Can I live on my Social Security?

[V]

In looking over the "budget" that I proposed in the first post, the one thing that stands out is the item for grocery shopping for one person, at 1,600 pesos.

It's no where near what we're spending, and I just don't know if that's realistic, if you don't stick to beans and tortillas.

We made an effort to pay attention to what we were spending, recently, and we're coming in more like 3,000 pesos per month per person for our "grocery" shopping trips (which, of course, includes other things like household supplies, but it's "ex" alcohol). We eat at home, more often than not.

This sounds like a lot to me, but we buy whatever we want, and that includes some items which stand out, like olives, peanut butter, pickled herring, etc., which are a little pricey- but, then again, they last a while, too.

How's this running for others on this forum?

[Isla Zina]

I am one person buying for myself and t.p. and other supplies for the guest house and I spend about 3000 a month! Let me suggest you are letting money slip through your fingers! Yes, I buy herring (when it's available) and peanut butter, too.

[V]

Yes, I buy herring (when it's available) and peanut butter, too.

Just call us extravagant!

[Isla Zina]

Yes, the Vita herring is about the same as the peanut butter but only comes by once or twice a a year!

[V]

Nothing is easier, Zina, than picking up expensive food/drink habits. For example, we spent eight days in southern Spain during the Christmas holidays, last year, where they routinely serve olives as a snack with drinks.

We had never been big fans of olives, but olives are really cheap there- in the home of the olive- and you can afford to give them away. Here, they are not so cheap- think pickled herring- but now we keep several jars in the house at all times. There goes the budget, again.

By the way, the "aceitunas manzanillas" are tasty....

[violet0905]

I spend about 4000 at least on grocery shopping and that is just me by myself,you people eat out a lot or something? I dont eat anywhere but my house for the most part ,im too paranoid about ingredients in foods most of the time and i look stupid using paper towels to remove the tons of oil they put on meats and veggies everywhere LOL

[V]

I don't know about others, Violet, but here's what I said about it.

...we're coming in more like 3,000 pesos per month per person for our "grocery" shopping trips (which, of course, includes other things like household supplies, but it's "ex" alcohol). We eat at home, more often than not.

In general, we're disappointed in restaurant food, and eating at home gives us a chance to observe a more healthful diet- less salt, for example (ok, I know, the pickled herring and the olives aside)- than we would have in most restaurants.

[Isla Zina]

I eat out about one a week, drink out twice a week, and cook the rest of the time. I keep a gringo pantry and can feed an army at the drop of a dime. With food wastage factored in, it's still cheaper than having plain tacos out!

[V]

Zina, I've always thought you can eat better, and more cheaply, at home, though I've often heard women say, "Well, my time is worth something, too," in response to this observation. However, my wife recently prepared a very tasty and nutricious meal in a half hour, then remarked that it would have taken that long to get to a restaurant, get seated, order and be served- and that was her time, too! An interesting thought.
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Since this thread is, to a degree, about how to live more cheaply here, I will mention something else my wife told me, recently, that there are, "Best Days to Shop" at the different supermarkets, in which the best produce is put out, and prices are reduced. Each store seems to observe different days, so it pays to know which ones she's talking about. Perhaps some of the readers have noticed this, too.

Just recently I've noticed what seemed to be a large price difference on produce between Chedraui, corner Av Coba at Av Tulum, and Walmart, with Chedraui being the cheaper. Has anyone else thought so, too?

[Isla Zina]

Big price differences on sale days! Tuesdays at Walmart, Wednesdays at the Mega by Costco. Soriana Tuesday afternoon (after they see Walmart's prices) and Wednesday. Forget which day is Chedraui. On sale days, I buy the loss leaders and leave! Some stores have favorites (Chedraui for manageable sizes of gringo cheeses, for example). Walmart and Mega or Soriana for Alpura sugar/flavor free yogurt) etc.