Alternative Lifestyles/Living on a Budget in Mexico A unique article by Steve Immel - stevei@azstarnet.com
A middle class family of four lives on about $250 to $300 a month all over Mexico. They rent a two bedroom apartment, maybe have an old car, and look very respectful. Just like in America, they talk about the hardships of raising a family and the high cost of living. It is not an easy life but they find happiness and joy facing life's tough choices living in a country struggling with infrastructure and economic development. This infrastructure thing, what is it? And how does it affect your lifestyle in Mexico?
We are talking about roads, sewers, utilities, schools, refuse disposal and every other government amenity we take for granted in the US and Canada but in Mexico presents a problem. The city of Acapulco is still trying to figure out what to do with thousands of kilos of hospital waste. Right now they are dumping it into a land fill where the poor scavenge for food and clothing. This huge public health time bomb can only be disarmed by spending money, money that is just not there. So are you ready to live in a place where construction repair is done almost exclusively by hand? Where the water pressure is determined by the tank on the roof? And the smell of sewer sometimes permeates the air?
First, I would like to explain how I find a place to rent in Mexico. It takes time and patience something you learn to appreciate in Mexico. Newspaper ads and written postings appeal to the American mindset but are generally much more expensive. Personal contact and word of mouth is the predominant way in the less expensive neighborhoods. Start by determining your needs. Personally, I like to be within walking distance of the food market and the central part of town but not necessarily near all the noise of downtown. I walk and walk looking for something that feels good which I can't explain fully but I think you know what I mean.
Finding an area within a town or city is similar to buying real estate in the US: location, location, location. Then I talk with vendors in the area or I stop for a snack in a little restaurant and inquire about the possibility of any vacancies. People are so friendly and will go out of their way to help you. Once I have found an area, I will go back day after day chatting with people and getting my face known. Eventually, I guarantee it, you will make a connection that will lead to what you want. If the first place is not exactly what you want then at least the word will be out in that neighborhood and sooner or later you will find it.
The landlord will be cordial and quote a price that may be a little more than you want to pay. You will have to find out about the availability of phone, electricity and gas. Do you have to buy a propane tank? Is the hot water in working order? Are there any problems with water or sewer? Ask yourself all these questions and determine whether you can deal with the place. The interaction between you and the landlord is more than a business deal. They will be judging you as a person and will probably determine the final rental price by their opinion of you. It might be better to come back a few more times and let the landlord get to know you before you make a final decision. Hang out at the local cafes and really get to know the neighborhood. Time is on your side.
You make the decision and the place is yours. Having read most of what Mexconnect has to offer about utility hookups, you take control , do the paper work and it is time to make the place habitable. I am one of those persons who salvages and improvises to save a buck. Take some inexpensive ceramic flu liner and use it for a table base. A simple bed, a red clay fired pot with fresh flowers and a hand woven rug on the tile is simplicity and peace. I looked at hand carved pine furniture in Guanajuato and found the prices to be very reasonable like $250 US for an exquisite couch. Get the basics first: bed, kitchen table and chairs, couch, big chair, kitchen pantry cabinet, and a small rug for the bedroom. Then you can move in and quit spending all that money at your temporary apartment or hotel. You could probably spend another month roaming your area of the country picking up the decor that reflects your own touch. The place is looking good.
Two blocks away from your new abode you discover a small sign on the street pointing up some stairs to a small restaurant. From 14:00 til 17:00 they serve the comida corrida. You walk in, sit down and immediately you are greeted with a liter of fresh orange-guava juice. Next you are served a bowl of wonderful vegetable soup followed by a main course of meat, salad, beans and rice followed by a small piece of good flan. When the bill is delivered, $5.00 US covers the food and a good tip for a party of three (this happened to me in Guanajuato in Jan. of 1996-2006 ). Sometimes it just doesn't pay to cook.
Fresh ground coffee is available but a little harder to find because the Mexicans have been modernized and love to serve Nescafe. Being from Seattle, the latte land, I have to soothe my soul with a good cup of strong black java in the morning. In the US I have been paying about $7.00 or $8.00 a lb. for fresh ground coffee which is available in Mexico for roughly $2.00 US a pound. In my household it is a necessity.
The local bakeries offer sweet rolls and breads for a very inexpensive price and for the health conscious you can often find bran muffins and heavier wheat breads. I have shopped at both the big super markets and the open markets and find bargains at both. If you stick with fruits and vegetables in season and grown in the area, you will cut your cost just like in America and Canada. At times, produce grown by small "backyard" growers will appear on street corners for a real discount and usually is vine ripened. When I was in La Paz, BCS I bought the sweetest cantaloupes and tomatoes from the back of an old pick-up truck.
Both beans and tortillas have strict government price controls so can be bought very cheap almost anywhere. If you really get into cooking try making your own tortillas with one of those inexpensive tortilla presses. I have always had a hard time buying red meat. They don't age their meat and do not have the health controls that we have here so I don't buy it. I know expatriates who buy it all the time but over the years they have established a relationship with their butcher. The big key here is to get to know who has the meat that fits your taste. I stick with fish and chicken at the market.
There is a little trick to buying fish. The fishermen belong to a co-operative that buys all their fish and resells to the retail outlets. You can bypass the middleman by showing up at the place where the fishermen clean their catch and prepare it for market. The price at this point is about half of what you will pay at the market. This may not work in places like Guadalajara away from the ocean but surely works on the coast of Mexico.
The price of chicken has gone up in the last 10 years because there are so many new fast food chicken places down there but you can still get a pretty good buy. Mesquite roasted chicken is available in most towns and for a nominal fee will include cole slaw, salsa and rice. Spices bought at the bulk spice stores are priced far lower than the ones imported at the super market. One other good buy is homemade cheese. The cheese doesn't have the artificial color we are used to but has a great taste and is very fresh. It is available at all the open markets
Economical living in Mexico is easy and fun. It means you have to get out and explore your surroundings away from where the Americans congregate. It is a chance to know the culture and the people.