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Sekk

Feb 11, 2003, 7:20 PM

Post #1 of 36 (3592 views)

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No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Im 18 and cant find work, and nobody will give me a credit card unless im currently working, despite all my savings from high school... (i have a little over 4k left in my savings account, which is most of it)

So my plan is this: Get a ride from NY to San Diego, start a new bank account somewhere, walk/ride over into tijuana and find an apartment for 150 bucks a month..

I could use any advice at all :) but the current concern is the whole money thing...

thanks!

esperanza

Feb 11, 2003, 7:39 PM

Post #2 of 36 (3262 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Wow...an apartment in Tijuana for $150 a month is possible, I suppose. But where are you going to work? And what is your question about USD? You'll find that most every place along the border accepts either pesos or dollars in payment for goods and services. Your post is more than a little confusing, want to try again?

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Sekk

Feb 11, 2003, 7:45 PM

Post #3 of 36 (3244 views)

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Re: [esperanza] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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150 is hard? ok maybe ill start with 200 and try to find cheaper later ;)

My plan was to simply live off my savings for 6 months to a year, on the 180 day passes.

My USD issue is this: I cant keep a few thousand dollars on me at all times, and i'm not aloud to start a mexican bank account..
It seems like my only option is to have a US bank (CCB sounds best) and somehow wire money down. Most people do this by ATM, but i won't qualify for a credit card..

My options look like this:
#1 use CCB Checks threw "snail mail" or
#2 get a card that works at an ATM thats not a credit card, do these even exist? i could get a Check Card.

thanks!

edna

Feb 11, 2003, 7:55 PM

Post #4 of 36 (3215 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Get TWO debit/check cards, read the instructions CAREFULLY in English(there's a button to select Spanish/english) on the ATM, so that you do not make a mistake;; If you take too long or make a mistake with a card that does not belong to the bank/ATM it can EAT your card and they cut it up.

esperanza

Feb 11, 2003, 8:25 PM

Post #5 of 36 (3195 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Now I see what you're asking...you can access your current New York bank account from Mexico with the ATM card that your bank issued you. You punch in the amount of pesos you want instead of the equivalent amount of dollars, up to your daily limit, and the money comes out of the ATM in pesos and the withdrawal appears on your bank statement in dollars. Miracles of modern techology! You don't need a credit card for that. Be sure you have the PIN for your ATM card; you will need that.

How come you want to go all the way to the West Coast? Mexico's border with the USA starts in Eastern Texas. You could save transportation money by heading for Matamoros, or Reynosa, or Laredo, instead of Tijuana. It would be wise of you to read a lot of the posts on these boards so you know a little more than you do now.

More good news: you don't even need an FMT (that 180-day visa) if you're going to stay in the border zone.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

alex .

Feb 12, 2003, 7:37 AM

Post #6 of 36 (3163 views)

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Re: [Sekk] go ahead and get the tourist card for 180 days

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even in the border zone, if you stay more than 72 hours you're supposed to have it. Technically, if you are crossing into the US everyday to work then you would never accumulate 72 consecutive hours, but PRACTICALLY, if anything goes wrong (like an auto accident, bar fight, whatever) then it is in your best interest to be able to show that you have permission to be in the country. The trick to getting the 180 days alloted is to put as destination "todo Mexico" as some Mexican immigration agents will give you a tough time about it otherwise.
The apartment at $150, outside of downtown, is not unrealistic, but you need to know somebody. Ping my email for details.
US Dollars is the preferred currency in Tijuana and many ATMs will dispense either pesos or dollars, you choose, from your US checking or savings account.
Alex

(This post was edited by alex . on Feb 12, 2003, 7:42 AM)

Sekk

Feb 12, 2003, 3:12 PM

Post #7 of 36 (3093 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Thanks Edna!
I will get two check cards! And figure out how to use a ATM before i leave ;)

Thanks Esperanza!
Saving transportation money entering mexico earlier? Err.. is the gas cheaper there?
Its good to know i could use my current bank account! But wouldnt a NY bank charge a fee to wire me money in Tijuana? I've read the "CCB" bank does it for free and quickly.

Thanks alex!
I have E-mailed you!
I am unsure what you mean when you say how putting "todo Mexico" as the destination would help?

bacadehuachi1

Feb 12, 2003, 4:49 PM

Post #8 of 36 (3087 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Crossing every day to go to work to Chula Vista, San Diego, etc. EVRYDAY!!!!! DRIVING THE CAR!!!! its a big deal on Tij SD border. Its the busiest border on the world with almost 900,000 legal crossings evry day takes about 1 to 2 hours normaly, if you cross walking would be probably easier. once in san ysidro take public transp. to your destination or find a job close to the border, I´ve done that many times, on Nogales, much easier, but I have friends that Live there and told me about TJ.

About geting money: Its easy, walk across the border, on San Ysidro blvd. (about 3 blocks from the border, there is a Washington Mutual Bank, they dont charge a penny for using there ATM, any bank.

good luck

Rolly

Feb 12, 2003, 4:57 PM

Post #9 of 36 (3079 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Hi Sekk,

CCB is a really good deal. I use it and am happy with it. BUT, I'm sorry to rain on your parade, you have to be 55 or older to use their special deal. It is designed for retired people living in Mexico. You have a few years to go. I was amused at one guy who found out he was not old enough, he said "I never expected to be carded by my bank."

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

Sekk

Feb 12, 2003, 7:08 PM

Post #10 of 36 (3051 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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TY bacadehuachi1 !
I proly wouldnt be crossing the border much though. Wouldnt rent be cheaper farther from the border? (the absolute #1 reason i want to move there is lower rent costs)
I proly wont have a car then, so im mostly looking at border towns.
I've also heard baja is the only place with clean water, which leads me to looking at:
Tijuana and Mexcali (my map says mexcali is bigger!) I'll have to find some posts about moving there (Like which has cheaper rent :]).

I read that the Tij border was easier to cross with a computer, mines only worth 100 or 150 bucks, but it looks nice and i hope not to be hassled :|, other than that, no preference.

TY Rolly !
Thank you for the warning! I'm sure that will save me a lot of time!

esperanza

Feb 12, 2003, 7:21 PM

Post #11 of 36 (3052 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Why would you have your bank WIRE money to you in Tijuana?

My question was why do you want to go to the West Coast of Mexico, 3000 miles from New York, instead of the Eastern part of Mexico. In other words, why Tijuana as a destination?

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Sekk

Feb 12, 2003, 7:41 PM

Post #12 of 36 (3037 views)

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Re: [esperanza] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Quote

My question was why do you want to go to the West Coast of Mexico, 3000 miles from New York, instead of the Eastern part of Mexico. In other words, why Tijuana as a destination?

mostly because i read the water was far safer in baja than anywhere else in mexico, and especialy so near tijuana. (however i have heard varrying things about mexican water, some say all the water is completely safe, others say its death if you touch it)

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Why would you have your bank WIRE money to you in Tijuana?

Err, i only meant like an ATM, electronic stuff.... just so i dont have to keep cash on me

esperanza

Feb 12, 2003, 7:50 PM

Post #13 of 36 (3053 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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I lived in Tijuana for several years, and I assure you that neither I nor anyone I knew drank the city water that came from the tap. Nor does anyone I know drink the water as it comes from the tap now. Some people have water purifying systems; even these are not 100% sure. Most everyone drinks factory-purified water from the garafón...19-liter bottles which are delivered to your door by truck or purchased in a store. This is true in Tijuana as well as everywhere else in Mexico.

It would be a really good idea for you to study these forums and to read Carl Franz and Lorena Haven's book The People's Guide to Mexico. You need a better understanding of what you are getting into before you get into it.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

awcharro

Feb 12, 2003, 8:09 PM

Post #14 of 36 (3048 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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As has been stated by the other posters, in your case, you do not need to open a bank account in Mexico. You should be able to withdraw $300 (U.S.) or more a day by using any ATM in Mexico with the ATM card issued to you by your bank in New York. I lived in Mexico for over eight years without having to open a bank account.

I can give you one reason why moving to Tijuana would be better than moving to Matamoros or Reynosa: the climate! In my opinion (and I am from Texas, so I cross the border in Reynosa frequently), the weather in these two border towns, as in most of the border towns in Mexico, is lousy. Being from New York, you wouldn't have an easy time getting used to the heat in most of the border towns.

Tijuana is the exception to this. It's climate is the same as San Diego, which probably has the mildest climate in the United States. Mexicali, on the other hand, has the highest summer temperatures of any big Mexican city. It is located in the desert at about sea level. Summer temperatures of 120 degrees are not uncommon. Tijuana, on the other hand, usually doesn't get up to more than the high eighties or low nineties in the summertime, and the humidity is not too high, either.

I would strongly suggest that you learn Spanish before moving to Mexico by yourself. If not, you could be taken advantage of by some unscrupulous people in Tijuana.

Ensenada, which is down the coast from Tijuana, I've heard is also a very nice place to go to.

Sekk

Feb 13, 2003, 12:57 AM

Post #15 of 36 (3017 views)

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Re: [esperanza] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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it was on this forum i first read someone claiming the water in the north baja area was safe...

iv'e read a lot about this and have heard a lot of differing info.

The first 10 or so websights i saw about mexico said the water was so full of bacteria that even touching it was unsafe, so i go to IRC server chatrooms like #mexico and am told by roughly 20 to 30 people that there is NOTHING wrong with the water, and that i'm a complete @sshole for daring to say such a thing!

since then i've heard all sorts of varying things, but unless i could guarantee it was safe i wouldnt drink it.

Rolly

Feb 13, 2003, 3:47 AM

Post #16 of 36 (3019 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Some folks are given to generalizing about conditions in Mexico based on their own limited experience. There is no question that the public water supply is unsafe in some places. It is also true that some cities have a good water system. Where I live, for example, the water is safe to drink out of the tap. I don't know anyone here who uses bottled water or filters, and there are no bottled water delivery trucks on the streets. You need to inquire locally about the safety of the water, and the question should be directed to a knowledgeable person such as a local doctor.

Sekk, before you pull up stakes and move across the continent, you ought to take a scouting trip to see for yourself. If you can wait until summer to make the trip, it will give you a better idea of what you are buying into.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

Sekk

Feb 13, 2003, 7:06 AM

Post #17 of 36 (3000 views)

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Re: [Rolly] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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yeah id love to take a scouting trip, i just dont have the money,, the only work ive been able to find durring this recession has been temp jobs, not even enough to rent the cheapest apartment in existance here..

I tried to find roommate(s) who i could move to a cheaper area with, i just cant find any.. the web only advertises roommate adds for like 400 to #### per month, per person! And im not having any luck elsewhere, i can only find expensive ones..

Right now my evil theif family owes me over 2000 is loans and i have less than 2000 in my bank, they expect me to get out of here any time now despite that theys till owe me lots of cash...

Assuming i dont get lucky and find work soon.
basicly i feel a bit forced to move to a place as inexpensive as mexico..
however it still doesnt seem like that bad of an idea..

Here: the cheapest rent ive found in several countys near me is 400 bucks,
i spend less than 30 a month on food, about 20 on electricity...... theres more little things but lets be nice,

at 450, my 2000 bucks would leave me homeless in
4.4 months...

IF the thiefs pay back my loans its more like 9 months clearly..

Here you can go to the grocery stores and get told they have so many resumas they arent taking any more, the only people my age i know that have jobs got them because they knew someone already working there, so i keep looking and nothing happens.....

(This post was edited by Sekk on Feb 13, 2003, 7:07 AM)

scott

Feb 13, 2003, 9:22 AM

Post #18 of 36 (2993 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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If you're problem is money only, then why don't you consider going north instead? Take a bus up to Ontario, I'm sure you can live just about as cheaply there as you would in Tijuana.

You said you are from New York. Well, why not go to Ontario, perhaps the outskirts of Niagra Falls, St. Catherines, etc. All around Niagra Falls is built up, on the Canadian side, all the way up to Toronto. Go find cheap housing in Canada, then cross back into your home state of New York to go find work. You can walk across that bridge too, and maybe you could go look for work in the tourist industry in Niagra Falls New York. Why Not? I haven't been there since Sept 11, but before I walked across that bridge and I assure you there was a 5 minute wait to talk to customs on either side, a hell of a lot less than the wait it sounds like you'll have in Tijuana. Plus, does San Diego have jobs?

Seriously, Canada is cheaper than Mexico, on just about everything except rent. In my experience, even things like medicine is a fraction of the cost in Canada, than in Mexico. That right there is because of an apparent limited number of generics available down here.

So for me as a young & poor Canadian, I find Mexico very expensive compared to home, except for rent pretty much. But even still, paying $80usd/month to board with a couple old ladies drove me up the wall, I absolutely hated it and I don't think you'll be happy living in a shack, without work, in Tijuana either.

I'd try and find work along the New York/Canadian border, or the Michigan/Canadian border. Then find a house on the other side.

Take detroit for example, do you think you can find work there? Go get a job in Detroit, and go find a house in Windsor, Ontario. Both are pretty big cities.

Anyway, if money is your only concern, I think you should consider going north instead. 700,000 Americans live in Canada. I think thats a lot more than in Mexico, and you won't have language problems, crime problems, etc......

scott

Feb 13, 2003, 9:56 AM

Post #19 of 36 (2974 views)

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Re: [scott] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Borderless business careers in London

I thought this was an interesting article, which I saw in January in my home towns online newspaper. Its a few Americans perspectives on living in London, which is my home city, which is about 45 minutes from the first big American city. The city is called Port Huron, Michigan. Its big, has lots of malls, etc, all that stuff. The other side is Sarnia, Ontario. I seriously think there is opportunity for you to go straddle the New York / Canada, or Michigan / Canada borders. Does anyone else have any opinions on this? Would it be better than going from NY all the way over to Tijuana, a foreign country with a foreign language?

Sekk

Feb 13, 2003, 5:53 PM

Post #20 of 36 (2940 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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yes ive looked into canada quite a bit too and still am considering it.

What im looking at is this:
what costs 400 in the USA, costs about 200 in canada and 150 in tij.

now heres some advantages to tij:
#1 car insurance, i hear car insurance is even more expensive in canada than the US, IF i took my crapy car up there i would have to pay its value every few months to simply drive..
Now in mexico i can pay by the day ! i might only use the car a couple times in 6 months!

#2 the weather in tij, it sounds like its good all year, meaning i wouldnt have much if any heat/AC bill..

Sekk

Feb 13, 2003, 7:40 PM

Post #21 of 36 (2913 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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one thing im wondering the most about TJ is how the apartments actualy look, ive seen lots of pictures of the city and it looks modern, but then someone talked about an apartment in mexico as a "shack" ?

Ive heard lots of houses have a spanish looking outside but a modern inside.... anyways i still dont know what to expect down there.

im slightly leaning to tij over canada but it is close... canada has to make everything so confusing.....

esperanza

Feb 13, 2003, 7:49 PM

Post #22 of 36 (2918 views)

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Re: [Sekk] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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Sekk, you will find any quality, style, and neighborhood of apartment in Tijuana that you will find in the United States or Canada. You're only limited by how much you want to spend, just like in the States and Canada. If your funds are limited, you get less. If your funds are unlimited, then you get more.

I will reiterate what I and others have said on these boards: it's really important that you get some books, read, study...get The People's Guide to Mexico, it's a guidebook unlike any other~a guide to LIFE in Mexico, not just places. Do a search on the MexConnect forums to find out more information. If you go to live in Tijuana without doing your homework, you will be...well, I don't even know what the right word might be. You're real young and resilient, and you'll have fun no matter what~but an informed decision is always a plus.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Sekk

Feb 13, 2003, 11:04 PM

Post #23 of 36 (2909 views)

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Re: [esperanza] No credit card, how do I use my USD in mexico?

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esp, ive been reading this forum for months now, spent a bunch of time talking with mexicans online (#mexico on IRC), reading webpage after webpages about it. I have been "doing my homework", yet at the same time i dont know everything..

and without seeing it for yourself its kind of hard, all i have are the pictures i have online, which probably dont give a very honest picture of things.

And no i cant afford to drive there, see if its good, drive back, then because its good, drive back again, and move there...

Im not looking for anything great, just something safe and affordable.... If its worse than i expected ill head north to canada. (altho im not ruling out trying canada first)

Feb 13, 2003, 11:38 PM

Post #24 of 36 (2899 views)

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[Sekk] Burn Rates

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In Reply To

Sekk writes:
....Assuming i dont get lucky and find work soon.
basicly i feel a bit forced to move to a place as inexpensive as mexico..
however it still doesnt seem like that bad of an idea.......

......at 450, my 2000 bucks would leave me homeless in
4.4 months...

OK, so suppose by moving to Mexico you halve the rate that you burn through your savings. Using your math, this simply means that you'll end up homeless in 8.8 months, and be all the way across the country to boot.

That is, of course, unless you deal with the other side of the equation, that of income. You haven't indicated that you have any special skills, and if you're considering entry level service-industry jobs you should be aware of a couple of items First and foremost you won't be able to legally work on the Mexican side of the border, and if you could, the daily minimum wage might be a bit of a shock to you.

If you chose to work on the US side of the border, you'd have to deal with making the crossing on a daily basis. Additionally you will probably encounter some pretty strong competition for available jobs, not only from US nationals but also Mexicans who can cross the border legally to work using the Laser Visa program.

Although you'll have to look beyond the surface differences (family of four, etc.) there was a pretty good message thread in this forum a few weeks ago which discussed the cross-border living/working lifestyle. You can view it at http://mexconnected.com/...forum.cgi?post=23515

Sekk

Feb 14, 2003, 12:11 AM

Post #25 of 36 (2886 views)

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Re: [ET] [Sekk] Burn Rates

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400 + 50 in the US is 4.4 months
150 + 50 in tij is 10, five to six months of living for a week of driving and a lil over 100 bucks gas...

I definatly wont be working in mexico, just living there on my savings for a while, its a weird situation.. Eventualy ill move back over to the US and find a job...

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