I traded Houston highways for Winnipeg snow…then bailed to Cozumel sand.
See what rent, groceries, and fun really cost in all three spots. 👇
Then go on and grab the $99 email-newsletter side-hustle plan that now pays every peso, loonie, or dollar I spend to live EVERY MONTH!
🤩 🤩 🤩
If you’re still stick in “social media is the only way” mode.. watch just how easy it can be if you stay clear for the first 6 months of your hustle…
1️⃣ Two-Minute Story
Last winter I was sipping $7 lattes on Houston’s I-45, dodging $1,200 rent and $500 health-plan bills.
A buddy in Winnipeg bragged about “free” health care—right before telling me his one-bedroom was $1,590 USD and his parka cost more than my laptop. 😂
So I gambled:
One one-way ticket to Cozumel, $99 to start a tiny email newsletter, and a promise to go wherever the math felt best.
Spoiler: the reef won. 🪸🥇
But numbers love daylight, so here they are.
2️⃣ The Hard Numbers (monthly for one adult)
Houston | Winnipeg | Cozumel | |
|---|---|---|---|
🏠 1-bed rent | $1,198 | $1,590 USD (C$2,041) | $582 |
🥑 Groceries | $581 | $602 | $314 |
🔌 Utilities + Net | $197 (132 utils + 65 net) | $160 | $49 |
🚍 Monthly pass | $72 METRO | $156 Bus & Taxi | $27 Taxi or Ferry |
🩺 Doc / plan | ACA silver ≈ $497 | $0 at point-of-care | Walk-in ≈ $20 |
Core total | ≈ $2,545 | ≈ $2,508 | ≈ $992 |
3️⃣ What That Budget FEELS Like
🏙️ Houston—BBQ, Space Rockets & No State Tax
Food scene: Brisket the size of your face, real-deal Tex-Mex, and global eats in Chinatown.
Fun: NASA tours, rodeo season, and pro sports almost nightly.
Weather: 90 °F summers + “Did someone pour soup on me?” humidity.
Bottom line: Great salaries, cheaper than other big U.S. hubs, but you’ll hustle to outrun health-care and car costs.
🍁 Winnipeg—Hockey, 200+ Languages & Free Health-Care
Food scene: Jamaican patties for lunch, Korean fried chicken for dinner, French pastries for dessert—on one block.
Fun: Raptors, Jets, TIFF film fest, and more summer street parties than weekends.
Weather: Patio heaven June-Sept; bring snow boots the rest.
Bottom line: Multicultural magic and safety nets—if you can stomach rent and winter heating bills.
🌴 Cozumel—Tacos, Turtles & 82 °F Water
Food scene: $1 street tacos, $2 craft cervezas, and fresh mango for pocket change.
Fun: World-class diving, Mayan ruins day-trips, salsa nights on the plaza.
Weather: Endless summer; rain blows through by lunch.
Bottom line: Your U.S. grocery bill now buys rent + food + beer. Biggest risk? Forgetting it’s Tuesday.
4️⃣ “Okay, How Do I Pay For It?”—The $99 Email-Newsletter Hustle
I like to write and have fun and I always do it with truth at the nucleus. ⚛
It’s almost always about something I know, have experienced, or want to experience.
That makes it EASY.
Everything you’re about to see below happened, it’s happening, and it CAN happen to you.
I’ve always had the entrepreneurial flu. 😷
But I wasn’t taking my side-hustle medication up until December 21, 2024.
That’s when, out of pure curiosity, I started a newsletter about a place I had visit twice, fell in love with once, and decided then and there that my fingers were going to take me back…for as long as I wanted.
»Enter Cozumel Collective. Once only 500 followers, now a modest 30,000+ boutique subscriber list I’ve managed to build up with an EXTREMELY tiny investment.
The buy-in? I had to cut the lattes for two weeks… 🍼
Setup Item | Cost |
|---|---|
Domain + SSL | $0 |
$49 | |
Canva Pro (free 30 days) | $0 |
Stripe account | $0 |
Test marketing ad | $50 |
Total | $99 |
🎒 Grade-6 Level Launch Plan
Pick your niche. Ex: “Cheap Eats in Cozumel,” “Rookie Investor Wins,” “Weekend Woodworking.”
Write 3 emails—one tip, one story, one quick win each.
Share everywhere–if you want I’ll squeeze you in as a spotlight in one of the publications I manage (now at 8 and counting…)
Issue #4: slide in a $50 sponsor and I’ll get you a sh*t load of subscribers.
Week 6-8: watch the ad revenue pile up and flip on $7/month paid tier.
80 payers + ads = $1,000+ MRR ← covers all bills in Cozumel, plus a bunch of fun money.
Tiny list, big solutions. You’re one “Send” away from catching up with your freedom.
5️⃣ FAQ (Fast & Friendly)
Is Cozumel really cheaper than Cancun?
Yep—rents run 15–25 % lower, food about 10 % less. numbeo.com
Which U.S. states skip income tax?
Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska, New Hampshire. kff.org
Median U.S. pay in 2025?
$1,194 a week—about $62 K a year. bls.gov
🎯 Your Next Step
Pick your vibe: brisket & ball games, hockey & hip-hop, or reef & reggae.
Launch that $99 newsletter [START HERE]
Tell me when you’re ready—I read every reply and bring digital tacos 🌮
We don’t do “sales funnels” here… ❌ 💳
If you’d like to chat about this $99 freedom plan you just tap REPLY to this email and tell me about yourself.
We accept everyone. 🫶
—Kam, Team Panorama 🚀💸
P.S.– Cozumel Collective + 7 more newsletters I’m running today. I, now we, send over 5,000,000 emails a month. If I can do 8 newsletters in a month you can do 1, and use it to pay for your freedom. 🕊
P.P.S–Think about doing a newsletter as co-workers, a group of friends, teammates, or family. 💭
Cozumel, MX
Work Optional. Location Negotiable.
Subscribe Here
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