C.E. Flores's Blog, page 46

A few words from Erma Note and the Giveaway Winner Announcement

Last week I told you about the signed book giveaway of Travels with Grace through rafflecopter. The winner is Cassandra Darensbourg! Congratulations Cassandra! Please contact me to make arrangements for your book delivery. A big thank you goes out to everyone who participated as well!

Erma Note is the author of our giveaway prize, Travels with Grace. Here’s what she has to say about her life in Mexico.

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I’m Erma Note. I am originally from the suburbs of Chicago, but I have been living in Mexico since 2003. I currently reside in Mexico due to job relocation.

I originally came to Mexico for a year to volunteer with an orphanage in Morelos State, Mexico. I ended up staying, getting married, and having my children in Mexico. My 23-year-old self never foresaw spending more than a year in Mexico, and I am often homesick for my family and friends. But I see that there is a lot of good in raising my children in Mexico. I have also met such a diverse array of interesting people in my years here, and my many friends and acquaintances have subsequently led to a variety of interesting connections.

I realized the other day while listening to the podcast “Curious City” (from WBEZ) that I am inherently a Chicagoan. While listening to the episode “To Chicago, With Love: What Do Transplants Love about the City?” I realized that I truly miss the environment I grew up in. I am still that person. But I have grown and evolved. So I don’t think my belief system has changed. I totally own who I am, and my family and friends from home helped shape me. But I have become worldlier since leaving the safe confines of the North Shore. Is that for better or for worse? That is a hard thing to determine. I know I would have always wondered “what if” had I not taken a leap of faith. I try not to be a “what if” kind of person if I can help it.

I miss fireflies in the summer and the Fourth of July. I miss seeing tulips popping up sporadically in my yard during the first days of spring, our magnolia tree in the front yard, and the view of Lake Michigan. I miss being able to go to family and friend events such as baptisms, weddings, first communions, graduations, and funerals. I miss having grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles nearby to watch my children grow (as was my experience with my extended family).

I think I am warier. I am always alert. I never rest on my laurels. I am constantly reinventing myself because so many dear friends leave every year. I think I am pretty good at keeping in touch thanks to social media. I am constantly meeting new, awesome friends that I would never have bumped into by staying in one corner of the world my whole life. I do NOT consider myself “an expat.” But I do consider myself a foreigner. I am a foreigner raising third culture children in Mexico. It’s complicated. But I know I am not the only one, and there are so many people bumping around the earth, trying to fit in. That is one reason I admin the Facebook group Mexico City Moms. Our goal is to help other people with families in Mexico adjust to the culture clash that often accompanies moving to a foreign culture.

I do not find it important to be a people-pleaser. I am honest and loyal, and I expect honesty and loyalty. I no longer have the capacity to deal with superficial people. I would rather have five close friends than twenty fake acquaintances. Fortunately, I think I have a lot of great friends. I hope they also think I am a good friend.

Due to job changes, we have lived in five cities over the last sixteen years. Nine of those years were in Mexico City, where all of my children were born. I got comfortable. Then we got moved again. Starting again is never easy. But I have managed to make friends everywhere I go, and I strive to make sure that my family is happy and functioning despite the upheaval.

It is a matter of when, not if, we move again. I am not great with transition. I am not a light packer or a minimalist. I live with a smidgen of dread and anxiety every day as such. I continuously research real estate prices while I peruse my emails. I am always hoping that somehow, somewhere, my kids will have a chance to grow up in one place, ideally the Midwest of the U.S. and near extended family. It is hard to be happy where you are when you’re wondering when you won’t be there anymore while wishing you were at home, wherever THAT IS at this point, and while at the same time feeling at home where you are.

My kids make me never give up. My children are my proudest accomplishment. I am also very proud of publishing my book and getting my message out to the world.

Certainly one of the most defining moments of my life was when I chose to come to Mexico. I felt that if I didn’t say “yes” right then and there, I would always wonder “what if.”

If I have free time, I enjoy shopping for handicrafts and visiting cultural sites such as pyramids and museums.

While I am not the main breadwinner of the family, I am an editor and publishing consultant. I also do author events for my book “Travels with Grace.” I would like to publish a Spanish edition of “Travels with Grace” sometime soon.[image error]

You can find Travels with Grace by Erma Note at Amazon and Barnes and Nobles.

 

Taxes for Expats

Well, the end of January brought my 1099-Misc and that huge royalties check of $12, which apparently is declarable income. So it was time to look at my tax situation.

Normally, I use a free online tax site because, well, I don’t like to pay for things I don’t have to. However, 2018 was the first year that I was classified as an independent contractor rather than an off-site employee, by the online school that I work for. The company did this because as an independent contractor, they don’t have to pay taxes on me, nor provide any sort of benefits like they do a U.S. employee.

So what this meant for me, is that this year, instead of getting a refund, I would OWE money to the federal government. Most independent contractors make quarterly payments during the year to avoid the very situation I found myself in.

Regardless, here I was. So instead of doing the free online tax filing, I opted for Taxes for Expats (TFX). It has a promising name, don’t you think? Oh, and is a women-owned company.

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The tax preparer assigned to me was Dean Becker, CPA. I completed an automated tax questionnaire, to begin with. It took a bit of time to fill out. TFX also offers a VIP service which will fill this out for you after you send your personal documents.

Then Mr. Becker sent me an engagement letter outlining what services TFX provides and my costs for those services. Turn-out time is typically 15 days from when TFX receives my signed engagement letter, so you still have plenty of time to get your taxes done.

Mr. Becker had a few questions for me about my tax situation. I changed my status to self-employed which allowed me to add home office deductions. He asked for an itemized list of my deductions, which I had, so that was no problem.

He also asked if I had anything like school records that proved my son lived with me to qualify for the child tax credit. Unfortunately, my son is enrolled at UVEG, which is an online preparatory, so there aren’t any records that would indicate he lived with me in La Yacata during 2018.

After my tax return was ready, I was able to review it. Sure enough, I OWE taxes for 2018. The money that I was credited for my 2017 taxes was deducted from the total amount. Once I approved it, TFX e-filed my return for me.    

Of course, I have to make arrangements to pay the taxes owed, but other than that, I’m finished for the year. My taxes situation was all that complex in comparison to some. So if you have other tax issues here’s what you need to know about Taxes for Expats (TFX).

They offer 3 types of services:

US FEDERAL TAX RETURN PREPARATION – They prepare single year returns and help delinquent non-filers become complaint with the IRS through amnesty programs. For customers who need to file more than 3 years at a time, there is a 20% discount.
STATE TAX RETURN – They prepare a state return if one is required.
CONSULTATION – They offer 3 levels of tax consultations, including a free intro consultation and high-level tax planning sessions.

TFX also assists American expatriates with:

Alternative minimum tax foreign tax credit
Due dates of tax returns and payments
Exchange rate conversions
Exemption and dependency allowances
Foreign earned income exclusion
Foreign tax credit
Non-resident alien married to U.S. citizen
Reporting depreciation
Reporting foreign financial accounts
Tax treaties with foreign countries
Totalization agreements
Tax treatment of

Contributions to foreign charitable organizations
Military personnel
Ministers serving abroad
Moving expenses
Social security pension
Students studying abroad


Transferring property to a foreign trust
Treatment of controlled foreign corporations
Treaty-based return position disclosure
W-9 vs. W-8BEN filing requirements
Withholding rules on global investors of U.S. securities

I can’t say that I know what all of these items are, but if any of them apply to you, TFX is more than capable of handling them.

So, if you have any doubt as to your tax situation as an expat living in Mexico, you should check out what Taxes for Expats has to offer.

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Ultimate Productivity Bundle

I’m still trying my darndest to get organized this year! How can it be the end of February already? If you are like me, you need a little help. So today, I’d like to share the Ultimate Productivity Bundle. You know I LOVE these bundles!

When you buy the Ultimate Productivity Bundle you’ll get access to:

5 eBooks
14 eCourses & videos
26 printables & workbooks

On the topics of

Time Management (5 of products worth $132.98)
Daily Planners (9 products worth $169.99)
Goal Setting (5 products worth $406.98)
Goal Planners (8 products worth $144.00)
Home Management (3 products worth $123.00)
Home Management Planners & Printables (7 products worth $82.96)
Mindset & Self-Care (5 products worth $94.99)
Productivity at Work (5 products worth $369.00)

You also have the option to buy “cheat sheets” with your bundle. This is a game changer because these time-saving cheat sheets let you review all the bundle’s material in less than half the time, and then dive deeper into the topics that are most interesting to you.



Don’t wait. The Ultimate Productivity Bundle is only available from February 20 – 25.

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Día del Ejército–Mexican Armed Forces Day

In 1950, February 19 was set aside to honor the Mexican Armed Forces (land and air). This day was chosen because on this date in 1913 Venustiano Carranza decreed that the Mexican army was the official organization in charge of sustaining the constitutional order of the Republic.

Women are permitted to volunteer for the armed forces, however, when a Mexican man turns 18, he is legally required to complete a year of military service which for the most part is made up of weekend drills and social work. Once this obligation is met, the Cartilla del Servicio Militar National (Military National Service Identity Card) is issued. In some areas, this is a required form of identification for employment but is no longer required in order to get a Mexican passport.

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It’s no surprise that the official motto is “Siempre Leales” (Always Loyal) and the mascot is the Golden Eagle just like on the Mexican flag.

The Mexican Armed Forces have been engaged in the following military actions: War of Independence, Spanish attempts to reconquer Mexico, Texas Revolution, Pastry War, Capture of Monterey, Mexican–American War, Caste War of Yucatán, Reform War, French Intervention, Mexican Revolution, Border War, Cristero War, World War II, Dirty War, Zapatista Uprising, Mexican Drug War although some of these were conflicts with other Mexican militaries or civilians.

The Mexican Plan to Aid Civilian Disaster (DN-III-E) was developed in 1966. Since then the Mexican Armed Forces have provided disaster relief within Mexico, throughout Central America, Indonesia, and the United States.

In areas where there are military bases, this day is celebrated with government ceremonies, not so much in the rest of Mexico.

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Do you want to learn more about Mexican holidays and traditions?
Then check out A Woman’s Survival Guide to Holidays in Mexico!

 

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Failing at your Own Business–Author

The end of January brought me my first 1099-MISC from Kindle Direct Publishing. Would you believe I made $12.91 in royalties from the sale of my books in 2018? Ok, well, that’s not a lot of moolah, but it’s a start, isn’t it? My goal is to double that income this year. Seems obtainable.

January itself was off to a rousing start. I had 107 downloads via Amazon. Unfortunately, they were all FREE downloads from my promotions. 117 pages were read via Kindle Unlimited. That netted me a total of $2.07 in royalties that I’ll get next month. Guess I can’t quit my day job just yet.

[image error]No one ever said that being a writer was an easy road. Since I’ve decided not to be dismayed, I am continuing work on the 5 books I have planned for this year. I hope to have another ready for publication by the end of February, but with the internet being what it is, uploading the book to Amazon may be delayed a bit.

Additionally, I went ahead and set up a new web site as an official author just in time for National Entrepreneurship Week (February 16-23). Very apropos since I am “setting up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit” with this venture.

I’ll still be blogging my wild and wacky adventures in Mexico here at Surviving Mexico, so never fear. The new blog will be going in a completely different direction.

[image error]Content Creative will be devoted to writing, blogging, and reading. You can expect interviews with authors, book reviews and inspirational articles and how-to guides for bloggers, writers, and reviewers.

So should any of those topics tickle your fancy, you can find me in my new position as a freelance writer/reviewer at:

Content Creative
Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads Author Page
Buy Me a Coffee

Travels with Grace Book Giveaway

Did you know that February 14 is International Book Giving Day? #bookgivingday Mexico is one of 44 participating countries and I have the perfect book for you to gift a child in Mexico!

Erma Note has written a delightful story about a bicultural 9-year old Grace who lives in Mexico City. Her American cousin Connor is coming to visit and Grace wants to show him all the amazing things there are to see and do in the area.

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For those of you that are not in Mexico, you can find Travels with Grace on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. A portion of all book sales is donated to Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos orphanage. To learn more about how you can contribute to helping the children of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos orphanage, please visit their site here.

Nothing beats a beautifully illustrated hardcover children’s book! So today I’d like to offer a signed copy of Travels With Grace to one lucky winner here in Mexico. Enter HERE.

Note: Winners must provide a mailing address in Mexico to be eligible.

 

Are you looking for other ways to give the gift of reading? You can download bookmarks and bookplates for International Book Giving Day and include them in the books you give today! Take the time to read with a child today!

Be on the lookout for other ways to participate with the hastag #bookgivingday. Check out the official International Book Giving Day site and see if there are any events near you.

 

Expat911

If you read my blog at my site rather than via email updates, then I’m sure you’ve noticed that I have a sidebar full of products, services, and books that I think you might find useful. Today I’d like to talk a little about one of those featured boxes, Expat911.

Expat911 is a smartphone app that works on Android and iPhone devices. It utilizes GPS location services to allow operators to target your exact location. Your personalized profile lists your blood type, allergies and any health conditions you might have which will help medical personnel treat your medical emergency better. There is also a contact area where users can add 1 US/Canada contact and 2 Mexico contacts. Expat911 will notify these contacts after your emergency has been reported to Mexico’s 911.

To use the service, you just click one of the 3 emergency buttons on the app: Police, Ambulance or Fire. Within seconds an English speaking operator will call your phone and verify the emergency and then call Mexico’s 911 to report the emergency. If you do not pick up, then they will assume that this is a serious emergency and call Mexico’s 911 on your behalf.

This service has a cost of $ 99.00 USD per year and can be used anywhere in Mexico. With the purchase of one Expat911 plan, a second plan can be bought for spouses or family members at a 50% discount.

Currently, Expat911 serves a large number of expats in Mexico with active users in 11 states. If you are an Expat whose command of Mexican Spanish is still not up to par or you are just traveling in Mexico and aren’t fluent yet, this app would be an excellent addition to your travel or health insurance plan.

You can visit Expat911 here or email the company directly at info@expat911.mx.

So now you know that’s what that little button on the right is all about!

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Featured by A to Z Challenge

Well, much to my surprise, I’m being featured this month by the A to Z Challenge crew!

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On February 10, you can find my guest post here. I wrote an A to Z list about how to turn your blog posts into books, which of course, I have experience doing. I like the list so much that I think I’ll expand on it on my new blog Content Creative for the April A to Z Challenge.

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My book A to Z Reasons Why La Yacata is the Place to Be in Any Disaster: A Prepper’s Guide to Mexico is also being featured by the A to Z Team in my first ever book hop! You can find the features by:

Deniz at The Girdle of Melian on February 6
Christine at #AmReading Book Reviews on February 14
Jamie at uniquely maladjusted but fun on February 19
A to Z Team at A to Z Challenge on February 22
Mary at Literary Gold on February 25

So if you get the chance, hop on by and share some love with these wonderful bloggers!

Because I have been so honored this month, I thought I’d offer A to Z Reasons Why La Yacata is the Place to Be in Any Disaster: A Prepper’s Guide to Mexico FREE on Amazon for the next few days. If you haven’t already picked up your copy, now would be the time![image error]

I’d also like to mention that I’m currently working on the next book in A Woman’s Survival Guide to Mexico series. I hope to have it ready by early March. So stay tuned!

Online Banking Woes

I’ve been using Capital One 360 for over a year now and have had little complaint. Then it all sort of snowballed and it took me way too much time to get everything back on track. All’s well that ends well, I suppose.

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First, I foolishly tried to log on to check my balance using the satellite internet rather than the one I had previously used. The site said that something was “different” about this log-in and I would need to get a code sent to my phone number to log in.

Well, the phone number I set up the online banking account with was no longer in service. My phone had given up the ghost a few months before and I had purchased a new phone. So I tried to update that information only to be informed that there was something wrong with the information and that I should call Capital One.

So I did. I explained my situation. Customer service was very understanding however they needed to verify that I was me. Could I please send them a picture of some official identification? A passport would do. Well, I had to search out my passport and that took some time. Then I followed the instructions and took a picture and uploaded it to the site. It was rejected. I did it again. Another rejection. A third time locked me out of the system and I had to call Capital One again.

This time the customer service representative could see my photos as I uploaded them. The system rejected them again. I think what the system wanted was a scanned version rather than a photo of my passport. Only I didn’t have a scanner on hand.

Anyway, I got transferred around to supervisor then manager then whoever was over them. Finally, this person opted to verify my identity by having me input my PIN number. So now, they could confirm that I was me.  

I wanted to change my phone number to my new cell phone number in order to receive the text messages and codes and whatnot. However, the company did not allow phones that were registered outside of the US. How long would it take me to get a phone registered in the US? I told them I would call back.

I then set about looking at options. I finally decided on Skype online phone number setup which rents me a phone number registered to any place in the US for $6.50 USD per month. I choose Tennessee. I paid the first month, got my new number, and called Capital One again.

After being verified as me, I was able to update the phone number contact information. Whew! So I signed on to my account online again. When I received the prompt for the secret, secret code to be entered, I choose the option to have the automated system call the number rather than sending a text. The call rang through via Skype on my computer and I got the code.

I thought I was in the clear until I went to HBSC to withdraw my pay from their ATM machine. Unaccountably, the machine didn’t give me any money but deducted it from my account. I totally freaked out! I marched my fanny into the bank and stood in line to see a teller who told me to see someone there in the desk section. So I waited there. The internet was down, which is probably what caused the glitch at the ATM machine, so I waited again.

Finally, the clerk asked for my identification which she entered into the computer. Of course, I’m not an HBSC client, I was just using the ATM machine, so she said she could do nothing for me. What!!!! She implied I had a hold on my account which is why the money wasn’t dispersed because of course, the ATM machine was just fine.

I came back home and called Capital One again to ask about this “hold” on my account. I explained that I had attempted to withdraw money but hadn’t received it. Again, customer service was very helpful. There was no hold on my account. The system showed the ATM transaction. I would be credited these funds temporarily while they investigated the matter. I should have access to these funds in 24 hours.

I did. I went to Santander to withdraw the funds, vowing never to return to HBSC. About 6 weeks later, I received a notification that the temporarily deposited funds were now released permanently since the investigation had been concluded satisfactorily. Thank goodness!

So despite the hassle of the US phone number requirement that I had to creatively work around, I still am pleased with my Capital One 360 account.

Constitution Day

February 5 is the anniversary of the signing of the Mexican constitution of 1917.  The holiday is observed the first Monday in February. Most banks, schools and government offices are closed. The sale of alcohol is prohibited in tourist areas from February 2 to February 5.

This document is properly known by the weighty name La Constitución política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos que reforma la del 5 de febrero de 1857. The constitution signed in 1917 replaced the constitution of 1857 which had replaced the constitution of 1824 which had replaced the constitution of Apatzingán of 1814. As of 2017, the newest Mexican constitution has been revised 699 times. You can find a chronological list of these reforms here. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t until 2011 that the constitution included a section on human rights.

In some areas, this day is commemorated with parades and other civic events.  Not much happens where we live though.

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Do you want to learn more about Mexican holidays and traditions?
Then check out A Woman’s Survival Guide to Holidays in Mexico!

 

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