A Trip to the Dentist (in Mexico!)

Dentist Office

Dentist Office

Brush after meals, floss daily, visit the dentist once a year…  these are the rules of dental care as I remember them.  So a year after kicking the old boss (and insurance) to the curb, we found ourselves in Mexico once again and in need of our annual dental cleaning

We started asking around if people liked their dentist.  At a dinner party an American-Mexican couple gave us a strong recommendation, “We’ve been to many dentists in town over the past 25 years, but this one is the best!  But he doesn’t speak English…”  We also had many other recommendations for English speaking dentists, but we enjoy a challenge

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Never Pay Taxes Again

Tax Forms Photo - How to Avoid Paying Taxes

Some time ago I received an email from one of the big brokerage firms, titled “Savvy Year-End Tax Strategies.” It contained much advice on how to minimize taxes and how to reduce taxable income, such as “Consider contributing as much as you can to a 401(k)” and “Be careful when selling highly appreciated assets, such as stocks, land, fine art, precious metals, or antiques.”

This might be considered good advice by some, but I just call it, “Boring!”

Benjamin Franklin once wrote that nothing is certain except death and taxes. I beg to differ. I personally expect to never pay taxes again, legally and respectfully.

Perhaps you would like to do the same?

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Our $1000 a Month Home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

For the next 3 months, we are resting our heads in lovely San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Just a few minutes flat walk away from the Jardin, the town square, we’ve found a wonderful home that we are renting for $1000 a month. What do you get for $33 a day?

3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 12 foot ceilings, 2 private terraces, 2 fireplaces, maid service twice a week, a gardener visit once a week, a washer and dryer for laundry, and is fully furnished with all utilities included… a lot more than we need. The location is fantastic, and we are once again living in the lap of luxury.

We’ve rented such a large space partly to make it easy for friends to visit, since we are just 4 hours away from LA or SF or Houston.

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How Much Does It Cost To Travel In Mexico?

Morelia, Mexico

Morelia, Mexico

On our previous visit we fell in love with Mexico, the natural beauty, the friendly people, the cultural charm… Mexico is incredible.

Over 141 days we explored far and wide, staying a few days in some places and up to 2 months in others, and yet experienced only a fraction of what is possible. Half the size of the Continental US, it is impossible to see it all, although we did our best. From the capital city to the deserts of the central highlands, from one food center of Mexico to the other, from the Pacific Coast to the eastern jungle, we explored a diverse and exciting sample

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Summer in Seattle

Seattle

Seattle from Kerry Park

There are few places in the world more beautiful than the Seattle area during the months of July and August. The outdoor opportunities in and around Seattle are just incredible. Snug between two mountain ranges, the Cascades and the Olympics, there is no shortage of opportunities for great hiking. Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, and Puget Sound provide no end of boating opportunities, including access to the Pacific Ocean and beyond. The relatively small geographic area means that within an hour by car you can be in the middle of nowhere. The numerous nearby farms, orchards, ranches, lakes, and streams provide incredible access to fresh and delicious ingredients, making it a food lover’s dream.

So when the forecast in the Yucatan, Cuba, and various other regions of Central America called for more heat, more humidity, and more rain, we decided to return to the Seattle area for a visit. We were fortunate to spend the summer in the region amongst friends, hiking, camping, boating, and eating (of course.)

Taking full advantage of the summer, we also ventured further out, making trips to the Oregon Coast and the Olympic Peninsula.

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