Cost of Living – Page 3 – Happier Than A Billionaire

ISLAND HOPPING IN COSTA RICA

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:26-04:00 May 14th, 2013|Categories: Cost of Living, Tourism|Tags: kayaking|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: 2 used kayaks— $65 each

Living at the beach has its advantages; there are a lot of fun activities, one of which is kayaking out to the small islands that speckle the horizon. Some are as close as 600 feet from shore. There you will find great places to snorkel and excellent spots for relaxing while you toss your fishing line into the ocean.

Renting a kayak ranges from $10-$20 an hour, so we’ve been keeping an eye out for an affordable used pair. And boy did we score. A dive shop was selling a fleet of nine, which of course makes my husband consider his next business venture: Rob’s Kayaking Tours. Because on vacation, who wouldn’t want a guy originally from Brooklyn touring them around an estuary saying phrases like, “You want to see a howler monkey? Fuh-ged-about-it.” Or my favorite, “Don’t be a doo-ta-doo and paddle into a crocodile.”

Luckily, he only bought two and neither were the inflatable kind. They are made of hard plastic and from what I can see they look fine… except for that fact that they didn’t come with seats or oars.

This hasn’t discouraged Rob since he insists a good sturdy stick will push us through the mangroves while doubling as a crocodile whacking device. I can only imagine how we would sell this to potential clients:

Welcome to Rob’s Kayaking Tours: Come out on one of our fifteen-year-old seatless, oarless kayaks and push yourself through the mangroves. Enjoy the close-up view of a crocodile’s mouth before beating him off with one of Rob’s hand crafted sticks! Prosciutto and fresh mozzarella sandwiches included. Fug-ged-about-it.

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A BOOM IN TOURISM

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:27-04:00 January 18th, 2013|Categories: Cost of Living, Tourism|Tags: real estate, tourism|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Neutering cat, antibiotics, parasitic medication, dewormer for two cats, protective collar– $48

It’s that time of year again. Tamarindo is bustling with tourists and the beaches are packed with eager participants learning to surf. I’m always amazed at how quickly the high season sneaks up on us, transforming this area into one of the top destinations in all of Central America.

This is a double-edged sword for me. The grocery stores run out of the products I use and parking can be difficult. I have friends who want to visit and many of the condos are already rented out for the season. It appears that this year is already busier than the last.

But for all the small inconveniences that a resident deals with, I can’t help but get excited. Everywhere you look people are smiling and discussing the excursions they have booked. “Have you seen the monkeys?” I overhear one tourist say. “Did you book the estuary tour?” another says to his wife. It’s fun to see people visiting Costa Rica and doing more than just lying on the beach. They are thrilled by all the wonderful things this country has to offer. Hammocks and palm trees are great, but flying through the air on a zip-line or watching baby monkeys jump from branch to branch is exhilarating. (more…)

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GOBBLE GOBBLE

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:28-04:00 November 21st, 2012|Categories: Cost of Living|Tags: Thanksgiving, turkey|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Thanksgiving Day Turkey—$80

Thanksgiving always brings to mind a great home cooked meal: turkey with stuffing, yams and cranberries, pumpkin pie and razzleberry dressing.

But Rob can’t find the ingredients for his mother’s Italian stuffing and yams are as elusive as a reliable internet connection in Costa Rica. The turkey? Well, let’s just say $80 is a little steep when you are trying to live on $1200/month.

So it looks like we might be eating something closer to this. Like they say… when in Rome, eat soup out of a coconut.

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DO YOU HAVE A TWENTY?

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:32-04:00 May 5th, 2012|Categories: Cost of Living|Tags: fruit, groceries, vegetables|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: One week’s worth of produce—$19.68

This is what we brought home today. A week’s worth of produce for under $20. We will use the vegetables to make plenty of homemade stir fry dishes. The mangos and the big bag of oranges will be our fruit for the week.

For another dollar, we could have bought a pineapple but they were a little too green. I like them when they are more yellow. If you catch them at the right time, they are so sweet they taste like Jolly Ranchers.

I feel good eating this way. Now that my diet is full of fruits and vegetables, I feel younger. Furthermore, when I feel younger I start to believe I look younger.

And to think… I did that without any Botox.

(Remember to follow me at https://www.facebook.com/happierthanabillionaire where I post new pictures everyday!)

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COOL JOBS

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:32-04:00 April 22nd, 2012|Categories: Cost of Living|Tags: photography, surfing|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: 2 foot handsaw—$5 (my husband said the men would like to know this)

I’m running into the most interesting people lately, people who have decided to change their profession into one that includes making a living off the things they enjoy doing.

I watched this photographer—his tripod vicariously positioned on the rocks— take pictures of surfers darting in and out of the waves. It turns out this is his job; tourists purchase these snapshots, happy to pay for a professional picture that they can show off to all their friends and family. I know if I caught a good wave, I would love a photo as well.

This guy was cool (as I am finding lots of photographers are) and he gave me tips on what cameras work well in this salty environment. He smiled a lot while telling me he is living his dream every single day. “This is what I was born to do,” he said.

I’m glad I walked out onto those rocks to introduce myself, even if my wedge sandals got stuck in a tide pool. No souvenir photos were taken of that.

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ISLAND HOPPING IN COSTA RICA

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: 2 used kayaks— $65 each

A BOOM IN TOURISM

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Neutering cat, antibiotics, parasitic medication, dewormer for two cats, protective collar– $48

GOBBLE GOBBLE

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Thanksgiving Day Turkey—$80

DO YOU HAVE A TWENTY?

COOL JOBS

Join us in Costa Rica