Paul
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Paul’s Monthly Tip to Live for Less in Costa Rica: Speak Spanish – Save Money Learning Spanish to save money tends to be more nebulous than other money-saving tips because it’s hard to put a dollar amount on how much you can actually save every week or month. But I do know that learning a …
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Permanent link to this article: http://retireforlessincostarica.com/2012/02/paul%e2%80%99s-monthly-tip-to-live-for-less-in-costa-rica-speak-spanish-save-money/
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Blog
by Paul
January 10, 2012
In the States, one of the service businesses that’s recession-proof is beauty and barber services. Everyone needs to have their hair cut (okay, unless you’re bald) and since long hair is not the fashion, most people go to the beauty salon or barber on a regular basis. The same is true in Costa Rica. Ticos …
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Permanent link to this article: http://retireforlessincostarica.com/2012/01/paul%e2%80%99s-monthly-tip-to-live-for-less-in-costa-rica-hair-today-gone-tomorrow/
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Blog
by Paul
January 10, 2012
Ropa Americana…need I say more? Luckily, there are Ropa Americanas located all over the country. It seems any decent sized town has one, and San Ramon has several. Ropa Americana is like a Goodwill Store in the U.S., mostly men’s, women’s, & children’s clothes, linens, purses, & stuffed animals, at cut-rate prices. Did I say …
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Permanent link to this article: http://retireforlessincostarica.com/2012/01/paul%e2%80%99s-monthly-tip-to-live-for-less-in-costa-rica-shop-at-ropa-americana/
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Blog
by Paul
January 10, 2012
Buy local and avoid stores like PriceSmart, AutoMercado, and other stores that carry expensive imported products and throw your food budget out of whack. Before coming to Costa Rica, we were thrifty food shoppers, spending a little over $400 per month. Our food budget in Costa Rica is $300 per month. This savings can be …
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Permanent link to this article: http://retireforlessincostarica.com/2012/01/paul%e2%80%99s-monthly-tip-to-live-for-less-in-costa-rica-buy-local/
$42.00 per month — this is the amount we pay for health insurance in Costa Rica, and this is one of the main reasons we stay in Costa Rica. The Caja is Costa Rica’s public health care system. The full name is the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS). I call the Caja the “trump …
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Permanent link to this article: http://retireforlessincostarica.com/2012/01/paul%e2%80%99s-monthly-tip-to-live-for-less-in-costa-rica-join-the-caja-costa-rica%e2%80%99s-national-medical-system/
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Blog
by Paul
January 10, 2012
Perhaps this one’s not fair. Before we came to Costa Rica, living in the Baltimore, Maryland area, our food budget was $400 per month. Most people thought that that was pretty good, but in Costa Rica, we’ve managed to reduce our food budget by another $100. Our $300 monthly food budget includes paper products, cleaning …
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Permanent link to this article: http://retireforlessincostarica.com/2012/01/paul%e2%80%99s-monthly-tip-to-live-for-less-in-costa-rica-eat-less-meat-and-more-fruits-and-vegetables/
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Blog
by Paul
January 10, 2012
Take the bus! Well, there it is, my money saving tip of the month. Okay, okay, I’ll explain the savings and the side benefits, but first, you’ve got to leave the car at home. It should be easy, with regular gas currently over $5.00 per gallon. You probably won’t believe this, but some people live …
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Permanent link to this article: http://retireforlessincostarica.com/2012/01/paul%e2%80%99s-monthly-tip-to-live-for-less-in-costa-rica-taking-the-bus/
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by Paul
January 10, 2012
There are seven Central American Republics, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, and of these, Costa Rica may be the most expensive. But the cost depends more on your lifestyle than anything else. If you really want to simplify your life you will spend less than in the U.S. and Canada, …
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Permanent link to this article: http://retireforlessincostarica.com/2012/01/pauls-monthly-tip-to-live-for-less-in-costa-rica-1-lunch-at-the-central-market/
Paul’s Monthly Weather Report – Overview (July 2011) As you probably already know, there are two seasons in Costa Rica, a wet season (winter) from May to November, and a dry season (summer) from December to April. Additionally, there are many micro-climates here that change the weather, usually depending on altitude and topography. The climate …
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Permanent link to this article: http://retireforlessincostarica.com/2012/01/our-weather-in-san-ramon-de-alajuela-costa-rica-2011/
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by Paul
December 18, 2011
In Costa Rica, everywhere you go, Ciudadanos de Oro (golden citizens) are given special treatment. If you are over 65 years old and a legal resident of Costa Rica, you qualify to receive the “Gold Card.” In 1997, Costa Rica established the Ciudadanos de Oro Program to create a culture of dignity and respect for …
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Permanent link to this article: http://retireforlessincostarica.com/2011/12/the-gold-card-dont-leave-home-without-it/
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