This Might Be a Bad Idea | Expat Life in Mexico

Erica and Jeff sat down and did something most people are too polite or too embarrassed to do: they shared their actual monthly budget, line by line, no rounding up, no conveniently missing categories. The total for a full month in Merida, Yucatan, not counting their mortgage payment, came out to $2,020. That covers groceries, a weekly housekeeper, dining out, all utilities, and getting around a c...

Erica and Jeff finally sat down and said the quiet parts out loud. This episode is their running list of the five things that make them grateful they moved to Merida, Yucatan, and the five things that still make them question every decision they've ever made. It's the kind of honest that only comes from actually living somewhere, not just visiting it for a long weekend. The loves are real...

Before you move to Mérida, Mexico, you need to hear this. Erica & Jeff bring in Carlos Bermejo and Juan Lara — co-founders of YucaFriends — and the conversation covers everything expat orientation brochures leave out. Why does water filtration matter so much? (Hint: cenotes were Mérida's ancient trash system.) What happens when you skip AC maintenance for a season? One client came back to...

Juan Pablo from e-control pest control in Mérida, Mexico is back — and this time it gets serious. He walks us through the four animals in Yucatán that expats actually need to know about: scorpions (the small ones are worse — trust us), the Chagas kissing bug (a slow, silent parasite that attacks your heart over 20 years), dengue-carrying mosquitoes, and four venomous snakes. Erica's mom got de...

We sat down with Juan Pablo, owner of e-control pest control in Mérida, Mexico, and learned that "pest" is a concept — not a definition. Your tolerance level determines whether a single roach is an emergency or just a Tuesday. Pablo walks us through how often expats should actually get pest control service (every two months, more in rainy season), the eco-friendly products he uses — incl...

We invited Mariana (Mari) from MaxLife Yucatan onto the show — and if you're thinking about moving to Mexico, this episode might be the most useful 35 minutes you spend this week. Mari is a Mérida-born immigration lawyer who has spent 6+ years guiding expats through Mexico's residency process. She's seen it all: people who show up to immigration with one day to spare, couples who accid...

We thought one cat was enough chaos. We were wrong. Six months into life in Mérida, Mexico, we adopted Milo — a tiny Bengal Tabby kitten who purrs like a motorboat, jumps into everything, and has completely rattled our older cat Leo. This week we're talking about how we found Milo through a Facebook cat adoption group, the mildly suspicious Uber ride to pick him up (shards of glass on the gate...

Living abroad sounds amazing… until your parents come to visit. In this episode we talk about Erica’s parents visiting Mérida, Mexico for the first time and everything that comes with hosting family when you live overseas. Jeff had the job of preparing the house before they arrived which meant scrubbing walls, battling mildew from the humidity, and trying to make everything look perfect before the...

For my birthday we took a road trip from Mérida to one of the most beautiful places we’ve seen in Mexico. Think jungle roads, cenotes, crystal clear lagoons, and a quiet hotel built right on the water. It ended up being one of our favorite trips since moving abroad. There’s just one catch… We’re not sharing the location yet. If this episode gets enough followers and subscribers, we’ll reveal where...

What’s it really like living in Mexico without a car? When we moved to Mérida, we sold our cars instead of shipping them to Mexico. Between import taxes, fees, and logistics, bringing a vehicle across the border just didn’t make sense. So how do we get around? In this episode of This Might Be a Bad Idea , we talk about: Using Uber and Didi in Mexico How much rides actually cost in Mérida Why trans...

Moving abroad sounds glamorous… until you realize you don’t know a single soul . In this episode, we share how we built a new community in Mérida, Mexico — from the neighbor who became family to the taco nights, BBQs, and culture-shock moments that made us feel at home. If you’re moving abroad or struggling to make friends as an expat, this one’s for you.

“Wait… you don’t flush toilet paper in Mexico?” Welcome to our most humbling expat lesson. In this episode, we break down toilets in Mexico —why many pipes can’t handle paper, how locals use bathroom bins, when newer builds might be okay, and whether a bidet is the sanity-saving upgrade. Plus: trash schedules, odor hacks, guest etiquette, and how not to clog your host’s plumbing. Topics: toilets i...

We thought moving to Mexico meant half-price groceries and margaritas on tap… until our first Costco trip totaled 8,000 pesos. 😳 In this episode of This Might Be a Bad Idea , Erica & Jeff break down the real cost of living in Mérida, Mexico . From grocery store sticker shock and $400 Costco runs to discovering local gems like Rancher’s Table and fresh seafood deliveries, we’re talking all thi...

We moved to Mérida for a turnkey four-bedroom … and discovered the builder only planned three. In this episode we unpack building a house in Mexico —missed construction deadlines , a closing day with workers still on site, an unfinished roof that stalled our solar install, dust from a half-built community, and the reality of mañana time . What we learned: how to read your contract like a hawk, wha...

We moved to Mérida for sunshine and slower living — but nobody told us we'd be living inside a construction site. From nonstop jackhammers and giant drills to goat, rooster, and stray-dog soundtracks (and a town party that shook the house until 5 AM), this episode is our loudest one yet. We share what it’s actually like sleeping, working, and dating when the soundtrack of your life is cement m...

So… we moved to Mexico thinking life would be simpler — until Jeff woke up with a raging toothache. 🦷 In this episode of This Might Be a Bad Idea , we share what it’s really like going to the dentist in Mexico: from walking through someone’s garage into a cave-like dental office to finding out a nerve removal costs just $50 USD. We also dive into the realities of healthcare and insurance in Mexic...

What’s the worst “welcome to Mexico” you can imagine? For us—it was moving into our brand-new house and realizing… there was no water . 🚱 This week on This Might Be a Bad Idea , Erica & Jeff relive their first taste of Mérida homeowner chaos: dry faucets, construction mistakes, a cowboy-booted plumber named Jorge who saved the day, and weeks of cold showers that tested both patience and marri...

We packed 40 years of life into six suitcases, hustled a cat through TSA, and landed in Mérida with no plan—just vibes. In this episode we unpack the chaos of downsizing, why we flew instead of driving through Mexico, how Leo survived the flight (thanks, vet-approved meds), and what we’d pack differently next time. If you’re moving abroad with a partner—or a pet—steal our wins and dodge our mistak...

What starts as a late-night phone call turns into a running joke that’s followed Erica and Jeff for years: “Why we joke that Jeff is a racist.” In this episode of This Might Be a Bad Idea , we rewind to how it all began — a $2.50 Starbucks date, unexpected harassment, and the moment humor became their way of surviving love, loss, and life abroad. From navigating culture shock in Mérida to learning...

Welcome to This Might Be a Bad Idea , the show where love, life, and questionable decisions collide. We’re Erica & Jeff , a married couple from Philadelphia who ditched the cold, packed our lives into six suitcases, and moved to Mérida, Mexico . In this first episode, we share our backstories, why leaving the U.S. went from “someday” to we’re doing this now , and how Erica accidentally bought...