We foreigners are not cheap, we are frugal. Most retirees are frugal wherever they live. When them big checks stop coming in after retirement you have to learn to cut back or go broke. So we are not cheap but we can be convinced. IF the value for the peso is there. For example, I won't frequent a place with a nice decor that sells bacon and eggs with a sprig of parsley for 300 pesos when there are loads of places that offer the same thing with less atmosphere for half the price.
It is all about if people are happy - sure, money helps, but I think few base real pleasure here in this marvellous country on money alone. Possibly the wealthiest foreigner here may be a total as*h*le and the poorest (financially) a 'gem'. P.S. "the wealthiest foreigner here" does not refer to Mr W, even though he "has the money to become a regular customer"
Meh, there are equal amount of poor and rich aholes in this world. Money has nothing to do with it. I was this way when I was a private in the military making $1k/month.
Come on. I know you are not that old. My old man made 500 a month as a private in the RCAF back in the '60s. (Come to think of it that included extras like living off base with dependants so the basic pay was surely less.)
Well, I got a $600+ housing allowance and $150 food allowance added on to my base pay after I finished basic training and AIT because I was "married". So I was pulling around $2k/month once I got to my unit. (I also didn't come in at the lowest rank because college credits and was only a private for about 1 year.) I also got a $30k enlistment bonus just for signing up...so there was that.
