From Singapore to Sydney, Athens to Auckland, hundreds of opportunities exist for travel to exotic places, without paying for accommodation. Just take care of the morning paper, the pets, or the garden and you can stay in homes when the owners are away…at no cost. 55-year-old Mike Hopkins is a veteran house-sitter who loves the Caribbean.

I’m sitting in a hotel room on the stunning island of Tobago. I pull back the curtains, and sunlight floods my room—it’s a perfect day. From my window, the ocean’s blue competes with the immaculately manicured gardens for my attention.

Living in Valencia, Spain, for three months last winter was not just a welcome retreat from the cold Canadian winter… but great fun, too. Fallas, a city-wide, week-long party in March, served as the fitting and noisy climax.

I’m in Mexico’s Yucatán, only a short flight from many U.S. cities (1.45 hours from Miami, two hours from Houston, and four from New York). But I’m a world away from Cancún’s spring break crowds and wall-to-wall highrise hotels.

Ron and Terresa just bought a snug little mountain hideaway and a Pacific beachfront condo, and they paid less than $120,000—for both of them.

Flowers bloom everywhere, and not one but four rushing rivers bubble over rocks to feed the lush vegetation. In Ecuador—the country that tops this year’s Global Retirement Index—nature is ever-present. And you can enjoy it fully in the city of Cuenca, where those rivers trail amid mountain surrounds.

Ecuador came out tops in International Living's Retirement Index. A key plus point is the low cost of living. These detailed monthly budgets will give you an idea of what expats are living off in the most affordable retirement haven in the world.

Dividend champions are particularly attractive if you’re nearing retirement or are already retired. That’s because on top of capital growth (what happens when the stock price rises) they allow you to create a passive income stream in your account.

Mearly 40 million U.S. citizens trace their ancestry to Ireland - many of whom are entitled to an Irish passport. Aside from joining the country of your ancestors, there is a good practical use of an Irish passport. It entitles the holder to live, work, and travel freely in any of the 27 countries in the European Union to which Ireland belongs.