Feb 25 2018
Seems like I say this every December, but…wow! Our normal monthly expenses are well under $2,000, but December is always higher, for a number of reasons we will explain. This December was no exception and, in fact, it’s one of our highest months ever. So here we go… Transportation – $868.70 Our expenses for gasoline, …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/our-december-2017-costa-rica-cost-of-living/
Feb 25 2018
(Updated with 2018 prices) A great way to save hundreds of dollars a year is to have a post office box in Costa Rica, versus using a delivery service like Aerocasillas. I would say Aerocasillas is more efficient, and certainly faster than the post office, but you pay for that service. Our P.O. Box, #187, …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/paul%e2%80%99s-monthly-tip-to-live-for-less-in-costa-rica-rent-a-post-office-box/
Oct 22 2017
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual report on consumer expenditures shows the “average” American household (AAHh) spent $57,311 in 2016. Note, $74,664 is the “average” income and $57,311 is the average spent after taxes. I decided to compare the expense published against what I spend in Costa Rica, but I see a problem with this …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/our-costa-rica-cost-of-living-by-rob-evans/
Sep 30 2017
If you’ve been following our newsletters, you know that we have been spending an extended period of time this year in Oaxaca, Mexico. In August, we returned to Costa Rica for three weeks to speak at the International Living Costa Rica conferenceand to tour with many of our clients. Since a friend has been living in our …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/our-august-2017-costa-rica-cost-of-living/
Aug 23 2017
This is the first time in many years that we don’t have a Costa Rica cost of living breakdown to share with you. We spent the entire month of July in Mexico, and during this time, a friend lived in our apartment, paid the rent and utilities, and even took care of our cats. Instead, …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/our-july-2017-costa-rica-cost-of-living/
Jul 16 2017
Our June 2017 Cost of Living Report needs a bit of explanation. As we mentioned in our last newsletter, Paul and I traveled to Mexico on June 20th where we will be staying for an extended period. Therefore, our June Costa Rica Cost of Living report includes all of our normal fixed living expenses but …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/our-june-2017-costa-rica-cost-of-living/
Jul 09 2017
In May, we were happy to see another month well below our goal of $2,000. We came in at $1,853.32, with no major purchases to outfit our new apartment in town. Transportation – $286.46 We had some car repairs done to our 1996 Toyota 4-Runner in May which came to $214.76. Here’s the breakdown: Replace …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/our-may-2017-costa-rica-cost-of-living/
May 29 2017
We always get lots of responses and questions from readers, both newsletter subscribers and on Facebook. Lately we’ve had a couple of readers ask about how we track our expenses. Les M. writes: Hi Gloria and Paul! We’ve never met but I’ve enjoyed your postings for quite awhile. I’ve been in Costa Rica since December …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/in-the-mailbag-tracking-living-expenses-grocery-expense-breakdown-and-being-gringoed/
May 29 2017
This is a big one, because in the course of a year, you could save thousands of dollars if you are renting a house or apartment at a reasonable cost. So, what’s “reasonable?” At Retire for Less, we say reasonable rentals would be $800 or less; naturally, if it includes some utilities or services, all …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/pauls-money-saving-tip-find-reasonable-housing/
May 29 2017
In April, we were happy to see a month well below our goal of $2,000. We came in at $1,733.87, with no major purchases to outfit our new apartment in town. Transportation – $79.24 This was probably our lowest month ever in this category. We had no major car repairs or expenses. Here is the breakdown: …
Permanent link to this article: https://retireforlessincostarica.com/our-april-2017-costa-rica-cost-of-living/
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