Mazatlan is a good place to simply hang out in. There is plenty to do. We can just hang here on the beach out front, we can surf the white-water, we can take the bus to centro and visit the market or feed the pigeons, we can visit any of half a dozen favorite restaurants, or try new ones. We can ride bikes for a couple miles down the malecón, climb the hill to the lighthouse overlooking the city, or we can do nothing and just let the kids play in the sand around the bus.
We can also play hide-and-seek.
Carnaval is why we were sure to make it here this February. It’s coming up soon, and the excitement around our house is palpable.
I write a lot. I just get an idea in my head and write it down—you should see my list of business ideas. Nothing comes of 99% of these writings.
I stumbled on this today—something I started to write a couple of years back. Probably an idea for a magazine article that petered out.
Want to know why you should go cruising with your kids? The real reason? Not the politically correct version in which I tell you about all the wonderful things that the kids learn: the cultures, the languages, the respect for their fellow human beings, the earth’s creatures, and the environment.
No, the real reason, the non-pc reason. Because kids that grow up cruising are cheap to raise. Cheap-cheap. Like, a couple’s monthly expenditures actually decrease when they have kids and disappear onto a boat.
I see these articles in Time, or on CNN, or prominently displayed in NY Times headlines, pronouncing that one kid born today will cost roughly one billion dollars to raise to adulthood. And while I agree that may be true, especially considering that adulthood is now considered to begin somewhere north of thirty years old, I contend that boat kids will buck that trend.
And that’s really all I got down before filing it away. The only reason I even mention it now is that Ali and I were just talking the other day about how expensive—or really, inexpensive—kids are. I said that I didn’t think our kids added anything to our monthly expenditures. Ali—the one who tracks all of our spending—gave me the numbers, and we basically determined that we spend ten percent more than we did without kids, doing roughly the same things.
Ten percent. Hardly significant. I’m not even sure ten percent is statistically significant.
I remember writing this down because a study came out that basically said we should all consider whether or not we can afford to have kids, because those kids will end up costing us $250,000, or some such number which I can’t be bothered to research right now. So, we’ve got two kids, that’s half a million dollars—a bunch of money.
Then I started to think about why that was. Why were kids in this study so expensive? The easy answer is that you have to pay to put them through college. But that’s not necessarily true. Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. Besides, aren’t they adults by that point? Maybe college isn’t even included in this figure.
I think it has more to do with the parents themselves. They feel the need to give their kids everything. Every-Thing. We haven’t felt this compulsion. It might overcome us briefly every now and then, but it doesn’t rule our lives. We feel like we give our kids a lot, but we also say no a lot. We don’t have a big home to simply fill up with giant expensive toys, so that makes saying no to a lot of things easier, but it’s also a product of simply telling them to “go play.” They go outside, and they play—they play with whatever is at hand.
For us the added expense doesn’t lie in the “things” we buy them. We attribute our added expense to food. We eat out a lot, but that’s not where the rise in food costs come from. The reason being that we no longer sit at a restaurant and drink four or five drinks and lounge around for a couple of hours. We eat, we down our one beer—maybe two if we’re lucky—and we move along. Kids—at least our kids—aren’t prone to spending hours sitting at restaurants watching the world go by. Our rising food costs can be attributed directly to the grocery store, where we now have to buy things like fresh fruits and vegetables. Who ever heard of these things before kids?
As for our travels themselves, there is no discernible difference. The kids don’t add to our gas bill. The tires don’t wear out faster. The oil doesn’t need to be changed any more often. Maybe we stay in campgrounds (or in marinas back in the boat days) a little more often than we otherwise would, but maybe not. I can’t really say that that’s true.
There must be other ways that kids cost us more, but we can’t really figure it out. We obviously do spend money on them, on toys, on clothes, but I think we simply offset that with changes to our lives without consciously doing so. Sitting here right now I’m typing on a computer that I got three and a half years ago. It doesn’t have enough memory, so I constantly have to lug around a clunky external hard drive, and if I hold it a certain way the screen gets all janky, but I haven’t replaced it. If it were just the two of us, yeah, I probably would have by now. I don’t know that Ali ever spends money on herself. Occasionally I notice she’s wearing something new, but certainly not Macy’s new. Would she spend more on herself if it were just the two of us? I don’t know. Maybe?
So again, maybe we spend less on ourselves and direct that money to the kids. But also, again, it seems insignificant. For us, really, living and traveling with two kids, versus doing it as a couple, hasn’t had any meaningful effect on our financial life. Maybe our kids will cost $500,000, but if that’s offset by spending $500,000 less on ourselves, is that really such a bad thing?
Last year (2015) we spent an average of $3,660 a month – a family of four traveling fulltime in Mexico with two trips back to the States (one for a family wedding and then a two week road trip across the country in our ’65 Porsche), not to mention numerous car rentals to visit more of Mexico, and a root canal! See the breakdown here.
20 Comments on “Around Mazatlan”
Also take into account that kids who grow up in neighborhoods compete for things. You’re not cool if you don’t wear the latest trends or have the hottest electronic gadget. Also kids play soccer, football, ice hockey, baseball, ballet etc. All that costs heaps of money. Your kids get the best of everything, they have learned to use their imagination. And that costs nothing… Good on you!
Waxing philosophic on this Super Bowl Sunday!
I was going to say that what is lost in possessions on the road is quintupled in wonderful experiences, but that goes without saying. 😀
Are they home schooled? If so that would add to the expenses, but probably not a whole lot.
You’re doing it right. If we had to raise our two kids over again I would do it just like you guys. We wouldn’t have bought ALL that crap (toys) that now lives in our attic. We wouldn’t have bought a viola that he used for one semester and then changed to band and we had to buy a snare drum that was only used the second semester. We wouldn’t have spent $250 (my half, she paid the other $250) for a red satin prom dress that was never worn again until she gave it to a Drag Queen in Key West. My kids would still be the same kids without all that stuff, but I think they would have known sooner that they don’t NEED stuff to be happy. They’ve had to learn that on their own by living in a 10×10 room in St.Thomas working for tips on a snorkel boat. Home School programs are MUCH less expensive than public school or private school.
I love the balloon hat! 🙂
Back when we live on land, in our old neighborhood, a 16 year old boy was given a new BMW 5 series for his birthday. I’m guessing that would add significantly to the expenses of raising kids. His parents didn’t see anything wrong with it and bragged about it. The boy wrecked the car before his 17th birthday.
Mark & Cindy
You’re giving your kids the number one thing that kids want from parents: your time.
It is so true! If you tried to buy the joy kids give you, you would spend a million and never experience it. My daughters, now grown, often talk about things like the big boxes we played with or building sand in the driveway. Not once have they mentioned any expensive toy, clothes, etc.
PS: Your son definitely has the look of a serious engineer. Isn’t it amazing how boys can concentrate so totally in what they are doing?
Macy’s!!! she’s a golddigger, Pat 🙂
But seriously, in some places (like Aus) childcare is $125/day IF they have a spot. That’s $30k/yr AFTER tax. A pop. x2-3 years. So you go to work to pay to have your children raised by strangers. “certified”
What an awesome topic! I suppose I have always wondered how having a child would change the way we travel, financially, but have never really thought to ask. I love it that you shared your insight with your readers… because now I have a better understanding of what it might be like to have a child while we are traveling. Thanks 🙂
Agree kids don’t need to be that expensive. We both had a big gift of getting through college (state schools) without being in debt at graduation.
If you do buy toys, buy Lego. Our kids accumulated quite a few Lego sets, and then a year or two ago, they started selling the sets and made out pretty well.
We’re spending less on the road than we did at home. (renting the house made it work)
How many donuts do the birds get at the beach?
Great post! While we’re not yet traveling and our daughter is now grown and married, I’ve always been amazed at the estimated costs of raising a child. We didn’t come close to the estimates! Like you, I don’t think raising a child has to be all that more expensive, if any. We never were extravagant with purchases for our daughter, and Santa Claus only brought a couple of small gifts. Birthday parties weren’t anything like the extravagant (and crazy, in my opinion) birthday parties parents are throwing these days. Dresses for her school dances were either purchased at JC Penney or at Goodwill .. she always looked great!
It is tougher in the “material world”, but when our daughter mentioned something her friends had that she wanted we told her the truth … we couldn’t afford it. She didn’t like it at the time, but now that she’s an adult she’s told us she appreciates it. Whew .. I guess we did pretty good! When she got married, we gave her a gorgeous barn wedding that we did ourselves on a budget considered tiny in today’s world. $25K on a wedding?! We spent less than half that amount, including her dress! The entire family worked hard on renovating the barn and we have precious memories that made it even more special.
I think our daughter (and your kids) learn what’s really important in life and turn out to be better people … not the greedy, instant-gratification type today. Everyone is broke, yet they always have the latest and the greatest .. drives me nuts! Can you tell you hit a nerve with me? Maybe it’s because I’m sick of always having dead-beat tenants with toys everywhere, but they can’t pay the rent .. LOL!
Don’t forget stray dog and cat upkeep expenses!
I think that $250K number is right in the ball park. We have two kids, one just turned 2 and the other is just under 3-1/2. When I add up just the increase in insurance premiums, daycare, and out of pocket medical expenses I get sick to my stomach. To date, those 3 items cost us $70,490. Divide that by 5.3 years worth of kids, 13,300/year/kid. Daycare for 2016 will cost me $17,500. Time to buy a boat.
I agree 100%! Kids seem to be caught up in getting this and that nowadays and forget to enjoy what they have and their surroundings. I remember hours of entertainment everyday with just a few sticks, some small rocks and a small stream…hours and hours of tree climbing too. By the way, it seems that if you are worried about the costs of kids before you have them maybe your priorities are not on having the joy of children in your life. Just saying.
Keep up the great entries and awesome photos.
As a homeschooling Mom, I’m so curious about your plans for your childrens’ education. Obviously they’ve already had so many educational experiences beyond the ordinary. It’s especially interesting to see the different styles and ideas from travelling families. You have such a joyful family. Love to you all.
Perhaps one of the most influential observations I remember from college was shared by my Sociology 101 professor. We were studying hunter/gatherers and discussing their “meager” accommodations. Then the professor pointed out that they enjoyed a higher standard of living than the typical family in a developed country when you compare the time spent, particularly away from family, to provide for the necessities of living. Granted it didn’t motivate me to live in a dirt floored hut, dress in animal skins and forage for meals, but that bit of wisdom has affected my perception of the value of time and experiences in a lifetime. And while many can acknowledge that idea, finding a way to incorporate it into our modern lives is another thing altogether. Just because your’e not in school anymore doesn’t mean your’e not affected by peer pressure. Your family has found the balance and that’s why we all love to follow along with you. Well, that and the pictures….
Loved reading this post. My husband and I are planning to cruise later this year — eek! We don’t have kids but ended up having a long conversation a week ago about how if we fall in love with cruising life, and I’m not 100% sure whether we will or won’t, that we could have kids and then return to it, voyaging with them. Then he sent me this post, which was just so timely.
Your kids seem like they have everything they need — loving parents, fruits and veggies, and a good bit of dirt. What else could a kid want? 😉
I’m now retired but used to contract with Albuquerque Public Schools to provide after-school programs. Here are a few gleanings from those years….
In one school there was an 80% turnover of children due to families moving. Many of the children had three (or more) sets of parents. (YOUR children may only have one set but they will encounter and be subjected to the behaviors of others.)
In most neighborhoods, there are no longer trees to climb or streams to play in. Even if there were, most parents would be too paranoid of pedophiles or other predators to allow their children to play unattended.
Children benefit from simple encouragement. The exposure to experiences such as “trying” the clarinet, switching to drums and then moving on to something else lets them explore their talents or lack thereof. If they’re lucky enough to have a private teacher, they learn what it means to have the full attention of another adult besides their parent.
They also benefit from attending ballets, symphonies, dance performances, and other types of cultural events. The variety not only gives them the perspective to decide what they like, but each occasion has behavioral protocols that expand a child’s repertoire. Although many performances can be found for free, they are often expensive. And being appropriately dressed costs money too.
Learning manners and comportment will enable them to interact with a variety of folks. Being comfortable in places where decorum is expected comes with experience…and not just once. That too costs money.
One of the commonest aphorisms has to do with how money doesn’t imbue a person with taste. And while the world *is* becoming more “casual,” there are likely, even 20 years from now, to be occasions where knowing how to behave (and be comfortable) at a black-tie event would help them socially.
As they grow older they may benefit from tutoring. As with many things, quality isn’t cheap. Preparing a child for life in today’s global community involves much more than merely feeding and clothing them, at least, that is, if you have hopes of them becoming anything more than cogs in someone’s machine.
At present their needs are relatively simple. But all the things I’ve mentioned come one-upon-the-other fairly quickly. Although they may not benefit equally from exposure to everything, being able to provide a variety of experiences will give them a much better chance at acquiring perspective, self-confidence, compassion for others and a degree of sophistication that will better enable them to be flexible and recognize and take advantage of opportunities.
Your children are on the edge of entering the stage where they will be increasingly brought into contact or close proximity to activities that may not always have the potential for positive outcomes. The decisions they make and the resulting experiences may have life-altering impacts…not necessarily bad, but it can be argued that the ability to make lemonade from lemons is also about how one processes information…not just attitude.
Gaining the perspective to make good decisions doesn’t just happen. Money, of course, doesn’t buy intelligence, but it can help.
Your children are, in the not too distant future, likely to become increasingly aware of their “privileged” lifestyle. Hopefully, as they age, you’ll be able to afford to stay in places where they can entertain themselves with things besides gang activities, vandalism, thieving and such. And hopefully they won’t be subject to peer-pressures that foster group-think and the need to “fit in” that is resulting in the social homogenization and nationalism so prevalent in America today.
The interesting times are ahead. Don’t mistake the “simple” costs of food and shelter as the only ones.
Dein blog ist Zer gut!
Danke Schon!!!
Wahnfried der Nomad
I often forget how much Americans have to pay simply to exist and live “the American dream”. In Europe, in many countries, university is free, healthcare is affordable (or free at the point of use), insurance – what insurance??! Daycare – you mean pay strangers to do my job? Are you kidding me?
This has been an eye-opening comment section for me with two kids (now in their early 20s); a single mum who blew nearly every payment I received freelancing on flights, or diesel for our camper, throughout their childhood. I am still waiting for them to complain about the lack of daycare, education, opportunities, etc….. 😉