Mexico On a Non-Budget

Mexico On a Non-Budget

Did I mention that Mexico is my happy place.  Year after year, our trips bring me that something I can’t find anywhere else.  Calm.  Peace.  Tranquility.  We like to stay at the same resort, every year,  for a week in March.  I return to my stressful job ready to hit the ground running.  My wife and kids feel the same way.  So much so, that the idea of going somewhere else, to our family, is anathema.  How you wonder, do we do it, and not spend an arm and a leg?  The simple answer is that each of us is now missing exactly one arm and one leg.  We do Mexico on a non-budget.

In a earlier post I talked about how we manage our general finances with a non-budget.  Mexico on a non-budget, however, is completely different.  We actually don’t pay attention whatsoever to what we spend.

And somehow we survive it, with a smile on our face, and a vow to return the next year.

The Nature Of Luxury

Personal finance blogs often eschew luxury for frugality with good reason.  Study after study suggests that there are only small incremental increases in happiness when a person spends over a certain amount a year.  If happiness isn’t increased by splurging on a regular basis, why do it?  Furthermore, if you have kids like me, what sort of role model are you being?

What I’ve found by doing Mexico on a non-budget is that luxury in tiny doses is glorious.  If we were living the lifestyles of the rich and famous life twenty-four seven, I think such costly vacations would be meh at best.  But the fact that we live with moderate scarcity on the regular, multiplies the enjoyment of such once a year forays.

Luxury only becomes special when it is a treat,  an unexpected pleasure.

We can afford to enjoy this hard-earned bounty, once in a while.

The Beauty Of The All-Inclusive

When we go to Mexico on a non-budget, there is no Airbnb, no discount resorts.  We don’t stay with friends.  We always choose all-inclusive resorts.  Yes, these are expensive at first blush.  But something magical happens after you arrive.

The first thing I do upon checking into my room is take my money and passports, and put them in the closet safe.  My wallet stays there all week.  My first and last cents have already been spent before I even leave Chicago.  We dine at luxurious restaurants, and eat lobster and filet.  We call for room service at midnight, and order an extra entrée  just in case.  We drink as much premium beer and alcohol from the in room min-fridge as we wish (not much anymore!).  We use the spa and the gym, and sit in the hot tub.

Although we probably pay for much more than we use, the freedom of leaving one’s wallet behind is unmeasurable.  We feel like the wealthiest, most cared for guests on the resort.

In Summary

When we take this once a year trip, we like to do Mexico on a non-budget.  It is a special treat that maximizes our enjoyment of luxury in the midst of an otherwise frugal lifestyle.  We prefer all-inclusive resorts because the feeling is multiplied by the guilt-free abundance, without the anxiety of repeatedly cracking open the wallet.

If you happen to be in Playa Del Carmen this week, drop me a line.

I’ll be sitting by the pool with a lobster in one hand and a filet in the other.

Don’t ask me to borrow a buck, however, my wallet will be locked up in the room safe!