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Live or Retire in Mexico: 
A Practical, Detailed Guide

So you want to learn the trick to retire in Mexico? I've lived in Mexico on a budget for 7 years and after accumulating a set of hard-earned how-to knowledge, I developed a helpful e-book.  My book Mexico: The Trick is Living Here  will help you live or retire (or travel extensively) in Mexico. It will help you answer the questions you have about cost of living by giving example costs and clear descriptions of what you get for your peso in Mexico.  This book will help you envision what your life might be like once you retire in Mexico.

Quick Guide to
Mexico:
The Trick is Living Here
Second Edition

To be honest, when you live or retire in Mexico, the first year is especially difficult -- worth it, but difficult.  I found my first year full of challenges and culture shock. Everything seemed so hard as I figured it out for myself. A practical guidebook full of how-to details would have been a huge help for me.

Now, I have expanded Mexico: The Trick is Living Here and created a second edition. Many of my readers are Canadian, so I have added two sections just for Canadian snow birds looking to live in Mexico. I have also added more information about the cost of living, driving in Mexico, health care and doing paperwork in Mexico, among other things.

Here is the table of contents of Mexico: The Trick is Living Here Second Edition so that you can see the types of practical things I've included.  (Notice the unique section on cultural information, available nowhere else in print or on the web.)

For a few dollars you can have this detailed handbook at your side during the months of planning as well as the first year of your stay in Mexico.  It's a lot cheaper than a failed move to Mexico!  Lots of my readers contact me and tell me how they have read and re-read sections that were particularily useful to them.

The first person to read Mexico: The Trick is Living Here was a Canadian expatriate.  Here are her comments:

Dear Julia:

"I was really excited to read the e-book.  I had a few ... 'ah-ha moments' as I read along.  It felt good to know that I am not alone in this and that the way I feel about things is normal!  It wasn't just that but... I feel pretty helpless about doing things most of the time here... I have always been independent.  Now I can't do things without [my Mexican friend's] help.  You helped me to see that I will be able to (no matter how different the process is here!) 

"I think that you have a real talent for speaking the truth without offending....I wish I could do that. ...I pulled my inflatable bed up to my laptop on fruit crates and bunked down and read the whole thing!

...

"The other thing was that I thought that you had a really nice flow to it all.  I just kept reading with ease. I think it is fabulous and I am totally inspired."

--Cheryl Allaby, Canadian expatriate living in Mexico

Like Cheryl, I wanted to know that what I was feeling was normal.  

There is no other source like Mexico: The Trick is Living Here Second Edition

I read things written by others who had supposedly "lived" here. I wanted affirmation that the culture shock I was experiencing was normal, strategies for handling new experiences, and to know how to get my household set up.

I got none of this.  I found that what others wrote showed them living as Americans in Mexico--apart from the Mexicans that surrounded them. But I hadn't moved to Mexico to remain separate from Mexicans and I didn't have the money to live the same way I had lived in the U.S.

I finally decided to write the book I needed, so that I could share what I learned with others.  The result is Mexico: The Trick is Living Here and I'm confident that it will give you the practical "how-to" information you need and truly enrich your experience in Mexico.  And it's funny, too!

Did you know that the culture will even effect the quality of your mail service? Click here to read a special preview of the e-book.

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Getting Beyond the Hype

I'm sure you've noticed that most of what you read about Mexico on the Internet and in books is all about how cheap it is or how perfect the weather is.  But you're not cheap. That's no reason to move to another country.  Is weather really that important? After all, you could just move to New Mexico or Hawaii and have good weather without the international experience. 

You would embark on the international experience because Mexico itself has something to offer you, right?

But it's hard to know what exactly it is that Mexico has to offer.  You recognize the "cheap Mexico" and "Mexico is paradise" hype for what it is.  Hype.  You are left with a desire to get beneath the surface and find out more about what it is really like to live or retire in Mexico.

Click here for a special preview of the e-book

Getting Underneath the Shallow Images of Mexico

Let's face it, we get two opposite messages about Mexico.  Message number 1 is sponsored by the tourism industry. They want to sell us piña coladas under palapas.  For them Mexico is a "cheap paradise."  Hmmm. Not your idea of a real life?  Do you suspect some ulterior motive behind this message?

The Trick's Unique Approach to Cost of Living:

Well, YOU ARE RIGHT to be suspicious. Yes, you can live for less in Mexico, but you may not want to. I include real cost estimates throughout my book for things such as doctor visits. I also have an entire sub-section dedicated to a clear, detailed description of the cost of living and what you get for your peso. I use a holistic "lifestyle" concept that first gives a cost range for each "lifestyle level," then gives specific details -- such as having to buy your own kitchen cupboards -- that let the reader figure out which cost of living range they would like to be in.

Message number 2 is a little scary.  This one comes from the news media.  Mexico is a poor, third-world country where the government is corrupt.  ...Oh, and lots of drugs are grown and sold here.  Not your idea of a comfortable life?

I deal with the issue of safety and give tips for safety that work in Mexico. They are things I learned from my Mexican husband and neighbors and are really special for my readers because they are not things that people from the U.S. and Canada would normally think of.

Do you know how to get phone service in a country where having a phone is a luxury? Click here to read a special preview of the e-book

Do you know what a croquis is?

Those questions and many more like them are what I address in Mexico: The Trick is Living Here.  I'm not employed by either the tourism industry nor the news media.  The "how-to" information I include in my e-book is based on my real-life experiences. I know what a person needs when they live or retire in Mexico because I've lived the experience.

The book covers the things that you will experience in the first months when you live or retire in Mexico.  It includes the information you will need if you are going to stay on your own.  It is ideal for those living at least 2 to 12 months in Mexico. If you are going to live here, it will be invaluable in getting your home set up and making you comfortable in your new Mexican residence.  

If you are just coming for an extended stay, it is still highly recommendable because of its focus on getting around, communicating with family and friends back home, eating well and safely, connecting with the community, etc.

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Will you need more information in order to figure out how to move to Mexico? Of course. Any move, especially one to a new country, requires planning in many areas of your life.

And guess what? Mexico is a place where planning is practically futile.  Mexico can pull apart the most carefully made plans in minutes!  This e-book shows you how to roll with the punches and take Mexico in stride. If you decide to read Mexico: The Trick is Living Here Second Edition it will help you through the difficult first months when everything is new and culture shock can get you down.

When You Purchase Mexico: The Trick is Living Here Second Edition you get...

Are you ready to read Mexico: The Trick is Living Here Second Edition? You also get two companions -- for FREE.

When you complete the secure order form, in addition to Mexico: The Trick Is Living Here Second Edition you also get the companion "Useful Links," a $15.00 value, for FREE. This companion contains over 70 links to web sites on Mexico! 

Find additional information on getting your visa, bringing your household items, health care, real estate, the expatriate experience and more--simply by clicking on the links in the guide. I save you hours of research by doing the searches for you. You don't have to weed through the unrelated, the badly written, the advertisements, and the pointless fluff. You just click on the link right in the document and go straight to good information. Plus, I've included some less known, but excellent sites created by some of the great people I've gotten to know as I write about Mexico. Google is good, but not perfect. Some of these people's great sites don't show up on Google searches, so take advantage of my experience and connections, which I want to share with you.

Finally, just for fun, I include (also for FREE, of course) a second companion called "Tamales," a $5.00 value. "Tamales" shows how tamales are made, step by step, with color photos.

All together, this is a $40 dollar value, which you can purchase for only $19.95 (USD)!

Here's how to get your own copy of Mexico: The Trick is Living Here Second Edition (Plus the two companion guides, included for FREE)

It's easy. Your new book and the free companions are available for instant download as soon as you complete the secure order form and hit the "submit" button.  You'll be taken to a page that gives the download instructions so you can easily save the book to your computer. Start by clicking on the "Click Here to Purchase" button below.

The purchase will be made through ClickBank. They provide a secure way to pay over the internet. ClickBank allows you to use a credit card, electronic check, or paypal to make your purchase. If you have any difficulties with the ebook I will be happy to assist you. You just need to e-mail me at

Mexico: The Trick is Living Here Second Edition and the companions take about 10 minutes to download, and are in PDF format using Acrobat Reader – a free program which works on all computers.  (It is probably already installed on your computer but you'll receive directions for getting your free copy on the download page, just in case.)

Buy Now for only $19.95:

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE*

*If you are concerned about making a purchase online, click here.

*electronic books have a lower carbon footprint than paperbacks.

If, as you are reading Mexico: The Trick is Living Here some additional questions come up, I would be pleased to respond to your emails about your decision to live or retire in Mexico.  

I'm confident you will enjoy my ebook and will learn a lot about living in Mexico from reading it. 

Thank you. I wish you the very best.

...

Caught You Hesitating! 

Why wait? Instead of sitting here wondering if you should spend some money on a book that will help you acheive a dream you could actually be reading about real life in sunny Mexico for the same price as a pair of reading glasses. After all, you probably don't deliberate this much when you replace your lost glasses -- or choose an extra pair to have in the den where you need them!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

Are You Still Thinking? 

Why wait? With the cost of gas these days you could drive around town for the same amount of money you'll spend on this book! ...Hey, I haven't told you that gas costs less in Mexico. First, you'll have to buy the book and learn the trick to a happy life in Mexico in order to enjoy the benefit.

Just watch out, my readers often write to tell me that they couldn't put the book down once they started reading. I'm honored when they tell me that they are giving it to a loved one as a special gift.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE (Because your dreams are worth it ... and it's a funny book, so you can't lose.)

The first installation of your phone will cost you $170 and more than you can imagine in patience. 

Once you have chosen your place [to buy or rent], you should make what is called a croquis (pronounced kro-kees), which is a map of your neighborhood depicting the location of your house.  Croquises are required for most official interactions so that people can actually find your house.  In a country where there are at least five Avenida Emiliano Zapatas in each city and where the houses are numbered chronologically by date of construction, they are quite necessary.  In your telephone croquis you must include.... 

With your croquis and an hour’s worth of interesting reading material in hand, go to the TelMex office.  Find the customer-lack-of-service desks and wait your turn.  You can keep a positive attitude by enjoying your reading material.  When it is your turn, you can go up to the desk and ask nicely to have a telephone installed.  Be patient while the TelMex employee flips through the screens on her DOS-based computer program and talks to her coworkers for thirty minutes.  She may try to tell you that it is impossible to install a phone in your house, your neighborhood, your city, planet earth….  

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Coming from the Pacific Northwest, I have been engendered with an unbendable self-reliability.  But here in Mexico, there isn’t the big trend toward do-it-yourself processes.... [T]here are people to do every small task, even people who guide you as you back out of your parking space in a parking lot.  Gone are the days of shooting your own photocopies; of packing your own groceries.  Also gone are the hours of sitting in stiff plastic chairs, dividing your attention between soap operas on wall-mounted big screens and the gray slop flopping around and around in a Laundromat washing machine.  Here you must take your clothes to someone else to do it. 

You must advise them on what they can and can’t dry, what can have bleach and what can’t, what bleeds and what doesn’t.  Then, you have to walk away, leaving your wardrobe in the hands of another person.  You should find a laundromat (lavandería) somewhere close to your house and get to know the people who run it.  They will charge you by the....

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There are no rules for mail.  It is a surprisingly individual service and different at every house.  In the cities the mail will be delivered to your house by a mail person on a motorcycle with saddlebags.  Get to know this person’s name and face.  Greet him warmly, ask him from where he hails.  Tell him where you are from.  You don’t need to invite him in for tea, but spend a minute in a basic Mexican greeting ritual.  This is the person who will leave your mail at your door or with a neighbor.  He will learn whether or not you have an untrustworthy neighbor and avoid giving it to that person.  ...  His feeling that he is appreciated will go a long way toward you receiving excellent mail service.  You can give him a nice big tip in an envelope whenever you would like, especially....

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What are people saying about Mexico: The Trick is Living Here?

"I have read a couple of other [books on retiring in Mexico] and between them all they couldn't be more different. I liked yours a lot. It's about real life and it's balanced and objective - it seems like most of the books you read about Mexico are trying to "sell" you on the country.

"Yours is by far the best reading of the bunch - your book would be an interesting read even for somebody with no plans at al to move to Mexico."

--Dave Brown, Colorado

"...I had also paid particular close attention to [the sections on] cost of living for the three lifestyles.... I have used it as a gauge for the lifestyle my family and I might expect to have in Mexico. With your article and other information I've researched on the internet I've come up with a figure of...."

--Edward Sheilds, United Kingdom

Hi Julia,

Mexico is hard to adjust to. I did not think I would make it here those first 2 months, but now that I know what to expect it is a lot easier. Your book helped me a lot. I would  read it and laugh at the parallels I would see.

Well write back and let me know what is going on in your life and how your journey goes here.

--Mike, U.S. expat. living near Puerto Vallarta

Hi, Julia 

Mexico: The Trick is Living Here is a very useful book. Good luck with the POD version. 

“Julia Taylor has written an excellent book. There's no theory here; just down-to-earth advice that you're unlikely to find anywhere else, with real-world specifics on everything from health care to public transportation to social behavior, and from shopping to street vendors to finding a public bathroom. She doesn't sugar coat the reality, but she also obviously loves the people and the country. Moving to a new country can be very stressful. This book can make the change a whole lot easier.” 

--Mick Winter, BoomersAbroad.com

Julia,

Your book is an excellent read for anyone considering moving to Mexico as a seasonal snowbird or full-time resident. It is packed full of interesting stories and insights that will enhance the stay of anyone considering living in Mexico. I would highly recommend this book.

--Douglas Gray, LL.B. Author of 24 bestselling books, including, the national bestseller: The Canadian Snowbird Guide (Everything You Need to Know About Living Part-Time in the USA and Mexico). The 4th edition is being released in the Fall of 2007, and is published by John Wiley & Sons. Vancouver, B.C. www.snowbird.ca

Hi Julia,

I starting reading your book and I couldn't put it down. I loved it. I chuckled at some of your experiences and felt your frustrations at others. I will definitely like to promote it.

I would like to interview you over the phone. ...

--Linda, creator of secondactliving.com

Dear Julia:

The descriptions are wonderful! There are so many places that make me laugh, because you feel like you're really there….   The parts where you tell about riding the crowded bus, and going to the market really zing because you let your  personality and opinions show through.

--Jonni Good,
experienced e-book publisher

Here's what people are saying about Mexico: The Trick is Living Here.

Hi Julia,
 
Happy New Year!
 
Thank you for your reply. I've read your book cover to cover and found it very useful, particularly the sections on what to expect from Mexican culture and how to get by with people.
 
I look forward to reading your next edition. I would find it useful if there was more information on ...typical salaries although I realize that, given the size and diversity of the country it may be difficult to make generalisations.
 
Thanks once again for your email and please let me know when you publish the next volume of your book.
 
Kind Regards
 
Edward

Hi Julia,

I really enjoyed reading your book :o) Great information! I hope the review below is what you need.

-----------

Detailed and thorough, Mexico: The Trick is Living Here is a must-read for anyone contemplating a move to this U.S. neighbor. 

Relocating to Mexico is often thought of in romantic terms, but this very informative ebook tells it like it really is, stressing the day-to-day challenges of adapting to a Mexican lifestyle, from navigating the banking system to mastering social etiquette to shopping in the markets. 

As a transplanted U.S. citizen, the author's honest assessments are a breath of fresh air, and her personal story makes the read all that much more interesting. Also included are very useful links for finding further information. 

I highly recommend that anyone considering embarking on a life-changing move to Mexico read this in-depth ebook first!

Kris Nicovich

Owner, mexicoadventure.com

Julia,

It is so very good to hear from you! I am delighted you are offering a second edition of your book. I have been buried in teaching work, but your e-mail reminded me I didn't send you a promotional quote.

...

I want to recommend Mexico: The Trick is Living Here to anyone thinking of moving to Mexico. The information contained in Julia Taylor's e-book is forthright and entertaining, and Ms. Taylor's polished prose illuminates the cultural and economic issues from the vantage point of someone who is experiencing Mexico at the ground level.

Personally, my primary interest when I purchased the e-book was in lifestyle. I am deeply concerned with the skyrocketing cost of living in the United States, and I honestly think "Baby Boomers" need straight-from-the-shoulder information on how much more purchasing power is available to them in Mexico. Refreshingly, Ms. Taylor lays bare not only the cultural hurtles one will encounter while in Mexico, but she also gives great hope to those wondering daily if their retirement income will sustain them anywhere in the world.

Frankly, this e-book opened the door for me to the delightfully practical possibilities of moving to and living in Mexico.

If you are thirsty for specific details about life in Mexico, and you want those details served with wit and candor, I heartily recommend Mexico: The Trick is Living Here.

I bought a copy, and I think I struck a wonderful bargain.

--Michael Greene, Online Instructor

Here's what people are saying about
Mexico: The Trick is Living Here.

Dear Julia;

"Your tone in [Mexico: The Trick is Living Here] is terrific.  You couple humor with your usual wry observations, not always flattering, but very honest.  Reading this makes me want to come to Mexico, and also makes me aware of the pitfalls."

--Nancy Thompson,
author and university writing instructor

Ever wonder what it is "really like" living day to day in another country with people whose expressions, attitudes and lifestyles you are not familiar? Afraid you will feel out of your element, certainly out of your comfort zone? Getting on the bus, shopping at the market, chatting with neighbors can be a bit different in Mexico.

I felt after reading Mexico: The Trick Is Living Here that I had a much better understanding of what lay in store for the beginner American expatriate. Thanks to Julia Taylor for an instructive and also entertaining read.

--Doug Stewart

Hello Julia,

As an instructional manual your book is excellent-the best I have read-and I've read 8 or 10 different guides in living and traveling in Mexico. I think that your book is an invaluable reference to getting things done in Mexico. I know that I will be consulting it from time to time, if not for myself, then for other people to help them through their transitions.

Your book is a very good, concise, guide to the handling of the paper work involved in accomplishing a person's dealings with the bureaucratic side of the Mexican government. I could really get the feeling of the attitude that one must have to participate in these dealing in a Mexican manner. People from the U.S. are used to having everything done for them, and aren't used to dealing with public transportation to get everything accomplished, so this information will be very useful for them.

The personal parts of the book lend a very nice spice or Mexican flavor to the content. I can feel the warmth you have for this way of life that you have found. Mexico is a very diverse people and country, but all things have that bit of flavor that makes it Mexico. Each person's introduction to Mexico is as diverse as the land itself, but this book will provide the information to make these transitions a much more rewarding experience.

--Timothy Olson, full-time resident of Mazatlan since 2000

Read this exclusive exerpt of  Mexico: The Trick is Living Here Second Edition's all new section on driving in Mexico:

"...Since the majority of stupid things happen at slow speeds, you have time to wiggle your way out of them. 

"It all happens through the process of "nudging". I learned how to "nudge" by observing other drivers and it works like this. If there is no traffic officer or light to stop traffic in the lane that you need to enter, no one will ever let you in, so you have to nudge your way out until traffic can no longer go around you. (This will make sense when you see rule 1 of "Julia's Rules for Driving in Mexico" below.) Once you've won the lane, it is yours. 

"Just in case your nudging skills aren't up to speed you can benefit from other drivers' skill in this area. If a car in front of you nudges its way out and claims the lane and you are so close to that car that others can't nudge in and take the lane back, the lane is yours. This is how I've learned to get through turnabouts and other uncontrolled intersections (discussed in detail below). I'm not so good at being the first one to nudge my way out, so I attach myself to the bumper of an experienced Mexican. If he/she cuts in front of other cars, I do, too. If he/she stops, I do too."

Read this exlusive exerpt of  Mexico: The Trick is Living Here Second Edition's section on taxis in Mexico:

"...Women do not ride in the front seat of the taxi. I realized my mistake the instant I closed the door and saw the elated look of surprise on the driver’s face. It was too late to get out again as we were in first gear and already rolling. 

"I stuck out the trip, which was thankfully a short one. On our way, I gracefully deflected the questions of the driver. Was I married? Wouldn’t I like to go somewhere with him? Our apartment was in a busy area of our neighborhood, and as I gratefully indicated where he should let me out I was aware of the store owners and neighbors who would see me, the stupid American, getting out of the front seat of the taxi (at least I hoped they would just think me stupid and not loose). 

"What I didn’t count on was that my husband had locked himself out of our apartment and was waiting for me to get home. He was on the roof with a bunch of our landlords’ sons watching the street below (that’s what you do on the roof—watch the movement of the neighborhood below)...."

"The humorous stories in my guidebook make it fun to read while they also serve to help illustrate the differences between Mexico and the U.S. and Canada. People often write and tell me that once they started reading my book, they couldn't put it down. What a compliment! 

When you retire in Mexico, you end up having funny things happen to you and you'll laugh about them later."

--Julia Taylor, author of Mexico: The Trick is Living Here Second Edition

There's no other book like it:

Mexico: The Trick is Living Here Second Edition A Guide to Retire, Live, and Work in Mexico

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