U.S.News & World Report Tumblelog

A blizzard of articles give advice about the best places to retire. They generally recommend fleeing the North and heading for the Sunbelt, to places in the Carolinas, Florida, or Arizona. Occasionally they offer a surprise retirement spot in Iowa or Indiana. Sometimes they even tout retirement locales outside the United States.

These articles rely on statistics such as the cost of living or winter temperatures. But they miss the most important thing—the human element. Here are the real best places to retire.

“I think the biggest thing I have learned is if broke people are making fun of you and laughing at your ways, then you are doing something right. It was difficult to get mocked when Tracy was working and we chose to live off one salary while others were spending like there was no tomorrow. Many people told me to get off my wallet and spend money.

“Pride is sometimes a hard thing to swallow, but I knew that many of these people were not making smart financial decisions and these decisions would eventually come back and hurt them. I don’t know if it is unusual advice but, when making financial decisions, you have to do what is right for you and not be influenced by the many temptations that surround us.”

College administrators say they’re coping with a growing crop of Peters, freshmen suffering the aftereffects of having been raised by overinvolved parents. These moms and dads may see their tendency to hover and help at every step as loving and protective. But the urge to ensure a child’s success by calling teachers to complain about assignments or grades, selecting all activities, and even completing tough homework assignments is apt to lead to failure once independence is required.

“Staycations”: This has become a frugal buzzword recently. The idea is to stay home and enjoy your local tourist attractions that you might otherwise take for granted. My wife and I did this last summer and it worked out great. We took the kids to local museums, historical sites, and local hiking trails. Over a series of three weekends, we visited local sites and had a great time in the process. No hotel costs and no eating-out costs.