𝗔𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗹 𝗗𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯: 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 "𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟬𝟮"

 How Does That Save Money?

Lounging at the El Dorado Beach Club

We’ve been considering taking a Mediterranean cruise this year—a shortened version of the one we had reserved in 2020 but was canceled when COVID-19 happened. When I looked at booking Virgin’s 7-Night Greek Island Glow plus a few days on each end to explore, we would easily spend around $15,000 US with airfare from Puerto Vallarta added. Even a Virgin Caribbean Cruise from San Juan, Puerto Rico, with the same criteria, wouldn’t save us much.

Los Muertos Beach in Puerto Vallarta

(Looking South)

First Way to Save Money is Staycation Activities: We thought, We live in Paradise! Why not take tours and dine at cruise-worthy restaurants in the Puerto Vallarta area? We could splurge on adventures we haven’t done near home and save money. By not flying anywhere, we could skip air travel, save thousands of pesos, and be kind to the environment. By taking more day trips, we could stay in our own Puerto Vallarta condominium or motorhome in Nayarit and eliminate hotel expenses.

El Dorado Beach Club View to the North

So, we started a Staycation List. El Dorado Beach Club was the first adventure we planned. El Dorado is one of our favorite seafood restaurants on the beach, but their dinner prices can be expensive. We decided to spend four daytime hours on their lounge chairs under an umbrella, gazing at the ocean and listening to the waves while we dined on less expensive breakfasts or lunches. It was wonderful!

Some People Decorate Their Umbrellas for the Day

Two lounge chairs can be reserved at El Dorado Beach Club from 11:00 to 3:30 for a minimum charge of 500 pesos (about $25 US, más o menos, depending on the exchange rate that day) per person. Any food and drink we ordered would be applied to the 500 pesos—no problem to spend that much if we each ordered an alcoholic beverage along with our meals. We could order from the less expensive Beach Club menus rather than dinner menus and save money. El Dorado serves breakfast until noon, and then they start lunch service. We ordered orange juice and waited for lunch. It's essential to stay hydrated while on the beach! 

There’s Lots to Do, Watch, and Buy at the Beach Club 

We Each Ordered Fish Tacos and Sodas

Delicious!

Watched Parasailers But Decided to Wait.

That Will Be an Adventure for Another Day.

Time for Margaritas and Reading Our Kindles

Watched the Break Dancing Show

And Were Happy to Tip Them 50 pesos

Second Way to Save Money on Mexico Staycations: Pay in pesos, not US dollars. Look at the red box: $79.68 US means the restaurant gave an exchange rate that day of only 18.80 pesos per dollar. On that date (Jan 31, 2025), the exchange rate was 20.68 pesos per dollar (see Orange Arrow below), so our check amount of 1498 pesos divided by 20.68 would equal $72.43 US—paying in pesos saved $7.25 US! (We saved even more after we added a 20% tip in pesos.)

Our Lunch Receipt from El Dorado Beach Club

20.67 Exchange Rate on January 31, 2025 (Google)

Third Way to Save Money on this Staycation: Pay with cash (effectivo), not a debit or credit card. With a US card, you will not only lose money on the exchange rate the restaurant charges for conversion to US dollars, but you may also lose money on the exchange rate the banks give you in debit/credit card transactions and/or fees they charge. You never know how much you have lost until you see your bank charge and calculate the exchange rate you received, which usually shocks you! (Note: Using a Spin by Oxxo Visa card is as good as paying in cash with pesos.)

During high season, reserving a beach chair at El Dorado Beach Club is essential. Otherwise, if the beach chairs are all occupied, you can dine inside the open-air restaurant. Don’t worry—that’s fun, too! It’s just a different type of experience. We went to El Dorado to make our reservation with the hostess, explaining that we wanted two lounge chairs on the beach. Reservations can also be made through the El Dorado website, but we prefer to take a healthy walk in the Romantic Zone to the restaurant and speak to the friendly hostess. 

El Dorado Website Shows Their Sign

We can't wait for our next Staycation adventure! Follow us on our Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico Facebook page to see what's next.

Terry L Turrell and Jonathan P Turrell, Authors

Photo On Our El Chepe Express Copper Canyon Adventure

Read About Our Past Adventures in Mexico

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Time to Move to Mexico❗❓ We're Glad to be Back!

 We Got Home in Time to See the Xolo Dog 

And Other Catrinas On the Puerto Vallarta Malecón!

 Greetings from Puerto Vallarta,

Jon and I are thrilled to be home from our extended motorhome trip to the United States! After four months on the road, we confirmed that our hearts belong to Puerto Vallarta and La Peñita de Jaltemba, Nayarit. Now that we've lived full-time in Mexico for over nine years and have seen the changes north of the border, we are convinced we will remain here.

TURNED BACK TO THE U.S. AT THE NOGALES BORDER CROSSING❗❗ Here's What We Did

In Case You Missed My Last Blog Article, You Can See It Here

Driving Minnie Winnie Home from the U.S.

Was Quite an Adventure! We're Glad to Be Back in Mexico!

Do You Think it’s Time to Move to Mexico?
Here's a Book I Recommend

Moving to Mexico may seem like a drastic decision, but there are many resources to ease the transition. One of the most popular books is The Move to Mexico Bible by Sonia Diaz and Beverley Wood. I finally took the plunge and purchased the Kindle Edition to better answer questions about life here. I find it to be very informative and well-written. Sonia Diaz is a relocation consultant who helps facilitate the transition to life in Mexico. She has offices in San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta, and Riviera Nayarit.

Please continue reading HERE.

Terry L Turrell, Author, and Jonathan Turrell

At ParrotFish Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta

10 Ways We Reduce Our Electricity Usage and Save Money in Retirement

 Our Two-Month Electric Bill Was Low!

890 pesos is $26 US per Month for Electricity!

(And, Yes, We Use Air Conditioning Some Every Day)

We live in Mexico year-round, traveling periodically. The cost of living here is lower than in the United States. But we still have to take steps to control our costs.

How do we keep our electricity costs down in our 1200-square-foot condo? Here's a list of 10 ways we reduce our kilowatt-hour usage.

1.     New Minisplit AC Units: Two years ago, we replaced all three six-year-old conditioners with LG Dual Inverter minisplits. Those super-efficient units decreased our kilowatt-hour usage significantly. The initial investment is already paying for itself.

Installation of a New LG Dual Inverter AC in the Bedroom

The Compressor Unit  was Installed Outside the Building

      2.   Adapt to Higher Temperatures: We set our air conditioner thermostat settings to 25°C (77°F) or 26°C (78.8°F), depending on the room. Or we turn them off depending on the month and time of day. We usually turn on the living room/kitchen AC for a few hours in the afternoon and the main bedroom AC at night. 

      3.    Change All Lightbulbs to LEDs: This makes a significant difference in our electricity usage. The initial cost of LED bulbs is higher, but well worth the investment. You will see the impact in number 10 below.

      4.    Open All Windows in the Morning to Cool the Condo. Close the windows once the inside temperature reaches 77°F.

      5.    Close All Curtains or Shades When the Direct Sun Hits the Windows. This reduces the heat gain inside the condo unit, decreasing the AC usage.

      6.    No Heater is Needed Here. Our condo is well-insulated, partly due to concrete construction and Thermopane windows. The lowest tropical winter temperatures at night in Puerto Vallarta are 55°F (13°C), but the inside temperature rarely gets below 72°F. If we’re cold at night, we add a blanket to the bed. During cool mornings, we wear warmer clothing until it’s warm enough to put on shorts and take off the sweatshirt.

      7.    The Range, Water Heater, and Clothes Dryer Run Off Gas. Gas is more efficient than electricity. This expense is included in our HOA Dues.

      8.    The Dishwasher is a GE Profile. It is a certified Energy Star dishwasher, which is efficient with electricity and water.

      9.     Turn the AC Thermostat Setting to 28 (82°F) When We Take a Trip. The air conditioner runs occasionally and helps lower the humidity in our condo, reducing mildew.

The CFE Bill Section That Shows Electricity Usage

10. Stay out of Tier 3 in CFE’s Electricity Usage. Tier 3 is called Excedente, which means excess use. Once your electricity usage reaches Tier 3, the kilowatt hour (kWh) price triples to 3.607 pesos per KWH.

We’re thrilled that we kept our Excedente usage to 102 KWH for the two-month billing period from November 23, 2023 through January 24, 2024. $26 US per month helps keep us within our budget! See more at OUR MONTHLY BUDGET LIVING FULL-TIME IN PUERTO VALLARTA—More Expensive Than Sayulita?

Read more in my five Healthy Living in Mexico eBooks about our last ten years as we traveled in and moved to this beautiful country. Available in all Amazon markets. FREE with KindleUnlimited.

If you missed my last newsletter, you can see it and Sign Up at Happy New Year, Lessons Learned, and eBook Sale. I invite you to follow my Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico Facebook page.

      Cheers!

      Terry L Turrell, Author

Terry and Jon Celebrating in Puerto Vallarta

Celebrating Our 2024 Social Security Payment Increase in Puerto Vallarta

At Serrano's Grill and Vista

View From Our Table Before Sunset

Jon Toasting to Our 2024 Social Security Raise

We Each Ordered a Delicious New York Steak and Salad

What a View From our Table at Serrano's Grill!

The Sun Shone Through Pinnacle's Sky Bar at Sunset

We Love Living Here!

We Shared This Decadent Cheesecake

Our View of the Bay and Church After Sunset

From Serrano's Grill and Vista

Sophie Waited at Home for Her Bites of New York Steak 

Enough New York Steak for Lunch Quesadillas

Lesson Learned: Even though the prices in Puerto Vallarta are increasing and the dollar-to-peso exchange rate is down this year, our Social Security increase allows us to treat ourselves to a nice dinner in this paradise. We're happy to have retired here.

A 99-Cent eBook Sale

For a Few More Days!

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United Kingdom £0.99 

Customer Review: Thoughtful inspiration 5.0 out of 5 stars 

Another great read in her series. I can’t wait to follow in her footsteps! You don’t need to be an RV person to enjoy her books.

Thank you for reading my books and blog articles. Follow me on Facebook at Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico.

Cheers,

Terry

Terry L Turrell

Amazon Author Page

DO I COOK DURING RETIREMENT IN MEXICO? 🥗 I Get Asked This Question Often...

 Probably Because I Show

So Many Restaurant Meals😄

Jon and I Shared This Large Cowboy Steak

From Noroc And Took Home Leftovers

With over 1000 restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, dining out for dinner is so tempting. Jon and I go to a restaurant every other day, some weeks more often.

But, yes, I do cook, or at least I prepare meals. Here are my shortcuts:

Leftovers Are the Basis of Most of the Meals I Prepare

I’ve become creative at using leftovers to cook tasty meals! That Cowboy Steak was delicious, diced, and layered on Noroc’s nutritious blue corn tortillas. 

Steak Quesadillas on Blue Corn Tortillas

I added refried beans, grated Manchego cheese, and leftover Spanish rice from El Pechugon, where we buy our rotisserie chicken meals. Warmed in a frypan with a bit of corn oil, the tortillas were slightly crunchy, and the cheese melted. With a dab of light sour cream and salsa on top, we had a yummy, healthy taco lunch.

And Sophie Got the Cowboy Steak Rib Bone

Chicken Soup with rotisserie chicken from El Pechugon is one of my favorite meals to prepare. I throw in whatever sounds good and takes little work, including frozen broccoli, corn, spinach, and Spanish rice. I made enough this week to enjoy it for two days for lunch.

Ingredients Ready to Add to the Soup

After Deboning Chicken

Two of My Other Shortcuts

Mildly Spicy Chicken, Noodle, Rice, Vegetable Soup

Last evening, I made Chicken and Mushroom Fettucine Alfredo. I used half the jar of Bertolli Alfredo sauce for this meal, thinned with milk to decrease calories. The jar with the remaining sauce went into the freezer for another day—broccoli baked in the cheesy Alfredo sauce is always a winner with Jon.

Deboning the Cooked Chicken was the Hardest Step

I sauteed the fresh tomato with canned, sliced mushrooms and minced garlic. Then I added the deboned chicken and Alfredo sauce and warmed it. Previously cooked fettuccine noodles I store in the freezer are easy to thaw and mix in shortly before serving. I serve this with grated Wisconsin Parmesan cheese. Yum!

What would I do without leftover cooked chicken? Once a month, we buy a large rotisserie chicken with baked potatoes from El Pechugon. I divide the chicken into four Ziplocs and store them in the freezer for future food prep. Half the potatoes will be a side dish one night. Another night we'll have the other half of the baked potatoes with a green salad.

Crockpot Cooking for Simplicity and Extra Meals for the Freezer

Jon's Favorite--Crockpot Pot Roast

I like to cook using the crockpot because I can prepare enough extra to freeze two or three meals. That way, when I'm lazy, I can heat the meal in the convection oven while we are drinking a glass of wine and throwing the ball for Sophie.

Jon loves my Crockpot Pot Roast. Another of his favorites is Spaghetti made with Italian Sausage from Gringo Kitchen in Bucerias (they deliver to us), a jar of Prego sauce, and diced fresh tomatoes. I brown the sausage and diced tomatoes in the crockpot set on high heat, then add the other ingredients and heat for four to six hours. Easy!

Italian Sausage From Gringo Kitchen in Bucerias

Crockpot Meatloaf and Baked Potatoes

A Favorite Memory from Years Ago

Crockpot Cooking in Sayulita

Where shall we go for dinner tonight? I’ll have to check my Puerto Vallarta Favorites Lists. Here are the links for Parts 1 Through 4 of Our 12 Favorite Puerto Vallarta Restaurants:

Part 1: https://retirementbeforetheageof59.blogspot.com/2021/10/our-12-favorite-puerto-vallarta.html

Part 2: https://retirementbeforetheageof59.blogspot.com/2021/11/our-12-favorite-puerto-vallarta.html

Part 3: https://retirementbeforetheageof59.blogspot.com/2021/12/our-12-favorite-puerto-vallarta.html

Part 4: https://retirementbeforetheageof59.blogspot.com/2022/01/our-12-favorite-puerto-vallarta.html

Enjoy!

Don’t miss my latest novel, Mexico For Better or For Worse. It’s now available as an eBook, FREE with KindleUnlimited, and paperback from Amazon. 

Thank you for reading my blog articles and books. As a self-published author on Amazon, I love it when readers leave a brief review of my books to help others find them. I invite you to SIGN UP for my HealthyLiving and Traveling in Mexico Newsletter, published monthly with stories about our latest adventures, my recent blog articles, and news about my books.

If you’d like to take a look at my recent newsletter, you can read it HERE.

Cheers,

Terry

Terry L Turrell, Author

Amazon Author Page