International Living profiled the Lake Chapala area in their May 2010 issue with the headline Real-World “Fountain of Youth” In Affordable Lake Chapala Community. The article profiled one of our more well-known local residents, Jim Tipton, a 67-year-old ex-beekeeper from Colorado, who now lives comfortably in year-round warm weather in Ajijic on a modest $1,800 a month budget!
Actually, I have to admit, we can beat that number and then some!. Here are some real-life numbers from the following households who live in the Lake Chapala area:
Column 1: Couple
Column 2: Couple with 3 children
Column 3: Single woman with 2 children
Column 4: Single woman
Budget Item:#1, #2, #3, #4 (All items are in US Dollars)
Housing: Rent or Annual Property Taxes: 5, 550, 500, 2
Household Items: 40, 20, 25, 35
Home-Garden Maintenance: 15, 30, 70, 0
Electric and Propane: 125, 130, 80, 42
Water: 5, 0, 0, 9
Telephone and Internet: 70, 70, 60, 46
Cable or Satellite: 90, 0, 30, 27
Mail Service: 18, 0, 0, 0
Maid: 118, 100, 160, 36
Gardener: 86, 125, 0, 60
Pool Maintenance / Home Owners Fees: 0, 0, 0, 0
Car Insurance-Expenses-Bus: 117, 100, 68, 75
Health Insurance: 50, 42, 0, 0
Medical-Medicine-Dental: 300, 50, 50, 0
Groceries: 140, 300, 200, 115
Restaurant Meals: 50, 150, 50, 30
Entertainment: 5, 20, 40, 0
Hair-Nails-Massage: 40, 20, 50, 4
Clothing: 20, 50, 50, 15
Pet Expenses: 30, 40, 0, 30
Misc.-Immigration (Visa & Working Paper)-Gifts: 145, 42, 0, 20
Totals:146918391433546
Let me know if you need a rundown of what all these items stand for. Send an email to and I will send you the information.
The International Living article goes on to say, You’re never too old to feel young again, as well as upgrade your lifestyle almost overnight.
Jim expresses the feelings many of us have about living in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico. The high cost of living in Colorado, the frigid winters, and the skyrocketing health care costs weren’t helping [me] stay young at heart. Its so true, you know. Bill and I moved here over six years ago, and weve never felt better or enjoyed our lives more. Neither of us had been to Mexico before. Bill had lived all over the world, but had never even flown into Mexico on his many trips. I had lived my whole life in Kansas City, Missouri (59 years). I dont know what wonderful confluence of events collided to make us decide to move to Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico, but we have never once regretted the decision.
I retired at 59 and Bill at 62 on his social security alone. We actually had enough money to have fun and enjoy our life together. And theres plenty of ways to entertain ourselves in the area, not the least being $20 (less than $2 USD) first-run movies. What do they cost in the States now? Were having a pretty good time for a couple whose only retirement plans were to drop dead at our desks!
Now, Jim, Bill and I and thousands of other expatriates live in a pristine lakeside community that’s about as close to a real-world Fountain of Youth as you’ll find anywhere in the world. Ajijic, Lake Chapala Mexico really is a dream come true.
Jim continues in the article, “Back in the USA when I was 50, I felt like I was 65. Here… at age 67…I feel like I’m 50… and getting younger!”
International Living continued with all the wonderful things our remarkable community of Lake Chapala has to offer:
A near-perfect climate. (Average temperature: 75 degrees year-roundperfect for enjoying daily walks alongside the lake to stay in shape)…
Awe-inspiring views of the lake, sunsets and surrounding mountains. (This is probably one of the biggest reasons so many writers and artists from all over the world live here)…
An active expat community.(A large social organization here boasts over 3,700 English-speaking members… and hosts regular activities and get-togethers, including many charitable events to benefit the local community)…
An ideal place to start your own dream business. (You’ll find many expat-owned art galleries, dance studios, restaurants and B&Bs in the area. If you’ve got a “dream” business idea, this could be the PERFECT destination to get it going)…
Plentiful opportunities for fun and adventure. (Fishing, boating, hiking… cooking, writing, painting, language and photography classes… an English library with over 25,000 books, an English-language theater… and festivals almost every weekend of the year. You’ll never run out of fun things to do)…
What’s more, Lake Chapala is so affordable that many expats like Bill and me have maids and gardeners twice a week. For me thats definitely the definition of paradise. What about you?
If youre a budget-minded expat, you wont find a more value-packed destination than Lake Chapala, Mexico:
For less than $6, you and two friends can take in a just-released movie…in stadium-style seating with surround-sound and air conditioning (nice during our hot month of May!)
For $15.00, you can get an absolutely delicious 24-oz filet for two that is grilled to perfection.
For $4.00, Bill can get a haircut.
For around $10.00 each, I can get a pedicure and a manicure at several places in Ajijic.
For $20 I can get a full hour massagethats another description of heaven for me!
Doctors and Veterinarians make house calls and usually less than $20 USD. And our dogs get free rabies shots.
Bill and I both have full-coverage health insurance for around $600 USD for the BOTH of us.
And were in your own backyardyou can drive to Canada or the United States if you have a need to. Weve made the trip many times across well-maintained toll roads (cuotas) that cost us less than $200 USD, round-trip.
Lake Chapala has got almost everything you would ever want including high-speed Internet, Vonage, Satellite TV, flat screen TVs and monitors, cell phones, high-end appliances, gyms and fitness centers. Except for laptops, the price difference for electronics and appliances is getting closer every day. Even for cars toofor awhile, one of our local auto businesses was touting that with the peso to US or Canadian dollars ratio, cars in Mexico were costing expats $4-5,000 less than you would pay in the States. That was quite a windfall for us.
We also have world-class dining in the Lake Chapala area that will delight and surprise you for such a small community. During our Focus on Mexico programs, our participants are always amazed at the quality and variety of the food in Ajijic. As alumnus from April 2010 Bob Wagner says, The food was absolutely great. I told my wife I didn’t have one bean in those eight days (beans and rice are the norm back home here). I have never tasted such consistently great food over an eight-day period as we had at those restaurants. I have relatives who live in small townsif they have three good restaurants to choose from, they call that a bonus! Not me! I like lots of choices.
Some ask us how it is being single in Lake Chapala and I have to tell youI’ve heard it so many times from my single friends that I have to believe it’s true: it’s easier to be single in Lake Chapala than any place any of them have ever lived before. There’s just so much to do here, and it’s a small enough community that no matter where you go, you’re bound to run into someone you know. But how are you going to know all this is true if you dont come and find out for yourself?
Isnt it time you experienced the real Mexico? As alumni John & Sam Kelley, April 17-24, 2010, said, Our experience can be summed up in one vignette: On Friday, the last day of the tour, we were opening our Mexican bank account at Bancomer. Adalberto, the branch manager, asked us if wed ever been to Mexico before. We replied that one of us had lived in San Diego and visited Tijuana regularly. The other of us had spent some time in Mexico City eons ago and together wed been to several beach resorts. Then it dawned on us we had never been to the real Mexico before and it was a place where we wanted to spend more time. Thank you Focus on Mexico for the information and insights that made us feel comfortable in this (hopefully our) new world. Feel free to use any of our comments in your promotions/website. Wed love to help more people discover the real Mexico.”
Isnt it time you experienced the real Mexico?
SoI have something to ask youare you tired of cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers? Do you dream about retiring now instead of having to work until you drop dead at your desks? Do you want an easier lifestyle where you can be as busy or lazy as you wantand where health is the norm not the exception? Well, its all here waiting for you in Lake Chapala, Mexico.
Do you want the opportunity to work if you want to? Believe me, if you have to work or just want to work, this is a pretty nice place to live while working. Take it from one who knows, as I sit here in my office overlooking the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains, listening to the rain coming down signaling the start of our rainy season that will paint our mountains a lush green within days. Seriously, I really, truly believe that it doesnt get much better than this!
You can have all that and more in Lake Chapala, Mexico.
Honestly, whether retirement is already upon you, or you still have a ways to go before you give up the work-a-day life, if you are planning to get away from the cold and enjoy your golden years relaxing in a wonderful climate, now may be the time to consider investing in a place in the sun. Believe it or not, according to many sources, the Mexican real estate market seems to be doing much better throughout this global recession and many excellent opportunities can be found south of the border as the situation rebounds at a much quicker pace then we are seeing stateside. This may be your time to quit the rat race and retire to the Fountain of Youth, Lake Chapala, Mexico, before the rest of the baby boomers get ahead of you.
Hasta pronto! See you soon!