Starting as an expat in your 50s

[80sWaistcoat]

Have the chance of looking for work overseas. DH has taken vol redundancy and is considering widening his search for work to overseas as work v limited where we are for his kind of job.

I'm in a well paid job that wouldn't translate well to being overseas.

We are both a bit bored here, the last of his kids is just about to start uni, I rent out a house and we could rent out the house he lives in.

But...last time I lived abroad I was early 20s and footlose and fancy free working with lots of young ones in the same position and it was enormously good fun. Last time he worked abroad he was early 30s in very focused short term projects for 6 months at a time with no time to look up from your desk.

We are now in our 50s, no kids, would we be mad to think about expat work now?. And practically speaking it's a job for him we'd be looking for. Part of me thinks now is a good time, my parents are no longer alive and his are quite young and in good health and his kids are off doing their own thing.

But is it all young people or people who've been expat all their lives?

Also...I'd be giving up good money and a good pension for probably not very much at all. That does worry me!

You answered your own question.

I'd be giving up good money and a good pension for probably not very much at all.

The biggest issue with expat life is making sure you have a pension. With this trend of using local contracts, companies don't need to offer a proper pension. We have not moved from the US because of this. We finally qualified for social security two years ago for DH's income and I will qualify early next year. We won't get as much as someone who has worked here all their lives but it will be enough for us to survive on.

If he wants to take a six month posting and you fly out to him during your holidays that could work. Also friend of mine works away during the week leaving early Monday morning and comes home Thursday night to work from home on Friday. They don't have DC yet and they are doing this because the spouse staying home during the week has a job with a final salary pension.

No, do it! It's the ideal time to go and have an adventure. We're aiming to do the same in the next two years.

Having had our attempt at living abroad cut short due to schooling for our youngest child I would say now is a great time as that is one of the biggest hurdles imo. When we left Singapore after a year a couple in their 50s came to buy some of our furniture. They were doing exactly what you are talking about. It is also something DH and I talk about doing. The location will be important; where do you have in mind?

Thank you for the responses. Nowhere particular in mind at mo. I'd be happier with the idea of me keeping my job for at least a couple of years and going out to visit. But that distance relationship wouldn't be top of my list. We are offshore now so he could relatively easily get work in uk and commute back at weekends.

I'm genuinely concerned for my pension and think I'd be mad to give it up now for a lifestyle change but on the other hand, there's only one life!

It depends where you are planning to go. Dh will be 50 next year and we plan to leave China in a couple of years. We feel there are more likely to be health issues as we age and don't want to be in a country where medical evacuation to HK is the recommended option if you need surgery. I had surgery in October, was too ill to fly anywhere and was in an ambulance for over 4 hours to get to the nearest hospital which meets Western standards of healthcare - not an experience I want to repeat.

I absolutely would not give up your job and pension. I did it to move at 37 and bitterly regretted it. It took two years to find another job where we moved to. Let him go and visit him.