Almost half the year has already passed us by!
So,
as we begin the New Year of 2018, a brief explanation for any new folks
that might be reading this blog. Mike & I decided to call Puerto
Vallarta, MX our home after living in 5 other Latin American countries
and 11 towns/villages. (You can read all about our journey by going to
the Archives listed on the bottom right of the blog page.) It's now been
4 full years, as of December 15, 2017 that we have lived here.
The posted
budget/expenditures are for 2 people and are reflected in US Dollars,
since that's the method we get paid in.
As of September 1, 2017,
we moved up the hill into Amapas into a
condo complex with 11 units and larger pool. We more than doubled our
space and our view increased 1000%. It's a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom,
fully furnished, with a very large outdoor terrace. We now pay rent in
pesos, so our rent fluctuates monthly based on the bank exchange rate
with the US Dollar. Our rent includes internet, cable TV, water, and
gas. We continue to pay our own electric and $10US more for upgraded internet.
January was an extremely busy month with High Season in full
swing and multiple friends from the states that came to see us. We did a
fantastic Whale Watching boat trip out on the Bay & Mike went
fishing with the guys. We also made a 25% deposit on a 2 week tour that
we're taking in March to see the states of Oaxaca & Chiapas in the
southern part of MX. Other expenditures were for our pneumonia vaccines
($218). And, Mike's continued knee issues so additional medical/PT
expenditures.
February continued to be a busy month
with several friends visiting, more show openings, but mostly it was a
month of trying to figure out what is going on with Mike's knees. It's
been determined that he will have knee surgery on his right knee when we
return from a vacation in Oaxaca & Chiapas in March. This will be
our first claim on our health insurance. So far, they've been very good
with our expenses towards the deductible.
March was a
very busy. We entertained friends in from out of town. March 6-18, we
went on vacation in the states Oaxaca & Chiapas, Mexico. If you've
never been, you MUST! What a beautiful country this is! We not only
enjoyed all the history and beauty, we did some major damage in the
shopping of artisan goods. And, less than two days after returning, Mike
had his arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to repair a torn
meniscus and have the cartilage scraped plus they injected fluid into
his left knee. He did great! Within 3 days, he was walking without pain.
A wonderful experience for what I consider our first major medical
issue in MX. Couldn't have been more pleased with all facets of the
medical service here!
April was a month of saying goodbye to many of our snowbird friends and catching up with others, as we don't seem to get together with our friends as much during high season because of visitors coming down for their vacations. So the combination blew our meals out & grocery budget! It was also a month of continued recovery for Mike's knee so many more taxi/Uber rides than normal.We also signed a year's extension on our lease!!
May brought a wonderful week on the Baja in Todos Santos, MX with good long time friends from the states. It included wonderful exploring and delicious food while just visiting on the beach or by their pool.
May brought a wonderful week on the Baja in Todos Santos, MX with good long time friends from the states. It included wonderful exploring and delicious food while just visiting on the beach or by their pool.
| Living Expenses: | January | February | March | April | May |
| Rent w/utilities | $ 928 | $ 1,008 | $ 957 | $ 1,024 | $ 980 |
| Electric | $ 9 | $ 8 | $ 11 | $ - | $ 13 |
| Cell Phone | $ 22 | $ 22 | $ 22 | $ 22 | $ 22 |
| Groceries | $ 198 | $ 211 | $ 171 | $ 452 | $ 263 |
| Meals Out | $ 463 | $ 371 | $ 216 | $ 559 | $ 220 |
| Drinks Only | $ 215 | $ 219 | $ 91 | $ 185 | $ 115 |
| Entertainment | $ 35 | $ 145 | $ 61 | $ 46 | |
| Massages/Nails/Hair | $ 35 | $ 66 | $ 128 | $ 61 | |
| Bus/Taxi | $ 112 | $ 148 | $ 74 | $ 171 | $ 55 |
| Dental Cleaning | $ 40 | $ - | |||
| Incidentals | $ 97 | $ 126 | $ 132 | $ 81 | $ 87 |
| Medical Insurance | $ 365 | $ 365 | $ 365 | $ 365 | $ 365 |
| TOTAL | $ 2,479 | $ 2,623 | $ 2,166 | $ 3,073 | $ 2,181 |
| TOTAL W/O RENT | $ 1,551 | $ 1,615 | $ 1,209 | $ 2,049 | $ 1,201 |
| Discr Spending: | |||||
| Clothes/Shoes/Gifts | $ 139 | $ 247 | $ 27 | $ 422 | $ - |
| Tours | $ 263 | $ 177 | $ 110 | ||
| Home Improve | $ 11 | $ - | $ 47 | $ 123 | |
| Medical | $ 218 | $ 496 | $ 1,862 | $ - | $ - |
| Dental | |||||
| Trips/Vacations | $ 174 | $ 4,541 | $ - | $ 641 | |
| TOTAL Discr. | $ 631 | $ 917 | $ 6,654 | $ 532 | $ 764 |
| TOTAL ALL | $ 3,110 | $ 3,540 | $ 8,820 | $ 3,605 | $ 2,945 |
* Meals Out: Jan16x; Feb 11x; March 11x; April 18x; May 9x
* Drinks Only: Jan15x; Feb 13x; March 7x; April 16x; May 10x
* Taxis/Bus/Uber: Jan 39x; Feb 46x; March 26x; April 51x; May 19x
* Trips/Tours & General Rationale for some additional expenditures:
January: Whale watching, extra medical PT for Mike.
February: Weekend in Mascota & Talpa, doctors, meds & MRI for Mike's knee.
March: We did 12 days in Oaxaca & Chiapas (included flights,
buses, hotels, entry fees & breakfasts), went on a boat trip for a
friend's bd party & all of the meds, payment of remaining Insurance
deductible.
April: Increased meals out, groceries, & taxi/Uber rides.
May: Baja trip including bus, airplane, gas, food, meals & drinks out, entry fees. I purchased a new dresser to finally be able to put away some clothes that were still in a suitcase.