Several years ago I drove a client from Oregon in her 1975 Ford 150 Pickup to Lake Chapala. In the back was all her stuff and in the extended cab where her 7 little Shiatsu dogs.

They only fought 14 times ( I counted) but no blood was drawn. We were not even asked for their proof of rabies shots.

I hope this helps Jeff. Call me or e mail me when you’re ready to set sail for Lake Chapala, Mexico to Sid @ChapalaClub.com

All for now, Siempre tu amigo, Sid

Also if you need airport pickup e mail me at Sid@ChapalaClub for details. Look forward to meeting you when you arrive. Sid

If you have an old tubes to go by you might try going to several local hardware stores to see what they carry.

Check with your doctor to be sure that tubes from a hardware store source would be OK to use for Oxygen for medical purposes.

Hope this helps. Sid

One $2,000 a month they could live very very well (maids and gardeners, travel some, fancy meals out, etc. etc.)

Some may think that if anything I’m a estimating a bit too high. Others may think I’m a bit low. If you’re from California or New York everything seems extremely inexpensive. If your from Texas you feel that things are a lot less expensive for the most part. Some things are more expensive. Electronics are still a bit higher than in the USA (Big screen TVs for example).

I’d say that if you tracked your expensese carefully that within a few months you would know how much it would cost you to live here with the lifestyle you want. If you buy all imported food your food bill would likely be higher than int he USA. If you shop at the local markets and use mostly Mexican brands your food bill will be significantly less.

Electricity costs more per kilowatt hour the more kilowatts you use. MOst people spend around $30 USD per month on electricty, but others who don’t conserve could spend double that.

Like all governments Mexico has it’s share of red tape, but I’ve not found it worse than the USA. And in some areas a lot better.

You can e mail me or arange to talk by telephone on my nickel and I’ll be happy to answer all your questions openly and candidly.

Thanks for your comments. Siempre tu amigo, Sid

The government here strictly controls some things. The Government controls the production and sale of electricity and oil products.

So, we only have one brand of gasoline “Pemex” for example.

But in our day to day lives the government is not intrusive. Mexico is a very live and let live country.

No beef with the satire, and the up-and-down real estate prices may be in the down mode presently, but buying a house aside, more than one Chapala expat forum has a number of people who think that the “average” retiree can’t enjoy a comfortable lifestyle there on their retirement check, particularly if your SS check is the majority of your income. I know that many US persons have developed a conspicuous consumption mindset, so their lifestyle would of necessity cost more than some, but I also don’t want to come down there for 5 or 6 months a year and have to scrimp and do without basics to just get by. I don’t need surprises like that. What IS the real story on the cost of living there? I know it must be lower than NOB, but is it low enough to make much difference? How long a stay at lakeside do you think it would take to get an accurate picture of the true cost of living? BTW, the cost of living up here (N.E. Ohio)isn’t really my major consideration. I happen to have some significant advantages here that I wouldn’t have elsewhere, but (1) I don’t like the weather, and (2)I don’t like the path our governments (all levels) are on. I guess what I want more than anything is for government to get their noses out of my life.

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Thanks again. Let me know when I can help with any aspect of living, working and playing in our little slice of paradise.

Sid