My MVPs

“Living in Mexico will be cheap,” I’ve said to everyone. “My cost of living will be, like, less than a third of what it was in Boston,” I’ve said.

The above statement is easy enough to believe, but I’ll admit that I had my doubts about whether everything would really be as cheap as I thought. A recent trip to Costa Rica, while absolutely perfect in every other way, gave me more of a burn in my wallet than I previously expected. The more painful purchases: 2 separate $26 cab rides, $12 equivalent on a regular-sized bottle of regular-type repellent….and $14 on a small bottle of sunscreen (FOURTEEN!!!). So while “Living in Mexico will be cheap” sounds like a no-brainer, Costa Rica is responsible for my recent lack of faith.

However, the cost of living here has been as advertised. A beer at a bar costs the equivalent of 85 cents. A good-sized plate of food costs $3.50, and you can easily grab some freshly-prepared food (tacos, tortas, soup, tostadas) the size of a meal for 20 pesos, or around $1.70. A cab ride is never more than $2, as long as it does not leave the city.

This is all very good, because I’ve been on a limited budget. The university recently informed us that most of us new teachers will be starting on the first day of classes, Oct. 4^th. Meaning we’ll get paid later on in October. So I’ve been piecing together my new house on a very slim amount of money. Very slim because of a recent airport miscue you may or may not have heard about which cost me $300. You can ask me about it later, because I don’t feel like writing about it now.

I went to the airport on the wrong day. That’s about it.

But on this “very slim” amount of money, I’ve still found ways to buy all that I need. This has motivated me to put together a list of my MVPs (Most Valuable Purchases). I’ve got my cell phone calculator out and ready for conversion rates at 12.7 pesos per dollar, which is why there are some weird prices on the below items. I just want you to know that I’m being very accurate with my pricing.

Fly Swatter, 39 cents: The flyswatter is not on my list because of its cost relative to what I would pay in the states. I know that I could get a functional fly swatter for 50 cents or a dollar. But after a few days of living in my new house, I really needed one. Who would have thought that there were flies in Mexico? Huh. It should also be noted that I made the problem worse by starting a compost bucket right outside my door, one which did not have the right balance of Nitrogen to Carbon and therefore attracted all flies in the area. At my landlord’s request, I started burying all my organic goods in her garden where she has a compost going.

But the fly swatter. I rejoiced at finding one at the “miscellanies” in the area. This rejoicing was nothing compared to what I felt when I christened my new “matamosca” in the blood of my first kill. The fly swatter gives me a form of entertainment when I’m home. There is only one person I know (my Dad) who enjoys nabbing the pests as much as I do. After I got the first one, I turned and gave a fist-pump, holding the pose a lá Michael Jordan in my moment of glory. After another such encounter, I found that I had goosebumps on my arms. Goosebumps, for heaven’s sake. I realized soon after that I needed another hobby.

Bottle Opener, 55 cents: This one is so valuable for two reasons: 1. I’ve never owned one of my own, and 2. I tried to buy one in Costa Rica, but the cheapest one I found was $6 (SIX DOLLARS!!!) for a keyring bottle opener!!! My mom recently bought me a pair of sandals, each of which comes equipped with a bottle opener on the bottom of each foot. Which is tight, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that I had a big moment of hesitation the first time I went to open somebody else’s bottle using the bottom of my already-being-worn-footwear. So at 55 cents, this buy benefits everyone! (Note: When being worn, I vow to always use the bottoms of my sandals to open my own beers. Everyone thinks it’s really cool.)

Large chopping knife, $3.54: It’s large, sharp, and doesn’t bend when I try to cut onions. It’s the best knife I’ve ever owned, and it was a steal!

Coffee Mug, 94 cents: I only have one, and since I love coffee so much, I couldn’t do without it.

Powdered Milk, $1.30: I love cereal almost as much as coffee, but I don’t have a fridge to keep my milk cold. For the first time in my life, I can eat cereal without a fridge! More Nutri Leche, please!