This is the second part of our article and covers some tips to keep a realistic view on how it would be retiring to a tropical paradise in Mexico. There is always a lot to consider before taking the plunge and retiring abroad, things that are not in the shiny brochures or sites trying to sell something.
1. Learn from the locals: As a friend use to say, “The longer you live in Playa del Carmen; the further away you stay from 5th Avenue”. There is many things you can do with your pension in a place like the Riviera Maya, but if you want to keep expenses low there is a lot to learn from locals: stay away from touristy areas, find your favorite locals spots, go to the beach with your own drinks and food and so on!
2. Be willing to stop comparing: A lot of retirees have time adjusting to the differences and you see them in expats favorite spots, talking on how much they miss Pop tarts. Mexico is not a sunnier-exotic version of North America, there is a lot of cultural and language differences, learn to live with what is available and make sure to ask friends and family to bring Pop tarts every time they visit.
3. Make a realistic budget: Living in the places is the best way to do this, make sure to keep a budget and adjust it accordingly. You will spend much less a month I you learn to live like the locals and not like a tourist on vacation, but this all depends on what type of life style you would like to lead. The only way to see how much you would spend is actually living and getting to know the area.
4. Embrace the stages of adaptation: It doesn’t matter how prepared you feel, there will be stages in your experience of living abroad. First, euphoria; and then reality starts getting to you and you might feel frustrated or even angry when things are not done your way. It is important to learn how to adapt not only to a new language, but also to a new medical and legal system, new holidays, new customs, etc.
5. Expect visitors, lots of them: Nothing prepares you for the long stream of friends and family visiting your home, people you haven’t seen in years suddenly contacts you asking how life is and casually mentioning how much they would like to visit. Keep this in mind when preparing your budget, if you love to have friends and family expect some extra expenses: going out, going on day-trips, visiting the local parks, etc.
Being expats ourselves, we have experienced the lows and highs of living abroad; feel free to contact us if you want to know more about retiring to Mexico.
Now if you have any question about this or any of the TOP MEXICO REAL ESTATE properties we have listed in Playa Del Carmen, The Riviera Maya or anywhere throughout Mexico, please feel free to contact any of our TOP MEXICO EXPERT SALES TEAM and we will be glad to help you find your very own piece of paradise.
And remember, here at TOP MEXICO REAL ESTATE…
We make it happen!
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