Haiti

Living in the United States while you are young and still working nine to five is expensive enough. Retiring in the USA is not an option for someone with a tiny retirement check and no money stashed away.

I remember one of my favorite passages of book I once read which said you can live like a king in other parts of the world for less than it costs for rent in the United States. I tested this theory and I have to admit it is in fact true.

Shot out to the author Tim Ferriss. I took your advice. Thank you!

I live everyday like a king, well almost, for less than it cost for what I used to pay for rent in the United States. I have my fair share of problems here in Haiti, Peyi Lock and all, but, despite the obvious, I live with much less stress then if I was living in the United States.

I am not at the retirement age yet but sometimes I can't help to think how would I live in the United States when my time comes for me to retire because, after listening to stories from other older friends who have already retired, I hate to say that some of them are not doing that well financially.

One retiree had to move to a room at his daughter's house while pushing shopping carts to supplement his income at one of the Publix supermarket in South Florida.

His retirement check was simply not enough.

Then the Old man decided to move to the small town in Northern Haiti were he grew up and, more than a decade later, he is doing fine.

A small retirement check can go a long way in Haiti.

Take the case of another Haitian-American elderly couple I know. Both of them are retired. One earns a retirement check of about $1,000 a month, the other one earns about $800 a month. Together, After paying the rent for the apartment they live in, they can barely do anything else.

When you take into account car insurance alone added to the rent money, their monthly bills, food shopping, there's no money left for them to even enjoy 10 cents of retirement life. In fact, the money is not even enough to support the tiny lifestyle they had before they retired.

These two elderly Haitian-Americans could live a very decent lifestyle if they were to spend their retired days in Haiti.

Besides, they already own a home in Haiti. At 92 Haitian gourdes for one U.S. dollar, you do the math. They would have access to a whole lot of gourdes to get by in Haiti Cherie.

Something for you to think about when it's time to consider options for retirement days.

Read the article on Investobedia about the the advantages and disadvantages to help you decide on retirement in the U.S. vs. abroad but know this: If you are Haitian in the first place, retiring in Haiti is not considered a retirement "abroad". You just have two homes to choose from.

Write a comment  (5)

You might also like

Return to Articles List

All Comments (5)

Kerri says...

I would love to go there eventually saving up money to go to Haiti as soon as

Reply  ... More

Gman says...

The dream was to finish, to retire, to die in Haiti.

Well I myself have changed my mind. For now I am not even thinking about visiting

Reply  ... More

Edeline says...

I want to go to Ayiti now. I won't wait for retirement.

I should have been to my country Ayiti a while

Reply  ... More

Frednel Etienne says...

My goal to spend my last days in Haiti will never change despite the uncertainties in our country.

Even right now I can't afford living in the United States! Is too expensive! I'll probably move to Canada, then back to Haiti.

I just can't afford

Reply  ... More

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

E-mail (required, will not be published)

Subject: Haitian-Americans, do you plan to spend your retirement days in the United States or in Haiti? edit

» »