Jan 10 2012
Updated 4/12/15 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 …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/paul%e2%80%99s-monthly-tip-to-live-for-less-in-costa-rica-taking-the-bus/
Jan 10 2012
(Updated May 4, 2015) 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 …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/pauls-monthly-tip-to-live-for-less-in-costa-rica-1-lunch-at-the-central-market/
Jan 05 2012
Paul’s Monthly Tip to Live for Less in Costa Rica: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow 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 …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/hair-today-gone-tomorrow-low-cost-of-hair-care-in-costa-rica/
Dec 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 …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/the-gold-card-dont-leave-home-without-it/
Aug 09 2011
When my wife Gail and I decided to retire we were faced with some important questions to answer. First of all, where would the retirement money come from other than our small amount of Social Security, and how could we make such a small amount go far enough for us that we could actually enjoy …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/a-real-no-brainer/
Aug 07 2011
Check out Paul’s Money Saving Tip #1 Video about where we lived for most of our first four years in Costa Rica. After you watch the video, you can learn more about the Cabinas and contact the bilingual property manager, Cesar, regarding rates and availability at this link.
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/video-pauls-money-saving-tip-1/
Jul 20 2011
While we pay our rent in U.S. dollars, we pay for everything else in colones. For the last two years, we’ve been using our debit card from our U.S. bank to withdrawal dollars for our living expenses, then walking into a local bank to exchange much of it into colones. The exchange rate has gone …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/investing-in-colones-certificates-of-deposit/
May 23 2011
Instead of trying to explain the cost of living hypothetically, I thought I would instead explain our cost of living as it actually is for us. At this point, we have been in Costa Rica a little more than two years, and living/renting in “the cabinas” for two full years, so we have a pretty …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/update-our-cost-of-living-in-costa-rica/
Jan 04 2009
We at Retire for Less in Costa Rica would advise everyone to rent for one year, six months, or even just one month before buying any property. We know it’s tempting to buy when you are on a tour, or just going around the country looking for places to live. It’s so alluring, this beautiful …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/rent-and-slow-down-the-process/
May 10 2008
Here in the Mid-Atlantic, our gas and electric bills have been steadily increasing out of control; our normal monthly bill during the winter costs us about $350, with another 8% increase around the corner; just two years ago, it would have cost $225. Costa Rica doesn’t need to import energy at high prices. In fact, …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/cost-of-living-is-less%e2%80%a6for-most-things/
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