Currently, it is not the Customs Agents who do the inspections but rather Mexican soldiers. He asked me if I had anything to declare and I said I had an ice chest in the trunk. He looked at the empty ice chest as he brought the drug-sniffing dog around who did not seem interested in my car. The young man was very respectful and quickly sent me on my way.
They are building a new state of the art Customs Facility and much progress has been made since the last time I was here. Due to the construction, there are a lot of detours and if you are like myself that needs to go down the main entrance into Acuña to find your way around, you might end up getting lost.
Here were Wednesday's exchange rates so you can see what the price would be in regards to its US dollar equivalent...
Compra = Buy -------> you purchase $17.90 Mexican Pesos per $1.00 US dollar
Venta = Sell ----------> you purchase $1.00 US dollar for $18.60 Mexican Pesos
Typically Exchange Houses have more favorable rates than banks that is why if you Google yesterday's exchange rates they will be higher than those featured above.
Started my shopping spree at Bodegas Aurrera. Here they have a 12-pack of Bud Light on sale for $99.00 Pesos ( 99.00 divided by 17.90 equals $5.53 USD). You have to take into account that you have to pay additional Texas Alcohol taxes in order to bring it back to the USA.
They also had a good price on bottled water...the US equivalent of $1.25
I bought a bottle of Kahlua for $149.00 Mexican Pesos...$8.32 USD plus $3.75 Texas State Liquor Tax for a final price of $12.07 USD.
El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is just around the corner. Pan de Muerto is a very popular bread made during this holiday and Mom wanted me to buy her some so I obliged.
The return home was a breeze and only a three-minute wait.
Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.
Are you planning a trip to the Chili cookoff this year?
ReplyDeleteI always make plans to attend but whether I can actually go this year is still up in the air.
DeleteShopping for you & your blog on it was educational for me. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome Rob.
DeleteI have never been to Mexico. The only place outside of the USA that I have been is Canada and have been through most of southern Canada. Now, I don't travel far anymore. Just stay around home here in East Texas.
ReplyDeleteThey say Canada is beautiful, would like to visit one day but it would have to be in the summer.
DeleteCanada is huge, and like the U.S., has all kinds of terrain, weather, etc. Mostly the same language unless you go to Quebec! I would love to go to Mexico.
ReplyDeleteMexico has beautiful resorts you can fly to. I do not think I would like to cross any of the California/Mexico border towns in particular Tijuana which is the most crossed border in the world and you can spend from four to five hours sitting in your car before you can cross back to the USA.
DeleteQuite the shopping day, the prices are so far apart. I used to go to Mexico quite often when I first moved here but I haven't been there in maybe 20 yrs.
ReplyDeleteI find that my dollars go a long way in México and I can typically buy twice what I can in Del Rio. Even taking into account the tolls to and from I still come out ahead. It doesn't work for everybody but it works for me.
DeleteStretching your dollars is a big deal!
DeleteIt sure is Rob in particular when you are on a tight budget.
Delete