# Does retiring overseas really save you money

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-retiring-overseas-really-save-you-money/658147>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 12, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-retiring-overseas-really-save-you-money/658147 "2013-05-12T14:03:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-retiring-overseas-really-save-you-money/658147/21 "2013-05-14T16:06:33Z")

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> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#):
>
> A hijack, but aren’t peanuts grown almost everywhere? And peanut butter is basically just smashed up peanuts and salt.

My company sold off our major brand peanut butter because they only want products that can be sold internationally. Apparently, other cultures see peanuts as not desirable for human consumption because it’s what they feed their livestock.

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-retiring-overseas-really-save-you-money/658147/22 "2013-05-14T16:32:18Z")

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There are drawbacks to living in another country. We used to get expats at the embassy in Lisbon who needed help. As an American citizen, they had zero rights in Portugal, could not collect public assistance, etc. Also, the medical services for serious illnesses were substandard. I could absolutely see living in another country while still relatively young. But once you start needing serious medical services, you really do want to be in the first world.

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**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-retiring-overseas-really-save-you-money/658147/23 "2013-05-14T17:52:21Z")

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> [@Tethered\_Kite](#):
>
> Maybe it’s a preference. I’ve heard that some cultures don’t like peanut butter.

Yeah, I think it’s that. Peanut butter is expensive because only Americans buy it, so it’s a specialty imported item.

However, you don’t have to go without peanut butter, you just have to make it. Peanuts are likely available, and it’s phenomenally easy to make peanut butter from peanuts.

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