The onset of the "Oh-no-it's-a-recession" panic
caused a lot of would-be travelers and potential expatriates to Mexico
to put a screeching halt to not only their plans to take a trip down to
my neck of the Mexican woods but they've also stopped their research.
This is what most of us who have made this magnificent transition have
done - research. We read, no we devour, everything we can on hotels,
hostels, restaurants, rentals, real estate, and some of us delve into
culture and language before making a reconnaissance trip down South of
the Border to check out the lay of the land, which is something we
highly recommend. It's what my wife and I did and what many potential
expatriates do.
While I get the point about traveling costs as a
reason to put plans on hold, I would suggest that you don't have to
stop your research into visiting or moving to Mexico. If that was your
pre-Recession strategy, to visit or retire to Mexico, you can continue
to do the necessary research. I can't stress this enough. You've got to
know what you are getting into before coming. Some make the mistake of
not doing their homework. Don't let something like a Recession stop you
from finding out, in the comfort of your American or Canadian home,
what it is you need to prepare for a life of retirement or even just a
vacation in Mexico.
Most of the expat info available is contained
in just a few books. The travel aspect of Mexico is pretty much of a
cinch. The ole faithful, Lonely Planet, is standing by and ready. It
can sometimes be a bit off on prices of hotel and transportation costs,
but this is the inherent problem with guidebooks.
Information on
retiring, working, or just hanging out-expatriation-is a little harder
to dig up. A lot of information is online, but often it is not very
accurate. Cost-of-living is something everyone seems to want to know
and this is the hardest information to give out to seekers. You simply
have to realize that your cost-of-living will be the amount you need to
make yourself comfortable in your new home. It will be something you
can live with. How my wife and I live in Guanajuato, Mexico, is not the
norm for most of the expats we know. We live like Mexicans do and thus
live very cheaply. Friends of ours here in Guanajuato live like
Americans in Mexico and it costs them dearly. The recession has sent
some to the real estate agents to put their houses on the Mexican
market. They cannot afford to keep living like King Solomon and The
Queen of Sheba. What it is going to cost you in a particular place to
live in Mexico is entirely dependent upon your tastes.
How, when
book prices are so high, not to mention the shipping and handling
costs, can the potential expatriate to Mexico find out what he or she
needs to know?
I am the author of several books that are NOT
selling. My competitors, at least online, don't seem to be doing any
better. Though Amazon.com has free shipping offers for books, it
doesn't appear to be moving the "Live in Mexico" genre. Times for print
books are tough.
The light at the end of the tunnel may be in the ebook.
You
can buy a print book that retails for a small fortune (or so it seems)
for a few dollars in digital form. There is no shipping and handling
and you can read these books in a variety of ways.
I know some in
the "older" baby boomer age bracket who just cannot bring themselves to
read ebooks. They complain that it is "too hard" to sit at the computer
and read them. I personally find I can read the ebooks much faster on
my larger computer screen. I get a cup of coffee, a snack, and read
fast and furiously. If I want, I go slower.
The point is that
there are so many ways today to read ebooks and you can get all manner
of fiction or non-fiction selections. Best Sellers are often in ebook
format.
PDF ebooks and Mobipocket formats are what I use most
often. You can download a PDF ebook instantly and begin reading as soon
as the download is complete. You can download the Mobipocket reader
free and then download a book in that format and read away. I like the
Mobipocket for its appearance of looking like the pages of a small
paperback book.
Also, you can read these ebooks on your laptop.
Sit back on the couch with a few pillows and some tea and read all
night long. There are handheld devices available also into which you
can download the books. It is like holding a small paperback book in
your hands. It so reminds me of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep
Space Nine because this is how they read their literature...on handheld
devices. Amazon.com now has their Kindle Reader, which is their
handheld device. This device allows their customers to download books
within seconds and begin reading almost immediately.
The costs
can be substantial. One "move-to-Mexico" paperback retails for $17.95
but the ebook sells for $12.00. Stephen King's, Just After Sunset
Stories (hardback) retails for $28.00 but the ebook Kindle Version is
just $9.99.
The Kindle Reader is pricey. It sells for $359.00.
Other readers, to host the Mobipocket versions for example, can be as
low as $95.00 and as high as $700.00. However, you have to look at it
from the perspective of making the cost of the reader back in the
savings from paperback and hardback book prices and their shipping.
For
me, dwindling planetary resources (the planet is running out of trees)
is a strong consideration for going ebook and phasing out my purchase
of paper books.
So, don't let the recession stop you from doing
your expatriation (or traveling) research. Buy ebooks by the dozens and
read to your heart's content so you can be fully prepared for your
living-in-another-country adventure!
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For info on the Amazon.com's KINDLE READER, PDF Readers, and travel and expat PRINT and eBOOKS: Click Here
