How Does Mexico Compare to the 10 Best U.S. States for Retirement?

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Thomas Lloyd

What’s the best place to retire in the U.S.? A recent slide show at Marketwatch.com visualized and summarized the findings of a recent Bankrate survey.

You can go take a look at at, but a quick glance will show you that the results are … surprising. The empty badlands and sprawling wheat fields of the Dakotas, the plains of Nebraska and the hills of the Appalachians – beautiful places, to be sure, but not exactly the sunny retirement that most people imagined.

So, what happened in this rating? Is Bankrate just trying be counter-culture and shock people? Actually, if you read the stats, they are just being realistic. The classic favorites in the Sunbelt are simply too expensive for the average (or even above average) American. To find a good balance of cost of living, health care, low crime and good services you have to look northward.

In my opinion, a much better solution would be to look southward – to Mexico that is. Of the factors Bankrate considered, many locations in Mexico excel:

Cost of living – Mexico tends to be about half that of the U.S. on average. I’m sure this means that most nice places in Mexico are noticeably less expensive than the states on that list.

Health care – Mexico’s healthcare has modernized significantly, and now has hospitals on par with private hospitals in the U.S.

The beaches of Playa del Carmen

Modern services – Banks, supermarkets, transportation, etc. – these will be well run, modern and comfortable.

Crime rate – Surprisingly, many parts of Mexico are safer than many parts of the U.S. Yucatan, for example, has a crime rate as low as Wyoming, one of the safest states.

Sunshine & warm weather – Many parts of Mexico enjoy sunshine over 300 days a year. This includes beachfront areas and small lakeside towns in the hilly central highlands.

And … we can’t forget that with all this, you can still be on a beautiful beach, or perhaps a charming lake front if you prefer. So, you can go digging up nice retirement towns in South Dakota, if you like. I’m sure the people will be friendly and the landscapes will be beautiful … during the 3 months of summer, at least.

Or you could come down to Mexico and enjoy even lower cost of living, sunnier weather with most of the same benefits. The beach will be much, much closer.

You choose.

-by Bea Lozano

Looking for a Retirement Job? Why Not Your Dream Business in Mexico?

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Thomas Lloyd

Retirement in Mexico Finally you’ve made it to that big day when retirement begins, so you can … compete in a struggling job market to make ends meet?!?

It may sound absurd, but more and more retirees are finding themselves in this situation.

Pressures on Retirees

“‘Retirement job seems like an oxymoron,” observes a recent article in USA Today. “And yet a growing number of Americans say that they plan to continue to work during their retirement years.”

The article goes on to list all sorts of fun things like:

harder times making retirement budgets work
difficulty finding jobs
employers’ adversity to hiring workers in retirement age
higher unemployment in the 55+ group
etc.

Of course, for professionals, the pictures is a little different. But the bottom line still is that it’s becoming harder and harder to just forget about work and enjoy life during retirement.

Have You Thought about Mexico?

People who find themselves in this situation would do very well to look south. First and foremost, the cost of living is so low in Mexico, that it solves the problem for most people. The stress of wondering if those retirement funds will go far enough is removed and people can relax and live well. Most people could easily afford a nice Mexico property, leaving their savings in tact, or even boosting them if they sell a more expensive property back home.

Starting a Business

Some people would still need a source of income. In Mexico it’s much easier to invest in a rental property or open that business you’ve always dreamed of. Many retirees are living in Mexico, and gaining an income here.

But it’s not that they’re working that same office job that they’ve been waiting to be rid of for so long – they’re working their dream business – a restaurant, cafe, sailing tours, yoga, decoration, dog kennel – whatever is their passion is. And they own it.

Even people of modest resources can start a business in Mexico.

Working for Enjoyment

There are also many retirees who keep working in Mexico, even though they don’t have to. Why? Because they enjoy it. But there’s a world of difference between working because you like it, and working because of financial pressures. Working because you enjoy it is also a nice luxury even back home, but in Mexico add to that the comfort of living better on less money, warm weather, beaches, great food and – best of all – relaxation as a way of life.

-by Thomas Lloyd

A U.S. Retiree Saves Almost $20,000 At a Mexican Hospital!

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Thomas Lloyd

Hospital care for retired people in Mexico I just found this amazing story about a retiree who spent 9 days in a hospital in Mexico for emergency medical care. His family paid under $6500 USD. In the U.S., the same care would’ve cost $125,000 USD!

Even with medicare coverage, his family would’ve paid $25,000 USD as a co-payment.

Read the story at The Snowbird’s Cactus, the new blog we recently started about starting life in Mexico – “A hospital in Mexico saved my father’s life … and cost less than $6,500″.

-by Thomas Lloyd

Do You Know What Mexico’s Favorite Tacos Are?

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Thomas Lloyd

While most of us have seen tacos in the U.S. with ground beef on them, this would be unheard-of in Mexico. People who have lived in areas with a Latin community may be familiar with something more authentic.

Here’s interesting question; do you know what Mexico’s favorite and most common kind of taco is?

From my experience, and according many of my friends who know our country well, the favorite is a very distinct type of taco that northerners are likely never to have seen back home, but are ever-present virtually where ever you go in Mexico:

Tacos al Pastor

If you see how these tacos are made – on a large rotisserie with the meat shaved off the spit – the first word that will probably come into your mind is “shawarma” or “doner kebab.” And, in fact, they have their roots in the shawarma introduced to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants in the mid-twentieth century.

Food in Mexico

The name, “al pastor,” means “shepherd style” and refers to the lamb from which shawarma is made; tacos al pastor, however are made out of pork.

The pineapple on top of the spit of meat helps to soften the meat.

How are they served?

As you see in the picture above, they are usually served on small corn tortillas; on top of the meat, only cilantro and chopped onion are served. Sometimes a thin slice of the cooked pineapple is added. Many people will add thinly sliced radishes and hot sauce. Mexicans will almost always squeeze lime juice onto their tacos.

People enjoy them with just about any kind of cold drink (beer, soda, natural fruit juices, etc.)

Food in Mexico

Where, when, how much?

While they have their roots in central Mexico (where the Lebanese settled mostly) they now seem to be available throughout the country. They are served in a variety of locations, ranging from something that looks like a hotdog stand on the street corner to taco shops. They are usually only available in the evening.

They are always cheap. I have seen anything from about twenty five cents a taco to about sixty-five cents, depending on how big they are, what region of Mexico you’re in, and how nice the place is where you’re eating them.

Here in Playa we have quite a number of good taco shops to find this tasty food, including quite a number on Fifth Avenue. One good and popular location is El Fogon (pictured above) on the corner of 30th and Juarez.

-Bea Lozano