I’ve been watching the ups and downs of the US economy, trying to figure out how it will affect me in Mexico. From what I can tell, Mexicans dependent on their jobs at US factories located in Mexico might be in for a bumpy ride. In April, several Mexican production plants closed or paused operations.
However, we have a strong local economy and are not dependent on imported items. So, food and shelter seem stable enough. Clothing not so much—even though I live in a textile-centered area, I’m never very happy with local apparel options. Fortunately, there were end-of-season sales at Surbubia and Coppel in the next town over that I stumbled upon, and I was able to stock up on some long-overdue wardrobe necessities. That ought to keep me for a while.
Amazon purchases are on hold for me. The import increase Amazon implemented in January has diminished my desire for any online shopping. Unfortunately, all of my books are printed in the US, so when I want a copy of my own writing, I’ll have to suck it up and pay more.
I have also been concerned about my job. I teach English to students around the world. With the fear that international students are feeling about forced ICE disappearances, English may not be in such high demand, which will impact my hours and, of course, pay.
Then there are some banking worries. I currently have a Capital One 360 online account that I set up some time ago. When Skype announced they were shutting down, I was a bit panicked. Changes in policies meant that I could not use another VOIP number for verification purposes, like I did when I set up the account. After considerable research, I signed up with OpenPhone, which is still a VOIP, but I could port my existing Skype phone number, which meant I didn’t have to change my phone number on record for my bank account.
I’m sure this is a temporary fix, so I also inquired at my job about switching my paycheck deposits to a Mexican bank (which I could do since they pay via a third-party payment platform).
Only, to open a new Mexican bank account, I need to have a valid US passport since my permanent residency card, CURP, and RFC are not enough. My passport expired in October of last year, and I had been putting off renewing because of the cost and hassle. After some extensive research, I determined I could renew by mail. Hot dog!
I had my son take my picture and ran it through an online passport picture checker to ensure it was okay. Then I went to a local photo place and had them print it out. I paid online and received an email confirmation. Next stop was to print out and sign the application and the payment confirmation email, which I did at a ciber in town. Then I attached my photo and headed to DHL. There, I paid for two waybills, one to send everything to the consulate in Guadalajara and one to receive it at the DHL office.
A few days later, I received a confirmation email that said everything looked good. Then a few days after that, I received an email that said they were printing my passport and would send it out shortly. Of course, Semana Santa messed with the shipping schedule, but I received an email the following week confirming it was on its way. Then I just had to wait for it to arrive at the DHL office before going and picking it up.
My banking worries aren’t over yet. I’m due for a new bank card this month. The card is sent to my friend’s house in the US, who then sends it to me. Last time, it ended up in Guatemala on its round-the-world trek. Hopefully, this time, there will be no issues. If I must, I will set up a Mexican bank account, but you know how much I love banking, and I’ll delay as long as I can.
I’m also a bit anxious about the latest student loan repayment process set to begin next month. When there was a chance for forgiveness or forbearance, I applied. But now that those options have been taken off the table, and wage garnishment is being threatened, well, I’ll need to reconsider pretty much everything.
Overall, though, these are stressful annoyances in comparison to other issues happening in the horror that has become the US. Come what may, I’ll find a way to make it work here in Mexico, come hell or high water.
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