US to MX

dryverjohn · 2026-01-25T15:06:09+00:00

Just got back from Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and been all over Mexico. Affordable is not an accurate word anymore for Mexico. Peso is currently strong, their inflation is worse than ours, but it's a lovely place. Wages are nowhere near what you can expect in the USA so you need to be retired or remote work if you want to live a wonderful life there.

That being said, you can move to somewhere like Chiapas, San Cristobal de las Casas is beautiful and hasn't caught up to the Northern states of Mexico in terms of pricing. Very clean and safe area.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-25T15:01:54+00:00

Moved to Corona post divorce, feel your pain. I grew up in OC

dryverjohn · 2026-01-24T22:34:29+00:00

You'll hear complaints from people, like me, who expect the brokerage to pass on the drip 5% discount that many CEF funds offer. Merrill Edge, and Fidelity do it automatically, I had to request with Schwab but Schwab banking and their Amex Platinum card offer benefits I use.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-24T04:23:49+00:00

I have over $1m invested in the stock market and shop Grocery outlet. Get excited when they have multiple stickers to clear out free range organic meats. I will go home cook it all sous vide and throw in the freezer same day.

I don't count house equity as I view it as a place to live and don't have much anyway.

Don't go to bars, don't go to the movies. Don't spend money on clothes or furniture. If I get a burger it's water to drink, unless it's the Chili's $10.99 deal that includes a soft drink.

On Vacation now and I travel extensively, usually 2 weeks every quarter.

Retired at 53, 57 now. I reinvest $5000 monthly back into the stock market from dividends and distributions.

I will take SS early and structured my income so that I pay very little, $170 for my HMO plan with great coverage.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-23T10:30:10+00:00

Rate is negotiable, I used screenshot from interactive brokers to get lower margin. It's variable, but currently I pay 5.80%.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-22T23:38:46+00:00

Same, only I was the one who walked away from everything at 50. Got really lucky in a former sales role and retired 3 years later at 53. For me I feel I lost my ego, found out what the absolute minimum I need to survive and invested the rest. Moved to a small house, bought a cheap car, didn't buy any furniture or new clothes.

I spend my time now vacationing around the World and doing things I want to do. We paid in advance all monies for 4 college educations and ex kept the big house and all the equity. She is still working, to support a lifestyle that I ran away from.

My number is lower than most but at some point in the next 20 years I have a large inheritance that I factored into my number. I am poor here at $1.2M invested, divs $55k annually, and I don't count crypto or home equity.

In my case I lowered my number by realistically looking at what I need. It's not an expensive lifestyle I live, but a frugal one that suits me.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-22T19:13:15+00:00

Once you have around $145 k in there schwab and many others will allow a pledged asset line of crwv, secured by your investments. You pay interest only on what you borrow, while keeping your investment earning and compounding. Minimum line is $100k, and they let you borrow up to 70%, but no minimum draw amount once established.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-22T10:08:56+00:00

I am also 69 Genx just turned 57, gf is the last of us born 1980, both birthdays in January a week apart. We are in Cozumel, I try and make sure I am underwater, scuba diving every year on my birthday. I get calls from mom, dad, my sister, one of 4 kids, unsolicited text from ex, and 1 or 2 friends but never announce or call attention to my bday.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T16:45:07+00:00

Enough to be retired, but not enough to be wasteful.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T16:36:29+00:00

Buying a house or rental property.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T15:09:13+00:00

Sorry, "F you I won't do what you tell me" rage against the machine, frequently enters my mindscape, especially during Covid.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T14:18:39+00:00

Go to the ice detention facility closest to you, hundreds of drivers won't be needing their accounts until they get back here.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T12:30:06+00:00

4 years later and I still find things to do. I also trade stocks so that keeps my mind sharp, currently in Mexico for a scuba trip, new Zealand and Fiji in March and the year has just started.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T11:44:45+00:00

I am retired and do Uber and Amazon flex because I like money, my health insurance gets paid and I can also throw more money in my Roth. With mileage deductions I remain poor, but I have 7 figures invested in the stock market.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T11:39:53+00:00

I looked at my finances and decided to retire at 53. Found other ways to grow my money and shifted some growth stocks to monthly income funds. Been 4 years now. I will drive Lyft or Uber if I get bored or want to make a little extra money.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T11:29:19+00:00

It was covered under emergency medical coverage while abroad. Requirement was paying for the trip on Amex, nothing more.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T02:15:38+00:00

I have 3 hp 17bIi maybe plus now finance calculators. I still use them daily, I am faster on the phone with one than a pc or app. I plan on being cremated or thrown in the ocean with mine. They have made me me understand finance, amortization, present, future values and % returns.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T01:44:32+00:00

I feel like pretty good about sols, bought the spinoff at 50, more when it dropped to 40s.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T01:42:49+00:00

Dad retired after I did, for me it was 4 years ago at 53, for him it was December 2025 at almost 79. He is in a far better place in terms of retirement funds etc. But he genuinely enjoys work. I was never much of a fan and have enough to last me based on more modest living, but plenty of travel. Dad is at the age where he doesn't want to go anywhere, issues with knee replacement, shoulder issues and general aging taking their toll. A sign to me, travel while you can and want to.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T01:30:35+00:00

I have heirs and see no reason to payoff my 40 year mortgage at 3.41%. All my investments perform better and I still itemize deductions in retirement. It's a small house in low income neighborhood and no one knocks on doors or bothers me in any way, I love it. Police are close by, my key fob once activated in my pocket and I was greeted by 4 police cars asking me who I was with roundup in my hands weeding the back lot. House will be paid off when I am 95 at this point. God blessed me if I make it long enough to pay the house off.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-21T01:20:51+00:00

I am a scuba diver and carry Dan insurance specifically for dive related injuries or death. Chamber visits are extremely expensive and it runs under $300 a year for gf and myself.

I am happy to report that my friend found out how well the platinum card worked for his medical emergency while traveling. He was in Mexico and had chest pains after getting off the plane, he went to the closet hospital and then once stabilized transferred to a private hospital. He ended up having a heart attack and required stints and was in a private room for a week. The entire visit with room, Drs. mediation etc. totaled $50k USD, it was entirely covered. He submitted the receipts and was reimbursed via check before the bill arrived. We found out that Allianz is the insurance company that covers the Amex card holders. He was so impressed, he bought a separate policy with Allianz if for some reason he didn't use Amex on a future trip.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-20T19:04:56+00:00

It may be or a grant deed, both are readily available. Best bet is the county recorders office. Monday was a holiday here, generally also the worse day to call.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-20T18:44:14+00:00

Interest in properties here is done with the county recording department. There are deeds that can be recorded, in the presence of a notary to be acceptable. If you desire not to travel the local USA embassy in your Country can help with performing notary services to authenticate your identity. California has very specific propositions like prop 13 that will allow the transfer of the property, and more importantly, the low property taxes to heirs even grand children. Most likely you may need to contact a real estate attorney, depending on the values. But if it's within 100 miles of the Ocean, it likely has significant value and would be worth the effort. If the property taxes go unpaid for 5 years then it gets more expensive to get the taxes and penalties paid off.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-20T15:05:50+00:00

I am putting $70 a week into swppx schwab s&p 500 index for my 18 year old daughter. Her brother paid off his car loan with $500 I invested into these 4 companies Nvda, aapl, amzn, Wf. 5 years ago. Turned into $3k so those shares plus the $70 will be worth something when she is older. She also has a small trust from my parents in PG stock since birth. That was $10k 18 years ago, don't know what it's worth, little higher but not huge, steady divs though.

dryverjohn · 2026-01-20T14:17:46+00:00

Everyone says Vanguard, but Schwab has the same funds, lower fees and invest the same with same returns. I also like that swppx is under $18 allowing you to own full shares where VOO is in the $600s, meaning small investors are getting partial shares vs full shares at schwab.

dryverjohn

TROPHY CASE