My husband and I were just talking about bargaining with vendors who sell handcrafts in Morelos. He came to an important conclusion that I thought I should add to this section on being conscientious guests in Mexico.

Many tourists believe that they have to bargain with vendors, but my husband has noticed that this bothers most vendors. Most vendors in Morelos (and possibly other places throughout Mexico) now give the going price when asked how much for something. They are not inflating the price in order to give room for bargaining, as we outsiders believe. Bargaining is pretty silly anyway. For many purchases it may be a matter of about $1.00 U.S. or less! Why be “stingy”?

Still, I think that a long time ago I may have read somewhere that I might insult the seller by not bargaining with him/her. This may be old intel. on Mexico, or possibly is true in certain regions of Mexico and not in others. It may be possible that people used to bargain a lot more than they do now because my husband remembers that when we first moved here he used to try to bargain too, but has since stopped instead opting for the price survery (see below). Anyway, we can’t quite figure out where the belief comes from but people from the country north of Mexico think that a Mexican vendor is automatically quoting them an inflated price–and since they have no idea what the going price is for things, they can’t tell if their assumption is correct or not.

However the belief got started, bargaining seems to be less appropriate then outsiders expect. At this point in my experience on Mexico, my personal recommendation to all people who travel or retire in Mexico is that you shouldn’t bargain.

Still, vendors can say any price that they want. Our friends told us that prices are consistently higher in Cabo San Lucas whenever a cruise ship can be seen anchored near the marina. So what do you do in order to know if a price is “fair”? You take a price survey.

How To Conduct a Price Survey So You Can Avoid Bargaining

If you want to purchase a particular type of item you need to know how much it should cost you. That way you can either pay the asking price or not.

“It isn’t everyday that you find a good source of solid, factual information [on getting settled in Mexico] coupled with a wry sense of humor. … [Author Julia Taylor's] eye for detail covers those aspects of Mexico that make it a charming place for some and an absolutely frustrating one for others, and she does it with a deft hand that is neither condescending nor evasive.”

–Rita Pomade, independent reviewer for mexconnect.com

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You find this out by asking around about the price of similar items. Stop at shops, point to items like the one you want and ask, “Disculpe. ?Cuánto cuesta este?” Smile. Listen to the price. Keep a straight face, say “gracias,” and gently walk away. Do this at a variety of places. If you have the time you can compare the more touristy areas with others such as the local market. (for example, in Cuernavaca blankets are less expensive at the stands near the food market than they are in near the zocalo–but not substantially so).

Once you have heard enough prices to tell what the price should be, you can return to a vendor of your choice and actually purchase the item.

The Conscientious Traveler/Retired Person Knows When and How Much to Tip

When you retire in Mexico, or are traveling, there can be a lot of angst around tipping, especially if you don’t really know which people to tip and how much. When you arrive in Mexico you see so many people who obviously don’t earn very much money. There is an expectation that money will be flowing from your pocket to theirs, but what exactly are the rules for this process? When you first retire in Mexico you want to be conscientious and not go around insulting people by tipping them when you shouldn’t… but what if they are calling you “cheapskate” as you walk away?

The conscientious traveler/retired person knows that there are people who work for tips only, like airport porters. Others, like taxi drivers set their price for the trip, but then might help you with your bags and you wonder if you should tip them or not.

The following is a list of jobs, whether or not you should tip, and how much. Practice being a well-informed conscientious traveler and just for fun, hold a piece of paper up over the right hand columns and think of your own answer before checking to see if you are correct.

Tipping Guidelines for Those Who Retire in Mexico or are Conscientious Travelers

So, if you didn’t get the answers right, but intend to retire in Mexico, or worse, are already retired in Mexico, you might want to print out the chart and hang it on your fridge. You can refer to it before you go out and about.

If you are a conscientious traveler, you will feel more relaxed knowing that you are neither insulting people, nor making yourself look cheap. Ahhhh. What a relief.

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Before you live or retire in Mexico read this unique, humorous e-book.

Hi Julia,

Hope you and your family are all in good health! Thank you very much for the e-book and companions. They are, as ever, extremely informative.

Your empathy with the Mexican culture shines through and the book offers an insight into living in Mexico that I haven’t found in other books about living or travelling in Mexico.

I particularly liked the cultural differences and how not to upset people and what to expect from the beaurocracy out there. I had also paid particular close attention to you article about the cost of living for the three lifestyles you showed. I had seen this article previously on your website and I have used it as a gauge for the lifestyle my family and I might expect to have in Mexico.

With your article and other information I’ve researched on the internet I’ve come up with a figure of….

Thanks once again for all your help and the really useful books. I hope you are managing to sell plenty to help out with your family finances. I will stay in touch and I look forward to your next article on your website.

Kind Regards

Edward Shields

Can Rich People Who Travel and Retire in Mexico Drive Up Prices?

Travelers sometimes wonder if they are driving up prices with their extra money. As a concientious traveler you don’t need to be concerned about this. Unless you are in a “made-for-tourists” area, such as the ones set up for cruise ship passengers, it is actually the rich Mexicans who set prices.

If you are making an effort to eat and shop in areas frequented by other Mexicans and to ‘buy locally,’ the money you spend will be in balance with money spent by locals and Mexican tourists.

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The Conscientious Traveler/Retired Person Buys “Locally”

When you retire in Mexico, you will be relatively rich when compared to the majority of Mexicans. You may feel some concerns about the equity of your access to wealth. It’s just not fair! One thing you can do to support your new community when you retire in Mexico is to spend your money locally.

In the same way, as the rich outsider (i.e. conscientious traveler), you would feel good knowing that your tourism dollars help to improve the quality of life in your destination area. In order to be sure that your money gets into the pockets of the right people, you can try to patronize smaller, locally-owned businesses.

Try to find a hotel, hostel, or bed and breakfast that is small and locally owned. Looking on line to see if any are listed is a good start, but it’s important to remember that in Mexico a large percentage of small businesses don’t have web sites and even if they do, they may not be found by the likes of Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Some of the best places fly under the electronic radar.

Since business is done in person in Mexico, it is often hard to book a place to stay sight-unseen before you get there. Despite your desire to be fair, there are some people who would misrepresent their hotel in order to get your dollars. Empty pools, saggy beds, and mildew smells “happen.”  Also, special prices for American tourists “happen.”

One way to get around this is to book a room in a larger, reputable hotel for the first night or two of your stay. Once at your destination, you can check out other, smaller hotels and move to one that is to your liking. Once you are settled in to the first hotel, it can seem difficult to move, but it’s worth it because the interpersonal interaction with people in one-of-a-kind places is what really makes memories.

When you retire in Mexico you may go in person to make reservations for people who come to visit you. You can check out the rooms and avoid the issues mentioned above. When you retire in mexico and get to know your new community you will get to know the really special local businesses.

In addition to patronizing smaller hotels, you can eat at individually owned restaurants. Walk around town, peek in the doorways of restaurants. Pick them by their good smells or the interesting foods you see displayed. Probably you’ve heard a lot of information about being safe as a tourist eating in Mexico. You know, eat the round ice, eat only fruit that comes in a peel, etc. When I first traveled in Mexico I practically knocked myself out trying to follow that advice, but I’ve since found that it’s kind of outdated.

Pretty much everyone in the Mexican food service industry — there’s a euphemism, if I’ve ever heard one — uses bottled water and safe ice. In addition, pretty much no one has ever taken a food handling course. My observations have brought me to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter where you eat, it’s still a Mexican who is preparing and serving your food and their rules apply. I’m sure that if you retire in Mexico you will come to a similar conclusion.

As a side note, one of my family members traveled to Oaxaca with a small group of family and was the only one to get sick. She got sick on a lemonade in the restaurant of the most expensive hotel there, not at the little hole-in-the-wall places she explored later in the trip. The moral of the story is that you shouldn’t miss out on the sensational tastes of Mexico because you are worried about getting sick. Just bring some immodium with you and don’t be afraid to use it.

Most small restaurants, especially the little “comida corrida” (the Mexican version of fast food) places, are individual enterprises. In fact, comida corrida places are often run by women. You’ll be sitting with Mexicans on their lunch breaks and will have a chance to meet the cooks who prepare the food. You’ll be sure that your money gets directly into the pockets of local Mexicans.

Depending on your hotel’s location, there may be several small, locally owned restaurants within walking distance of your hotel. If you don’t notice any you can ask someone at your hotel where to eat. Let them know that you want to eat where the locals eat. Sometimes hotel staff assume that you want a larger, fancy restaurant. It’s OK to back out of the doorway of a restaurant, if you don’t like it.

So, what about eating in the street? I do it. It does imply more risk because the people working there don’t have any water to wash their hands and utensils (yuck!) during the day, nor do they have refrigeration. The advantage is that you get to try delicious traditional foods and it’s quicker than sitting down in a restaurant. As a conscientious traveler it may be smart to avoid these places. Your stay is short and you wouldn’t want to waste time on an illness. When you retire in Mexico you may find it worth it.

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The Concientious Traveler and the Expensive Service

Friends visiting from the U.S. opened a dialogue about the equity of
spending a large amount of money for a service. The situation went like
this. The friends had chosen to stay in a luxury hotel, which offered
“spa” services to guests. It was mid-week and there were few other
guests staying in the hotel. One of them signed up for a massage. He
was told that the massage would cost 50 USD. He was surprised to be
quoted the same fee as in the US .

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In Mexico The Conscientious Traveler/Retired Person Considers the Street Children

It can be hard for the conscientious traveler to be faced with the little children who come selling gum or little hand-made items or just begging. They peer up at you with their little grungy cheeks and big brown eyes. They can be so insistant, that they are annoying. They wheedle and look miserable. Here’s a little dramatization of the situation:

As the tourist you start to think it through. You try to tackle the situation logically. One, this child is really poor. Two, their parents are the ones who sent them out to “sell” or beg. Three, all children deserve to be safe, warm, and fed. Therefore, I should… I should….

OK. I’ll try to think of it another way.  If I don’t pay them, their parents might just make them keep on going around to get more money. If I do pay them, their parents might just make them keep on going around to get more money. Therefore, I should… I should….  

Meanwhile you are not enjoying your meal or walk around the park or whatever you are trying to do. They stare at you until you want to squirm. Finally, you decide to…

Everyone who has traveled in Mexico has dealt with this situation. I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any answer to the sad problem posed above, but I do have some options.

1. Say “no gracias,” break eye contact and walk away. Follow your “no” up with more “no’s”, if necessary. You can’t heal the situation, even if you let them know how sad you feel about it. Saying “no” does not make you a bad person. In fact, saying “no” means you are saying “no” to children being forced to beg. If everyone would do what you are doing, these kids would be somewhere else.

2. If you are in a restaurant, sit the child down and order them a couple of tacos. Decide what you will do if other kids come. Maybe you will say “no” as described in number 1. Maybe you will order meals for all of them.

3. When you order at the restaurant, order a couple of tacos to go. Offer them to the little children when they come by.

3. If they are selling gum, buy some. Keep the box so you can show it to other kids as you are telling them “no.” Buy just one thing on an outing and don’t berate yourself because you can’t buy from everyone.

4. Set a budget for little children, say 10 pesos. Spend your 10 pesos, then go to number 1 above.

5. In addition to choosing one of the above you can choose to donate to an organization that supports poor families.

When you retire in Mexico, street children will become part of your daily landscape. It is helpful to have thought through how you want to interact with them. Remember that it’s valid to do one thing on one day and do something different on another.

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Equity Issues for Those Retired in Mexico and Conscientious Travelers

When you retire in Mexico the difference between your access to wealth and that of the local Mexicans can seem profane. The same is true for travelers in Mexico. As a conscientious traveler you want your money to benefit those whose town you are visiting. As a retired person in Mexico you want your money to benefit your community. Yet, in neither case do you want to flaunt your wealth. How do you strike an appropriate balance?

The conscientious traveler asks her/himself many of the following questions: “When and how do you tip?” “What types of hotels should you stay in?” “How do you pick safe, locally-owned restaurants?” “When do you bargain?” “Is it OK to enjoy an expensive luxury right in front of someone who might spend that amount of money on food for a week?” Strangely enough, the conscientious traveler sometimes also asks her/himself, “is that person “cheating” me because I’m a tourist?” “Could I get a better deal on this?” The same questions are important to someone who retires in Mexico as they develop their shopping, dining, and other habits.

The conscientious traveler and retired person in Mexico is interested in what is fair in a situation that seems inherently unfair.

Click on the following pages to read about different equity related aspects of travel and/or retirement in Mexico:

The Conscientious Traveler/Retired Person Buys “Locally”

The Conscientious Traveler/Retired Person Knows When and How Much to Tip

Can Rich People Who Travel and Retire in Mexico Drive Up Prices?

In Mexico The Conscientious Traveler/Retired Person Considers the Street Children

In Mexico The Conscientious Traveler/Retired Person Doesn’t Bargain

If you have anything to add to this discussion, please add your comments below. We’d like your well-thought-out ideas to share with others who want to travel, live, and retire in Mexico.

Julia -

I read the e-book [Mexico: The Trick is Living Here] and enjoyed it very much. I particularly liked how descriptive you were about how to hail a taxi, ride a bus etc. I also enjoyed the pictures of the different fruits and vegetables.

I’m in Mexico now. …I will be shipping some household goods, but my old company will make those arrangements once I have the visa in hand.

If your travels take you to Cozumel – let me know.

Best wishes – Laura
Before you live or retire in Mexico read this unique, humorous e-book.

Travel in Oaxaca Vally Gives us A Lesson in Small Town Tourism Politics

As sometimes happens when one travels in Mexico, on the way into the Heirve el Agua park, we encountered some old men sitting by the road. They had a rope stretched across the pavement, and one stood up to lift the rope off of the ground as we approached.

One of the men explained to my husband that there was a cost for using the road through their town to reach the park. Luis engaged him in friendly teasing, but the old man was serious. “Those” people who were earning money from the park weren’t the only ones with the right to make money off of the tourism in Oaxaca. The road had been built through the cooperation of the town’s people and they deserved money for the use of the road.

We paid our fee and after being issued a printed ticket, crossed the rope which was again lying in the road.

Before you head off on a travel adventure in Mexico, never assume that you have been informed of all of the costs and eventualities involved in the trip. There are always surprises.

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When You Live or Retire in Mexico You can Fill Your Tank in the Mountains Where There are no Gas Stations.

You just have to know where to look.

When you decide to live or retire in Mexico, we can assume that you are probably the adventurous type and may want to get off the beaten path. Getting off the beaten path can take you well out of reach of a Pemmex station.

Plan to live or retire in Mexico? Click here to see a description of an e-book prepared by the author of this website.

Yes, those folks up in the mountains need fuel, and no, they don’t drive down to the nearest town every time they need it. Someone re-sells them gas.

Start by asking people where you can buy gas. They will refer you to someone’s house or store. Here you ask for gas—and ask the price ahead of time, just to be sure you don’t get a special “deal.”

Get out of your vehicle, say hello, be polite. Someone will come out with a funnel attached to a short tube and a pitcher of petrol. Watch them pour the fuel into your car then pay them.

Yes, the fumes are terrible. Yes, they usually have the gasoline stored inside their house or inside an attached room (for security). Yes, they have women and kids breathing the fumes 24/7. Yes, they touch it with bare hands. Yes, I’ve heard a story of a guy who lit a cigarette too close by and killed his little girl in the resulting explosion. Yes, they spill it on the ground with no concern to ground water.

Yes, you decided to live or retire in a 3rd World Country.

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The Travelers Meet the Hitchhikers and the Nanches

Returning from Heirve el Agua, a young family walking down the road hitched a ride from us. As we traveled on down the road, our friend waved and smiled at their toddler through the back window of the cab. We approached a “T” in the road and the father patted the side of the truck bed in the universal ride-hitchers gesture for, “this is my stop.”

Plan on extended travel in Mexico?Click here to see a description of an e-book prepared by the author of this website.

They climbed out and the father approached the driver’s window. He had to do the ride-hitchers routine of asking “how much will it be?” My husband gave the polite “it’s nothing,” response. (This is a common exchange between travelers.)

But this man DID have something special to share. He had in his hand a small plastic bag of wild nanches. He insisted that my husband accept them, which he eventually did because he loves nanches and had never had the chance to try wild ones before. It was “brother” honoring “brother.”

Nanches are grape-sized yellow fruits with a stomach-turning fermented odor. Apparently, they are an acquired taste. We all waved goodbye to the family, especially the enthusiastic toddler as we drove off. Luis drove on happily munching his nanches accompanied by groaning and complaining from his travel companions. “Keep that bag closed when you aren’t taking one out.” “Oh! Roll down the window!”

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