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El Queso Grande

Jan 20, 2005, 1:30 PM

Post #1 of 14 (3441 views)

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Cost of living...

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Carol Schmidt started a post on the SMA forum which has created quite a bit of interest concerning todays cost of living for all of you blessed enough to already be SoB.

This is really great info for the rest of us still being held captive up North.

Thought perhaps some of the great folks who frequent this space might be good enough to go to the Living, etc. forum where Jennifer moved the thread and give us some examples of what prices are like in your area.

It would be a big help.

Thanks,

Dave

"I'm not so think as you drunk I am."

E-mail me at xalapaboy@aol.com

"El Gringo Jalapeño"

Jan 24, 2005, 6:14 PM

Post #2 of 14 (3378 views)

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Re: [El Queso Grande] Cost of living...

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Quesote:
Please forgive me for not giving a detailed list of cost of living in Xalapa, but from what I saw listed on the other posts they seem to be very similar to SMA, perhaps a little higher here on the rentals in the downtown area. México certainly is not as cheap to live as it was 10 years ago, and the way things look will only get more expensive. Fortunately there are so many wonderful aspects about living here that easily make up the difference.
¡Portense mal y cuidense bien!
Roy B. Dudley "El Gringo Jalapeño" See more about Xalapa at www.xalaparoy.com

El Queso Grande

Jan 24, 2005, 6:30 PM

Post #3 of 14 (3375 views)

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Re: ["El Gringo Jalapeño"] Cost of living...

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Sr. Roy,

Wow, I was just sitting here thinking about you when your post came through. Spooky. I would forgive you for anything, just was hoping to get some more imput on this subject. I am sure that prices are similar but everyone has a different story and tells it from a different point of view.
As in Carol's great post, she gave us not only prices but kind of a day in the life thing that obviously a lot of folks found very interesting.

You are forgiven my son, go and sin no more.:)

Perhaps I shall now work on Ed and Fran!

Dave

"I'm not so think as you drunk I am."

E-mail me at xalapaboy@aol.com

El Queso Grande

Jan 24, 2005, 6:37 PM

Post #4 of 14 (3374 views)

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Re: ["El Gringo Jalapeño"] Cost of living...

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Sr. J,

One more thing, if you don't mind... What does Quesote mean? I like the sound of it but don't want to start using it as my new handle w/o a deffinition and my dictionary dosen't list it.
The El Queso Grande comes from my years in the nursery business where I employed many, many muhados and they used it as a term of endearment for the jefe.

Dave

"I'm not so think as you drunk I am."

E-mail me at xalapaboy@aol.com

esperanza

Jan 24, 2005, 6:40 PM

Post #5 of 14 (3372 views)

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Re: [El Queso Grande] Cost of living...

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Queso: cheese
Quesito: little cheese
Quesote: big cheese
Quesotote: biggest cheese ever

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

(This post was edited by esperanza on Jan 24, 2005, 6:41 PM)

"El Gringo Jalapeño"

Jan 24, 2005, 7:16 PM

Post #6 of 14 (3363 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Cost of living...

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Esperanza:
Tambien se puede decir..."quesón" ó "quesaso"(ej. "¡Eso sí fue un quesaso como nunca he probado!")
Roy B. Dudley "El Gringo Jalapeño" See more about Xalapa at www.xalaparoy.com

Ed and Fran

Jan 24, 2005, 7:20 PM

Post #7 of 14 (3362 views)

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Re: [El Queso Grande] Cost of living...

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"muhados" - probably "mojados", a short slang way of referring to "espaldos mojados" or "wetbacks", which in itself is sort of a slang term.

"Perhaps I shall now work on Ed and Fran!"

Thought about it, but it's hard to compare general stuff. I agree that Carol's post was both informative and entertaining. But a lot of what she said I can't compare to at all (we hardly go out to restaurants, there are no comparative cultural events), some of the more commodity oriented prices can't be accurately compared without knowing the brand (milk, noodles), and you can't compare what one person or household spends on utilities with another, it's usage driven as much or more so that price driven.

If someone wanted to set up a comparative marketbasket list with quantities, brands, etc, I'd be glad to participate with costs from here. But it would need to be very specific to be worthwhile.

I'm always willing to respond to specific questions about any costs that can be quantified or any specific commodity.

By the way, cooler, overcast, and the first rain in weeks yesterday and today. Not much in the way of rain, more like a steady drizzle. But enough to make things muddy.

Regards

E&F

El Queso Grande

Jan 24, 2005, 7:37 PM

Post #8 of 14 (3359 views)

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Re: [Ed and Fran] Cost of living...

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Ed and Fran,

Thanks for the spelling lesson. I can barely spell anything in english so...

I don't know that anything you would post would have to be so specific as to brands or exact quanity...Just kind of a general idea of what you see from day to day and the small stuff that probably seems of no inport to you but to us up here in the cold adds a lot to the colective.

Sounds like the weather is getting pretty nice there. Was 25f last night in central Texas.

And while I am here, Roy - Would you please translate your post? Am truly intrested.

Thanks to all you lucky people,

Dave

P.s. Speaking of spelling - I used to have no problem with the spell check on MC but suddenly when I would write a post or an email and hit spell check, my post would disapear into thin air. ?. dhm.

"I'm not so think as you drunk I am."

E-mail me at xalapaboy@aol.com

"El Gringo Jalapeño"

Jan 24, 2005, 8:27 PM

Post #9 of 14 (3352 views)

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Re: [El Queso Grande] Cost of living...

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Quesote:
I will be happy to try to translate what I wrote, but like many things in life you almost have to live something to understand it. Since I have lived more in México(32 years) as compared to 22 years in Gringolandia, often times my thoughts and expressions are more "mexicano" than "gringo".
Well, enough of the talk, here goes more or less what I wrote Esperanza(Hope is my sister's name, too!).
Tambien se puede decir..."quesón" ó "quesaso"(ej. "¡Eso sí fue un quesaso como nunca he probado!") You can also say..."gigantic cheese" or "incredible cheese (ex. "This was the most incredible cheese like none I've ever tried before!).
I hope you can come down someday soon to this area and start your inmersion into this wonderful country and culture.
¡Adiosito, amigasos mios!

Roy B. Dudley "El Gringo Jalapeño" See more about Xalapa at www.xalaparoy.com

El Queso Grande

Jan 24, 2005, 9:02 PM

Post #10 of 14 (3347 views)

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Re: ["El Gringo Jalapeño"] Cost of living...

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Thanks friend Roy,

I can only reply to your invite, and as I think you already know, I am peddling as fast as I can.

Dave

"I'm not so think as you drunk I am."

E-mail me at xalapaboy@aol.com

Marlene

Jan 25, 2005, 2:09 PM

Post #11 of 14 (3320 views)

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Re: [Ed and Fran] Cost of living...

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Quote

If someone wanted to set up a comparative marketbasket list with quantities, brands, etc, I'd be glad to participate with costs from here. But it would need to be very specific to be worthwhile.

I would be happy to put in the current prices from Mazatlán as well. It would get me away from my work on the computer and over to the market or grocery stores. I am not sure the prices will be all that different but it could be an interesting exercise to find out. (This should be posted as a new thread on the LWR forum if we go ahead)

jennifer rose

Jan 25, 2005, 4:03 PM

Post #12 of 14 (3313 views)

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Re: [Marlene] Cost of living...

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Before everyone starts running around in circles with a clipboard in hand, let me remind you that current prices throughout the republic on everything from sugar to washing machines have already been collated by Profeco at http://www.profeco.gob.mx/html/precios/quienesquien.htm

El Queso Grande

Jan 25, 2005, 4:19 PM

Post #13 of 14 (3306 views)

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Re: [Marlene] Cost of living...

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Hi Marlene,

Kind of got this thing going in the first place with
Carol and it is already on the LWR forum so all you have to do is go there to post; and I hope you will!
As I said to Ed and Fran, I do not think that it is all that important the exact size or weight of what you buy... The thing that I think most of us who are held against our will in the far north will find of interest is a kind of daily routine thing like Carol did so well. She told us the story of her day and what she paid along the way.
I don't think anyone is looking for exact figures but for more of a taste of Mexico and just a little info as to what they can expect as far as cost...
Hope you will be so kind as to give us what we know is a lot of work to respond. If so, the next time I am in your area I promise to buy you and yours dinner.

Thanks,

Dave

"I'm not so think as you drunk I am."

E-mail me at xalapaboy@aol.com

Marlene

Jan 25, 2005, 5:13 PM

Post #14 of 14 (3288 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Cost of living...

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Thank you for that link... that is definitely useful. I don't have much time at this time of year to run around with clipboards.