rpattyn
American expat in Mexico
Forum posts
20
Contacts
7
About me
American, Married
Lives in Ajijic, Jalisco
Speaks English, Spanish
Registration: 12 December 2016
Activity
Electronic communication in Mexico by Clay Daniel
I just moved from the US to Puerto Escondido. I have already learned that people here don't use email much. Nearly everyone uses whatsapp. I've had it for several days now, and it is better than email, and you can make calls. And its free. Not sure ...
WhatsApp all the way, Mexico runs on WhatsApp and it is so convenient, efficient and easy .. I would be absolutely lost without it and use it to make appointments etc. as well as for general communications Read More
Managing mailboxes or PO boxes in Mexico by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Something as simple as receiving mail can become a whole new experience when you settle in Mexico as an expat. Mailing management can indeed be different from what you are used to. In order to help other expats and soon-to-be ...
When we first moved to Mexico we had set up a virtual mailbox through Travelingmailbox and it worked very well. They scan envelopes as they arrive at their address and then open and scan the contents of any that you mark to be opened. They even ... Read More
Preventive care in Mexico by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As an expat in Mexico, taking care of your health would be one of your main priorities. Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in keeping fit and healthy. We therefore would like to invite you to share your insights on ...
Here in Jalisco we have Salud Jalisco which is free preventative healthcare at government clinics in the state of Jalisco. We recently signed up very easily - we simply needed to be over 65 and have copies of our passport, residence permit, CURP ... Read More
Inflation in Mexico in 2022 by Mickael
In the various media, inflation in Mexico is becoming increasingly important. This is becoming a concern for some, with fears of an impact on day-to-day budgeting. Today, how does inflation in Mexico impact on daily life? Which products and ...
Yes inflation is on the rise in Mexico just as it is in any other country in the world. What I am noticing is the increase in cost of groceries and restaurants, this means that we are also paying our cleaners and gardeners more because of that. As ... Read More
Keeping fit in Mexico by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Keeping fit during your time in Mexico is of utmost importance. How about sharing with us and your fellow expats how you keep healthy in your host country? What are your daily health hacks in Mexico? Do you exercise ...
We kill two birds with one stone (eat healthy and stay fit) by walking into town each day to buy our lovely fresh vegetables for cooking that day. We have hills to climb and the walk is at least 30 minutes each way. Read More
Accessing Money from US by mejms
Moving from Boston to Queretaro in about a month and will continue to have income deposited into my US bank account. Would love to hear how people access their money. I will likely open a bank account in Mexico but am unsure whether I will ...
I have been using my Schwab debit card to draw money from ATMs in Mexico. Schwab makes it easy to open an account online and they reimburse all atm and foreign transaction fees and give a very good exchange rate. I also have a Mexican bank account ... Read More
Cost of living 2019 in Mexico by Priscilla
Hello everyone, As we usually do each year, we invite you to share your experiences and tell us more about the average prices of products and services in your town/city/area, so that we have updated information regarding cost of living and ...
We are currently paying $950 (USD) in Ajijic for rent of a beautiful modern 1 bed/1 bath apartment with an awesome view of the lake. The rent that we are paying includes gas, electricity, water, internet, telephone, Shaw TV as well as maid service ... Read More
Border Run Expats in Mexico by Halfwaytree
I am just at the beginning of my research for a possible move to Mexico as an early retired expat I thought I would get my feet wet by maybe spending 6 to 12 months as a border run expat with a tourist visa before deciding if I should apply for ...
Hi, Medical expenses in Mexico are incredibly reasonable. I have a friend who just had major surgery for removal of a massive tumor and total hysterectomy - a five and a half hour surgery. All inclusive (doctor, surgeon, anesthetist, 2 days in ... Read More
Drivers license in Mexico by ibmark1
Hi there everyone, having moved down to Baja from San Diego (retired) living here on tourist visa (6 months type) permanently and no longer having an address of residence in California, am worried about what my options are to have a drivers license. ...
Hi, Just wanted to let you know that I have a couple of friends that just arrived in Mexico on tourist visas and they have got their Mexican driver's licence. In Mexico there is always a way - post out on Facebook in a group in your area and ... Read More
Language barriers in Mexico by Priscilla
Hello, Learning a new language is a part of the expat process. Let's find out how crucial it is to know the language in Mexico. What is the official language in Mexico, and what are the other popular spoken languages? Is it possible to live ...
I think that it is only common courtesy/good manners to speak at least some of the language of the country that your are visiting (even more so if you are resident in that country). The top of my list for learning are por favor, gracias y de nada ... Read More
proof of income requirements to move to mexico by Delightedtogo
Hi! I am a new member and I am considering moving and buying property in Mexico. I was wondering if there is a requirement that you must have in savings before being able to move there. I would be looking for work once I got there also to ...
The value of any property that you own in Mexico will be included in the total amount required to prove that you can support yourself. Therefore if the requirement is to show assets of 1,600,800 pesos and you have bought property worth 1,000,000 ... Read More
Moving to Ajijic by ELLENRAY
My husband and I are retiring soon and planning to move to the Lakeside area in late spring 2018. We plan to lease a place to live. 1 we have found realators lack responses to interest by email, thoughts? 2 should we keep our Medicare for or twice ...
We would like to take our car, so we will want temporale Visa it sounds like. Did you bring your belonging or ship them? ThanksWe sold practically everything that we owned (a couple of downsizing experiences along the way) and only brought what we ... Read More
Moving to Ajijic by ELLENRAY
My husband and I are retiring soon and planning to move to the Lakeside area in late spring 2018. We plan to lease a place to live. 1 we have found realators lack responses to interest by email, thoughts? 2 should we keep our Medicare for or twice ...
Hi Ellenray, I am moving to Lakeside around the 1st of March. I visited Ajijic in July to become famailar with the area. Like you I had troube getting realtors to respond to my emails, but got a great response from Lake Chapala Real Estate. They ... Read More
proof of income requirements to move to mexico by Delightedtogo
Hi! I am a new member and I am considering moving and buying property in Mexico. I was wondering if there is a requirement that you must have in savings before being able to move there. I would be looking for work once I got there also to ...
The value of any property that you own in Mexico will be included in the total amount required to prove that you can support yourself. Therefore if the requirement is to show assets of 1,600,800 pesos and you have bought property worth 1,000,000 ... Read More
Moving to Ajijic by ELLENRAY
My husband and I are retiring soon and planning to move to the Lakeside area in late spring 2018. We plan to lease a place to live. 1 we have found realators lack responses to interest by email, thoughts? 2 should we keep our Medicare for or twice ...
Hi, Having moved to Ajijic earlier this year, I just wanted to say that I agree with everything that you have said in your post. We also used Access Lake Chapala to find our rental home and they are very helpful, wonderful to deal with and speak ... Read More