Retired 20 years ago in Mexico!

[mexicoblue14]

Burned out at age 51 with 80-hour work weeks in Silicon Valley, I decided I needed to retire for my health and sanity. My financial advisor said I'd need to work 10 more years, put $50K aside per year and I could retire there at half my life style. It felt like a prison sentence, so I attended an International Living conference in Guadalajara on retiring in Mexico and three months later I moved to Ajijic. I've lived comfortably here for 20 years, published hundreds of articles and two books on retiring in Mexico and consider myself a bit of an expert on the subject. Not a financial expert -- my careers were in IT and marketing, but I've interviewed hundreds of folks who have moved down here for a myriad of reasons and am happy to help others looking for a way to retire early. It's a pleasure to be part of this group.

 

[Major Tom]

Welcome to the group. I must admit that, on reading your introductory post, I couldn't figure out whether it was a regular intro, or a pitch for International Living and your services.

How cynical of me! Enjoy your time here.

 

[nobodyspecial]

I love the Lakeside area. Once I can walk away from MegaCorp's money, La Floresta here I come.

 

[medved]

I moved to Ajijic. I've lived comfortably here for 20 years, published hundreds of articles and two books on retiring in Mexico and consider myself a bit of an expert on the subject. ... happy to help others looking for a way to retire early. It's a pleasure to be part of this group.

What were the biggest surprises you found in moving to Mexico -- the things you didn't expect or anticipate (I am referring to both the positives and negatives)?

Have you integrated with locals or more part of an expat community? Did you speak good Spanish before moving down there?

What do you spend your time doing down there? If you needed serious medical care (major surgery, chemotherapy. etc.), would you get it down there or come back to US?

 

[Alex The Great]

mexicoblue14, you're a very valuable resource here Some of my questions already mentioned by medved, I would like just to add one: is it true that Mexico's public health insurer often reject people with pre-existing conditions, and even drop them later when they develop such conditions?

 

[Luck_Club]

Burned out at age 51 with 80-hour work weeks in Silicon Valley, I decided I needed to retire for my health and sanity. My financial advisor said I'd need to work 10 more years, put $50K aside per year and I could retire there at half my life style. It felt like a prison sentence, so I attended an International Living conference in Guadalajara on retiring in Mexico and three months later I moved to Ajijic. I've lived comfortably here for 20 years, published hundreds of articles and two books on retiring in Mexico and consider myself a bit of an expert on the subject. Not a financial expert -- my careers were in IT and marketing, but I've interviewed hundreds of folks who have moved down here for a myriad of reasons and am happy to help others looking for a way to retire early. It's a pleasure to be part of this group.

This is sort of my plan, with multiple 8-12 week locations. Recent news stories indicate Mexico areas have become very violent to Americans. Could you elaborate on the local take?

 

[ERD50]

Welcome as well. I am a cynic by nature, and I have to admit that I got a tinge of the same feeling that Major Tom got (I didn't know he was such a cynic - I pictured him as pretty easy going!). But I also like to give people the benefit of the doubt, and figured it was just an explanation for how you got to where you are. I hope I'm right.

I'm interested in hearing more - like what kind of numbers did your FA figure on? How much of a gap was there (well, I guess ~ $500K from your comments of saving $50K for ten years)? Obviously, the FA, if paid as a % of portfolio is motivated to have you keep growing your (1% his?) portfolio!

-ERD50

 

[Sunset]

Welcome, I look forward to hearing about your life in Mexico.

 

[brucethebroker]

Welcome Mexiblu14.

Are you still there?......

 

[Sunset]

I was so curious I looked up the town. Sort of West of central Mexico.
It's on a huge lake, looked lovely, until one video explained nobody swims in the lake due to the high industrial pollution. Sure enough all the videos I saw, the lake was devoid of people.

I would seriously worry about well water so close to this incredibly large lake.

 

[REWahoo]

Welcome to the group. I must admit that, on reading your introductory post, I couldn't figure out whether it was a regular intro, or a pitch for International Living and your services.

How cynical of me! Enjoy your time here.

Looks like the mods removed her book advertisements from her sig line. Doubt she'll be heard from again...

 

[Nemo2]

I was so curious I looked up the town. Sort of West of central Mexico.
It's on a huge lake, looked lovely, until one video explained nobody swims in the lake due to the high industrial pollution. Sure enough all the videos I saw, the lake was devoid of people.

I would seriously worry about well water so close to this incredibly large lake.

An old friend of mine has a sister & her DH who have lived there for years (Ajijic); they love it, he thinks it's smelly, dirty, dump, (candor is his byword).......I've never been, so have no first hand comment.

 

[ERD50]

Looks like the mods removed her book advertisements from her sig line. Doubt she'll be heard from again...

Hmmm, looks like Major Tom's cynicism was well placed. Two posts and out, a hit-and-run poster!

-ERD50

 

[Major Tom]

I am a cynic by nature, and I have to admit that I got a tinge of the same feeling that Major Tom got (I didn't know he was such a cynic - I pictured him as pretty easy going!)
-ERD50

The forces of good and evil sit on my shoulders and whisper in my ears - one on each side. It almost feels a bit schizophrenic at times, but I do my best to balance them both. Such is the cost of attempting to be pragmatic

I was hoping she'd stick around to answer the questions posed in this thread, but it's been 5 days now since the original post. It's a shame, as there were some real opportunities for learning here. Perhaps we need to wait a few more days. I really do want to think the best of people so come back mexicoblue14, and show us we were wrong about you

 

[Hyperborea]

they love it, he thinks it's smelly, dirty, dump

Is that really they or is it "they"?

 

[Nemo2]

Is that really they or is it "they"?

They being his sister and her husband.

 

[Hyperborea]

Is that really they or is it "they"?

They being his sister and her husband.

Ah, I missed that there were 3 people involved. I thought it was a way of intimating that the "she" of the couple loves it but that the "he" doesn't. Sort of like the royal "we".

 

[Nemo2]

Ah, I missed that there were 3 people involved. I thought it was a way of intimating that the "she" of the couple loves it but that the "he" doesn't. Sort of like the royal "we".

An old friend of mine(1) has a sister(2) & her DH(3)

How's that? (Perhaps I should have mentioned that my friend also has a spouse (4) who doesn't like it there either.)

 

[braumeister]

An old friend of mine(1) has a sister(2) & her DH(3)

How's that? (Perhaps I should have mentioned that my friend also has a spouse (4) who doesn't like it there either.)

They probably don't like it because they got sick there from something they (8).

 

[Nemo2]

They probably don't like it because they got sick there from something they (8).

Nein.

 

[kcowan]

We have some friends that retired in 1997 and moved to Ajijic. They sold all their property and became Mexican citizens. After 5 years, they decided that they should move again (they were renting). So they moved to Manzanillo. Then they moved to PV. Finally they moved to Mazatlan and eventually purchased the place that they were renting on the ocean. They helped us a lot back in 2003 when we were deciding where to move in our retirement.

I get the impression that people who move to Lake Chapala like to see the mountains and the lake but do not need to swim in it. Lucky thing! Our friends from PV moved there last year because the year round weather is so decent. May is the hottest month with daytime temps in the 90s and humidity in the low tens.

The only difference with Arizona is that the costs are much less and the scenery is comparable.

But there is no problem with water supply. As long as you are OK with bottled. And there are no sheriffs patrolling the borders. Costs to eat out are about half what we pay in PV.

 

[Hyperborea]

Ah, I missed that there were 3 people involved. I thought it was a way of intimating that the "she" of the couple loves it but that the "he" doesn't. Sort of like the royal "we".

How's that? (Perhaps I should have mentioned that my friend also has a spouse (4) who doesn't like it there either.)

I'm going to guess I missed it because I was under-caffeinated and trying to do something else at the same time. But it could very well be due to too many rock videos, comic books, and video games at a young age.

 

[Nemo2]

too many rock videos, comic books, and video games at a young age.

Wow, you must be young....comic books were the only one of the three that existed in my youth......I was ~38 when PacMan came out.

 

[Hyperborea]

Wow, you must be young....comic books were the only one of the three that existed in my youth......I was ~38 when PacMan came out.

I was 15 when PacMan came out in 1980. My gran worked at a bowling alley lunch counter. I had the use of the pinball and video games there and played a lot of Space Invaders when it came out in '78. Got to be pretty good.

 

[mexicoblue14]

Welcome to the group. I must admit that, on reading your introductory post, I couldn't figure out whether it was a regular intro, or a pitch for International Living and your services.

How cynical of me! Enjoy your time here.

I just figured out that there were more posts. I hadn't heard anything and had expected emails to let me know. First off, I have nothing to do with international Living. Their "Retire in Mexico" conference in 1996 introduced me to this area. Now, I'll scroll on down and see how I can answer other questions. Is there a way to get notified when someone responds to my posts?