Several of our fellow bloggers have recently posted food prices in Mexico. I really appreciated that information because I am trying to put together a retirement budget that will not make me the poster boy for the AARP's next propaganda campaign starring senior cat food gourmets.
On the way home, I stopped by Safeway to leave behind $52.55 in exchange for the cornucopia pictured above. (I can hear the underwhelming applause already.)
What makes those Safeway trips so worthwhile, though, is when the clerk folds up the receipt (giving the impression that the three sacks, you can carry out on your own, are filled with thousands of treasures from the far corners of the world), and says with all the sincerity of a presidential candidate: "Mr. Cotton, you saved $15.71 today." As if the subtext were: "Three more visits and you will have saved enough for that villa in Tuscany."
Here is how all those savings break down:
6 bottles Diet Coke (on special): $5.67 (plus $.30 deposit -- this is the People's Republic of Oregon, after all)
Dozen corn tortillas: $1.99
Jar of jalapeño peppers: $2.29
2 pints ice cream: $7.00
On the way home, I stopped by Safeway to leave behind $52.55 in exchange for the cornucopia pictured above. (I can hear the underwhelming applause already.)
What makes those Safeway trips so worthwhile, though, is when the clerk folds up the receipt (giving the impression that the three sacks, you can carry out on your own, are filled with thousands of treasures from the far corners of the world), and says with all the sincerity of a presidential candidate: "Mr. Cotton, you saved $15.71 today." As if the subtext were: "Three more visits and you will have saved enough for that villa in Tuscany."
Here is how all those savings break down:
6 bottles Diet Coke (on special): $5.67 (plus $.30 deposit -- this is the People's Republic of Oregon, after all)
Dozen corn tortillas: $1.99
Jar of jalapeño peppers: $2.29
2 pints ice cream: $7.00
Dozen eggs (free range): $4.19
Baguette: $.99
English cucumber: $.99
Sweet mini peppers: $2.99
Sweet onions ($4.99 lb.): $2.63
Organic heirloom tomatoes ($4.99 lb.): $10.93
Olives ($8.99 lb.): $4.09
Hummus: $2.50
Feta: $5.99
And this is a perfect example of why the question "How much will it cost me to live in Mexico?" is a veritable Gordian knot. How would you translate a shopping list like this to my shopping experiences in Melaque? Over half of the items would not be available. The half that is similar to products in a Mexican market simply have different costs.
I finally have based my budget on some good advice from "Mexico" Mike Nelson in Live Better South of the Border in Mexico. He suggests discounting your current grocery bill by 10% and you will be close. Based on what I have seen in Mexican markets, knowing my habits, and learning from my fellow bloggers, I think Mike is correct.
So what did I do with my purchases? A good portion (cucumber, tomatoes, onion, olives, peppers, and feta) ended up in my Never-the-Same-Spoonful-Twice Greek Salad with a fresh mint and lemon dressing.
I may not be able to create the same salad in Mexico, but it will have a close cousin with some Mexican roots. After all, its Greek parentage was long ago smothered by the raw silk pillow of nouvelle cuisine.
And this is a perfect example of why the question "How much will it cost me to live in Mexico?" is a veritable Gordian knot. How would you translate a shopping list like this to my shopping experiences in Melaque? Over half of the items would not be available. The half that is similar to products in a Mexican market simply have different costs.
I finally have based my budget on some good advice from "Mexico" Mike Nelson in Live Better South of the Border in Mexico. He suggests discounting your current grocery bill by 10% and you will be close. Based on what I have seen in Mexican markets, knowing my habits, and learning from my fellow bloggers, I think Mike is correct.
So what did I do with my purchases? A good portion (cucumber, tomatoes, onion, olives, peppers, and feta) ended up in my Never-the-Same-Spoonful-Twice Greek Salad with a fresh mint and lemon dressing.
I may not be able to create the same salad in Mexico, but it will have a close cousin with some Mexican roots. After all, its Greek parentage was long ago smothered by the raw silk pillow of nouvelle cuisine.
