Do You Spend More on Taxes Than Food, Clothing & Shelter?
May 23, 2012
(Click the left arrow head to listen to this article)
If you live in North American you probably do. If you live at Lake Chapala you almost certainly will not.
Here’s a quote from Newsmax.com I found on line.
“This year Americans will pay more in total taxes than they spend for food, clothing, and shelter combined, illustrating what the Tax Foundation calls the “growing cost of government.”
Total outlays for taxes in 2012 will be about $4.04 trillion, which is $152 billion more than Americans will spend on housing, food, and clothing.
“Relative to the basic cost of living, taxes have increased considerably in recent decades,” the foundation states in a new report.”
Kevin Duncan of the Tax Foundation says the comparison of tax costs to the basic cost of living provides a useful illustration of the growing cost of government.
This information while saddening to me as an American just makes me feel better that I’ve escaped the high cost of food, taxes and clothing in the USA.
It seems that each year the list of savings by living here at Lake Chapala grows longer. I think that this is one of the reasons I’m so passionate about sharing the good news about our little slice of (almost paradise).
My yearly property taxes are less than a fancy meal out for 3 people in the USA coming in at under $85 USD for the year. If you want to know more about what things cost here so you can calculate what you may expect to spend please post your individual questions in the comments section below.
In summary, you can live here in general a lot better on 25 to 40% less depending upon where you live now and your lifestyle.
Some things here are more expensive, but the vast majority of the things are well below what you would spend in the USA.
But saving a pile of money is just the beginning of what makes our area of the world so special. Want to know the other reasons?
Just drop me an e mail to Sid@ChapalaClub.com, because I'm anxious to tell you all about living, working and playing here at Lake Chapala. You'll be glad you did.
