Take what they pay and have a back-up plan. I'll be applying for schools in the mean time to cover all bases. Even top-tier schools in China cancelled contracts and laid off teachers last year.

It's called breaking the contract. Of course, there are exceptional personal situations where a few quit after a year, but the (un)written rule is you keep your word. Pile up 2 or 3 breaches on your CV and you can kiss goodbye to getting an interview, let alone finding a job at a decent school.

Mostly junk. His posts remind me of currencies of banana republics, they don't have much value.

"Being a good IT has nothing to do with being responsible or feeling responsible to your students. You can despise and hate your students and still be an excellent edu."

Would never let this guy anywhere near my school or kids.

PG
The same ETs are also at risk of being replaced by experienced folks once flights resume and governments ease controls. 1-year contracts don't help much with making a career. With the cost of living and health insurance premiums going up, I don't see how trade offs can lead to more happiness when you live pay check to pay check and have student loans and mortgages to pay off.

Don't forget that moving on for just the sake of it could hurt you in the long term. You may not advance on the salary scale as planned or have to work under inexperienced department heads. Both of these will affect your saving potential and peace of mind. There is very few greener pastures in international teaching currently.

When the admin doesn't have the competence to resolve serious issues or they start lying to your face about such similar matters, or promote unqualified faculty to administrative positions, then it's time to dust off your CV.

Schools could save on quarantining new teachers or finding subs for unvaccinated folks falling sick right after arrival. It does make sense to include if they could show supporting evidence.

Here is my shortlist:
Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain (if my nest egg is big enough), Thailand, and Vietnam

Are there any conservative folks who simply save their coin in the bank without investing in the stock market or property?

sid is right. There is no one-size-fits-all rule as the context and family situation varies. Owning modest property is feasible, but investing 600K in one property sounds pretty risky.
Healthcare will be a major cost for all. One million sounds like a good starting point. If I were to retire in SE Asia or South America, I might manage with little less than a million provided there is a little bit of additional monthly income on the side.

Wow, I need to move into senior management to save that kind of money. Thanks, sid.

If you have to come up with a round figure target for the total cash savings (including investments in equities, index funds etc., but excluding real estate) before you retire, what would that be in USD?

UWCSEA, Singapore
Tanglin Trust, Singapore
Ecolint, Switzerland
Bangkok Patana, Thailand

If you are into finance / IT (especially cybersecurity), finding a job locally will not be difficult.