We’re about 20 minutes by scooter to the beach, so it came as a surprise that the mosquito screens started to rust. But like so many things in Indonesia, material costs have to be kept low so that locals can afford them. In other words, they’re cheaply made.

The end result is that it’s more expensive for everyone, if you count replacement costs (which you’d be crazy NOT to count). You may think, why not get high-end imported appliances and materials for your house and be done with it? Well, the answer is tariffs. Indonesia loves tariffs.

So I called a mosquito screen company, hoping to convince them that I just need the screens replaced. But as I suspected, the sales guy tried to sell me an entire “packet,” as they like to put it (frame and screen combined). So I said, do you have a friend who can install just the screens in the existing frames? And right away the sales guy was on the phone with someone who’s not a company employee and within minutes we got a quote: 3-4 juta for 5 screens. (3,500,000 IDR = $193 USD).

The request was for rust-proof screens, which “should” be aluminum (but you really never know what material will show up).

My wife said, call the painter he can do anything. So, lo and behold, the painter shows up with one screen’s worth of material (I’d sent him the photo below) and off he went to replace and screen (with 2 associates) and then off again to buy more screens. The screen bill came to 205,000 IDR ($11.35 USD), while the total bill for 5 screen replacements (including materials) came to 500,000 IDR ($27.65 USD).

Total time to install 5 screens = under 3 hours.

So what’s the point? There’s no major philosophical mindshift that I’m offering. No special breathing techniques either.

Even if I do the silly math of changing mosquito frames every 4 years (maybe this aluminum will outlast the original screens by one year) and I live for another 24 years (I’ll be 93 years old) it means a savings of around $1,000 USD over 2+ decades.

In the scheme of things it really doesn’t matter much.

Or does it?

What financial independence means is that expenses still need tracking, even when the house is paid off, passive income exceeds incoming bills, and your health is good. Slacking here and there is possibly ok but what about a medical emergency?

This is why the seemingly superficial mosquito screen story matters. We have to be prepared for the worst (especially for seniors), because you can’t rely on someone to bail you out.

It means making the extra call or two and getting another quote before you commit to the first vendor who you’ve welcomed into your home. And who seems very nice! Even when your internal voice might be saying, hey it’s not a major upgrade so let the guy do it so I can move on.

Well, maybe.

Later,

Neill

P.S. My online safe, social app Together with Kai crossed 12,000 members — woohoo!

According to the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) World Giving Index, Indonesia is consistently ranked as the most generous country in the world, holding the top spot for seven consecutive years up to late 2024. This ranking is based on high rates of donating money, volunteering time, and helping strangers.

And according to this report, Indonesia sees their fellow citizens as “very good” or “somewhat good” 92% of the time.

What does it mean? In my opinion, living in a country where other people are not seen as the enemy is a sign of a healthy society, and secondly, being around generous people makes it easier to give to others.

Why do you have to save for retirement? Because you’re going to live for a LONG TIME!

Congratulations (and don’t get hit by a car lol)

What you should know about this indicator

• Across the world, people are living longer. In 1900, the global average life expectancy was 32 years. By 2023, this had more than doubled to 73 years.

• Countries around the world made big improvements, and life expectancy more than doubled in every region. This wasn’t just due to falling child mortality; people started living longer at all ages.

• Even after World War II, there have been large drops in life expectancy, such as during the Great Leap Forward famine in China, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, the Rwandan genocide, or the COVID-19 pandemic.

I must end with the latest from my AI companionship and social media platform experiment, Together with Kai.

Our community has grown to over 3,850+ members and so I’m excited to see it continue to flourish. (Also looking for partners of all stripes :)

Later

Neill

As far as retiring in Bali goes I’ve been working on it for 4-5 years and now the press is finally acknowledging its value:

While senior living in Indonesia has largely developed around domestic demand, Bali stands apart. The island is Indonesia’s largest tourism draw and consistently ranks as the top destination for both international visitors and domestic travellers.

Industry players said that its global reputation, combined with sustained government investment in infrastructure and healthcare, positions Bali as a potential future hub for senior living.

Whether that happens or not it’s hard to say, but my prediction is that within the next 3 years there will be at least one retirement community / village. I’m currently working with two developers and so far there’s no financial “green light”.

I’ve also been working on my webapp, called Together with Kai, and the intellectual stimulation has been great. The concept is to combine AI companionship with a real community. So far the community is tiny but we’re gearing up for some startup marketing in February. You can get in on the ground floor now lol.

It would be great to know what everyone wants to get out of this newsletter. Most of the time I feel I’m typing into an echo chamber and I’m too old to enjoy listening to myself click and clack on the keyboard.

Stay well,

Neill

After a heavy rain

Fallen flowers

Greet the new day

Even if I lived in the USA I’d be concerned about the care I’d receive, as we are rated 39th in the world. That is mostly due to the strange private/public chasm, where care is mostly via for-profit companies and reimbursements are “partially” covered by the government or insurance companies. You can imagine what might fall through the cracks.

If you are from a top 10 country when it comes to health care then you may face challenges when dealing with medical issues abroad.

Over 2 years ago I was diagnosed with glaucoma, which unfortunately is a disease with no current cure. However there are lots of ways to keep one’s vision stable, and different opthamologists have different opinions about how to do that.

I went to a local clinic, where my eyes were diagnosed correctly as having glaucoma. I determined this by going to a clinic in Penang, Malaysia for a second opinion. You might think that’s a lot of travel to get a second opinion, and you’d be correct. I could have obtained a second opinion in Bali, but I thought I’d turn the situation into a small vacation.

In Bali, I’m a member of Padma Care:

Padma Care is a medical concierge and advocacy service for you and your family. We manage 100's of cases both in- and out-patient by matching only the best doctors to our members' needs and negotiate local pricing that we pass with no markup.

For 350,000 IDR per month ($21 USD) I am able to use their concierge service, which includes: tracking down the best doctor, negotiating the fees, and even paying the bill. Then you reimburse Padma Care afterwards.

After about 2 years of local glaucoma care, it was becoming clear that the eye drops I was being prescribed were not strong enough to keep my eyes stable, and my opthamologist recommended I seek help outside of Indonesia, perhaps Singapore (rated 24 above) she said.

So I took it as another travel opportunity and my wife and I went to a massive eye clinic in Singapore. The ophthalmologist recommended 3 operations just for my weaker eye, requiring a stay in Singapore of 3 weeks. Total estimated costs around $15,250 USD). The recommendations for my right eye were given to me by the ophthalmologist but I forgot to write them down. So I called the clinic the next day and they wanted to charge me for the report! I cancelled the treatment plan instead.

I got back to Bali and spoke with the director of Padma Care. Based on his team’s research he felt that, while it’s possible to get eye surgery in Bali, his team was not confident of the quality.

I thought about my trip to Penang and also did some online searches. Finally I came across Dr Suresh:

Dr Suresh is a glaucoma specialist and ophthalmologist, graduated with a Medical Degree from University Padjadjaran, Bandung, and he furthered his studies in Master of Medical Ophthalmology in University Sains Malaysia from 2007 to 2012.

His passion in Glaucoma continues with subspecialty training with the Ministry of Health (Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, Kedah) and Seoul National University Hospital from 2014 – 2017.

He is a fervent Ophthalmologist who gained more than 16 years of experiences in various hospital around Malaysia such as in Hospital Selayang, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Hospital Tawau and Hospital Queen Elizabeth, Sabah. Therefore, further improving his skills as a comprehensive ophthalmologist providing treatment not only for glaucoma but also for various eye conditions including diabetic eye disease, paediatric eye care, age-related macular degeneration, and pterygium. Dr Suresh is also a lovely husband and father to two wonderful children.

He is a visiting Glaucoma Specialist at Optimax Eye Specialist Centre in Ipoh.

This is the same company, Optimax, but in Ipoh Malaysia, not Penang,

Unfortunately there are no direct flights to Ipoh, Malysia, but there is a train from Kuala Lumpur that takes about 2.5 hours. I decided to take a trip by myself, as the goal was to get the validation I’d need for any potential eye surgeries.

It was a very fruitful trip, as Dr Suresh spent almost 45 minutes discussing my condition, as well as answering my questions. His recommendation was for cataract surgery on my weak eye (left). He also explained that even with the slight deterioration rates of my disease I shouldn’t go blind, which was a great relief. A new cataract lens is 2mm, whereas the old one that nature provided me is 4mm. The 2mm savings provides a small drainage channel that will help relieve the deadly pressure that kills or damages my optic nerves.

Neither the Bali ophthalmologist nor the Singapore ophthalmologist explained this to me.

I just came back from the cataract surgery on Friday, and while it was a very uncomfortable 40 minute treatment under the laser, I’m glad it’s behind me. The cost, including airfare etc was $1,825 USD. That’s 12% of the Singapore quote, although that quote included 3 surgeries. But since my weak eye is currently around 30% of standard vision (my good eye is 80%), it’s questionable whether the 3 surgeries are necessary. Especially since Dr Suresh explained that keeping my eye drop regimen means I won’t go blind.

The bottom line is that wherever you live, get a second or even a third opinion when it comes to significant medical treatments. Second, feel confident that you can still find doctors who are driven by their passion, but be prepared to dig deep and ask lots of questions.

Finally, accept that healthcare is a moving target. It’s not as dramatic a case as the ancient fable of the blind men and the elephant, but a range of assessments abound.

Be prepared for not only multiple quotes, but also for an assortment of issues around your condition’s urgency.

Stay healthy!

Later,

Neill

For those who are curious about the app, I created a demo so that you don’t have to sign up before you “get the idea”:

Click for the demo

Later,

Neill

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In the meantime my experiment with “vibe coding,” while at times extremely frustrating, has resulted in a real webapp.

You may be curious as to why I chose the topic of dating. Well, it more or less chose me. I started out with an idea to develop something I was calling, A Day in the Life, with the intent to get the local Balinese to take photos of their daily surroundings in their family “compounds”. But after talking to several Balinese people I realized they are too shy for such an experiment. I was inspired by the fascinating website called “Dollar Street” by the Gapminder organization.

Somehow my idea took a turn towards individuals rating personality statements and matching them based on how their responses align, hence Vibe Align.

This cartoon is a sample from my website, but as an illustration only. In the webapp I just use sentences and a 1-10 rating, no cartoons:

You can read about all of the features on the website.

If you want to help me out with feedback, then:

• Sign up as a new user at Vibe Align.

• Once you confirm your account by clicking on a confirmation email, you will be directed to the website to respond to personality statements. Just choose between 1-10 for each statement.

  • To get “vibe matches” with other members rate a dozen or more statements.

  • If you get at least one vibe match feel free to chat with this new person, or just view his/her graph to see where you align and where you don’t.

  • You can even use artificial intelligence to give you a compatibility report.

  • If you want to provide me feedback please do so on the contact page. Or even better, schedule a video chat with me. That would be awesome.

I realize that this type of post and feedback request is way off-topic. But there’s over 1,000 of you lovely people, and so even if I receive 10 good pieces of feedback, that would be really lovely.

Thanks in advance,

Neill

Having followed the world of computers and software for about 37 years, I’ve been smitten by the idea of hiring an AI bot to help me write an app. I’ve chosen loveable.dev as the platform, and all I’m doing is using text prompts to tell the bot what to code.

Here’s the idea:

When I asked ChatGPT to summarize the project it said I’m making:

A personality alignment platform enabling users to respond to introspective statements and align with others based on cognitive/emotional resonance

Sounds a little like psycho babble but the basic idea is to rate a bunch of personality assessment-type statements and see how your results line up in relation to others.

If anyone on this list but would so kind as to volunteer to be a beta guinea pig, send a message to:

For those on this list that want to learn more about retiring in Bali I will write about interesting developments that come my way.

Thanks everyone!

Later,

Neill

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a Global Concierge at your fingertips? Would you mind if it was an AI bot (artificial intelligence)? Would you pay for such a service? Or would you rather pay for human assistance? Let me know in the comments.

As we all know, the world is rapidly growing older.

1,602,000,000 seniors in 2050

And 51% of the assets in first-world economies are owned by Baby Boomers:

So where are the specialized travel services for this aging audience? $84 trillion in the USA alone:

You can’t say the market isn’t big enough lol.

I believe that companies may perceive a stigma associated with creating products for older adults, as there is a notion that they won’t be around long enough to justify the investment.

Even Senior Living Communities seem to be stuck in a different era in terms of offering a vibrancy and an aesthetic for modern, active seniors, except for perhaps Disney. They’ve done their homework and are starting to build high-end senior communities in the USA:

The only problem is the price point: starting in the “upper $1 million” USD. :(

Maybe you don’t need a house or an apartment in a senior community. Maybe you need a year-round, always on companion — a concierge! Everything from what will the weather be like in Sydney in May, to how can I avoid a tourist crush at the Louvre Museum in Paris in June? And a 1,000 more questions before, during and after your trips.

Your travel plans do not have to be halfway around the world. If Google Maps already knows the real-time traffic delays in your neighborhood, you can imagine the smart information available by extremely massive large language models (LLMs) that artificial intelligence uses.

And why not add an online community of human users to such a system so that we can help other humans — and the bot, live happily ever after?

Depending on how willing you might be to opt-in to such a system — imagine if you uploaded your passport and other requested documents for a particular country’s visa submission and it re-uses your documents to make your next visa application much quicker and easier. The bot also reminds you to renew all necessary documents before a particular immigration service needs it.

As agent to agent bots get more and more mature, rather than downloading a particular country’s train app, your concierge bot already “knows” the bullet train schedules from Tokyo to Kyoto and is capable of booking the ticket you need. If you uploaded a photo of your luggage to the bot it will know whether to book a standard reserved seat or a seat that includes an allowance for oversized luggage.

From making suggestions that you book a busy restaurant ahead of time because it knows you are a foodie, to tracking hotel discounts in quiet neighborhoods based on your accommodation history, you can have an always-on concierge without paying for a 5 star hotel.

What is something like that worth to you per month, per year, or per use?

Should someone make the world’s best senior travel bot? Should it be us?

Comments below please.

Later,

Neill

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“Narrative is fundamental to the way that people remember their day, their week and their life,” said Janice Chen, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University. When an event happens, according to neuroscientist Chris Baldassano, it’s “like a coloring book page that’s not colored in yet, but a lot of the lines are already there. When an event is happening, you are filling in the particular details.”

There’s a scaffolding of sorts that our neurons have built so that we can make sense of the events in our world more easily. For example, every restaurant script contains more or less the same sequence of events: entering, being seated, ordering food, the arrival of the meal(s), eating / drinking, paying the bill, and then exiting:

Baldassano’s work, published in The Journal of Neuroscience in 2018, showed that there are two critical steps to constructing memories. As we go about our day, we record the new experiences in pieces of varying size and complexity, from simple perceptions to stunning plot twists. Meanwhile, our brains access templates (neuronal scaffolds) for these new events based on knowledge of similar ones, and place the pieces of the evolving memory in that context.

Memories, it turns out, are more like paint-by-number than rendered from scratch on a blank canvas.

And sometimes more than one script runs at once.

To test how we frame an event script’s unfolding when multiple scripts are involved, Baldassano’s team recorded short audio stories in which a social script (a breakup, proposal, business deal etc) played out over a location script (a restaurant, airport, grocery store etc). Then he gave his listeners roles to play as they listened. For a story about a marriage proposal in a restaurant, some listeners were asked to pretend they were restaurant critics, while others were cast as wedding planners.

Which frame a listener took influenced the details that person remembered from the story. Echoes of both scripts were active in all listeners, but the dominant script associated with the listener’s role aligned with significant events in the brain’s memory construction. For instance, from a wedding planner’s perspective, ordering food is not as interesting as witnessing a restaurant customer asking for another’s hand in marriage.

The implications for travel (or for day to day life) is to recognize that the way we experience and remember events arises largely from our mental states (or frames), as opposed to properties of the events themselves. Using the coloring book metaphor, we construct the narratives based on black and white neuronal scaffoldings from our past, filling them in with color and nuance and most importantly — meaning. The actual (objective) event itself, to a large extent, doesn’t exist. The scaffolding is there — restaurant, wedding planner, restaurant critic etc. But the final, stored memory is entirely dependent on the context-dependent construction.

Another implication of these new science revelations is that — since we’re in the memory construction business all of the time — we don’t really need to travel in order to have meaningful events / experiences. To fill in the color of a restaurant event’s scaffolding you can visit our own neighborhood, try a new restaurant (to you, not the restaurant owners), and ideally savor unique flavors that will result in lovely long-term memories.

There are even dining experiences held in complete darkness, also known as "dark dining" restaurants, that focus on sensory exploration. Yet another way to lay down unique, non-visual memories.

When we travel we are essentially forcing our black and while memory scaffolds to re-configure themselves. Is it still a restaurant if the seats are small plastic stools? Or is that a food stall? We are eager and willing to paint in the colors that don’t adhere to “the way things are” back home, experiencing new patterns or variations. That’s the sheer beauty of leaving our comfort zone behind.

It’s as if we desire that our brains rewire themselves. Our childhood glee at discovering something new in the well-trampled backyard becomes re-ignited as we gaze at a dreamy sunset off of Italy’s Amalfi coast, spin our heads at the 360 degree food riot at the Myeongdong night market in Seoul, or soak up the serenity of a 24 hour day of silence in Bali during Nyepi.

So do we really need to travel? When I’m traveling in a foreign country it is far easier to be made aware that the event scripts are not like the ones back home. Does that mean I have more colorful scripts than someone who has not traveled abroad? No. Since memory is an always-on evolving narrative that we actively construct, the non-traveler still colors in event scripts as much as any globe trotter. However, there may be a limit to the variety, unless the stay-at-home individual is intentionally creative.

Based on the new science behind event scripts, you can define travel as a brand new set of color markers for your coloring book. (And the coloring book itself is something you created — and maybe partly inherited — as you gradually grew to become a member of society.)

Later,

Neill

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In other words, you are willing to accept the assumption that when you go to a foreign land everyone is not there — just waiting for you to arrive — in order to cater to your needs, in your language, simply because you are spending their currency.

This willingness is especially important if you want to get off the tourist track and have genuine experiences with “locals.” It should also be obvious that the people servicing you at top tourist locations are also locals, but they’ve been trained to use your language and accept certain inter-cultural challenges in order to make your life as easy as possible.

And to a degree, you deserve some pampering while traveling, since you have saved your hard-earned money, set aside your precious time, and perhaps created expectations that everything on your bucket list will be utterly delightful.

But… for many, it’s the unplanned encounters with locals that may create the type of lasting memories you’ve been seeking. The smile you may receive when speaking a few foreign words you remembered during your research for the trip, or a free taste of a treasured local delicacy. It’s something you surely can’t plan, and that’s part of the beauty of the experience. Yet, you can increase your odds of such unexpected gratification if you zig when most people zag.

This is a local soup and noodle shop in Dalung, Bali. It is also the home of the restaurant owners, as you can see in the next photo.

This phenomenon is fairly common, especially for residents along the main drags of small towns. The owners sacrifice their garages for opportunities to pay some bills.

Here’s the menu, in Bahasa Indonesia.

And here’s what happens when I fire up my Lens app:

Google Lens Android Play Store.

Google Lens Apple App Store.

and point it at the menu:

Kwetiaw translated as vermicelli but it’s really fat noodles (yes dear reader, Google is not perfect). And if you noticed “mold” above, I did check with my wife and there’s some sort of fermented food product on offer, but it’s not something I bothered to make note of, as its a hard pass.

Since the price of this app is free (not counting that Google probably has some way of monetizing your screen captures by later sending you targeted ads while your surf the net), it’s still as transformationally glorious a product as Google maps is at getting you accurately around the globe.

So now you can ask yourself, what’s holding you back from hitting the road, Jack?

Upping your travel game just cost you next to nothing.

Later,

Neill

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My wife and I went “glamour camping,” better known as glamping, at Lake Bedugul. For 700,000 IDR ($43 USD) we had a premium cabin, including a private bathroom with a tiny stream of on-demand hot water (enough for a very modest shower), a free breakfast buffet with classics such as nasi goreng (fried rice), mie goreng (fried noodles), sausages, sliced fruit — as well as coffee or tea. (The smaller glamping units are $19 USD.)

Click the photo below for a panoramic experience of the glamping location. Once on the web page, click on the circular white arrow in order to load the image. Then you can drag your mouse (or finger) left or right to move around. You can do a full 360 degree view. (You can only see the smaller glamping units in the photo.)

As the evening unfolds it may not be an entirely zen experience, as small groups of Indonesian glampers may grab their guitars or portable loud speakers and sing into the night. After all, they’re on holiday. (Perhaps 10-15% of the music will be in English.) The vibe, however, is infinitely better than having 30 loudspeakers pumping out house music — echoing a mile in every direction — from the DJ-laden stages in the touristy beach areas of southern Bali.

Our place has a small restaurant (where the included breakfasts are served), and I recommend choosing a glamping site that has one, especially during the rainy season. The cabins are also a good refuge, but having a hot tea or coffee in the restaurant was quite lovely (and for $1.10 USD it was quite the bargain).

The next morning we bumped into the land owner of the neighboring glamping property. He was carrying a sliced bamboo pole with beet starts in it, getting ready to plant them on his land. There’s a good chance he sells veggies to bule (foreign-owned) restaurants, as they pay top dollar for unusual veggies that the Balinese do not eat, such as lettuce. They prefer something called water spinach.

The old farmer seemed to be in top physical shape, as so many are, tending happily to land that brings in more income than he ever imagined. The bule glamping trend was transformed perfectly by the Balinese for the local Indonesian crowds, an example of creative entrepreneurship without ever taking a single business school class. Even the warung / restaurant has proper wooden tables and chairs with cushions, reflective of the “glamour” in glamping versus the standard plastic tables and chairs typical of local warungs.

Whenever I see this type of thing it warms my heart, as the normal path for many Balinese (youth) are to get trained in hospitality and then work for foreign-owned hotels that move most of the profit overseas. Of course there’s something to be said for creating local employment, but very few foreign owned businesses believe in profit sharing, at least among the lowest rung of workers — waiters and housekeepers.

When traveling, whether to Bali or elsewhere, take a side trip among the locals and listen to some songs that you prefer not to hear, realizing that this is not your land. You are a welcome visitor, and be grateful that you can flourish like a rare flower, for a short while, in a manner that is slightly outside your comfort zone.

Later,

Neill

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In any case, I am very pleased that YouTubers Debbie and her mom are posting the nitty gritty about their monthly expenses in Bali. Everything that I’ve been preaching to the Facebook group has been confirmed, so follow along if you want to lower your cost of living in Bali:

Affordable Cost of Living for Retiree in Bali

“Talking with my 81-year-old Mom about the cost of living in Bali. We hope retirees can see that there are other ways to find a cost-effective lifestyle and not be at the mercy of inflation. Ever since I convinced Mom to move to Bali, she has been learning to live within her means. Since her only income is Social Security, it was impossible for her to live in the United States because she was addicted to buying things and didn't save for retirement.”

“But now Mom lives next door to me, and together, we live a new, retired, healthy, worry-free life. Plus, we eat organic foods, stay active, and find ways to entertain ourselves on the cheap. My wish is not for anyone to move to Bali but to find inspiration in this video to think outside the box and find the alternative lifestyle that best suits their situation.”

“The other thing I realize in this video (but don't really point it out) is I subconsciously created a solution, for now, to care for my elderly mother, which there was no way she or I could have afforded in the US. What happens to parents who don't have a backup plan for home care in their later years? Is it up to their children to pay for it and find a place for them in their own homes? Home health care costs a minimum of $4,000 a month, and finding a home for them costs even more money. No one ever talks about this.”

COST OF LIVING REVIEW:

Linda's Monthly Expenses (age 81)

US-related expenses - $214 USD Medicare (US medical)* 12% Social Security Tax* Subscriptions (YouTube, Newspaper, VPN, Podcasts, Skype) *Medicare and SS Tax taken out of monthly disbursement

Bali-related expenses - $1,174 USD $500 - Rent $400, Groceries $35, House maintenance/essentials $90, Entertainment: wine/beer, massages, dining out $40, Getting Around Transportation ($2-3 per trip) $15, Local pharmacy needs $35, Electricity (powers AC, lighting, 1 water pump), $44 Retirement visa, $15 Water/trash, Internet Data for Phone Linda's. TOTAL (Bali & US Expenses): $1,388 USD per month

Debbie's Monthly Expenses (age 55)

$660 - Rent, $450 - Groceries, Pet food, $160 - House maintenance (pool cleaner, maid, saltwater tank, WIFI internet, water/trash, gardener), $25 - Motorbike gas/maintenance (yes per month), $70 - Electricity (powering AC, 3 water pumps, washer/dryer, lighting), $62 - Stay Visa, $10 - Internet Data for Phone, $80 - Misc expenses, including subscriptions, $60 - Vet (having 4 animals, it’s always something), $20 - US Tax REQUIRED on bank accounts outside US over $10k. TOTAL Expenses: $1,597 USD per month

"Dreaming of traveling the world while working remotely? Discover top strategies for budget travel, embracing the digital nomad life, and achieving financial freedom. Sign up now and get your FREE budget planner!"

Link: grindnation.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Whether you are YouTuber Debbie who pre-paid her rent, or whether you build a modest house and pay with cash, freeing yourself up from monthly rent or mortgage payments is invigorating. If you add the savings of using a motor scooter instead of a car, your monthly savings gets another huge boost. You can always use an Uber type service for car rides in Bali, which is super cheap.

For more guidance on how to optimize your retirement planning, follow YouTuber Azul, a USA retired certified financial planner. Here’s a good video:

8 Things To STOP DOING After 60 (& Have MORE FUN 🎉)

Finally, regardless of your age, if you want to project future financial scenarios that may help you better plan a financially secure retirement — then get to know this amazing, free simulator: FIRECalc: A different kind of retirement calculator

Later,

Neill

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As Kurt Vonnegut said in his book Slaughterhouse-Five, “And so it goes...”

By deciding to “let it go” — in terms of creating or not creating a retirement community — at least I don’t feel burdened anymore, unlike this scooter driver (see above photo).

Mostly I feel like it’s time to reset, to figure out what are the best ways of using my time, and given that I’m 67 years old — I need to stay positive and grateful for the time I have left on this dear, incredible planet of ours.

During morning walks I sometimes come across remarkable artifacts left by the Balinese, as in the photo above of prayer offerings next to an important waterway (not in the photo). In the distance there’s a woman giving her offerings at a roadside mini-temple. There are thousands of these throughout Bali, and all it takes is a walk through a neighborhood to realize that we are all on sacred ground.

One personal project that’s underway is the sale of my existing house so that we can move to a house that has been designed, but not yet built.

The new house will hopefully look like this:

But now it looks like this:

It will be about 1/2 the property area of our current home, but that’s ok. By scaling down we will have the ability to travel more, as there’ll be less construction costs, less maintenance, and less headaches keeping us grounded.

We will still have 4 dogs to worry about when we travel, but somehow we’ll figure it out.

Yours truly with half of our dog family.

About 2 years ago I was diagnosed with glaucoma, and while I have stabilized my vision loss through a regiment of eye drops and quarterly trips to my optometrist, the diagnosis plus the day to day eye drop ritual is a constant reminder of a ticking clock — that while the universe might have 12 billion more years before its heat death, each of us is literally the blink of a blurry eye.

Deciding to actively travel and take advantage of the “good years” I have left is an unexpected bonus of having a health condition with no cure. Perhaps my vision will be stable for the rest of my life — but then again, who knows?

As some of you consider your retirement plans keep in mind that statistically, the average person peaks, health-wise, at the age of 63. You then have 16 or so years to enjoy your golden years, but your health will not be optimal. In other words, don’t wait too long to live some of your dreams (without going broke of course).

Someday there will be many senior communities in Bali. And maybe one of them will be co-created by me. Or perhaps not. It doesn’t really matter. The forces continue to be in favor of such future developments as Bali continues to be a relatively low-cost, safe, and fulfilling alternative for most anyone who wants more peace in their lives.

Later,

Neill

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to more modest deals from small developers with 2 or 3 villas to sell. Expats and digital nomads are feverishly diving in to the real estate development game, as the demand is stronger than ever.

Issues such as overdevelopment, aquifer loss, sustainability, and cultural contamination from outsiders has recently lead to a call for a moratorium on certain types of real estate development, especially in sensitive agricultural areas:

The real challenge that Bali faces isn’t an influx of foreign workers or tourists; it’s the lack of regulation enforcement and infrastructure development. Many developers ignore zoning laws, resulting in a chaotic property market that could backfire in the coming years. The solution lies in stricter regulation, better infrastructure, and more government oversight; not in limiting the number of people who come to Bali.

Bali’s future depends on its ability to balance growth with sustainability. The island is not being destroyed by Instagram influencers, but by unethical investors and a lack of government enforcement. To protect Bali’s beauty, culture, and economy, it’s time to take a long-term, responsible approach to development and to diversify into alternative economic sectors and other parts of the island.

Development is not going away, as the magic of Bali is still vibrant and the Balinese people are too strong spiritually for the island to lose its soul — of course they still want their scooters and phones, but they’re not a materialistic culture. Status is more about dedicating physical space on their land in the form of individual temples for their ancestors then it is about what type of vehicles they drive. Having said that, some of the Balinese have a love affair with Harley Davidson motorcycles, and as an American I’m both shocked… and perversely proud.

Photo above is of a Balinese landowner who seems to have the best of both worlds (capitalism & religion). His ancestral temple is now on the roof and in addition he makes passive income by renting his main street space as a restaurant.

Some of you are curious about living part or full-time in Bali, and I would encourage you to continue to pursue those dreams. Can you do it profitably? It’s possible. The hardest (and most profitable) way is to move here and oversee a housing project from scratch. That means everything from buying or leasing land, to finding an architect, a builder, an interior designer, and of course people to help you with the permit and fee parts of the puzzle.

Having others do it just means losing some of the profit you’d be able to make on your own, assuming you can navigate all of the hurdles without too many mistakes. Even if you could manage to do it all by yourself, you still need to figure out the best location.

One option is to invest in Bali’s only real estate fund, called the Kedungu Fund. There’s currently 43 investors and about $4.35 million USD that is devoted to responsible development (see map below, in the upper left corner):

You can watch this 1 hour and 24 minute video of the Kedungu Fund,

or you can listen to these two conversation bots sum it up in 12 minutes (you’ll think they’re real people! To access the audio you’ll need a Google account):

This might be what the bots look like in the new unreality of artificial intelligence.

For transparency I should mention that I’m one of the current 43 investors in the Kedungu Fund (although probably one of the smallest).

As always, let me now your thoughts.

Neill

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I uploaded both of those documents to Google's NotebookLM, an experimental website that turns documents into "conversations" between two audio bots that sound like humans. It's both impressive and scary, mostly because the future is... here...

It's 10 minutes:

Click here

Enjoy,

Neill

On the other hand we now have a longevity bonus of almost 4 decades compared to 120 years ago, from an average lifespan of 32 years in 1900 to 71 years in 2021.

Recently I came across a re-framing of the standard linear “lifeplan” that society has laid out for us by the senior advocate and author Ken Dychtwalk. He proposes a new cyclic lifespan:

Here’s a different view:

The cyclic lifespan helps us re-think the linear idea of working for 40 or 50 years in a row and then transitioning to your golden years when your body and mind is already post-optimal:

In fact the cyclic lifespan allows everyone from high schoolers onward to capture leisure time while one’s health is at its peak.

Rethinking Life Stages to Maximize the Longevity Bonus

Early Career (Ages 20-35)

• Career Planning: Embrace diverse job experiences. Explore different industries and roles to find your passion.

• Continued Education: Pursue further education and certifications to keep skills relevant.

• Networking: Build a broad professional network that includes mentors and peers from various age groups.

• Work-Life Balance: Incorporate leisure and self-care into your routine to build a sustainable lifestyle.

Mid-Career (Ages 35-50)

• Career Shifts: Don’t be afraid to switch careers if you find a new interest or if your current role no longer fulfills you.

• Skill Enhancement: Take courses or attend workshops to stay updated in your field or to learn new skills.

• Intergenerational Mentorship: Engage in mentorship programs, both as a mentor and a mentee.

• Health and Wellness: Focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle to ensure long-term well-being.

Late Career and Retirement (Ages 50+)

• Continued Engagement: Consider part-time work, consultancy, or volunteering to stay active and engaged.

• Lifelong Learning: Enroll in courses or participate in community education programs.

• Intergenerational Living: Explore living arrangements that promote interaction with younger generations.

• Health Focus: Prioritize preventive healthcare and wellness activities.

In terms of community building, it might mean that an intergenerational focus with a strong education core is the most appropriate way to go.

And so here’s the question: Would you rather be a part of an “active living” (retirement) community or an intergenerational community? Or neither? (And by community, it can be a campus, a residential complex, rented spaces at a hotel — or even virtual to some extent.)

Please help me by taking the poll below. Thanks

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Looking forward to your comments.

Neill

We had the pleasure of speaking with Neill, whose journey has taken him from the USA to the serene rice fields of Bali. With over three decades of experience on both coasts of the USA, Neill’s path to paradise was not a straight line, but rather a series of explorations and thoughtful decisions.

From an initial month-long visit in early 2017, Neill felt an immediate connection with Bali’s unique “vibe,” setting it apart from other Asian destinations. This resonance led to the purchase of a villa and an eventual permanent move, marking the beginning of a new chapter in a tropical haven.

Join us as we delve into the motivations, preparations, and experiences that shaped Neill’s decision to retire in Bali, the challenges faced along the way, and the incredible opportunities discovered in this island paradise. Whether you’re considering a similar retirement move or simply curious about life in Bali, this interview promises to offer valuable insights and inspiration.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and where are you originally from?

I’m from the USA, both sides of the coast: born in Brooklyn, NY but lived for over 30 years on the west coast. Twenty years in California, as well as Oregon and Washington for over 10 years.

When did you first arrive in Bali, and what brought you here?

I arrived for a month-long visit in early February 2017. This was the third month-long trip in 3 years with an eye towards retiring in Asia. The first year, 2015, I spent a month in Thailand. In 2016 I spent 2 weeks in Vietnam and 2 weeks in Cambodia.

What motivated you to do a Bali retirement, and how did you go about making the decision to do so?

For some reason the Bali “vibe” resonated with me almost immediately, unlike the feelings I had in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Those other countries have their beauty and specialness, but both the Balinese people and the entrepreneurship here won me over. The closest I came to getting sidetracked was in Kampot, Cambodia (home of the best black pepper in the world). It’s a small river town and it’s been growing leaps and bounds these past 5 years or so.

How did you prepare for your retirement and the move to Bali? Did you encounter any challenges during the process? 

During my month-long trip to Bali in February 2017 I was so taken by the island that after 3 weeks I started looking at villas, mostly as a lark. But as fate would have it, I found a brand new villa about 90% finished, with an outstanding rice field view, about 8 minutes north of Canggu by scooter. At first I thought it was silly to buy it before I was ready to move to Bali, but it was one of these emotional connections that you sometimes get with a house. In this particular case I was able to specify the final finishes that I wanted, and the developers would live there for the 6 months or so it would take me to go back to the USA and unwind my possessions, etc. This meant the villa would be safe until I arrived as a fresh expat.

For the visa process I found an agent online, and while I was worried about losing the $800 USD I had to send in advance, everything worked out smoothly. When I arrived in Bali I was met at the airport by my “online girlfriend” who I met on Tinder about 2 months before moving to Bali. She’s Indonesian and of course she helped make the transition a lot easier than if I had moved to Bali on my own. Seven years later we’re married and all is well.

Where in Bali do you live, and what made you choose that location?

I’ve lived in three places in Bali. I bought a new villa north of Canggu, as mentioned above, because Canggu was not terribly busy at the time and the offerings there – from food to entertainment to the beach scene, was irresistible. 

In less than a year I decided to rent my villa, as I found it too big a space for just my girlfriend (and now wife) and myself. It has 3 bedrooms plus a TV room (which can also be a guest room). I found a lovely Australian family that was sending their three girls to the Green School in Ubud, and they rented my place for 2 years, making much better use of the villa than Shelly and I were able to.

During that time, while renting out my villa, we moved to a “cabin” rental near Pererenan beach. I bought land 800 meters from the beach and planned to build a boutique hotel / fancy guest house (called Ohana Retreat Bali). I had done some speculative real estate development in the USA, after leaving Silicon Valley (when you’re over 50 years old you’re a dinosaur in the high tech world), and decided to work with a young Indonesian architecture firm and build something with a Balinese builder. It was 3 months of design plus a full year of construction. In the end it was very rewarding (hindsight only), as we really loved living there and meeting guests from all over the world.

Less than 9 months into our new life in hospitality Covid-19 decided to visit. During those two years we had on average 1 guest a month (Ohana has six rooms plus an apartment). Sometimes we enjoyed having a private hotel just for my wife and I, but in reality that isn’t what anyone wants (for more than a week or so). In addition I decided that hospitality isn’t really for me, and so we sold Ohana the same month the airport opened post-Covid (knowing that if we held it longer we could avoid the Covid discount). 

Now I live where mostly locals live, on a dead-end street, in Dalung. We spent a year building a house and moved there in April 2023. It’s a nice change of pace from living among tourists. There’s a few bule (foreigners) renting rooms or small villas here and there, but mostly it’s a “suburban” Bali scene. I say suburban because it does not have a history as its own village. About 10-15 years ago some local developers started building kavlings (row houses) among the abandoned rice fields and undeveloped land.

How would you describe the positives of retiring in Bali? Include example ideas like cost-of-living comparisons.

There’s a dramatic difference in the cost of living between the USA and Bali. Building a house, even with relatively expensive land costs in Bali is perhaps ⅕ of the cost in the USA. Having done speculative building there, starting with raw land, permits, contractor bids, etc – to staging the homes for the purposes of selling them – I know the details. It can be as much as ⅙ the costs in more popular places like the San Francisco Bay Area. So simple math converts a $250k USD house in Bali (including land) to $1.5m USD. And since taxes are 1% of the value, that converts to $15k USD per year in USA property tax, compared to well less than $1k here.

I should mention that if you buy a villa from a developer you may save ⅓ of the USA price, not ⅕ or more. But you will need to spend a year of your life visiting the building site and essentially being a part-time project manager.

Other positives are the weather (if you like the tropics for 12 months a year), the friendly people, island life, and lots more.

What are some challenges you face when living in Bali? How do you overcome them?

I’d say the infrastructure challenges are increasingly annoying. Maybe 40% of the time. I’m 67 years old and still drive a scooter, but at some point I’ll probably hire a driver or buy a small car. But I won’t drive the car, as it’s too frustrating. 

We’ve had some difficulty getting our final building permit, but now we’ve resolved all of the bureaucratic demands from the government office and are hopeful about receiving our final approval soon.

Language is a problem, as my brain only understands a little of Bahasa regardless of whether I hire a teacher or use an app. But I also rely on my wife too much, and so now I’m stuck with mostly English. The little Bahasa I use is enough to show the locals that I’m not a full-on tourist, but I do regret not being able to have deeper conversations with some of the fine people I meet here.

The best way to face one’s challenges is to remain optimistic. Over time most things work out, and anxiety makes it worse.

You started the Facebook group Retire in Bali with nearly 15k! Tell us more! 

For almost 4 years I’ve been trying to develop a retirement community in Bali. A gated community for 55+ with resort-like amenities etc. The development partner I have recommended I start the community online and that way, when we get the community built, we can have a list of seniors ready to join. I really don’t like social media but I do like my partner, and so I listened to him. After doing very little the group of mostly Australians has grown to almost 15k. If I was even mediocre at social media it would probably be double the size, as most people who join are worried about the increased cost of living in Australia, etc. And that problem is only growing. Bali is a great alternative, but the best option for seniors is probably to rent a villa in Sanur. At least until senior community housing gets established.

How has living in Bali influenced your life, and what opportunities have you found here?

My 7 years in Bali has changed me quite a bit, mostly in the sense of not wanting to do unnecessary things. Just sitting on my terrace after the heat of the day has passed and enjoying even the slight breezes that are no longer “hot” is so lovely (I can’t really say “cool breezes” because it’s never really cool here). And then looking up in the sky and maybe seeing a few kites that the Balinese are flying in my neighbourhood. Well that’s the icing on the cake, so to speak.

The main opportunity here for me has been this idea of senior community housing. My efforts have not been fulfilled yet but sometimes the pioneering discussions are like tiny ripples in a pond that grow a bit bigger as others engage in the conversation. Once the Bali International Hospital opens its doors any month now in Sanur we’ll see more and more discussions not only about medical tourism, but retirement in Bali too.

What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about Bali, and how would you correct them?

Bali can be marketed as a paradise, but it’s far from it. There’s not only infrastructure problems, there’s pollution from plastics, rice and garbage burning, poverty, and less opportunities for women than in most first-world countries, etc. 

I don’t think stopping tourism is an answer as it’s deeply embedded with the Bali economy. Encouraging visitors to areas of Bali outside of the southern tourist zones would be an improvement. 

The middle class in Indonesia is young and getting stronger and the forecast for 2050 is that Indonesia will be the fourth largest country in the world by GNP (gross national product) and in the top 10 countries by the mid-2030s.

Can you walk us through what a typical day looks like for you in Dalung?

When we wake up (around 6:30) we have a few chores to do before we take our morning walk around the neighbourhood. Sometimes we bring 1 or 2 of our 4 dogs (I know that’s too many so talk to my wife). Then it’s breakfast and after that I get up to date about the news of the world, as well as check for messages regarding my senior community project, my Facebook group, etc.

We are lucky to have a maid that prepares our lunch, although my wife goes to the pasar (local market) to buy fresh meat, fish, veggies and fruit. Lunch is the main meal of the day for us. I may have meetings a few times a week, but until my partners and I lock in a land deal and financing for a senior community, I consider myself partially retired.

What would you say is the best thing about living in Bali? 

I like living on an island, although most days I might not be very aware of it. But I do believe it’s part of the vibe here, as it made the Balinese a remarkable culture. As you’re aware, islands are unique ecosystems, and that includes the people.

What are some factors that retirees looking to live in Bali should consider?

If you don’t have an Indonesian partner you will certainly be faced with more challenges. But if you dip your toes in and get off of the tourist track for maybe a month or 2 month visit, you’ll find out whether it’s for you or not. If you are frail or worried about adjusting to the particularities of life in a foreign land, then it’s perfectly OK to be a short-term hotel visitor. If you have a sense of adventure and are willing to deal with a bout of Bali belly or a spider bite, then the positives FAR outweigh the negatives in the Island of the Gods.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience living in Bali that we haven’t covered yet?

I discussed the Bali “vibe” a couple of times and I don’t mean it to be some hippie notion or some new age nonsense. If you don’t feel the specialness of Bali, that’s perfectly fine. I still miss the Amalfi coast of Italy from time to time. And the golden evening light in the wine country north of San Francisco is mind-bendingly beautiful. And other places too. But Bali is good enough for me, most of the time.

This article was originally posted here.

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Here’s what the first newsletter looks like:

Hello from Neill

Thank you for filling out the “Get your own Villa in Bali” form. This email list will be more focused on the opportunities around securing your own living space during your visits to Bali.

A majority of you are interested in both spending time in Bali and possibly making money renting a villa that you would buy or lease.

In order for you to understand the real estate market trends in Bali, please have a listen to this short Instagram video, as well as visit the REID real estate analysis website if you want more data.

I’ve been living in Bali for 7 years and every time I think that Bali is getting saturated with visitors, it just keeps on growing and getting good media coverage. Of course there are problems here, but in terms of real estate investing, it’s been more positive than I had imagined.

The next big issue for our group are the Visa questions. I recommend Bali Solve, based in Pererenan, but there are many agents who can help answer your questions. One of the simplest solutions is to come to Bali with a 60 day tourist visa, and Bali Solve will renew it for you 2 months at a time without you needing to visit the Immigration office (for approx. $285 AUD each renewal). There are also 180 day visas which are also worth pursuing. For full-time expat living there are several options, so make an appointment to have a phone call with an agent. Here’s another agent that many Australians use, Bali Legals.

In terms of buying a villa, unless you are going to use it 12 months a year you will need management. There are scores of management companies and my recommendation is to visit the ones closest to the property’s location.

There are also many developers selling entire packages (villa / apartment ownership plus management). Here’s a list of some of them.

Finally, a note about prefabs, which have been a personal favorite of mine for a while. The construction industry has not made the leaps and bounds with technology in comparison to other industries. However, the prefab module category is moving in some interesting directions. There are 2 main benefits: turn-around time to get a unit, and ease of installation.

In Bali the construction process is a unique mix of tradition methods (for example bamboo poles for supporting concrete floor pours), with some modern methods such as concrete trucks with hoses for larger pours. However, the main techniques are on the crude side, which is compensated by the price per square meter (probably about 1/3 of Australia - maybe even 1/4).

With prefabs the units are made in factories with modern methods, weather protection, etc. And the building site can be prepared during the same time period that your villa is being built in the factory. Finally, a prefab can be moved, so a leased property does not have the same consequence as building a standard house on a local landowner’s land.  

If you want to pursue that, please contact Andreas (click to email him below). He’s the sales manager at Escape Nomade, the best luxury tent builder in Bali (and possibly all of Asia). They are expanding into smaller sized prefab houses. Prices start at $95,000 USD.

Email Andreas

That’s about it for now.

Later,

Neill

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Part IV will be about moving forward after two failed land deal signings. On April 4th and then again on April 16th the landowner backed away from attending the notary meetings (leaving us with unsigned land certificates as well as our business agreement document).

However, just recently we got a lead on a new landowner in an even prettier part of Bali that’s interested in our revenue-share model. The main reason we are having difficulties in getting a deal done is that land is expensive in the more accessible parts of Bali and rather than trying to fund the land as well as the project development, we want to primarily focus on project development. It may even be possible to pre-sell residential units and thereby reduce our capital needs even further.

Since we want a real community (meaning 50+ residences) it’s going to be a hurdle to get it off the ground.

For now it’s still worth giving it a go.

Some hints about this new land opportunity. It’s next to a day resort with beach access that the land owner owns (along with some investors).

Flamingo Beach Club Bali

Second, there’s a great hospital only 3km away.

Third, Kasih Ibu Hospital is partners with Hovicare:

Hovi Care is an independent, family-run chain of elderly care service companies. The company has its roots in Finland, where the first nursing home was founded already 30 years ago.

Hovi Care, in collaboration with Kasih Ibu Hospital Group, proudly presents Hovi Club Teuku Umar. Hovi Club for Seniors has a warm atmosphere for our beloved parents. It provides many interesting activities for elders, such as games, karaoke, handcrafts, gardening, arts, cooking and excursions.

As you can see, it’s got many of the ideal features we would want: an awesome location with beach access, proper medical facilities a few minutes away, and expertise in eldercare for those who need to transition from active living to assisted living.

The most important ingredient of all is a sensible landowner who has a shared vision for what this project can become: a game changer for senior living in Bali.

The next meeting is June 28th, when we present the revenue sharing model. Let’s hope we make progress. The first “get to know you meeting” went very well.

Later,

Neill

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