Simple Plans for a Simpler Life

I'll answer myself for someone else's benefit....

Sell the behemoth, rent locally for the two or so weeks of reconnaisance, then buy if you're ready to stay.

Rent a house.

Bring the dog and cat, and that stuff you can't live without  when you have rented your house. Do it all at once. Trips back can mess up your plan to go permanent if you stay gone more than 14 days.

Think more about where and hjow to live than how close you are to Chetumal. It's no more than half a day from anywhere.

Second round of questions:

Since I write freelance web copy and attend university on line, and my wife is interested in imports/exports and FB, we'll need and want internet access. How does Hughes compare with wired services?

Are Mennonite houses a good value, or do you have to consider incursions of variously-legged and likely unwelcome visitors?

Thanks!

Have heard really negative things about Hughesnet.  The gist is that it should only be used if you really have no other choice.  DSL is expensive but faster and more reliable (that's what we have).  And I've heard good things about SMART 3G lately (with USB dongle). 

Are you on Facebook?  If so, you should join the group "Belize Expats" and read all the posts from the past.  You'll learn a lot there.  There has been some discussion about Hughesnet there.

I definitely think you should do a recon trip before moving down, per your original plan.  Some people do that and don't like it here.  It would be bad to move your family, pets, and "stuff" down on your very first trip only to find out that Belize is not a good fit for you.  It happens!

Don't worry about losing a little time on your "permanent residency" clock if you travel down here before making the actual move.  While it's true the clock doesn't start ticking until you actually move here and don't leave the country for 14 days in a year, moving down here before visiting could be a much more costly and short-sighted mistake than paying for tourist visa renewals for an extra month or three.  Priorities, my friend.

Not trying to be negative -- just realistic. 

Best of luck as you begin this journey!

Thanks CaribeGal!

We are really clear that it will be necessary to spend some time looking around before making the move permanent. The two weeks are intended to give us time to look around a little. We can extend that trip to allow more time, if necessary, and only if we find a spot we think will work, in terms of the home and its surroundings would we make the commitment to a lease for longer.

We certainly would not want to buy or build right away, there are just too many things that we may not anticipate, and that only time, friends, and experience will teach us. There is much to learn!

If you are coming down to Belize on a scouting mission, then I would not drive down, I'd fly.
You can rent a vehicle right across from the airport, just walk over and bargain with them for the best price you can get.  If you come down via Cancun and bus to Corozal, then you can rent a vehicle from the used car place on the road in from Mexico, can remember the name of the place, but the owners name is Angel.  I think he charges $75.00/day.
Here is a link to Consegjo's web site http://www.consejo.bz/, it will show homes from rent. Prices are cheaper in Corozal just don't have a link for places for rent. You can see Chetumal across the bay, 10 minutes by boat.
Come down, meet the locals and expats and see what you think of it as a permanent home. Good luck with you search.

Dave,

We had finally reached the same conclusion on the vehicle, keeping it and driving down doesn't make as much sense when considering all the conditions and complications along with the poor mileage and unecessary luxury (though our daughter wonders whether a new one will ALSO have a DVD player....)

We may have found on that page at least one house rental lead there that could work. We think a 2 bedroom would suit us best, and transitioning from a week to week to a monthly would lessen complexity, if that were much of a concern. So, Thanks! A lot of good info for a 404 error page! lol

We had seen some cheaper car rentals than 75/day, but not much less, and probably further away. So thanks  for that too! We;ll keep looking into our choices, but I'm guessing you identified a couple of low hassle options!

thanks again. perhaps we'll enjoy a Belikin when we pass through.

First sorry about the link, I just don't understand why it won't work, I've tried it in many formats but it won't work as a direct link.  If you copy and paste it into your browser it works fine, just another mystery in life.
I'm pleased to have been of help to you, good luck with you adventure and I hope to see you around Corozal to share a beer and conversation.

I noticed I said little about our plans. Of course, we know we will gain a lot more useful insight once we are there. For the sake of seeking input in advance, just this little bit of sharing.

Our simple plan is the finding and/or creation of a space for living that allows us to concentrate on the small simple joys in life, family and homelife, a few good friends rather than a ton of acquaintances, some peace and quiet along with some little adventures to share with our daughter as she grows up.

A decent school close by, a nice little town with great people (native and expat) and great stuff to discover in it and around it, a good and serviceable kitchen, a home with a sort of aging hippy cachet, and a chance to make some kind of small and positive difference in our community.

We don't have a ton of money, we have probably just enough to pull it off at a modest level with some reserve set aside to help us get our permanent house when the time comes, and to outfit it and its grounds in a way pleasing to us and to those we entertain and engage in life's joys and celebrations, and some small scale gardening....and a duck. Yes, a duck. Don't ask. It's important to my wife to have a duck.

A small boat would be nice for my daughter and I for fishing and diving, a 4x4 for exploring (small, used is just fine) a couple of bicycles, and all the sensible gear and all, to go along with the pretty frocks my wife favors.. she's not an outdoorswoman, and will prefer her quiet time at home or with friends to the more adventurous of our daughter and my little adaventures. 

So, this is an opportunity to warn us about what we don't foresee, and perhaps to let us know we're not being overly optimistic. What are we missing?

I am following this thread with interest, as we are looking to do the same thing next June. So good luck, and keep your comments coming. Gerry J

Hello! My wife and I have a very similar plan to yours. We also would like to relocate to Belize in the near future and have what appears to be the same circumstances.
   We have 2 young children and a yearning for a simpler existence also. This a very interesting thread to us and we would like to follow your journey if you are willing to share it. Thank you for what you have shared so far.

My wife recently started a blog covering our path towards a life in Belize. Here is the link:

http://belizeisnotanisland.blogspot.com/

Lol...love your blog christian77! You mom sounds like a lot of my hair clients! My husband and our 9 yr old grandson will be moving to caulker caye in 71 days!!! Our adventure will be to live there for a year, then move onto somewhere else...as we cannot agree on finding one place to live permenantly! Our website is vagabigbeys.blogspot.com...good luck to all of you! I hope to see y'all on here a lot to see how you are doing!

Caribegal,

I have yet to be accepted on that FB page... not taking it personally... lol

Christian77. I completely get what you're saying in your blog. Great job! Keep sharing! Coincidentally, we've been living in Scottsdale and Tempe for the last 11 or so years, doing the Arizona rat race, and even as nice as Tempe is near ASU, and as much as we really do enjoy our lives for the most part, it's all just too MUCH. Too much EVERYTHING.

We really don't WANT all that stuff. Maybe we are oddballs, maybe we don't even fit in in Tempe, (we're kind of purple, in a blue town located in a red state, after all), maybe we just don't fit the "typical American family" model, and frankly, having to deal with the miasma that passes for living in the Arizona suburban wasteland for the next several years just has no appeal to us at all.

We had already been looking for alternatives for a long time, from teaching on reservations, to building a substinance farm on the Olympic Penninsula or somewhere, to well, you get the idea.. just dreams....and then.... one day... something happened that made it more than a dream, and circumstances in our lives made it even more important than just an escapist's dream. In fact, I went so far as to move down to South Texas and work in the oilfield for a while, intending to bring them down with me soon....when the dam busted open, that plan became obsolete, and everything changed as far as having the means to GO, and stop just dreaming about it, or hoping for it, or working myself to death to get it.

So now, not only do we know that the QUALITY of life is more important than the amount of crap we accumulate, or the convenience of shopping at big box stores, or whatever, we are in a position to make that real and leave the race behind. We had already been simplifying, sold out, rented, got rid of stuff, quit getting a new car every couple years, quit working in the Fortune 100 world, quit trying to make a difference being a teacher in a public school where no one actually cares, quit all that, and just started making it all easier, here, now, where and how we could. But it's not enough.

There's no there, there. No matter how simple you try to make it in the US, it's always overcomplicated, overdone, overworked, overbearing, overpopulated, overwrought, and over. It's over. We're done. We know that the whole set up is a trap, a trap that eats your life, and before you know it, you're checking into a nursing home wondering where all the time went, why there wasn't more to it all....why you WASTED your short time on the planet doing THAT?!? We realized that our time together was the very most important and valuable thing we have... and thanks, but we are KEEPING it, and America and its consumerism can't HAVE it.

I'm getting rid of my Harley...I can't imagine wanting to ride much in Belize. The whole point of having it that justified it, what made me NEED it in the states would be moot in Belize. I've already sold my hobby VWs, (an old bus and a rabbit convertible), and we're in the process of divesting ourselves of all but the most cherished items....

Well, onward. Please excuse the mini-rant. We'll keep talking about what, and why, and when as things progress. I understand my daughter has agreed to give up any toys appropriate for any age younger than 7, so far. She has a looong way to go in her divestment proceedings... lol

LOL! You said it Simpleplans! And I live in the Oly Peninsula...it's not any better here! We are in the middle of Sunday Seattle traffic...SCREAM!

Hi Simple Plans, What a grat decision. When you make your trip, please take time to visit San Ignacio. I live here, it is inland, but only 1.5 hours to the airport in case of an emergency, and a wonderful place to live.  Let me know when you come this way.

Thank you Lee. I know that we will be visiting Cayo as well as Corozal and other places.

cscottdo. I would love to take credit for it, but the blog is actually my wife, EmSni. She felt it would help us along the way if she were to write about our journey to freedom. She's the Hemingway lol.

SimplePlans: We have been here in Chandler for 4 years and I have been in AZ for most of my life. My wife moved from OR over 5 years ago. I used to love this place and now I find myself trying to recall why. The both of us, my wife and I, are tired of the rat race as well. My only concern with moving to Belize is that I cannot work right away. We're not in a financial situation at all, but I would like something to do. I've thought about eventually working as a bartender. I think that may be an enjoyable occupation for me.
  Regarding getting to Belize, we plan on driving through Mexico to get there. This is something that fills me with dread, due mostly to the American media reporting widespread violence in the country. I worry about putting my family in harms way, but I'm also not convinced it is the way they say it is. Things may be different by the time we get ourselves underway.
  With all that said, my wife and I have come to a conclusion; although we plan on changing the scenery drastically, we are still us. We are not happy in Chandler, but we are not miserable people.
  We have changed our outlook for the positive. The hunched shoulders and the defeatist attitude have been exorcised. We greet each morning with a smile instead of a grunt. We appreciate what we have instead of lamenting that which we do not have. This is who we want to be when we arrive in Belize.

wishing you well with your planned living in Corozal... we have been here for a year now and would never go back to Canada! we are in corozal dist in a small village 5 miles from Corozal town..we have an organic farm with a menno house on it.. we are completely off the gird up here.. NO BILLS! we love our slice of Belize! U are welcome to visit us upon your arrival.. we also share what we grow thru a co-op of others in Corzal dist.. so if you decide to grow or make things.. we do an exchange/bater for our produce. HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!

fyi.. dont worry about driving through mexico. we did it and we had no problems! most people dont!  newer SUV are a problem in MX.. so getting the insurance maybe diff.. check with Sanborns- they are the best for MX insurance and advice. if you cross in Brownsville and follow the coatline it is a beautiful ride and shortest dist to belize. but most of all enjoy the journey! once in a lifetime and worth every second!  FYI  if u hit Villehormsa- stay at the HILTON- $100 us a night well worth the money and the cheapest Hilton u will ever stay at... the US ones are over $300 us a night.. great pool too!

Thanks so much, Jaanyvr! We'll get in touch, and let you know when we will be in your area, as we know we will be visiting that area, and have an interest in what you are doing. As for Mexico and the SUV, it isn't "new - new", but newer...and it's not so much that we're worried about as the fact that it gets horrible mileage and would eat any savings on the hotel for brunch! Thanks again, we look forward to seeing your "menno" home and gardens.

Hi...

I am a 25 year old female Belizean. Simple plan moving here with a family and a tight budget is totally do-able.

Don't make the medical availability in Mexico be the reason for choosing Corozal District. It would be best that when you get to Belize you find the District that suites you. Belize do got some good doctors.

When you get here you would find that more than half of the doctors are really good since most of them study in Cuba and are cubans. They get more money for their profession over here.

PinkHibiscus, 

Thanks for that bit of advice. I was thinking the same thing, that it would be a shame to restirct our options on that basis alone, though we do need to be sure we have the right kind of doctor available to my wife wherever we finally end up. I appreciate the assurances about your doctors though.

Hi All, We are enjoying this topic. We plan on moving to Belize early next year. We have visited twice now in PG, in the Teledo District. We love it down there. We had fun fishing with Tide Tours and exploring the Mayan ruins with Bruno at Sun Creek Lodge. Our duaghter and her husband are down there right now in the nothern part checking things out for their move.
Hopefully we will get to meet some of you when we get there.

I have lived in Belmopan for 5 years in an off grid house. There are a lot of goods and bads, but overall it has been great. We live south of Belmopan near a river and have hughesnet. It works good and we can stream some video because we have a US IP address. The house is still in the building process and I have 3 kids. We volunteer for the chess program there. It is pretty awesome to. We can live off 1500 a month USD, but that is without electricity/ water costs. We have some fruit trees and veggie garden. Neighbors are awesome.

I would not drive through Mexico in the past few years, or rather tampico. I like my life and my kids lives too much. Have done it 7 times.But the last time was rough. Still drive to cancun 2 times a year without issue.

Spend time in several area's until you find what you like. Myself I went for the middle so I could explore. Then found some good property that was high and dry. Many people find great deals and the great deals are usually under water during one part of the year. I am from AZ so can tell you what to expect with that transition.

Sorry, what kind of doctor or specialist are you looking for? We are in the states right now because my wife had some renal issues and that is one area where the doctors lack there. For usual stuff though they are pretty good. Get a private doc and that will be about 25 USD a visit. Dental about the same.

By the way imported animals do not fare well in some area's so you will want to make sure you have things set up well for them. Also you have to have paperwork to bring them into the country.

Good Morning, I have lived in Belize 7 years. I moved here from Missouri. I still love it here.  You can get medical treatment here, or close by in Guatemala or Mexico.  I too had some renal problems, there is a renal specialist that comes to Belize City once or twice a month with excellent follow up with my regular dctor here in Cayo. Dr. Schanchez.  He is my magic doctor LOL. 
The dentist in our area is outstanding.  I feel "medically safe" here. 

We also drove here from Missouri through Mexico.  It was a great experience, but I have heard that it is not as safe any more.  I cannot say.  I can say that when you get to Belize, you will be in a better place in your life.   

I live inland, in Bullet Tree. You can always find some area to work in.  Volunteers are always needed too.  If I can help in any way, please contact me at [email protected]

I am enjoying this thread! We will be heading to Belize, driving through Mexico, in mid-November. I have a blog (Belize Us!), on this site, and I promise to post daily once we're underway. We plan to rent in several areas prior to finding our "fit" and are looking forward to beginning this new chapter in our lives!

Hope to see you all there!

In our quest for school searches, I have only found one that is accredited in the US-  Belize Christian Academy in Belmopan.
Are there others?  Where we live will be based entirely on the location of a good school for our daughter.
Good luck with the move, SimplePlans!

There is another school that does well in Belmopan, 2 actually. One is the International school, but is pricey. It is used by US embassy people. At first BCA was the one the embassy was using so they had to get accredited. There is another school using US Homeschooling system. Can't remeber what the name is now. But they use exactly the same system as BCA for half the cost.

Belmopan also has Ballet and chess programs too. Most the schools in BZ are religious based. So, the education is a little different than what we expected. We ended up homeschooling our 3 kids, because they struggled with the ascents.

From the Capital Newspaper


CREOLE PROVERB
WHEN A LET OUT ME ROASTA, PULL IN YU HEN & LOC DE FOWL CUBB
When I let out my rooster, pull in your hen and lock the hen house.
Meaning: Protect your family when danger is lurking.

You have to love the language...lol

Hi my name is Kimberly I have lived in different areas of Belize .I have not lived in the Corozal area but have friends there.I dont have children but have animals and moved with them .We shipped things and brought belongings and boats and trucks through Mexico .I would say make your first trip a fact finding trip . My husband and I live on a budget of 2000 to 2400 a month and our rent is 1000 all USD . We live now on the island of Ambergris Caye also called San Pedro  . The SUV you may want to think about the duty is high like 48% and gas is over 6.00 usd a gallon .We drive golf carts in San Pedro .When do you plan on taking your trip? [Moderated: No free ad pls]. I have been in Real Estate for the last few years in the country . We moved from Florida I was also was a Real Estate Broker in Florida . Please feel free to email me with questions [email protected]

Hi! I am Simple Mom (aka "D" or Donna). I am SimplePlans wife of 11 years. I decided to join this forum and be involved in what goes on and learn along with my husband. I am looking forward to learning more about Belize, what it has to offer and making new friends online and eventually in real life.

It is important to me that we find families of similar interests and others who love children. Our 9-year-old is smart, artistic, loves science, loves to draw and would love to make friends, of course. What child wouldn't?

I see my husband mentioned that it is important to me to have a duck. That is correct. My goal is to find a duck egg that is about to hatch and have the duckling imprint on me. I plan on hand-raising it and naming it "Wilbur". Gender of the duck isn't as important to me as having it know me as it's mother from the very beginning. I know this may sound strange, but this has been a dream of mine for a very long time. I hope to make this dream a reality very soon.

Anyway, I digress.

I look forward to hearing from others and getting to know more people.

Ducks are awesome. Get the ones with the red stuff on their face. We had a few of those and they eat snakes, which helps with keeping the li gayl, little girl, safer around the house. Add a few chickens to the mix and you get eggs and they help keep the scorpions down, along with other pests. You can get new chicks at the market sometimes and an occasional duck, but I have not seen any that are ready to hatch.

Good stuff. My son just turned 13 and have two girls,  8 and 6, but we are in AZ currently for a while for medical services. I am a disabled veteran and we need to pop up here for my medical and my wife's

Kimberly,

I understand that the cost of living is a bit higher on Ambergris Caye..seems that your figure bears that out. Would you say you live relatively simply by comparison to other Caye residents? If you don't mind me asking... from what I've read, it can get considerably more expensive there, but that doesn't sound too terrible.

Thanks!

Great info on the fowl, felintuit, thanks! You have me a little concerned about the schooling situation though.. From what you're saying, it sounds like commuting distance to Balmopan would be almost necessary.

thanks!

Hi Simple plan I have lived in Hopkins and Placencia and the Maya Beach area before moving to the island . From what I found rent in most of the places I have lived have been 700 and above .You can find cheaper in the Cayo area and I have been told Corozal. I like having more things to do and the island has made that possible .The Qualified Retirement plan base on a 2000 usd income so that is what I base from .If you like the farm type life the Cayo area would be my choice . I like the sea and I also like that from the island the water taxi make it easy to move around . On your trip check out areas that fit your life style .

Someone mentioned snakes and scorpions.  Is that a big problem?  What kinds of snakes?  All over the country, or just certain areas?

I don't know of any place that doesn't have venomous snakes. Here's a web page about venomous snakes in Belize:

Dangerous Snakes of Belize

A quick google search of "poisonous snakes Belize" turned up a bunch of pages you could peruse if you are worried.  The Fer-de-Lance is pretty terrifying, but I refuse to live my life in fear.  There are plenty of other things that could getcha, like the flight or drive down to Belize in the first place. 

And I've never seen a scorpion, though I know others in the San Pedro area have -- usually very tiny ones.

I was more worried about mosquitoes when moving down to Belize.  They can be numerous at certain times of the year, after rains. Sand flies (no-see-ums) also.  Such a nuisance.  But something else you'll deal with in Florida or many other places as well.