MexConnect.com Forums: General: Living, Working, Retiring: SOCIAL SECURITY: Page 2

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bobich

Feb 15, 2005, 2:00 PM

Post #26 of 37 (881 views)

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Re: [annep] SOCIAL SECURITY

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Both apartments and homes are available, just as in the US. Again, you will pay a premium in a town popular with the ex-pat crowd. You will also pay a premium at popular beach resorts. If you must live in a town with lots of gringos, you will find cheaper places out of the center.

If you bring your car, only use it for special occasions or if you have an urgent meeting or something and can't spare the extra time waiting for a bus. Be sure you have a safe place to park at your home. Service work and repairs are cheaper than the US, but gasoline if much more expensive.

If you speak some Spanish or are willing to learn, consider living in a non-gringo town. Rent will be less (especially in the center of town) and mid-range and upscale restaurants will cost less. You can always visit an ex-pat colony if you need a gringo fix.

(This post was edited by jennifer rose on Feb 15, 2005, 4:45 PM)

Uncle Jack

Feb 15, 2005, 2:12 PM

Post #27 of 37 (881 views)

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Re: [Adrian] SOCIAL SECURITY

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If his sole income is $800 a month, how does he qualify for an immigration visa?

uj

esperanza

Feb 15, 2005, 2:20 PM

Post #28 of 37 (878 views)

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Re: [bobich] SOCIAL SECURITY

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Any licensed driver who owns a vehicle, whether that person enters Mexico using a tourist visa or an FM3, is legally entitled to temporarily import one vehicle into Mexico.

The vehicle permit is in force as long as the person's immigration status is in force. This has been discussed hundreds of times on MexConnect and other boards.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

(This post was edited by esperanza on Feb 15, 2005, 5:07 PM)

Marta R

Feb 15, 2005, 3:36 PM

Post #29 of 37 (865 views)

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Re: [Gary Anderson] SOCIAL SECURITY

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"Gasoline is expensive here, about $2.10 a gallon"

Everything is relative, isn't it? Here in NoCalifornia, when gas prices dip to $2.10 a gallon there's dancing in the streets and everybody goes out for a drive and eats ice cream.

Marta

Ed and Fran

Feb 15, 2005, 4:14 PM

Post #30 of 37 (853 views)

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Re: [Uncle Jack] SOCIAL SECURITY

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"If his sole income is $800 a month, how does he qualify for an immigration visa?"

I don't know how he does it, but if I were trying to do it I'd just make a number of withdrawals from my account and occasionally redeposit the money, so that I could show several months with deposits totalling the required minimum. They don't usually (in my case anyway) want proof where the funds come from, just so that you can show the latest three months bank statements showing deposits of at least the required amount. They don't ask for proof of source or check on withdrawals.

Just one possibility.

(Disclaimer: I'm not encouraging anyone to get around teh law in this manner, just responding to UJ's hypothetical question.)

Regards

E&F

jennifer rose

Feb 15, 2005, 4:47 PM

Post #31 of 37 (849 views)

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Re: [esperanza] SOCIAL SECURITY

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You're correct. But FM-2 holders are also entitled to the temporary importation of a motor vehicle. Once inmigrado status has been granted, of course, that right ends.

Bobich's post has been edited to delete the incorrect information.

jrice

Feb 16, 2005, 8:01 PM

Post #32 of 37 (761 views)

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Re: [julian3345] SOCIAL SECURITY

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Excellent point.

For the large majority of people in Mexico, 12,000 pesos a month -- or 13,000 or whatever -- would be a dream.

Just as for people with larger incomes, whether you get by depends a lot on how flexible you are in terms of local customs. Just moreso.

The less money you have, the more speaking Spanish is going to help, as is the ability to accept people with different ways of doing things.

For many people, perhaps most, it can be easier to economize in a context and culture you know than in one that is foreign -- there's a tendency to soften the confusing edges with a bit of overspending.

(This post was edited by jrice on Feb 16, 2005, 8:12 PM)

roni_smith

Feb 20, 2005, 7:06 PM

Post #33 of 37 (670 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] SOCIAL SECURITY

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This is all good news, along with posts on other threads about costs at various places in Mexico. I am 53 and it looks like the option of retiring in Mexico in cinco años can be una realidad.

We'll have plenty of money to live on for two years, at which time i'll get my pension, which will be plenty for another couple of years when I get my social security - at which time my wife will get her pension. Two and a half years after that she will get her social security. By that time we'll be rico.

Looks good.

Ron
------
Planning for Mexico Move Blog

jdeciucies

Feb 21, 2005, 8:49 PM

Post #34 of 37 (593 views)

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Re: [annep] SOCIAL SECURITY

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I believe several posters have said the same: it depends. My better half owns her apartment and car. She earns approximately 300 USD per month. She lives quite well, and actually saves some. "Quite well", is in the eyes of the beholder: I squirm when I see folks griping about their electrical bills: I have averaged the bills for the past one and one-half years, and the average is about 80 pesos every two months... that's more or less four bucks a month... the gas bill is approximately 20 bucks for two months. This is in Durango, Durango, where it does indeed get somewhat cold at night... however, like most households, dishes are washed in cold water, the boiler pilot is lit only when ready to bathe and doused after that, the lights are turned off when not needed, and simplicities in life like cooking, reading, enjoying friiends, strolling, take the place of spending all of your kilowatts on surfing endlessly, DSL, cable TV, and electronic shoe polishers... problem is that most folks don't integrate and/or don't speak Spanish well, and basically have no life. It all depends, but I'd venture to say that 1200 is more than enough.

elgringomudo

Feb 21, 2005, 11:24 PM

Post #35 of 37 (582 views)

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Re: [jrice] SOCIAL SECURITY

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In Reply To

For the large majority of people in Mexico, 12,000 pesos a month -- or 13,000 or whatever -- would be a dream.

Just as for people with larger incomes, whether you get by depends a lot on how flexible you are in terms of local customs. Just moreso.

My wife's uncle & aunt get a pension check from IMSS: 1450 pesos per month! They were smart enough to buy real estate, it seems, back when mortgages could be had in pesos. Nowadays, home & auto loans are strictly quoted in dollars. The average Wal-Mart clerk might get 150 pesos per day (MN$4500/month).

Something like 10,000,000 Mexicans are living on less than 20 pesos per day. (I quote from an ad in the Mexicana Vuelos magazine) The most amazing thing is the lack of panhandlers, relatively speaking (given the typical income), compared to the USA, and the generosity of the people. I can't get tio Dani to take a centavo in cash. I drag down bottles of cognac & champagne (both prohibitively expensive for most Mexicans, they toast New Years with sparkling cider), toys, lottery tickets (big favorite), whatever, as gifts, this preserves my conscience and their dignidad.

If you can learn to live like a typical middle class Mexican . 12,000 pesos per month is a nice pile.
Ned Carlson Triode Electronics Chicago,IL USA
Fighting bad sound and electronic ignorance since
1985 (sorry, folks, it's taking a little longer than I thought)

gpk

Feb 22, 2005, 7:37 AM

Post #36 of 37 (542 views)

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Re: [elgringomudo] SOCIAL SECURITY

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Mortgages and auto loans are available in pesos everywhere in Mexico. Certain autos (Jaguars, BMWs) and some real estate (mostly at beach resorts) are financed only in dollars.

Marta R

Feb 22, 2005, 1:31 PM

Post #37 of 37 (497 views)

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Re: [jdeciucies] SOCIAL SECURITY

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I have averaged the bills for the past one and one-half years, and the average is about 80 pesos every two months... that's more or less four bucks a month... the gas bill is approximately 20 bucks for two months.

Just as a comparison, here in N.Calif my utility bill for December was US$295.00. Mind you, we do have computers, and cable, and a teen-ager ... but we're all out of the house five days a week, with the lights off and the heat turned down to 68F.

Marta

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