Best Street Taco Stand in Bucerias. Note that it's permanent! On Hildago Ave.

Reason #5 for choosing Mexico: It makes financial cents! (pun intended) “I don’t understand, John, what do you mean by that?” It makes sense from two aspects: if one were to retire full-time in Mexico and if one were to retire part-time in Mexico. Since the latter fits me better, let me explain. Go to the web and try booking a luxury hotel in some exotic warm location in the world. What did you find? Hawaii? Southern France? Thailand? Cuba? Chances are you could find dozens of places that meet your needs, but at what price? A week in Hawaii is going to set you back $1000, probably more if you plan to eat. With the exception of Thailand, you’re going to find the price of ‘warmth’ very high. Now don’t get me wrong, where I stay in Bucerias is not classified by some of you as ‘luxury’, but it is very clean, quiet, and comfortable. Even for 4 people. Terralta One only costs $750 a week and if you could split that with just one other person….you’re only looking at a whopping $12/day. Also note, with a little bit of research, you can get the monthly rate even lower.
“But haven’t you forgotten that you still are paying a mortgage or rent in Wisconsin?” Not at all. Yes, this is in addition to that expense, but the comparison is with other vacation destinations, not with your primary home. (note: you could make this your primary home for less than $5000/year)
So how much would you expect to pay for a 2-3 hour cruise on the water? Add a light breakfast with juice and coffee? Now add a lunch buffet? Rent some snorkeling equipment? And the big one, how about 2 or 3 margaritas? $50? $40? How does $25 for all of that? You can even add extra servings on the food, and if you’re so inclined, as many beers, tequilas, and drinks you desire. (note: be careful with the tequila!) Try finding that in Hawaii or even in Cancun, the other side of Mexico. So the point is, there are activities that can fit into your budget, do some looking and research. This particular tour lasted 9 hours. That’s a pretty full day. (hint, JD Tours in Bucerias will beat any of the competitions’ rates, check them out and ask for Jordan)
“Don’t rental cars cost a lot in Mexico?” Yes, relatively, but for the most part, you don’t need one. The bus system is great and very cheap. From Bucerias, for less than $1.00 you can reach Sayulita to the North or Puerto Vallarta to the South. I just got back from the large grocery store, MEGA, and it was less than a $1.00 round trip. Now granted it’s a challenge handling 96 rolls of toilet paper and 2 cases of beer on the bus. Muy necesario. Actually, when you have a lot of heavy items, simply take the taxi on the return. That might cost you 60 pesos or $5.00. A one day rental car with the recommended insurances, will cost almost $60.00 USD. The weekly rate saves you some coin, coming in a little over $300 USD. So take the bus and/or taxis when you can, and save a few dollars for Happy Hour.
Earlier you may have read about how inexpensive it was make breakfast. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat out, but if you need to pinch a few pennies, make some of your own meals. And when the portions are too large, take home the extras. Be creative. During my recent trip to MEGA, I picked up bits for ham y queso sandwiches. I figured the cost of each substantial sandwich with bread, mustard, and mayo was about 15 pesos. (little more than a dollar) It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to eat within your budget. (although it did this time)
Another way to save while traveling to Mexico is to sell your car before you fly here. Ok, that doesn’t work for everybody, nor will it work for me every time, but this year, that’s exactly what I did. So for two months, I don’t have a $250 car payment, $150/month in fuel bills, and minimum insurance. Sweet. When the accounting numbers come in, I’m getting my vacation costs extremely low. With a little creative investing, I can show you how to reach FREE. Reason #5 for choosing Mexico: Financial Cents!