Because you've been dreaming of moving to Mexico for as long as you can remember,
you don't want anything to mess it up, right? After this video you'll know nine common mistakes
that people make when moving to Mexico plus tips and advice for how you can avoid them yourself.
For the best advice about moving to Mexico in 2021 and beyond, subscribe to my channel and hit the
bell to be notified when I upload a new episode every Thursday. If you're new to my channel,
welcome and if you've been here before, welcome back. My name is Alex and I moved to Mexico from
the U.S. in 2017. I've called Queretaro home ever since. Whether you're moving to Mexico in 2021,
or your big adventure is still a few years off, this video is a must watch. It's the
most information packed video I've made for YouTube to date, which is saying a lot
considering I made a 16 minute video about how to fill out your temporary residency documents.
Some of these mistakes are ones I have personally made, and others are ones I have seen scores of
people moving to Mexico make. My dad always said that the smartest people are the ones who can
learn from other people's mistakes without having to make them themselves. And I know
my subscribers are a bunch of smart cookies. We've got a lot to cover today, so let's dive
right into the mistakes you don't want to make when moving to Mexico. I'll shoulder some of the
blame for this one. When you watch YouTube video after YouTube video about "moving to Mexico",
it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking about it as one place, a single destination, but in
reality, Mexico is huge. It's the 13th largest country in the world by area and from climates
to cultures, it is incredibly diverse. Sometimes subscribers will ask me to compare two cities,
say Queretaro, [foreign language 00:01:56]. And while I really, really want to help you out,
I would have an easier time comparing [foreign language 00:02:01] and [foreign language
00:02:03]. On my blog. I have a new post detailing 11 of, in my opinion, of course, the best places
to live in Mexico. It's a good mix of sleepy beach towns and bustling metropolis', something for
everyone and when you read it, I think you'll have a better idea of just how big Mexico is.
Trust me, this one happens a lot more than you'd think. People sell their house,
sell all their stuff and book a one way ticket to Mexico with [foreign language 00:02:35] in their
eyes. Then they get here and they realize Mexico's just not for them. They hate it.
One of the advantages of having a U.S. or a Canadian passport is that you can try out life
in Mexico on the tourist visa. Take advantage of that. Even if you've visited Mexico before,
keep in mind that vacationing somewhere is a lot different than actually living there.
Before you commit your time, money and sanity to the residency process, give living in Mexico a
trial run. Pick out a few different places that interest you and plan to spend a few weeks or a
month in each to see what's the right fit for you. I understand that you want to have all your ducks
in a row before moving to Mexico, but as fun as it is to scroll through apartment listings while
you're supposed to be working, pictures can be deceiving and online descriptions rarely tell
the full story. It's scary to move to a new city and not know where you're going to live,
but it's even scarier to show up to the furnished apartment that you thought sounded perfect and
when you ask the landlord about the stained mattress, they just tell you to flip it over.
Another reason it's important to be on the ground and seeing places
in person is that you'll never really know what it's like to live in a neighborhood
until you've actually lived there, or at least visited at different points throughout the day.
Noise can be a big issue in Mexico. You might love the idea of living in the
charming historic City Center until you hear fireworks going off at all hours of the night.
Plus in my experience, a lot of the best places aren't even listed online. That's why one of my
apartment hunting tips in the Move to Mexico Quick Start Guide is to use whatever Spanish
you have to talk to anyone and everyone. Let the world know that you're looking for an apartment.
I found this place after striking up a conversation with a bartender.
For more practical tips to help you find an apartment in Mexico,
head to the link in the description and grab your free copy of the Move to Mexico Quick Start Guide.
If I had a Peso for every YouTube video I've seen about why I hate living in Mexico or reasons I
regret moving to Mexico, then I wouldn't need your generous contributions to support this channel.
More often than not the situations that lead to people hating Mexico were totally preventable
had they taken the time to list out their must haves for their new home. In this video about
Five Questions to Ask Yourself Before Moving to Mexico, question number four is what compromises
am I willing to make and not willing to make? In order to have a successful move to Mexico,
you need to know exactly what you have to have in order to be happy. For example,
if you work online and know that you need a high speed reliable internet connection,
then don't move to a tiny Pueblo in the middle of nowhere. Whether you need a Costco nearby or
want an established expat community to plug into, know your must haves before moving to Mexico.
When you're preparing for as big as moving to Mexico,
it can feel overwhelming to wade through all the information and navigate the process on your own.
Maybe you don't have the money to hire a lawyer or a consultant and that's
something I totally understand as someone who moved to Mexico on a very small budget.
Expat forums, Facebook groups, blogs, and YouTube videos are valuable resources. And I would never
tell you not to gather as much information as you possibly can, but I just want to encourage you
to keep the source of that information in mind and take what people are saying with a grain of salt.
While I doubt anyone would intentionally try to lead you astray, I caution you against basing
your decisions on a single person's experiences. That includes my own. Consume all the information
that you possibly can, but don't take Bob from Mexpat R Us's advice as gospel. Know that your
situation could be different. Here's what I like to use expat platforms for. Recommendations,
connecting with other foreigners and learning what life in your specific city will be like.
I would love to know what forums, groups, blogs, and other YouTubers you have found
helpful as you prepare for your move to Mexico. Let me know in the comments.
Depending on where you're planning on moving to in Mexico, there will likely be people who
speak English, but don't expect people to speak English. You're the foreigner and the onus is on
you to learn Spanish. Maybe you're thinking, "Alex, of course I plan on learning Spanish,
I'm just waiting until I get down there to start." Please don't wait. The first
few months after you move to Mexico is one of the most critical times for knowing Spanish,
from apartment hunting, to navigating the residency process,
the more Spanish you know, the smoother settling into life in Mexico is going to be for you.
Once you're settled into life in Mexico, keep making an effort with your Spanish. Just because
you're living in Mexico doesn't mean you're going to pick up Spanish. You need to be proactive.
In the comments of My Cost of Living in Mexico video, many of you shared your
cell phone bills in your home country, and wow. When you move to Mexico, don't
bother trying to negotiate an international cell phone plan with your blood thirsty service
provider. Just make sure to bring an unlocked cell phone and when you get here purchase a Mexican SIM
card. I have a pay-as-you-go plan with AT&T and for 200 pesos around $10 USD per month,
I get three gigabytes of data and unlimited calls, not just within Mexico, but also
to and from the U.S. and Canada. If you need a U.S. number for work, check out Google Voice.
This is a mistake I personally made. And while it didn't seem like a big deal at first,
the costs really added up quickly. When I first moved to Mexico, I thought I'd be able to open a
bank account. But when I went to do so, multiple banks told me that according to Mexican law,
they are no longer allowed to let foreigners open bank accounts on tourist visas. Unable to
open a Mexican bank account, I wasted a lot of money on ATM fees until I opened an account with
Charles Schwab. When you open a checking account with Charles Schwab, they reimburse you for all
ATM fees including foreign transactions at the end of each month. There's no minimum account balance
and the app makes transfers between accounts easy. I have two accounts with Charles Schwab,
one for my business and one personal, so that means I have two debit cards.
Having two debit cards is a good idea, multiple ways to access your money since things do happen.
And it can be really hard to get a replacement card sent to Mexico. In addition to having a
plan for your money, other important things to take care of before moving to Mexico are mail
forwarding, ensuring all your important documents are up to date and registering to vote absentee.
When you move to Mexico, not everything will go just as you planned. Some things will take longer
than you ever thought possible, so you need to be patient and willing to adjust. Be careful about
constantly comparing the way things are done in Mexico to the way things are done in your
home country. This only serves to work you up. When I start to go down that road, I remind myself
that if I wanted things to be exactly like they are in the U.S. then I should have stayed in the
U.S. that usually shuts up the complaining part of my brain. Mexico is just different, roll with it.
There you have it. Nine mistakes you don't want to make if you're moving to Mexico in 2021.
Really though, this advice is evergreen. Whether you're moving to Mexico this year or 10 years down
the road. If you found this video helpful, be sure to give it a thumbs up because that really
helps to support my channel. And if you have any questions about moving to Mexico, be sure
to leave those in the comments. I'm Alex from backpackingbrunette.com. Thanks for watching.