Mexico cruising $1k/mo

[Hudson Force]

I should probably keep a closer track on my budget, but living on far less than my income allows me not to worry about it. My wife and I retired 14 years ago and for our first year cruising without working, I looked at all the money spent. Once I found that we still lived on less than our income, just as before retirement, I stopped recording all that we spent.

I should mention that we are not in Mexico,- currently in Florida. We spend about the same whether we are underway or remaining at a marina. We keep liability only insurance; we do almost all DIY work on our boat; we have no car; we pay for no internet or "smart phone" service; we do not support the ownership of anything that is not on our boat. We enjoy our life aboard as we have for 44 years. Mexico, Bahamas, USA, Canada.... we're not worldwide cruisers, but wherever we are, we seem to live on less than many expect. Certainly, for less than those that are in houses.

[Celestialsailor]

Wow...44 years...my hats off to you Hudson Force

[lorrie]

Land based in Mexico right now.
250 pesos for doctors appointment
300 pesos for full hour of physical therapy
200 pesos for full hour massage
100 pesos for full chicken dinner
95 pesos bottle of wine
Exchange rate to US is 17 to 1 US Dollar
Do the math, I cannot afford the US anymore.
I do have a camper van for road trips.
My biggest expense is airplane to see family and grandchildren are young.
Will budget for 4 trips a year in future.


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[lorrie]

Sorry, when I say full chicken Dinner it indicates entire cooked chicken, beans, rice, coleslaw and tortillas for 100 pesos


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[Celestialsailor]

Thanx lorrie...mind if I ask what part of Mexico? It's about the same in San Carlos.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

I think it's easier to say byebye to your cruising kitty in the Caribbean then it is in Patagonia, for instance.

Not really, when you need something in the Caribbean, there are stores and shipping companies available. When you blow out a sail in a remote harbor in Patagonia, I would expect to pay a premium for it.

I'm a strong believer, location has almost nothing to do with the cost. If you have the average middle class lifestyle and live that same lifestyle in another country, it's going to cost about the same amount. Some things may be less but others will be more.

If you don't mind a very simplistic lifestyle at anchor all the time never going out, you can live the $1000 lifestyle in the USA, Mexico or most anyplace. Nothing wrong with that...if it's what you are after.

The other issue is a lot of people on the $1000 or less budgets live with a lot of risk. No medical insurance, no boat insurance, no emergency fund...anything goes wrong and the cruise is over.

[sailorcherry]

That is great info Lorrie. Thanks for sharing those figures. I second Celestial, what region is this for?

I really want family to move to MX, where there is a shot at living off ss. Of course as soon as they mention it to someone that person just has to say they know a friend of a friend who was kidnapped! Yes, two people within a week said that.

[Celestialsailor]

Looks like we're not getting that information...

[lorrie]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Thanx lorrie...mind if I ask what part of Mexico? It's about the same in San Carlos.

Living in Bucerias, Mx
30 Minutes outside of Puerto Vallarta

[lorrie]

Originally Posted by sailorcherry

That is great info Lorrie. Thanks for sharing those figures. I second Celestial, what region is this for?

I really want family to move to MX, where there is a shot at living off ss. Of course as soon as they mention it to someone that person just has to say they know a friend of a friend who was kidnapped! Yes, two people within a week said that.

I live in a traditional Mexican neighborhood, 4 blocks from the beach. Most people that have negative feelings about Mexico have never been there. The locals are my friends and I am learning to speak Spanglish.

[chuckr]

I am with Tacoma Sailor -- it really depends on what you put in there and how you account for items like sails, bottom paint ect -- we do all cash accounting and I will shortly produce a spread sheet of our 7 years of cost data that includes every penny we spent from sails to trips home to sightseeing to inland travel to boat repair to you name it -

[undercutter]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

you can live the $1000 lifestyle in the USA, Mexico or most anyplace. Nothing wrong with that...if it's what you are after.

This statement is just wrong.

[sailorboy1]

I think I spent about $1000 last month on boat maintenance, supplies only as I'm DIY. There are lots of posts on forums that you can cruise on $500-1000/mo, but I haven't ever seen a cash accounting of doing it long term so that you can really look at it for what is included/excluded. They seem to always have a lot of "not counting" and "it depends". I remember one poster saying he only spent $50/YEAR on boat maintenance, must be a magic boat.

[Lizzy Belle]

A couple of years ago, a young Dutch guy circumnavigated on around €500/month on his Albin Vega. Whatever money he had usually went to the boat, he pretty much lived on rice and whatever other cruisers gave him.

Wouldn't be my choice, but then again .. I'm still stuck in a marina and he's circumnavigated.

[darylat8750]

I have an acquaintance that lives in the US with only SS and he retired a long time ago. I think he gets significantly less than $1K a month. He has a 24 foot sailboat that was given to him because the PO could not fix the leaks in the case for the retractable rudder. He lives on the boat in WI during the summer to be near his grand children and lives somewhere in FL during the cold months. He doesn't appear to be starving and he eats at the Lion's Club once a week and does a cruise on Lake Michigan a couple of times a summer. I don't think I've ever met someone that lives as close to the vest financially as him. Good guy still getting along pretty good in his 80s.