Have you been

to the dentist

lately?

It is shocking how much a trip to the dentist costs in the U.S.A.. But good dental care doesn’t have to cost a fortune… 

When Dick and I go to the dentist, we almost always choose to go to a little town called Algodones – just south of Yuma, Arizona.  Nogales, just south of Tucson, Arizona, is also a good choice.  But your choices are varied – Nogales, Juarez, Tijuana, Nuevo Progreso, etc.

When we first made our monumental decision to try out a “Mexican Dentist”, we were really a bit hesitant …would they be able to understand us …how do we get an appointment …are they really dentists …how would the cleanliness be …are they up to date …can they do x-rays…so many questions and all so quickly answered on our first trip! We had been satisfied with most “American dentists” … especially when we had dental insurance, paid for by Dick’s employers!

Quite a difference to be asked to cough up $9000 for one implant now! Or $1200 for a root canal and cap – good grief – on retirement income, that’s really just prohibitive  … solution:  just have all the teeth pulled and eat rolled oats for the rest of your life… I don’t think so!  

First of all – the dentist offices do have telephones…

… and 99 times out of 100, all you have to do when they answer is to say “English, Please” , or ‘English, por favor” and the phone will be handed over to someone who can speak English. Tell them you need an appointment and they will set you up – some just say no appointment necessary – and they really mean it. I don’t know how they do it, but you don’t have to wait all that long if you’re a walk-in!  In my book, Retire in Luxury, I have the exact process of making a phone call to Mexico.

Now, presumably, you have made your appointment.

You may need to be away from home, depending on where you live, for a couple of days. Believe it or not, you can pay for your traveling expenses, pay the dentist and still save!

And if you’re frugal like the Parks are proud to be – well, you’ll just be amazed at the savings!

You’ll probably also be amazed by the fact that the people you will meet in the waiting rooms are almost always NOT Hispanic!  You’ll visit with snow-birds from Washington and Oregon, part-time Canadian residents, Nevada residents, and Arizonans and Californians just down for the day!

So, off to a border town – or if you’re lucky enough to actually live south of the border – just relax and ask your neighbors where they go.  Since most of you are still considering moving to Mexico for your retirement, be sure to order my latest edition of Retire in Luxury, to help with your retirement decision.

Don’t hesitate to take advantage of the dental situation in Mexico – you won’t feel the least bit strange down here and the price differences are just astonishing!  Just a few sample prices and these are only examples:

Cleaning: $15 to $25
Root Canal $50 to $300
Post: $50 to $150
Porcelain cap: $140 to $350
Cap re-cemented: $30 to $40
Reline: $30 to $40
Bonding: $25 to $50
Extraction: $25 to $100 

So – come on down – you’ll find that you will probably be able to get everything done in one day – they won’t make you come back a dozen times just to finish a process. I know you’ll be glad you go – and, be sure to do a bit of bargaining while you’re there for a colorful clay pot, or maybe a hat… or one of the myriad of handcrafted articles displayed on the streets.

Dentist article by Barbie.

FM3 Visa for Retirees

The Consulate of Mexico will issue the Nonimmigrant Visa for multiple entries (FM3) to those who wish to make trips into Mexico, of limited duration. (And that duration can be a long time.) If you have now made the big decision to retire in Mexico, and your expenses will be covered by: Income brought into Mexico from a foreign country, or Income resulting from investments, either in Mexico or abroad, you can apply for a Nonimmigrant Visa (FM3) for retirees. The requirements for a Nonimmigrant Visa (FM3) - we’ve always called this a visa for a “permanent tourist” – for multiple entries are:

Fill out the Visa Application form, (available at the Consulate website for downloading).

• Appearance in person at the Consulate with a valid passport
• One photocopy of the pages containing personal information
• Photograph of bearer
• two (2) front view passport size photos.
• proof of economic solvency

Applicant must prove an approximate monthly income of $1,000.00 USD dollars, or equivalent in Mexican currency.

If the applicant will be accompanied by members of his immediate family, the minimum income required is $500.00 additional per month for each member 15 years of age or older.

Documents accepted as a proof for Visas:

• Bank statement
• Social Security or Pension Receipts.

All documents must documents must be notarized and bear the apostille issued by the Secretary of State where the documents were notarized. United States passport holders must have a valid passport.

A visa is not required for stays of up to 180 days, if holding a Tourist Card/FMT form issued free of charge by an airlines.Business travelers do not require a visa for up to 30 days if holding a FMN form.After September 30, 2007:All US citizens traveling to and from Mexico by air will require a passport. By January 1, 2008, the requirement will be extended to include all land and sea border crossings as well.

An FM-3 costs approximately $98.00 US per year, per person, and is renewed annually. It allows you to keep a U.S. plated vehicle in Mexico, to leave and return at will, open and maintain a Mexican bank account, and can exempt you from capital gains tax when selling and allows you to purchase property in Mexico. (Cost is approximate as of this writing. )

With your FM-3 status, you can bring a car and keep it with you as long as that status is maintained. The cost for an FM3 – for Retirees – no working permit = approximately $98.IMMIGRATION FEESSome of the fees (taxes) are: (These can vary, so just consider them approximate osts.)

The issuing or renewal of an FM-3 document without the right to work) is approximately 1500 pesos – or approximately 150 dollars, U.S., per year. This can be renewed indefinitely. You can also apply for an FM-3 with the right towork for a bit more – about 1800 pesos ($180.00 U.S.) The issuing or renewal of am FM-2 document (with the right to work) is approximately 1,900 pesos. $190.U.S. A permit to leave the country while documents are en tramite (pending approval) is approximately 90 pesos. $9.U.S.

Visas for those who want to stay longer than six months at a time in Mexico, without having to make a semi-annual trip to the border, the next step in the immigration process is the FM-3. You must be 55 to apply, and you will need these: A completed official application form (FDN1/02) and a copy. These are available at any Mexican consulate and at the Regional Immigration Office in Mexico.

Needed for your valid tourist visa:

• Your current passport.
• If spouses are applying, a copy of the couple’s marriage certificate.
• Written proof from a U.S. or Mexican bank that the equivalent of $1030 U.S. is being deposited monthly into the bank account of the applicant.
• For each dependent, The amount required is approximately $515US

If you own property in Mexico, the amount required is reduced by one half. These minimums are set by the Mexican government and can fluctuate.

Just ready to start another new year – where in the world does time go?

I recently heard a new theory on that: When you’re young, the percentage of time in the future, compared to what you’ve lived, seems very large, so each day is a large portion of your experience. On the opposite end, when you’re “mature”, the amount of time you’ve experienced, compared to what’s left, seems very small – hum – takes lots of thought, but it’s as good an explanation as I’ve heard.

Dick and I have always joked about things happening way back in the “olden days”. Up until just a few years ago, we’d say “way back in aught-two” meaning 1902 – but now, we have to keep remembering, geepers – ’02 (or as my Grandparents called it, aught-two) was only 6-7 years ago – and this is a completely new century! Oh my!

So, are you enjoying retirement, or the contemplation of retirement? I sincerely hope all is falling into place for your future plans. Remember, your retirement years may be 25 to 40 years in duration – that’s a long time to enjoy yourself… if you’ve planned well.

Interesting enough, for the second straight year, Mexico has been named the number one place in the world in which to retire.

Over the past few decades, the number of S.S. benefit checks for people living in other countries has been rising steadily. 1992 saw approximately 188,000. The number rose to approximately 242,000 in 2002. And it’s still growing – so don’t think you are one of only a few people who want to move to Mexico to improve your retirement years!

A suggested budget from a recent publication suggests you can live well in Mexico on just over $2,000 a month. Their breakdown is: housing = $800; utilities (electricity, gas, water) = $125; Groceries = $300; Maintenance and fuel for one car = $150. They also include $150 a month for housekeeper and gardener three days a week…which you may or may not need. Dick and I believe in having a small enough home to be able to mostly take care of it ourselves in our retirement. We have never hired help of that sort… housekeeper, etc – guess that’s up to the individual.

$250 a month for entertainment is suggested – that’s a lot! That’s $8 a day, everyday of the month, for entertainment – we don’t spend that much! Health care using IMSSis listed at $280 for 2 people – per YEAR, plus $63 for private-care incidentals = $110; Clothes, household items, etc. = $100; Phone, internet, cable tv = $150, for a monthly total of $2,135. But also, I always preach that you should have your home paid for – totally – by the time you retire, or you better work a bit longer and get that taken care of.

So, in my calculations, if you include perhaps $300 instead of $800 a month for housing expenses such as upkeep and taxes, and skip the paid house help, you can still easily get along very well in Mexico on a little under $1500! All depends on the individual, but it can be done! And, believe me, there are people getting along on less than that in Mexico.

70 million boomers approaching retirement age don’t have enough money saved for a comfortable retirement in the U.S.

Here’s an email from one happy retiree in Mexico:

“Thanks Barbie! Your information has been very helpful.   As sales and marketing director for an ocean front residential development here on the Baja California coast, I am trying to put together some living expense comparisons for buyers.  Bella Vista is designed to be a luxury resort style, full time living community for active adults, so your newsletters have proven to be a gold mine of information!!

“I have lived and worked here on the Baja coast (between Rosarito and Ensenada) for the past 5 years and love it!! For the first 2 years I commuted to San Diego every day, but realized that there was no point in holding on to the high U.S. income.

I am able to support a better and wonderful lifestyle here on half of what I needed to just survive in San Diego.

For example, I moved down after finishing treatment of breast cancer. A visit to my oncologist in the U.S. is over $300.  Here, my oncologist office visit is $50 and I actually get to meet with the doctor without being rushed, not just a medical assistant followed by a maximum of 3 minutes with the doctor. He is up to date on all the latest information and clinical tests…and is warm and generous with his time.

“Speaking of medical costs, I recently took a friend to a cardiologist at Hospital Angels in TJ for a test requiring specialized equipment.  Instead of paying $1200 (with insurance) in the U.S. and getting treated like a number, he got the test done with the same state-of-the-art equipment and very personalized care for $250. While waiting for him I talked with several U.S. doctors at the coffee shop, who had nothing but praise for this wonderful medical facility. More importantly, they enjoy the ability to practice medicine without being dictated to by paper pushers and bean counters.

“Again, thanks for all the hard work you put in to help others find a great life in Mexico!”

A quick joke I just have to include:

A very self-important feeling Grandson, coming home for the holidays during his freshman year of college, while at the family dinner took it upon himself to explain to his grandfather, who of course was a senior citizen, why it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation.

“Grandpa, you grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one,” the young man said, loud enough for the entire gathering to hear. “The young people of today are much more advanced than people your age. We grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon and the internet. We have cell phones, nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars, computers, automated manufacturing, amazing technologies …and,” then, he paused in his oratory to take a drink of his iced tea.

The senior took advantage of the break in the student’s litany and said, “You’re right! We didn’t have those things when we were young …so WE invented them. Now, my young man, what are YOU doing for the next generation?”

The laughter from the table was resounding… I love being a Senior Citizen!