Living Dirt Cheap In Mexico

My partner is a disabled veteran who receives US $1,054 per month from VA. This is the amount we live on. We are both in our fifties and we don't go out partying anymore. We don't dine out much. We don't own a vehicle. We don't have a cell phone but we do have Skype. 

Both of us are in decent health with minimal medical needs. I have high blood pressure for which I take a pill a day, though not for too much longer. More on that below. We don't work at regular jobs and we don't live in the US or the UK which is where we are from. We live in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Let me state that I don't speak Spanish yet. I wish that wasn't the case and I am wholly apologetic for my sin. It's a tad hypocritical because I am a firm believer of "When In Rome…" My move to Mexico would have been smoother had I been able to communicate with the local people. I always feel like a "dumb gringa" for forcing them to speak a foreign language in their own country.

So, how do we live on so little? It took about a year to work out a budget. At first we had no idea where to cut corners, or even if we could. We would run out of money frequently by week three and live on beans and rice which I hated - until I learned how to cook them. Now I love them.

HOW TO FIND AN APARTMENT IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN

It was not readily apparent.

• Craigslist was a washout. They only list The Yucatan in general and the few places for rent in Playa are mostly very expensive.
• There are "Appartamento Se Renta" signs accompanied by a telephone number all over the place. Unless you're comfortable with the language I wouldn't recommend searching that way.
• I finally found an online classifieds site called VIVANUNCIOS -You'll find a huge selection of furnished rental units in every price range.
• ANDALE -The same sort of thing as Vivanuncios. Both are very good and up to date.

I pay $350 (4,500 MXN) for a large, bright studio with wooden beamed ceiling in the Ejido district which is within walking distance of groceries, downtown and the best beach around. That includes a kitchen area with a full fridge, two burner gas stove, microwave, TV and WiFi, hot water, electricity, ceiling fans, large closet, bathroom with shower, double bed and an eight foot long wooden dining table and chairs. On the walls were original paintings and a gargantuan wood framed mirror. Cable TV with 5 English speaking channels is $15 (200 MXN) extra. It came with some dishes but not enough. It's not fancy but it's spacious and it's got character!

WHERE TO SHOP FOR FOOD

There are several North American style supermarkets all with an abundance of stuff that you are used to and quite a few differences. I live within walking distance of both Soriana and Chedraui. I only shop at Soriana for beer, sugar and coffee. Coffee and beer are cheaper there and sugar comes in smaller 1kg bags which is not as refined as the sugar they sell at Chedraui. I shop at Chedraui  (least expensive of the two) for the rest of my food. I never spend more than $230 (3,000 MXN) per month and that includes the cab ride home. I do a big shopping at the beginning of the month and replenish in the middle of the month for fresh veggies. There are also Mega and WalMart within walking distance of Centro. I shop at neither.

Having said that, this is how I eat:  Breakfast is either yoghurt, cheerios and fruit or an egg sandwich or oatmeal - and coffee. I don't usually eat lunch but my partner has a sandwich. Dinner is usually chicken, or fresh fish, fresh vegetable or a salad and potatoes or rice and beans. We eat a lot of spaghetti and homemade sauce. Randy cooks a mean spaghetti sauce with chipotles. We have burgers twice a month and one treat meal a month. Usually it's either calamari, shrimp, buffalo wings or on occasion a steak. Oh yes, I often make a beef stew that is delicious. For snacks Randy likes sour dough pretzels and I eat peanut butter and frozen bananas over yoghurt. Fruit is plentiful and good so I eat fresh mangoes, pineapple and papaya. I think we eat really well - or at least as well as I want. I don't buy extravagantly and I don't get the treats that I would at home. 

Some things are hard to find. Who could imagine a world with no lemons? Well, here there are none! I miss some English things like Marmite and good tea! I miss a good selection of cheeses. I miss a really decent loaf of bread although the fresh baked rolls are very good. Randy can't find a hotdog he likes. Black pepper of all things, actually a lot of herbs and spices used in our cooking are scarce. We stock up when we cross the border to Belize. Oddly enough we don't eat Mexican food. I have never enjoyed it much and don't know how to cook it well.

COST CUTTING TIPS

·         There is a decent PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION service in Playa that is a well kept secret to tourists. It's not advertised on the internet anywhere that I've found. Buses (Not the Colectivo) are everywhere and so are bus stops. It costs me $.40 (5 MXN) to get downtown (centro) if I feel lazy or have too much to carry. They run regularly.

·         DRUGS! I take Lisinopril for hypertension. Always buy at Farmacia Similares. These small pharmacies are everywhere . They charge $6.50 (85 MXN) for a two month supply. Soriana charges triple that. You don't need a prescription.

·         Red Cross (Cruz Roja) has DOCTORS on staff. A doctor's visit and prescription for antibiotics cost me $7.75 (100 MXN). The doctor spoke decent English and it saved me the cost of a trip to a hospital.

·         I like RED WINE (vino tinto). Chedraui has an OK Mexican wine by the name of "California". It comes in 1L tetra paks for the brilliant price of $2.80 (36 MXN). I'm no connoisseur, but gut-rot, it ain't!

·         AXION dishwashing soap is by far the best, best, best. It comes in a yellow tub (like margarine) and lasts for months. $1.78 (27 MXN).

·         STREET LUNCHES- Downtown on Benito Juarez there are stands everywhere. The best ones are crowded with people buying tacos filled with their choice of meat and fillings. I dare you to resist when you pass by. 3 tacos filled with chicken $1.55 (20) and you can sit on a park bench and people watch.

·         BEACH UMBRELLAS are non-existent in Playa except at the payable resorts. I challenge you to find a decent one in a store that won't blow inside out. However, that sun is scorching and even though it's tempting to stay out and bake, it's highly dangerous. I fashioned my own out of 4 broom handle length sticks and 2 of those colorful Indian cotton scarf wraps you see in Chedraui or Mega for $12.50 (160 MXN). Dig the sticks in the sand and tie the scarf wraps on top of the poles. The wind flies them out and they make perfect beach umbrellas. Very BoHO!

·         I haven't really been SHOPPING FOR DECENT CLOTHES yet, but I know where I'm going when I get some money - to the Mexican Free Zone. It costs $46.50 (600 MXN) per person return on the ADO bus (20th Ave. and 12th St.) The Free Zone is between Mexico and Belize. When I went there recently I passed through  and although merchandize isn't free, it sure is cheap. I'm talking Gucci, Pucci and Fiorucci - dirt cheap! Perfume, shoes - you name it. Looked like wonderland! I ended up buying 2 cartons of cigarettes for $3 (39 MXN) each. Nasty habit, but you can't beat that.

WHAT MOST DAYS LOOK LIKE

I do artwork in the morning. I start with the "gooping" projects that are messy because, well, it's messy and I like to get it over with. Randy sits on the computer while I tear paper and dip it in goop and make bowls and earrings. By ten thirty I'm usually off to the beach. I live a 17 minute walk from one of the most beautiful beaches I've had the supreme pleasure of living close to. The sea is always aqua and fierce. The sand is largely litter-free. There is always a breeze and at this time of year the tourists are back up north.

Haman-Ha Bowl by Paper Prezzies. http://www.paperprezzies.com

On the walk home I pass through the Xaman-Ha Mayan ruins and the tree-lined cobbled streets of Playacar. The trees smell divine.  In the afternoon I paint bowls which is a lot of fun. I gather inspiration everywhere I go. In the evening I research marketing, write, and basically take care of a fledgling online business. I watch free movies at http://www.watch-movies.net.in/

Some days I do nothing! Not bad on $1,054/month for two, eh? Good night all.