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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

You came to the right blog for Belize Resources and Information.

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What Makes Living in Belize The Right Choice Part III

by tacogirl 05/07/2011
written by tacogirl 05/07/2011
San Pedro Belize beach pictures

What makes Living in Belize The Right Choice Part III

In Part I and Part II , my last blog posts outlined all of the
reasons why I decided to move to Belize. This final blog is the conclusion of those reasons:

Cost of Living – One of the main reasons I wanted to move from the U.S. was due to the high cost of living. It appeared as if it was only getting worse and would be a while before getting better. Heading into my retirement years, I wanted somewhere that I could “stretch” my dollar.

Living in Belize can be very economical. If you’re smart about your lifestyle choices (no excessive drinking or dining out), the area you move to (inland is cheaper than waterfront), and what luxuries you can live without (air conditioning can be expensive if used excessively), it’s not unreasonable to live on anywhere from $1000 to $2500 USD a month for two people, all inclusive, even on an island!

Safety – Obviously choosing a country that we felt safe in was very important. When you tell people you are moving to a third world country, a lot of them just automatically assume it’s dangerous. But I’ve found Belize to be much safer than where I was living in Oakland, CA.

Sure, there’s crime here, but it’s mostly petty theft due to the high unemployment rate. And just like any state in the U.S., the larger cities have more crime. If you take simple precautions, like locking your doors, and perhaps having a dog, you should be fine. I feel quite safe taking a walk by myself. Rape and murder really are the exception here, and not the rule.

I could go on and on a list a dozen more reasons why I moved to Belize, like access to reasonably priced lobster, scuba diving, or the incredible sunrises and sunsets, but those I’ve already given were by far my most serious considerations before moving to a foreign country.

Now that I’m here, I have absolutely no regrets, except one – I wish I had done it sooner. But one can’t live with regrets, so I’m just glad I did. Do you have any dreams that you’re putting on hold?

Sharon Hiebing is an American Expat living in San Ignacio Town, Belize. She is the founder of Wealth Ships’ and offers Expat Relocation Consulting Services via email, phone and one-to-one at affordable rates. She also owns the only property management company in Western Belize, Red Roof Property Management. She has written two ebooks, writes a weekly blog, and posts tidbits daily about her life and work on Facebook. She’d love it if you came and got to know her.

karen brodie
A Little Hammock Fun by Karen Brodie Photography
dale wallace junior san pedro belize
Dale's mechanic shop in San Juan
belize food
Creole shrimp
dragonfly pottery made by belize artist ruby hand
Dragonfly pottery Artisan Ruby hand

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tacogirl

Laure Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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16 comments

Remo 07/07/2011 - 5:12 pm

Laurie at my apartment complex in Halifax there was a Wendy’s, Harvey’s, dominoes and king of donair (KOD as its known there) all within a 5 minute walk outside the main front door. I would practically live at those places and got lazy cooking my own meals many times:(

By the time I came back to Belize I went from 162 pounds (roughly) to 191 pounds and never been able to get under 185 pounds ever since:(

My skinny days are effectively over! haha!

And yet I still miss it. Oh the insanity of it all:(

Laurie, maybe I need to live longer in Belize to get all that grease out of my system? I hate having those cravings.

Reply
tacogirl 07/07/2011 - 5:45 pm

Come to aquafit class one of these days Remo it is a great way to loose weight. One of the regulars lost 30 lbs and the only thing she really gave up was pop still enjoys other naughty foods.

Reply
allan salter 07/07/2011 - 2:54 pm

Remo: what you are saying makes perfect sense. Except Laurie is Canadian and knows that the 4 major food groups there are grilled cheesburgs, fries with gravy and cheese, donuts and beer (and not Belikin Basura). It is not simple for her to attend to these cravings by getting into a boat, tying up at the Chetumal wharf, wait for the Mexican sniffer pups to do there job, get an immigration stamp and find a taxi to get to the mall. Better to live there. Viva Mexico!

Reply
tacogirl 07/07/2011 - 4:19 pm

Hey how did I get mixed up in this food fight ha ha.

My current cravings are well a beyond boat ridel. Salmon hand rolls and edamame in Kensington Market and Lemongrass shrimp and fried spring rolls in china town and occasionally I do miss the food court at the Eaton Center.

Not had a beer in 15 years or so and never missed it once. Now if I was to try and give up my iced coffee that would be a whole different story.

Reply
Remo 07/07/2011 - 11:55 am

The sad thing about Belize is that the British historically never thought of it as anything more than a backwater colony. Of course, they loved our fine lumber and mahogany trees for their beautiful homes back in England:)

Look at other British colonies in the Caribbean like Barbados for example. Britain pumped a lot of money into those colonies and when they got Independence they already had a solid infrastructure in place. Just like the Spanish did with their colonies in Mexico and Guatemala for example.

Ecology wise Belize is a beautiful country with many pristine places. That was NEVER in doubt.

Unfortunately, in many other ways we always seem to be doing catch up to our neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean.

One has to look at ones past to better understand the present right?

Alright, so if any foreign person here is willing to accept Belize for all its beauty and faults combined with some degree of sacrifice then Belize is the place for you.

Oh and besides, Chetumal, Cancun and Playa del Carmen are not that far away if you have those uncontrollable fast food binges:)

cheers….

Reply
tacogirl 07/07/2011 - 4:25 pm

If you do not find laughter in some of the faults of Belize then it is hard to see the beauty.

Oddly enough with age and lack of fast food chains here I am learning that I do not miss it as much as I thought I would. If I really need a fix I can get a gringo burger on Fridays and I tell you Wade has come pretty damn close to the taste of rotten ronnies.

Reply
Sharon Hiebing 05/07/2011 - 5:51 pm

Well thanks for the compliment, Al. Don’t miss Mickey D’s much (maybe because I worked there for two years back in high school), but I do miss my inexpensive and high quality red wine. But not so much so that I feel like leaving Belize anytime soon – all I can do is hope one day this situation improves!

Sharon Hiebing
Relocation Without Rose-Colored Glasses

Reply
al salter 05/07/2011 - 4:40 pm

….till November and then Playa del C. Belize was a great experience but until it has reliable electricity, and fresh mushrooms, Czech beer, and diet Dr Pepper I will always reccomend it as a great place to visit but you wouldn’t want to live there. And when I open an ” El Hortons del Tim” I will give you a bag of free sesame seed bagels.

Reply
Erin 05/07/2011 - 2:20 pm

I love this blog!
al i suggest you stay in mexico

Reply
tacogirl 05/07/2011 - 2:43 pm

Thanks Erin – Al is actually in the land of timbits.

Reply
allan salter 05/07/2011 - 1:31 pm

Emily: There are some studies on the psychology of McDonald’s and cherry or vanilla coke denial syndrome in the American J. of Psychiatry 23:4, 1998. And Laurie knows I like to poke her. (symbolically).

Reply
tacogirl 05/07/2011 - 2:38 pm

I do all which is why I never get steamed by what you write. Were hash-browns in the study that would be high on my rotten ronnies list never had a cherry coke.

Reply
Emily (@EmilySNC) 05/07/2011 - 12:26 pm

Not having access to McDonald’s and Diet Cherry Coke is one of the reasons we chose Belize…and we like your blog just the way it is.

Reply
al salter 05/07/2011 - 11:11 am

Much of this is accurate. A/C is no luxury in the tropics plus the presence of affordable drinkable wine and imported goods especially French bread, deli meat , McD’s sausage egg and cheese biscuits and diet cherry coke made Mexico a better choice for me.
Laurie: Sharon’s articles are better journalism than your usual party infested drivel. Good job:)

Reply
tacogirl 05/07/2011 - 12:09 pm

Sharron is writing with a different purpose and style than I Alan. It came up a few times with the gang this weekend but never made it into the party infested drivel write up – how we are glad for our differences and it makes life more interesting.

Mexico definitely has some good food options. My pic is arrachera and the special fried onions they make there.

Reply
Sharon Hiebing 05/07/2011 - 8:49 am

I’ve really enjoyed this opportunity, Laurie. Thanks for letting me share with your visitors, and I hope to write more for them real soon!

Sharon Hiebing
Relocation Without Rose-Colored Glasses

Reply

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Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor
15:53 24 Feb 20
Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton! I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
20:01 20 Feb 20
Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s... always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
20:58 30 Nov 19
I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and... local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
Sandra Godfrey
Sandra Godfrey
15:58 23 Nov 19
I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
William Jones
William Jones
13:39 06 May 19
Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do... what everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
Kimberly Robinson
Kimberly Robinson
18:28 03 May 19
Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
Michael Rieck
Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation.

If you have any questions or want Belize discounts, Contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

3 childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age.Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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