Leaving Trinidad for good...

[triniterribletim]

d other side of d coin ....

https://newsday.co.tt/2023/07/17/canada ... bqeWNVEkOc

Share your progress here, if you can.

I'm heading out very soon (a few weeks god willing) so you can ask me questions about my journey up to now and I will try to share what I feel comfortable answering.

I've been commenting in this thread for a while now so you can look at my comment history to see if I've posted anything useful for you so far.

One thing I know many people are curious about is getting your money out of T&T and the one thing I would say is, if you are using FCB to save your money you will struggle to get your money out when the time comes. Not to sound too much like Zoom but FCB is a PNM bank through and through. FCB is a good bank if you want to have a local safety net just in case things don't work out for you abroad (although UTC is much better) but if you expect any of that money to be wire transferred to another country, you better be prepared for many frustrating and long delays.

The smartest thing I've done in my Leavingforgood journey has been to work my plan backward. I started with figuring out where I want to go, what legal routes I will need to take to get there, and how much money I would need to save up. Then I worked things back, like how long would it take to reach my savings goal based on my current income, what side jobs can I pick up to increase my savings, who do I know would be willing to help me achieve my plan, etc.

When I initially started my plan looking at my daily life, my goal of leaving this place felt really overwhelming because I felt like I was dividing my hopes and goals in too many directions without a solid plan.

I wanted to get out of this place for over a decade but got serious about leaving T&T 3 years ago and gave myself a 3-year deadline. Although things haven't turned out exactly like I planned (I haven't won the lotto plus jackpot yet but let's see what Saturday holds) I am grateful to say I achieved it in my goal timeframe.

Just use your FCB Credit Card and pay it from your savings/chequing account. I don't think I'll be moving back to Trini on a permanent basis, so when whatever is in there is done, then I don't think I'll be continuing the use of their services once I manage to burn through whatever TTD I have remaining. Already got new credit cards through my banks that I opened accounts with here in Brazil, it wasn't hard at all.

[leavingforgood]

Just use your FCB Credit Card and pay it from your savings/chequing account. I don't think I'll be moving back to Trini on a permanent basis, so when whatever is in there is done, then I don't think I'll be continuing the use of their services once I manage to burn through whatever TTD I have remaining. Already got new credit cards through my banks that I opened accounts with here in Brazil, it wasn't hard at all.

A credit card is good for small day-to-day expenses, but for those who have a bulk of their money locally and do not want to start from scratch financially e.g. those who sold their houses here in T&T with plans of using that money as a downpayment on a new house abroad, they would need to wire the money abroad which could be a headache but I would recommend going that route than leaving a bulk of your money here in T&T with its piss poor interest rates.

My plan is to put through a new wire transfer request every 6 months when I visit to tie up loose ends until I empty my local accounts. Like you, I know without a doubt that my time calling T&T home is over.

I tried to get a credit card from FCB as a backup credit card and they are telling me the wait is 6-8 weeks smh. I will fight that battle another day, I don't have time for that headache.

[shake d livin wake d dead]

So my neighbors finally called it quits and buss out. They were in the US for some time, came back to do renovations etc....stayed for about a year and decided trinidad is a sheithole....left the house and car under the care of a sibling and goneeeee!!!

[adnj]

Just use your FCB Credit Card and pay it from your savings/chequing account. I don't think I'll be moving back to Trini on a permanent basis, so when whatever is in there is done, then I don't think I'll be continuing the use of their services once I manage to burn through whatever TTD I have remaining. Already got new credit cards through my banks that I opened accounts with here in Brazil, it wasn't hard at all.

A credit card is good for small day-to-day expenses, but for those who have a bulk of their money locally and do not want to start from scratch financially e.g. those who sold their houses here in T&T with plans of using that money as a downpayment on a new house abroad, they would need to wire the money abroad which could be a headache but I would recommend going that route than leaving a bulk of your money here in T&T with its piss poor interest rates.

My plan is to put through a new wire transfer request every 6 months when I visit to tie up loose ends until I empty my local accounts. Like you, I know without a doubt that my time calling T&T home is over.

I tried to get a credit card from FCB as a backup credit card and they are telling me the wait is 6-8 weeks smh. I will fight that battle another day, I don't have time for that headache.

Why are you having such a hard time wire transferring to an off-shore account? There aren't any limits on the amount of money that you can transfer. You can transfer TTD, if you accept the receiving bank's exchange rates.

Trinidad's everyday savings account rates aren't much more than what you get in the US. Most banks in the US are paying about 0.01% — unless you have a premium account or a certificate of deposit.

If you looked into wiring money, you should have an account already. And you should have already known all of this.

[triniterribletim]

Just use your FCB Credit Card and pay it from your savings/chequing account. I don't think I'll be moving back to Trini on a permanent basis, so when whatever is in there is done, then I don't think I'll be continuing the use of their services once I manage to burn through whatever TTD I have remaining. Already got new credit cards through my banks that I opened accounts with here in Brazil, it wasn't hard at all.

A credit card is good for small day-to-day expenses, but for those who have a bulk of their money locally and do not want to start from scratch financially e.g. those who sold their houses here in T&T with plans of using that money as a downpayment on a new house abroad, they would need to wire the money abroad which could be a headache but I would recommend going that route than leaving a bulk of your money here in T&T with its piss poor interest rates.

My plan is to put through a new wire transfer request every 6 months when I visit to tie up loose ends until I empty my local accounts. Like you, I know without a doubt that my time calling T&T home is over.

I tried to get a credit card from FCB as a backup credit card and they are telling me the wait is 6-8 weeks smh. I will fight that battle another day, I don't have time for that headache.

Ah, I see. Yeah, that would be a bottleneck. I was able to buy an apartment through a payment plan I worked out with my real estate agency where they would bill me a certain amount each month for a two year period, all through my credit card, of course that was only around 20000 USD, which doesnt get you far in the US. I did the same for my car, all they wanted me to demonstrate was my ability to pay for the item, which I could with my certified financial statements I got apostilled before I left. Although they definitely do things differently in Brazil, so you probably won't have terms as favorable as those in North America.

[AlphaMan]

Just use your FCB Credit Card and pay it from your savings/chequing account. I don't think I'll be moving back to Trini on a permanent basis, so when whatever is in there is done, then I don't think I'll be continuing the use of their services once I manage to burn through whatever TTD I have remaining. Already got new credit cards through my banks that I opened accounts with here in Brazil, it wasn't hard at all.

A credit card is good for small day-to-day expenses, but for those who have a bulk of their money locally and do not want to start from scratch financially e.g. those who sold their houses here in T&T with plans of using that money as a downpayment on a new house abroad, they would need to wire the money abroad which could be a headache but I would recommend going that route than leaving a bulk of your money here in T&T with its piss poor interest rates.

My plan is to put through a new wire transfer request every 6 months when I visit to tie up loose ends until I empty my local accounts. Like you, I know without a doubt that my time calling T&T home is over.

I tried to get a credit card from FCB as a backup credit card and they are telling me the wait is 6-8 weeks smh. I will fight that battle another day, I don't have time for that headache.

What job letter and payslip did you use to apply for that FCB card?
Are you gainfully employed in Trinidad?

[leavingforgood]

Just use your FCB Credit Card and pay it from your savings/chequing account. I don't think I'll be moving back to Trini on a permanent basis, so when whatever is in there is done, then I don't think I'll be continuing the use of their services once I manage to burn through whatever TTD I have remaining. Already got new credit cards through my banks that I opened accounts with here in Brazil, it wasn't hard at all.

A credit card is good for small day-to-day expenses, but for those who have a bulk of their money locally and do not want to start from scratch financially e.g. those who sold their houses here in T&T with plans of using that money as a downpayment on a new house abroad, they would need to wire the money abroad which could be a headache but I would recommend going that route than leaving a bulk of your money here in T&T with its piss poor interest rates.

My plan is to put through a new wire transfer request every 6 months when I visit to tie up loose ends until I empty my local accounts. Like you, I know without a doubt that my time calling T&T home is over.

I tried to get a credit card from FCB as a backup credit card and they are telling me the wait is 6-8 weeks smh. I will fight that battle another day, I don't have time for that headache.

Why are you having such a hard time wire transferring to an off-shore account? There aren't any limits on the amount of money that you can transfer. You can transfer TTD, if you accept the receiving bank's exchange rates.

Trinidad's everyday savings account rates aren't much more than what you get in the US. Most banks in the US are paying about 0.01% — unless you have a premium account or a certificate of deposit.

If you looked into wiring money, you should have an account already. And you should have already known all of this.

From your response, I can tell you are either being disingenuous or you are simply ignorant about the emigration process from T&T.

There are limits on the amount of foreign currency you can wire to foreign banks in almost every currency. I have not tried to transfer TTD to a foreign TTD account, nor will I ever open a foreign TTD account which is the only time you will not meet any major restrictions on transferring your funds internationally.

If you are transferring TTD to a foreign USD/BBD/GBP/EUR/CHF bank account there will be delays in your transfer, especially if the amount you are transferring is considered to be large. There are no limits to the amount of money you can transfer, however, there are limits to the amount of foreign currency you will be allocated at any one time.

The delays you experience in one local bank compared to another local bank differ and FCB has been the absolute worse compared to my experiences at other local banks. I have been wiring money to foreign accounts for years so I am not sharing anyone else's experience but my own.

Trinidad's everyday savings and investment account rates are drastically lower than what you get in the US. There are many US savings accounts where you get 1-5% rates (they are called high-yield savings accounts) and their investment returns have steadily been 7% and over.

I would recommend sharing your personal experiences if you have information that is contrary to my own but please do not share general information that you have read somewhere online or heard from your friend's uncle cousin's brother because your post is bordering on misinformation.

[MaxPower]

Plenty Trinis making the move to stay illegally in the US as usual.

I think most of them maridding the family up there for papers.

[leavingforgood]

Just use your FCB Credit Card and pay it from your savings/chequing account. I don't think I'll be moving back to Trini on a permanent basis, so when whatever is in there is done, then I don't think I'll be continuing the use of their services once I manage to burn through whatever TTD I have remaining. Already got new credit cards through my banks that I opened accounts with here in Brazil, it wasn't hard at all.

A credit card is good for small day-to-day expenses, but for those who have a bulk of their money locally and do not want to start from scratch financially e.g. those who sold their houses here in T&T with plans of using that money as a downpayment on a new house abroad, they would need to wire the money abroad which could be a headache but I would recommend going that route than leaving a bulk of your money here in T&T with its piss poor interest rates.

My plan is to put through a new wire transfer request every 6 months when I visit to tie up loose ends until I empty my local accounts. Like you, I know without a doubt that my time calling T&T home is over.

I tried to get a credit card from FCB as a backup credit card and they are telling me the wait is 6-8 weeks smh. I will fight that battle another day, I don't have time for that headache.

Ah, I see. Yeah, that would be a bottleneck. I was able to buy an apartment through a payment plan I worked out with my real estate agency where they would bill me a certain amount each month for a two year period, all through my credit card, of course that was only around 20000 USD, which doesn't get you far in the US. I did the same for my car, all they wanted me to demonstrate was my ability to pay for the item, which I could with my certified financial statements I got apostilled before I left. Although they definitely do things differently in Brazil, so you probably won't have terms as favorable as those in North America.

That sounds like the dream, when it was all done what did the interest and credit card fees add up to and did you think it was reasonable? I looked into something similar in my scenario and the interest and fees weren't worth it even with my credit card's cash-back rewards.

I secured an apartment so will be renting for 1-2 years to get a rental history then will be buying a home with a large downpayment god willing. For those thinking of moving to the US, if you don't have a credit score but you have a healthy downpayment (15% - 20%), many credit unions and some banks use 1 year of US rental history to help qualify you for a mortgage through manual underwriting and you get the same interest rate as everyone else.

Something others should consider (especially those moving to North America like myself) is the more money you wire abroad, the sooner you can put it into an investment account for it to grow so when you are ready to buy a home you will have a larger downpayment than you would if you keep your money in T&T. I started wiring money to my US-based investment account 3 years ago to take advance of the COVID drop and my YTD return is +10.9%

I live a debt-free lifestyle so that also plays a big part in my experiences and the options I choose.

[leavingforgood]

Just use your FCB Credit Card and pay it from your savings/chequing account. I don't think I'll be moving back to Trini on a permanent basis, so when whatever is in there is done, then I don't think I'll be continuing the use of their services once I manage to burn through whatever TTD I have remaining. Already got new credit cards through my banks that I opened accounts with here in Brazil, it wasn't hard at all.

A credit card is good for small day-to-day expenses, but for those who have a bulk of their money locally and do not want to start from scratch financially e.g. those who sold their houses here in T&T with plans of using that money as a downpayment on a new house abroad, they would need to wire the money abroad which could be a headache but I would recommend going that route than leaving a bulk of your money here in T&T with its piss poor interest rates.

My plan is to put through a new wire transfer request every 6 months when I visit to tie up loose ends until I empty my local accounts. Like you, I know without a doubt that my time calling T&T home is over.

I tried to get a credit card from FCB as a backup credit card and they are telling me the wait is 6-8 weeks smh. I will fight that battle another day, I don't have time for that headache.

What job letter and payslip did you use to apply for that FCB card?
Are you gainfully employed in Trinidad?

I am gainfully employed in T&T, have been for years, and will be up until the end of September.

[adnj]

Something others should consider (especially those moving to North America like myself) is the more money you wire abroad, the sooner you can put it into an investment account for it to grow so when you are ready to buy a home you will have a larger downpayment than you would if you keep your money in T&T. I started wiring money to my US-based investment account 3 years ago to take advance of the COVID drop and my YTD return is +10.9%

I live a debt-free lifestyle so that also plays a big part in my experiences and the options I choose.

Too bad that you weren't smart enough to wire all that cash at the same time to avoid multiple transfer fees and enjoy a compounded rate of return.

Anyone, almost anywhere, can deposit funds into a US-based account. The only headache is filing income taxes due from capital gains.

[triniterribletim]

Just use your FCB Credit Card and pay it from your savings/chequing account. I don't think I'll be moving back to Trini on a permanent basis, so when whatever is in there is done, then I don't think I'll be continuing the use of their services once I manage to burn through whatever TTD I have remaining. Already got new credit cards through my banks that I opened accounts with here in Brazil, it wasn't hard at all.

A credit card is good for small day-to-day expenses, but for those who have a bulk of their money locally and do not want to start from scratch financially e.g. those who sold their houses here in T&T with plans of using that money as a downpayment on a new house abroad, they would need to wire the money abroad which could be a headache but I would recommend going that route than leaving a bulk of your money here in T&T with its piss poor interest rates.

My plan is to put through a new wire transfer request every 6 months when I visit to tie up loose ends until I empty my local accounts. Like you, I know without a doubt that my time calling T&T home is over.

I tried to get a credit card from FCB as a backup credit card and they are telling me the wait is 6-8 weeks smh. I will fight that battle another day, I don't have time for that headache.

Ah, I see. Yeah, that would be a bottleneck. I was able to buy an apartment through a payment plan I worked out with my real estate agency where they would bill me a certain amount each month for a two year period, all through my credit card, of course that was only around 20000 USD, which doesn't get you far in the US. I did the same for my car, all they wanted me to demonstrate was my ability to pay for the item, which I could with my certified financial statements I got apostilled before I left. Although they definitely do things differently in Brazil, so you probably won't have terms as favorable as those in North America.

That sounds like the dream, when it was all done what did the interest and credit card fees add up to and did you think it was reasonable? I looked into something similar in my scenario and the interest and fees weren't worth it even with my credit card's cash-back rewards.

I secured an apartment so will be renting for 1-2 years to get a rental history then will be buying a home with a large downpayment god willing. For those thinking of moving to the US, if you don't have a credit score but you have a healthy downpayment (15% - 20%), many credit unions and some banks use 1 year of US rental history to help qualify you for a mortgage through manual underwriting and you get the same interest rate as everyone else.

Something others should consider (especially those moving to North America like myself) is the more money you wire abroad, the sooner you can put it into an investment account for it to grow so when you are ready to buy a home you will have a larger downpayment than you would if you keep your money in T&T. I started wiring money to my US-based investment account 3 years ago to take advance of the COVID drop and my YTD return is +10.9%

I live a debt-free lifestyle so that also plays a big part in my experiences and the options I choose.

The interest rate on payments was almost negligible, since the payment method they have known as parcelado is ubiquitous for splitting payments into pieces. Even if people can pay for things in one go ( á vista ) unless there is a deep discount for doing so, they prefer to break it up into 6-10 Interest free payments ( sem juros ). My credit card is always paid off, so I didn't have any interest fees on the local side of things. Each month I run something like 3000 USD through it, most of the times less though. That's enough for my apartment payment, my car payment and living expenses here, which will be fully paid off within the first half of next year.

[The_Honourable]

Appreciate the wealth of info leavingforgood and triniterribletim as you are both actually going through the experience.

Keep up with the updates.

[Dohplaydat]

How much are you guys making living away? Just curious about it.

[Xplode]

How much are you guys making living away? Just curious about it.

With my leaf filter gutter system contracts here in Florida ,slow month I make $9000 to $15000 USD a month after i pay off my workers and utilities.

[triniterribletim]

How much are you guys making living away? Just curious about it.

I'm retired, so I'm no longer chasing the almighty dollar although I still have a few investments that yield around 2500 USD in income after taxes each fiscal quarter that goes into a separate account that is off limits unless it's a critical emergency, or a lucrative investment opportunity presents itself and I am unable to finance it with my slush fund. Apart from that, I have the early retirement fund that I put together that services my financial obligations for the present and foreseeable future.

[88sins]

How much are you guys making living away? Just curious about it.

Understand something. Gopaul luck ain't Seepaul luck, and it ain't all about luck at all. When you boil it all down, is about you and your capabilities and abilities and yself imposed limitations and restrictions.

How much/little you can make, is directly dependent on the mindset you have, and the amount of suffering and grinding and hustling that you personally are willing to do/endure to accomplish your set goals and objectives.
Some ppl leave here and work 3 jobs for 20 years come back with next to nothing, others work for 6 months and start their own thing and gt and remain overseas as millionaires, and yet others start their own and buss after a year. There's ppl with degrees working in fast food for minimum wage, and then there's ppl with barely a high school diploma making 7 figure annual salaries out there.
Meanwhile, ithers stay here, and some ketch dey skunt, and others do ok and skate by, and then yet others flying higher than the sun and living a nice life.

No matter where you are
Find out what a significant part of the population need or want, and a cost efficient mechanism to supply and fulfill that need with as little competition as possible, and you will make the money to do at least fairly well.
Or, work certain systems against themselves and make them make money for you. This may require some capital, but is actually an option.



Go brave, or go home, the choice is entirely all yours

[Dohplaydat]

How much are you guys making living away? Just curious about it.

Understand something. Gopaul luck ain't Seepaul luck, and it ain't all about luck at all. When you boil it all down, is about you and your capabilities and abilities and yself imposed limitations and restrictions.

How much/little you can make, is directly dependent on the mindset you have, and the amount of suffering and grinding and hustling that you personally are willing to do/endure to accomplish your set goals and objectives.
Some ppl leave here and work 3 jobs for 20 years come back with next to nothing, others work for 6 months and start their own thing and gt and remain overseas as millionaires, and yet others start their own and buss after a year. There's ppl with degrees working in fast food for minimum wage, and then there's ppl with barely a high school diploma making 7 figure annual salaries out there.
Meanwhile, ithers stay here, and some ketch dey skunt, and others do ok and skate by, and then yet others flying higher than the sun and living a nice life.

No matter where you are
Find out what a significant part of the population need or want, and a cost efficient mechanism to supply and fulfill that need with as little competition as possible, and you will make the money to do at least fairly well.
Or, work certain systems against themselves and make them make money for you. This may require some capital, but is actually an option.



Go brave, or go home, the choice is entirely all yours

I know that, I just wanted to see the earnings of some of these guys to better understand their quality of life away and how they'd compare it to TT.

I have a good life here and I used to work away, it's often tempting to go back as while TT is great, you're limited. But adjusting is hard, pros and cons with anything in life.

Not sure if I just want a change, because the jobs I can get in the UK or US pay well, but I feel my lifestyle in trini now will be superior in many ways.

Crime, sheit roads and traffic is getting to me though.

I just rambling, it's all a personal decision.

[SuperiorMan]

In what way is Trinidad better other than family and friends? Genuinely curious not denying.

[Chimera]

The lifestyle here nice if you can afford it. Beaches and rivers nearby is an amazing thing.

The weather is great

Free health care

Not that much taxes and regulations compared to other countries.

Everything attracts a fine abroad.

Not cutting your grass. Parking in front yuh house. Overtaking a school bus.


But the crime really sickening and worrying.....

[MaxPower]

The lifestyle here nice if you can afford it. Beaches and rivers nearby is an amazing thing.

The weather is great

Free health care

Not that much taxes and regulations compared to other countries.

Everything attracts a fine abroad.

Not cutting your grass. Parking in front yuh house. Overtaking a school bus.


But the crime really sickening and worrying.....

X3000

[triniterribletim]

The lifestyle here nice if you can afford it. Beaches and rivers nearby is an amazing thing.

The weather is great

Free health care

Not that much taxes and regulations compared to other countries.

Everything attracts a fine abroad.

Not cutting your grass. Parking in front yuh house. Overtaking a school bus.


But the crime really sickening and worrying.....

You can have all of that if you choose somewhere like Brazil. Those things are really only a concern if you choose The US, Canada or the UK. Similar to Trinidad, but better economically positioned to weather any crisis. Lower cost of living, and the only thing you're really missing out on is food and family. You even get Carnival.

[jhonnieblue]

That comment should be rephrased,.

Weather great till it floods, then all roads and infrastructure are destroyed and never repaired.

Heath care, that's a joke, go accident and emergency and see how long you have to wait.

Fines for everything? It's only because Trinidad and by extension the population is so lawless that you can make that comment. Trinidadians can't adhere to road laws in the least and Complain for everything.

Try public health system in Spain, it's perfect. Zero waiting and even you don't speak the language the doctors arent ignorant towards non Spanish speaking persons.

[Chimera]

This countrys citizens aren't prepared to pay the taxes for better health care, roads, police force.

[Chimera]

Btw worldwide there's either floods or wildfires or hurricanes every week

It have no perfect place.

If trinidad crime wasn't so bad and getting worse trinidad is a fairly good place

[SuperiorMan]

The lifestyle here nice if you can afford it. Beaches and rivers nearby is an amazing thing.

The weather is great

Free health care

Not that much taxes and regulations compared to other countries.

Everything attracts a fine abroad.

Not cutting your grass. Parking in front yuh house. Overtaking a school bus.


But the crime really sickening and worrying.....

You can have all of that if you choose somewhere like Brazil. Those things are really only a concern if you choose The US, Canada or the UK. Similar to Trinidad, but better economically positioned to weather any crisis. Lower cost of living, and the only thing you're really missing out on is food and family. You even get Carnival.

You can have those things in certain parts of the USA too. A good job can give you health insurance that covers everything.

[Dohplaydat]

Despite our government trinidad is a nice place to live.

The problem for me mostly is career prospects feel a bit limited here, and the work is mostly boring now. That could just be a me thing.


I've lived aboard and the biggest cons are:

1. You have to show up and perform, you can't sit back and be complacement because competition is stiff and the work is demanding
2. No support structure with friends and family, you fall, you need to see about yourself.
3. To have a good quality of life you need to earn a lot
4. Lack of familiarity with their systems
5. Culture is different, you're going to have to get used to a different vibe entirely and it might not be for everyone.

[triniterribletim]

The lifestyle here nice if you can afford it. Beaches and rivers nearby is an amazing thing.

The weather is great

Free health care

Not that much taxes and regulations compared to other countries.

Everything attracts a fine abroad.

Not cutting your grass. Parking in front yuh house. Overtaking a school bus.


But the crime really sickening and worrying.....

You can have all of that if you choose somewhere like Brazil. Those things are really only a concern if you choose The US, Canada or the UK. Similar to Trinidad, but better economically positioned to weather any crisis. Lower cost of living, and the only thing you're really missing out on is food and family. You even get Carnival.

You can have those things in certain parts of the USA too. A good job can give you health insurance that covers everything.

That would require work and putting up with US work culture though, which is a tradeoff I am not willing to make. You lose the job, you lose everything. The US isn't a nice place to retire to unless you're very wealthy. US citizens themselves like to retire abroad where the weather is pleasant and the cost of living is cheap.

[MaxPower]

Fines for everything? It's only because Trinidad and by extension the population is so lawless that you can make that comment. Trinidadians can't adhere to road laws in the least and Complain for everything.

Exactly.

A very irresponsible population.

[Dohplaydat]

The lifestyle here nice if you can afford it. Beaches and rivers nearby is an amazing thing.

The weather is great

Free health care

Not that much taxes and regulations compared to other countries.

Everything attracts a fine abroad.

Not cutting your grass. Parking in front yuh house. Overtaking a school bus.


But the crime really sickening and worrying.....

You can have all of that if you choose somewhere like Brazil. Those things are really only a concern if you choose The US, Canada or the UK. Similar to Trinidad, but better economically positioned to weather any crisis. Lower cost of living, and the only thing you're really missing out on is food and family. You even get Carnival.

You can have those things in certain parts of the USA too. A good job can give you health insurance that covers everything.

That would require work and putting up with US work culture though, which is a tradeoff I am not willing to make. You lose the job, you lose everything. The US isn't a nice place to retire to unless you're very wealthy. US citizens themselves like to retire abroad where the weather is pleasant and the cost of living is cheap.

Yea if you're middle class life in the US isn't great, you're basically living paycheck to paycheck.

If you became a UK or EU citizen life is much better though.