The Cost of Paradise 2014

After four years, things have changed in our "cost of paradise" budget!

We've made a few alternations. And gone are the days when you can live comfortably on $600 a month, although we know several single people who live on that amount and do just fine. And you can still find rents for $300; in fact, I saw one on Craigslist the other day for $280 that was two bedrooms, one bath with granite counter tops and modern kitchen, but it was only 538 square feet. We live in 800 square feet and it's perfect for us: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and every room with a view. That works for us!

However, I still get sticker shock at Supermaxi -- in the make-up aisle -- when I see Maybelline mascara for $16.00. Ouch! I guess we can't put a price tag on beauty -- right?  I just make sure I stock up on all those "necessary" items on our trips back to the States.

Thankfully, we're vegetarians, we don't drink, don't smoke, and have no other vices so we're fortunate in that regard.

Our shopping list looks basically the same almost every week. The fruit and veggies change, depending on what's in season. We juice a lot, so we keep everything fresh and sometimes we'll make 2-3 trips a week to Coral, Supermaxi or the mercado to get what we need.

Broccoli                                      .54
Pulpa de Pina (pineapple pulp) 1.68
Cauliflower                               1.03
Mora (Blackberries)                 1.12
Avocadoes (3 large)                   .83
Tomatoes (6 large)                     .81
Onions   (4 large)                       .78
Cucumbers   (3)                         .53
Pre-pizza                                  1.27
Bouquet of flowers                  1.29
Dental floss                             2.94 (x2)

As you can see the most expensive thing on the "menu" is dental floss; it's by Oral B and imported. I have no idea how much dental floss costs in the States, but something tells me it might be cheaper.

If you shop on Wednesdays at Supermaxi you can get a discount of 20% on produce and flowers, so that's usually when we shop, along with the rest of Cuenca!

I know, we're NOT your typical expat couple in that we don't drink alcohol, but we can drink all the "jugo" (juice) we want. We enjoy eating healthy and our blood pressure thanks us (and so does the rest of our body).

Our new budget is about the same with a few exceptions; we don't pay rent!

Rent                                  0
Alicuota  (condo fees)   $45
Water & Gas            $9
Electric                           $25
ETAPA phone                 $4
ETAPA Internet             $39            
Groceries                      $330
Medical/IESS               $142
Transportation                $50
Savings                         $160
Life Ins.                          $94
Rx's                                 $50
Misc.                               $50
Entertainment                 $50
Cell                                   $5
Doctor                             $50
Charity                          $152

Total                            $1,210

Our allotted budget is $1,317.17, so we are below budget. We cancelled Direct TV and switched to Apple TV. Initial investment was $150, but we love it (no commercials). We actually spend less than we did four years ago, but that's because we own our home. All the rest that we make goes into savings -- including our teaching and writing income. We use the extras to go on vacation to the States once a year and take a few vacations within Ecuador. This year we went to the coast twice and enjoyed a few overnight trips. We don't have private medical insurance because we have found it to be a waste of money and only use IESS. Our medical insurance is a little more expensive because we're considered professionals (teachers). Normally it should be $70 with the dependent paying $11.

We don't have an iPhone with a data plan (just a flip phone -- like Gibs on NCIS) and we use Skype or FaceTime to connect with family and friends. We don't own a car as we live 3 blocks to the main shopping mall (Mall del Rio) and 20 minutes to El Centro. We walk a lot, take the bus and hail an occasional taxi.

Life is simple -- just how we like it!

Jardin del Valle

For others, this budget would NOT work -- not at all. I would say that $1,500 - $2,000 per month would bring you into the category of the majority as 70 percent of expats rent and eat out more often. When Mark and I dine out we never spend more than $12-15 (total) unless it's a special occasion, like a birthday or anniversary. We always split entrees. One thing I didn't include in the budget is our Spanish Intensives which is $80 a month, but it's not part of our regular budget.

I exercise at the park around the corner where they have resistance training equipment, dance therapy at 8:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, and swim at Hosteria Duran once a week for $3.10. We ride our bikes on the weekends and use that time to explore the city.

My $3.10 pool at Hosteria Duran on a busy day!

We are still considered young retirees (59) and won't receive Social Security for another three years, but life has taught us -- "never rely on the future." If we do receive it, we'll triple our income and look forward to more travel. But in the meantime, we're enjoying life and saving too!

The best part: We savor each day to the fullest. I love my writing world and look forward to some more stories coming out this year, including Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power of Forgiveness, and Mark enjoys teaching at CEDEI.  Mark always wanted girls and this cycle he has 16 of them!

Life is still good in paradise!

Until next time...hasta luego!

We're Back!

It's been two months since we returned to Cuenca and it's been exciting to see all the changes. And I have to say, when you're away for a long period of time Spanish comes back in full force. It's as if we never left!

After we received a $16,000 bill from 1-1/2 hours in the ER while we were in the States, we hopped on the next plane back home to Cuenca. Unfortunately, even with the medical insurance policy we took out, it barely covered anything. So one of the first things we did upon returning to Cuenca was to sign up for another insurance policy -- Confiamed.The $98 we spend per month-- for both of us -- includes: 100% hospitalization for Santa Ines, 80% for other hospitals; prescriptions, outpatient services, life insurance, travel insurance and burial insurance. Try to find something even close to that in the States. We were paying $622 a month and that was for catastrophic only.

There were a "few" things that changed in Cuenca as well:

(1) Mucho más gringos! In February of 2010 when my husband made his first exploratory trip to Cuenca I asked him if there were a lot of gringos in Cuenca. He mentioned that he saw a few, but that was it! I realize that gringos (expats) only make up about 2-4 percent of the population, but they are mostly concentrated in "el centro." We now live on the other side of town -- Primero de Mayo -- where we rarely see any Americans. Today we met friends at Coffee Tree on Calle Larga and I felt like I was in America with all the English speaking folks. What a contrast to what it was just a few short years ago. I guess all the promoting of Cuenca has worked!

(2) Places to Eat. Some of the older establishments like Zoe's are now for rent, but many more restaurants have taken its place. It seems like every week another place opens its doors, only with gringo pricing! We have visited some of our old favorites along with some of the newer places like Oliveto (Italian) on Calle Larga and Windhorse Cafe (Calle Larga and Hermano Miguel) which is a great place to meet and greet. Other popular places are Bananas (where Kookaburra used to be) and San Sebas Cafe which is perfect hangout all during the week.

(3) Higher Prices. When it's difficult to find a cup of coffee for a $1.00, we just laugh. It's all relative. I just remind myself that 1-1/2 hours in the ER is 16K (U.S.) so what's the big deal about $1.25 for a cup of java. Liquor and wine are now being taxed 30 percent, but you can still find great deals at Coral. A bottle of wine there is still $4.25 which is cheaper than the boxed wine -- Clos. Since Mark and I don't drink alcohol we definitely save money compared to our drinking friends who complain almost constantly about the prices. If you imbibe, be prepared to pay the price. Housing prices are also going up, but the Ecuadorians are the ones raising the prices so it's what you're willing to pay. It's still cheaper to rent a house ($250-$300) than a condo, but security is an issue for some. We have looked at some brand new 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartments for $300 unfurnished and some furnished for $400, so don't let anyone gringo gouge you! We love our new neighborhood along Primero de Mayo along the Yununcay River; it has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths with a balcony. We get morning and afternoon sun which makes our home a constant 68-70 degrees. Our friends who live in places that don't have the morning sun, usually need electrical heaters during the day or night. The other nice perk is a 7-minute walk to Mall del Rio. I find reasons to go there about twice a day!

(4) More police presence (everywhere) and the new transit police which have sharp looking uniforms. Most of the police are centered in "el centro," along the rivers and near the parks. Parque de la Madre with its underground parking garage was "under construction" when we left for the States in July, but now it's open and awaiting the unveiling of the planetarium. Video web cams at intersections are now being put in which will crack down on speeding and aggressive driving.

(5) Cuenca keeps making the news!  Publications continue to write articles on the benefits of retiring abroad, including Cuenca. NBC with Ann Curry did a special series on the Amazon with the oil drilling going on there. ABC's Primetime with John Quinones was here last month interviewing expats, and -- of course -- International House Hunters continues to target Cuenca as a hotspot. When we were first exploring Cuenca in 2009 there were a few blogs and tidbits of information on the internet, but today resources abound. It seems like every week there's a new e-book written about this colorful city.

One of the things that has changed drastically since we left is the ease of getting your residency visa at the Ministerio de Exteriores (Zone 6). It's now possible to go through the process without the services of a lawyer and since the "censo" is no longer needed, folks have been able to get their residency visas in a month (or less). The English speaking staff in the office is one of the greatest perks and without the extra red tape of the censo, some are getting their cédula in as little as two months!

It sure is great to be back home!

Until next time...hasta luego!


Connie and Mark

Jellied Cranberry Sauce?!?

"Mark, can you believe it?" I gasped, while moving my shopping cart closer to get a better look at the top shelf. "It's Ocean Spray Cranberries!" I shouted, jumping up and down!

Truth be told, I don't even like cranberries: whole, jellied or in a sauce. It's just the idea that SuperMaxi carried it (just in case I changed my mind!).

I know Thanksgiving is history, but Christmas is just around the corner and the thought of a bowl full of cranberries sounds absolutely delightful at this point.

My hubby briefly looked at the price ($2.59) and gave me a downward glance which meant,"How much does this really mean to you?"

I clutched the can close to my heart and whispered, "It's priceless!"

“Okay,” my hubby smirked in satisfaction, “you can put it in the cart.” 

"Thank-you...thank-you...thank-you!" I chimed, placing it in the shopping cart before he changed his mind.

When you compare the fact that Jif Peanut Butter is almost $8.00 for a medium-sized jar, I felt like I had won the lottery!

We don't normally shop at The Gringo Store (SuperMaxi), but when we do there are surprises around every corner. Tomorrow, I'm going on the hunt for Rocky Road Marshmallows (LARGE), and see what I can find.

I'll be reporting back...

Until next time...hasta luego!

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