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 in Mexico • can you flush toilet paper in Mexico • bathroom etiquette • bidet attachments • septic vs. sewer • Mérida expat life

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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 things food, budgeting, and what’s actually cheaper when you move abroad.

💬 In this episode:

• Is life in Mexico really cheaper than the U.S.?

• Grocery shopping mistakes every expat makes

• Costco vs. local markets: what’s worth it

• Why food goes bad faster (and how we learned the hard way)

• Growing our own garden to save money 🌿

🎧 New episodes every week — because apparently, we never learn.
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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, what to ask your builder, why you must supervise, and how to stay sane when timelines “flex.”

Topics: new construction in Mexico • building in Mérida • construction delays • expat life • HOA & developer pitfalls

If you’ve built in Mexico, tell us your wildest mishap and hit Follow—help us reach 50 by month’s end!

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 mixers and roosters. We talk coping hacks, whether you can really “tune out” the noise, and how to decide if the tradeoffs of expat life are worth it.

Topics: noise in Mexico • construction noise in Mérida • expat life • living abroad • roosters, dogs & town parties • coping with loud neighbors

Hit subscribe and tell us — what sound would make you move? Comment wherever you listen and follow our chaos:
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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 Mexico, how much medical care costs, and what shocked us most about paying cash for everything.

💬 Topics: dentist in Mexico • healthcare in Mexico • expat life in Mérida • moving abroad • cost of living in Mexico
🎧 New episodes every week — because apparently, we never learn.
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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 marriage.

💬 Topics: expat life in Mérida • moving abroad • new construction in Mexico • culture shock • homeownership fails🎧 New episodes every week — because apparently, we never learn.

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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 mistakes.
New episodes weekly. Send us your “bad idea” move story: [email protected]
Keywords: expat life Mexico, moving to Mérida, downsizing, traveling with cat, immigration appointment, first week abroad

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 how to communicate (and not kill each other), it’s part origin story, part therapy session, and fully them.

💬 Topics: expat life in Mérida • interracial marriage • moving abroad as a couple • humor in relationships
🌴 Follow: @thismightbeabadidea.podcast for behind-the-scenes chaos.

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 a house in Mexico without Jeff ever seeing it. From culture shocks to kindness that surprised us, this episode sets the stage for all the chaos (and lessons) to come.

If you’re curious about moving abroad, expat life in Mexico, buying a home overseas, or adjusting to a new culture, this episode is for you.

✨ What you’ll hear in Episode 1:

• Who we are and how we met

• The moment we decided to leave the U.S.

• Why Mexico (and why Mérida) beat out Italy & Costa Rica

• Downsizing from a house to six suitcases

• Erica’s fast-track residency + the “sight unseen” house purchase

• First impressions: Centro vs. outskirts, mini-splits vs. central AC, and unexpected kindness

  
  

🎧 Stick around for next week’s episode: Why Erica Jokes That Jeff is a Racist (and it’s not what you think).

💌 Got a “bad idea” story? Send it to us at [email protected] — we might share it on the show.