There are lots of creative ways that families can take a vacation without a humongous expense. For us, it was easy since my Mom owns a home in Puerto Vallarta, which keeps accommodation, food and entertainment costs to a minimum. She also has a vehicle that we drove Mexican style with no working seatbelts, but minus the open truck bed in the back with lawn chairs (we refer to them as Mexican car seats).
We had also purchased our tickets prior to the Austerity Measures on a great seat sale from WestJet. My children covered the cost of their own through birthday and Christmas savings.They have more in their bank accounts than we do because they prefer to save. Our kids are smarter than we are....almost always.
We were there for family time which also keeps expenses low, since our priority was sitting around my Mom's pool catching up and not drinking ourselves stupid, swimming with dolphins, or sitting through some god-awful time share presentation so that we can get free tequila and a day at some resort filled with other North Americans.
My biggest splurge was taking my Mom and sister out for dinner which was truly a fine dining experience with an outdoor playground that kept the kids happy (why don't we have this in Canada?!!) and involved 4 appetizers, 7 entree's, 7 desserts, pre-dinner drinks, and a bottle of wine. We had four wonderful Mexican men attending to our every need and we received welcome shooters for both us and the kids to kick off the evening (all kids deserve real fruit juice shooters!). I won't even share what our wonderful evening cost me...it will make the average Canadian family cry, especially when a dinner at McDonald's with a play place can cost you $30.
When we did shop, it was at the local grocery store or Wal-Mart. Even with the probably inflated gringo pricing at the local market, we still made off with bags of fruit and veggies for less than $7. My precious bottle of rum that I have refrained from buying since our austerity measures kicked in was purchased for $12.50, a gift from my Mom (they say Mothers know best....cheers to that!). The same bottle costs me $38.95 in Nova Scotia. The pineapple juice and cream of coconut to make killer pina coladas for the entire week cost me $4.00.
We travelled into Puerto Vallarta twice from where my Mom lives in Nuevo and it cost us the equivalent of .26 cents return. Our taxi and valet service from the airport, which is the most expensive place to travel from cost us $23 plus I gave them much more in tips.
We splurged on ice cream, hot nuts and orange pop too! It was a lot easier to stick to our grocery budget, even with the extras. Everything except purchasing power and the mortgage interest rate is cheaper in Mexico, compared to Canada. Makes me wonder why we live here at all.
To give you an idea of the difference, have quick browse at this, and then add 10% since it is probably based on Toronto pricing and almost is everything is more expensive in Atlantic Canada.
| Mexico | Canada | Difference | |
| Restaurants | [Edit] | [Edit] | |
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 65.00 MXN | 156.20 MXN | +140.31 % |
| Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 300.00 MXN | 781.00 MXN | +160.33 % |
| Combo Meal at McDonalds or Similar | 65.00 MXN | 104.13 MXN | +60.21 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) | 20.00 MXN | 65.08 MXN | +225.42 % |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 30.00 MXN | 78.10 MXN | +160.33 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 30.00 MXN | 45.56 MXN | +51.86 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) | 9.25 MXN | 25.90 MXN | +180.03 % |
| Water (0.33 liter bottle) | 8.00 MXN | 19.53 MXN | +144.06 % |
| Markets | [Edit] | [Edit] | |
| Milk (regular), 1 liter | 13.00 MXN | 25.90 MXN | +99.26 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 22.00 MXN | 32.54 MXN | +47.92 % |
| Rice (1kg) | 15.00 MXN | 43.61 MXN | +190.71 % |
| Eggs (12) | 20.00 MXN | 39.05 MXN | +95.25 % |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 80.00 MXN | 130.17 MXN | +62.71 % |
| Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) | 70.00 MXN | 142.98 MXN | +104.26 % |
| Apples (1kg) | 30.00 MXN | 38.46 MXN | +28.21 % |
| Oranges (1kg) | 12.50 MXN | 39.05 MXN | +212.40 % |
| Tomato (1kg) | 16.00 MXN | 39.05 MXN | +144.06 % |
| Potato (1kg) | 15.00 MXN | 25.11 MXN | +67.40 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 10.00 MXN | 19.53 MXN | +95.25 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 12.00 MXN | 26.03 MXN | +116.95 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 120.00 MXN | 195.25 MXN | +62.71 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 15.00 MXN | 35.80 MXN | +138.64 % |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 20.00 MXN | 39.05 MXN | +95.25 % |
| Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro) | 40.00 MXN | 130.17 MXN | +225.42 % |
| Transportation | [Edit] | [Edit] | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 6.00 MXN | 35.80 MXN | +496.60 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 360.00 MXN | 1,054.35 MXN | +192.88 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 25.00 MXN | 46.86 MXN | +87.44 % |
| Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 5.20 MXN | 23.91 MXN | +359.90 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 150.00 MXN | 390.50 MXN | +160.33 % |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | 10.00 MXN | 16.82 MXN | +68.24 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 200,000.00 MXN | 290,272.45 MXN | +45.14 % |
| Utilities (Monthly) | [Edit] | [Edit] | |
| Basic (Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment | 1,000.00 MXN | 2,329.30 MXN | +132.93 % |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 3.74 MXN | 3.91 MXN | +4.41 % |
| Internet (6 Mbps, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 400.00 MXN | 585.75 MXN | +46.44 % |
| Sports And Leisure | [Edit] | [Edit] | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 600.00 MXN | 650.84 MXN | +8.47 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 150.00 MXN | 255.06 MXN | +70.04 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 60.00 MXN | 156.20 MXN | +160.33 % |
| Clothing And Shoes | [Edit] | [Edit] | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 649.00 MXN | 715.92 MXN | +10.31 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 623.61 MXN | 572.73 MXN | -8.16 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Shoes | 1,100.00 MXN | 1,301.67 MXN | +18.33 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Shoes | 845.00 MXN | 1,301.67 MXN | +54.04 % |
| Rent Per Month | [Edit] | [Edit] | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,500.00 MXN | 12,365.87 MXN | +253.31 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,900.00 MXN | 10,348.28 MXN | +256.84 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 7,000.00 MXN | 19,525.05 MXN | +178.93 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 6,000.00 MXN | 16,270.88 MXN | +171.18 % |
| Buy Apartment Price | [Edit] | [Edit] | |
| Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 11,631.96 MXN | 47,836.38 MXN | +311.25 % |
| Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 10,000.00 MXN | 33,084.15 MXN | +230.84 % |
| Salaries And Financing | [Edit] | [Edit] | |
| Median Monthly Disposable Salary (After Tax) | 10,000.00 MXN | 39,050.11 MXN | +290.50 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentanges (%), Yearly | 12.00 | 4.00 | -66.67 % |
| Last update | December, 2012 | December, 2012 | |
| Contributors (past 18 months) | 409 | 1572 | |
| Currency: MXN |
There are ways to travel and stick to a budget. Most often the way we overspend on vacations is because it is our "opportunity to live large", kinda like an extra Christmas. People also buy a lot crap that they don't need on vacations. We walked along the Malecon which is like an outdoor Ikea along the beach filled with so many good deals on stuff that if you were handed a giant yellow bag, you would immediately start stuffing with no clue as to why.
The Mexicans constantly approached us with things to buy which at first my girls were intimidated to say no, but by the end of the day had become experts in saying, " No, gracias". Imagine if they did this at Ikea...you would probably have to hand over the keys to your house and give them your first born too!
Even though it wasn't high tourist season, there were plenty of gringos buying souvenirs some of which are beyond my understanding as to why anyone would actually exchange money for. Sand in a vial from the beach, tequila shooter glasses, seashells, and ugly T-shirts galore were being bagged up and most probably going to be Christmas pressents for some poor relative at home who will have to feign excitement. Who buys sand in a glass?! I brought some sand home in my shoes....it was free. Maybe I can re-gift it for my buy nothing Christmas. Now I just need to figure out who the lucky relative will be.......
The average Canadian family can still have a vacation with a little help from family and friends or not. We are fortunate to have family across Canada and in the United States. It gives us great places to visit and in exchange we open up our home in the summertime to anyone who wishes to visit us. We love having guests and are fortunate to live in the Maritimes, which I think is the most beautiful province to live in within Canada.
For those of you, who can't imagine a vacation with relatives....sometimes it can be a fine line, we have all seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation....there are others ways to stay on a budget.
Here are just 5 ways that you might be able to squeeze a vacation in without breaking the budget:
1) Home Swapping: Want to save on accommodations? Try swapping houses with someone else! There are many websites dedicated to the idea, some are free and some are not. If you are open to switching with another family and have a cool house to offer (you should have a look to see some of the places available!), then you might be able to get a great vacation and have an authentic experience in another country. Here is just one link: https://www.homeexchange.com/landing_page2/1homeexchange?alias=1homeexchange&gclid=COK92eu9_7MCFQ-e4AodDBwA0Q
2) Visit Cheap Destinations: According CNN travel, the current five cheapest destinations to travel to are Mexico, Thailand, Burma, Egypt and Greece. Choosing where you travel can help with your budget as well as your airfare. If you can pick a place that balances out the airfare with your weekly spending budget, you may even come out ahead. Given that you are using company paid vacation time, it can actually be a week away without any financial sacrifice. http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/escape/5-cheapest-travel-
3) Stay fit and Meet Locals: The Warm Showers Community is a free worldwide Hospitality exchange for touring cyclists. People who are willing to host touring cyclists sign up and provide their contact information, and may occasionally have someone stay with them and share great stories and a drink! I can't think of anything cooler since there are over 15,000 hosts in many countries all over the world. Spa vacation be dammed! http://www.warmshowers.org/
4) Couchsurf: Travel the world & stay with friends you haven't met yet! Pick a travel destination, then search through the members to find someone who is willing to let you crash on their couch. They may be also willing to share food, show you around and split a 6 pack. It's all done through facebook and you do need to sign up to start your BFF search for a travel buddy. http://www.couchsurfing.org/
5) Volunteer Vacations: Make a difference in the world and change your perspective. You can even choose the place and get some downtime. Think of the appreciation your children would have for their day to day, even if it is short-lived (my girls didn't fight with their brother for three full days after we got home....) with an experience of helping others. This is one that has really got me thinking about all of our BIG plans that we thought we needed to fit into our future budget. http://www.globeaware.org/
I am currently reading a book my father found at a garage sale called "The Power of Positive Thinking." Published way before "The Secret" in 1952 by Norman Vincent Peale, a minister who was notoriously anti-Catholic, accused of using hypnosis on his followers to convert them, and opposed the election of John F. Kennedy and supported Nixon (hey, not everyone is perfect.....).
The book itself was on the New York times best seller list for 186 consecutive weeks, so there must be many great things about Norman too. Most things you need to read with a grain of salt, if you know what I mean.
Whatever his personal defects may have been, there are some good things within the book, and a quote which I will share, "The way to happiness: keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by."
Vacations don't need to be expensive, luxurious or fanciful to be fantastic. Yes, we spent ours in sunny Mexico but the main reason we were there was to spend time with our family creating memories that will last our lifetimes....it just so happens that we are fortunate that my Mom lives there and not in Brantford, Ontario anymore. (Sorry Brantford, but your time of greatness passed when Wayne Gretsky left town.....)
We are your average Canadian family and we are truly grateful that we can take a vacation from time to time without breaking the budget.........
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