A good post.I have found it hard to really understand why or what lu888 has against the current super system in Australia (which he has previously compared with that of Poland) and in my opinion, the introduction of a super scheme in Australia was long overdue overdue and of course, many older retirees (or those approaching retirement age) were never going to get maximum benefit.
My, how times change. Yes Spain was the place to live in the years before they joined the EU (I lived there for 6 months) and the same could be said for Portugal or the beautiful Greek Islands. The latter (Greece) might even again be the place to retire in the future, although the hospital system there is not for the faint hearted! and I can only imagine so many unhappy people there as a result of the latest european shambles.
We often think that the grass is greener elsewhere, but too often, that is a fallacy.
An e-mail has been doing the rounds for some time advising oldies to retire on a cruise ship (even this method is now somewhat flawed since recent cruise happenings) but here is the story:
A GOOD RETIREMENT PLAN - THE LAST BIT IS EXCELLENT!! lol
About 2 years ago we were on a cruise through the western Mediterranean aboard a Princess liner. At dinner we noticed an elderly lady sitting alone along the rail of the grand stairway in the main dining room. I also noticed that all the staff, ships officers, waiters, busboys, etc., all seemed very familiar with this lady. I asked our waiter whom the lady was expecting to be told she owned the line, but he said he only knew that she had been on board for the last four cruises, back to back.
As we left the dining room one evening I caught her eye and stopped to say hello. We chatted and I said, "I understand you've been on this ship for the last four cruises". She replied, "Yes, that's true." I stated, "I don't understand?"
She replied without a pause, "It's cheaper than a nursing home".
Here's the proof -- when I get old and feeble, I am going to get on a Princess Cruise Ship.
The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day. I have checked on reservations at Princess and I can get a long term discount and senior discount price of $135 per day. That leaves $65 a day for:
1. Gratuities which will only be $10 per day.
2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day if I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service (which means I can have breakfast in bed every day of the week).
3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, and shows every night.
4. They have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.
5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5 worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
6. I will get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days.
7. TV broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your inconvenience.
8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for them.
9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare. If you fall and break a hip on the Princess ship they will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.
Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or name where you want to go? Princess will have a ship ready to go. So don't look for me in a nursing home, just call shore to ship.
P. S. And don't forget, when you die, they just dump you over the side at no charge.
