Solar energy - panels

Dominique......When you say you just bought a traditional house,do you mean one of those small prefab Tico homes ? You need to ask yourself,is it worth retro fitting the home for something,that if it fails,no one is going to come right away to fix it.If there is solar company in Samara with a track record, then maybe.To get someone from San Jose,you are asking for trouble.Save the money and update the plumbing instead,so you can flush toilet paper.

Dominque... thanks for asking your question. I've been thinking about SPs too.

Hi Edwinmora,
Thank you for your reply!
My property manager has someone in the area who was trained in the US for solar panels.
What I'm really interested in are feedbacks from people using solar panels, not what I should do or not. I'll have everything checked (plumbing, electricity, etc anyway) and have it fixed prior to moving in.
Kind regards,
Dominique

Dominique........I was just going by the use of terms used,"traditional" for describing your home.Which is the small cinder block home,with the flimsy zinc roof.

Dominique,

I'd love to know who your US tech is for the panels.  We have solar for some of our home, non-traditional- and it has not been a prosperous experience but when it works, its lovely.  Don't notice the difference in the electric bill.

Hi,
I'll meet him in October but I have his info: Electricista Sandro. 8730 5678. My property manager told me he speaks English well and recommended him as he was traineras in the US.

You may wish to speak with Jim Ryan in Liberia. They also do water treatment. He did some testing for us and the town, a few years ago.

A friend & neighbour invested in some solar panels but the last I heard was that ICE wouldn't buy any electricity extra from them...

I bought a solar system from a Swiss company  located in San Jose (or Cartago I think).  I did not buy the back up battery system with it so I'm still on the grid with ICE.  And, no, they won't buy my extra electricity - they still get to use it of course since I'm on their system, but nothing for me other than a very much reduced monthly bill.  However, when ICE electric goes out, so does my solar system and I end up using my generator.  I am happy with my purchase and it has probably already paid me back in savings from what I paid to have the thing installed.  I would advise however, if you do buy, get the back up battery system, it will be worth it in the long run.  I'd still connect to the grid, but I'd have a switch so I could switch off ICE and just use my batteries so I wouldn't have to listen to the noise of a generator.

Someone I know just installed solar here in San Ramon area, in his newly constructed home. As I recall he said it cost around $4k, but that's totally off grid, with batteries and installation. Much cheaper than it used to be.
I could ask for a phone number if you want.
Supposedly it's enough to run all their lights, refrigerator and washing machine, everything.
If he were to add, say , air conditioning or a dehumidifier (very heavy usage) then I don't know if it would be enough. As I understand it he is close to maximum with the above described appliances. Pretty sure it would not run an a.c. system at that price.

Yes, thank you ! It could be usefull to have the phone number in order to compare.

Dominique Schreiber wrote:

Yes, thank you ! It could be usefull to have the phone number in order to compare.

I will see if I can get it for you. May take a few days. We'll see. If I get it I will send you a Private Message via this forum. Can't give phone #'s in this part of the forum.

Thank you very much 🙏

Check your pm for info.
I don't think it is disallowed to give a name of the solar company, if it is, Mod, then forgive me and delete this part:
On Facebook look for Energia-Solar-MYR.
Disclaimer: I am not recommending them, it's just a company a friend used and so far is happy with (he just installed the solar system very recently).

Hello Dominique, you have to just make inquiry about how to get it done. Check your private message here I dropped you a message over there thanks

Three years later... Any updates Dominique?

Thanks!!

@Erinlouise7....Most foreigners in Costa Rica return to their origins within 2 years.....That is probably the reason of the no reply, from Dominique..

@edwinemora

Hi there! Interesting stats.

What are the reasons why foreigners don't stay in CR?

And by foreigners, you mean all, or mostly Americans or Europeans?

Just a bit curious 😉

There are no reliable statistics (just anecdotal observations) about how many aspiring expats/Costa Rican residents leave Costa Rica, where they go, or why. Nobody keeps track.

That said, my observations suggest that some depart because the cultural barriers (language, customs, business practices, etc) make them too uncomfortable to stay. Moving to a new environment isn't for the faint of heart. Costa Rica is not like North America.

Others (women, especially) seem to leave due to the draw of that firstborn grandchild. Wave a newborn baby under their nose and off they go. (That's not a criticism.)

Some depart for medical reasons. Especially if they're perpetual tourists who never apply for legal residency and therefore have no access to free medical care, the onset of a serious medical condition can send them packing in favor of care they cannot get or cannot afford here. And those covered by the CAJA will find it lacking in some areas. Too, not all the medications they're used to using are available here either in the CAJA system or in the public health care sector.

It's also true that some are shocked to learn that living here, especially in the style to which they have become accustomed or in the style to which they wish to become accustomed, isn't as cheap as some would have you believe. To qualify for temporary legal residency, you must have a monthly income of at least $1,000US, but living on anything like that amount would be difficult if at all possible.

And I suppose some leave because things that make their lives comfortable may simply not be available here. Costa Rica is not North America only in Spanish. I think some bail out simply because they've given up too much of what makes life worth living.

If anyone is looking for a referral to a professional contractor to install a solar water heating system or photovoltaic panels to generate electricity from Costa Rica's abundant sunshine, please send me a private message.

@ChrisJohan.....Hello !......daveandmarcia gave a good dissertation on why foreigners leave Costa Rica...The only thing I can negate on that reply to you is the mention of  'no stats',which I will tell you it is a long running verifiable fact that is easy to find about the "Tucked Tailed out of Costa Rica".........The beginning of this thread says a lot about our solar panel 'Dominique'.......She describes buying a house that needed a complete overhaul,plumbling,electric,etc..etc.....I am sure she needed a new roof to replace the leaky one to accommodate the solar panels......This is quite an undertaking for a woman alone in this machismo culture,where Costa Rican men do not take direction from any woman and just do what they want,because inferior work and mediocrity reins supreme.....Eventually they cut their losses,due to the fact they under estimated Costa Rica.........Hopefully,'Dominique'will reply back to prove me wrong because these quagmires happen all too often,to those finding out the hard way how things function 'a lo tico'.....

Hmmm . . . When I googled "Tucked Tailed out of Costa Rica", I got lots of interesting hits about touristy stuff but nothing whatsoever about why expats leave and return home.

So then I googled "How Many Expats Who Live in Costa Rica Return to Their Home Countries?" Got lotsa hits on "Why" expats leave (as some certainly do) but not one hit on "How Many" leave.

The closest thing I could find was a 2022 participant in some forum stating that there are no statistics and then opining that some 30% or so do leave but without citing any objective information to back that up. Anecdotal observations don't count. I personally know of about ten American citizens who have left. That leaves 69,990 unaccounted for.

The U.S. State Department says some 70,000 U.S. citizens live in Costa Rica. So, how many of the 70,000 or so U.S. citizen expats bail out and go home? And how long did they live here? Nobody knows because nobody counts. The only way I can think of that we might get a meaningful number would be to count how many legal residents choose not to renew their cedulas when they expire.

@daveandmarcia......I am surprised you didn't try to negate the rest of my reply to Chrisjohan......Going by your immediate bubble of the 10 expats bailed,doesn't say very much or that you didn't want to give much effort to research this subject further......It is understandable,as the heavily invested in Costa Rica give a standard scripted reply as yours on that subject,to paint a different picture......I will take it a step further,just about all leave Costa Rica eventually,once the honeymoon is over....Those that have better luck,never did cut ties with their origins and have the finances to do it,to live in two worlds at the same time(to fly back and forth)........Here is another jewel of a fact,that you will not dare negate,"the large percentage of 'want to be expats' that lose all their finances before they are even able to settle into Costa Rica"........Here is a few of those entities that destroyed dreams for many---Hal Wright's 'Kiana Resorts debacle'(he was promoted in a Bloomberg publication),Las Olas project, Sonesta Towers,Daystar and that is just the tip of the iceberg,as it still continues on.....Let us not forget those 'all in one to go for'legal firms that take off with escrow monies from the want to live in Costa Rica.....

@daveandmarcia

Hello,

Thanks a lot for a very thorough analysis! And for your time to reply to me.

All you write makes sense.

I have checked the reasons below one by one to see if they could apply to my husband and myself.

Good news for us, we are apparently not in the risk zone.

We already speak Spanish, we don't have kids, we have a good health condition and we plan to be resident (to pay the CAJA).

And fully agree, 1.000 USD/pers/month seems optimistic.

Once again, many thanks to have shared your analysis, very helpful!

@edwinemora

Hello,

Thanks for your input!

I know what the matcho culture is, I'm French.

From my own little analysis, I think that it comes from the Catholic heritage. That won't disappear tomorrow.

It can be extremely irritating/frustrating, but women who know the rules, can actually find their way.

But for an American woman alone, fully agree that she can hit the wall directly.

Concerning buying a cheap property to renovate, I have done this with all the properties that I bought during my life.

I have always renovated by myself almost everything (tearing walls, concrete flooring, electricity, plumbing, etc...)  and that was aside from my "normal" job. I have made profits. But never again!!!!

Especially in an unknow country for a European, far too risky, I also agree.

Btw, just a little woman comment , it seems that you like Dominique and that you miss her on this forum, ah, ah...

Cheers,

edwinemora, tell us your sources for the "facts" you cite above and we'll be in a position to take what you write seriously. Until then, unfortunately, it's just noise and not very enlightening noise at that. Neither you nor I are in a position to know how many expats leave within five years nor how much of their wealth they leave behind because no one keeps any statistics on those matters.

If I'm wrong, please cite your sources.

BTW, I know a few folks who did leave, as you assert, and made money on the sales of the homes they build and vehicles they bought while here.

@ChrisJohan....You are welcome !....I enjoy the volley with everyone and more so with the women in these groups as I find them very ferocious.....The more ferocious of an attack,the better I get !....Nobody wants to hear the truth, especially the highly emotional due to from what they invested into Costa Rica.They will say anything and bang their pans louder than anyone,to even try to censor us who have a whole life experience with Costa Rica because of the obvious..

Ugh...   I wasn't going to read this thread because I don't care about solar panels.  But I think that the readers all deserve to hear our differing comments, opinions, and testimonials.  Even if 'one' of them tends to be entirely 'off' according to sentence structure, fact-based reality, and legible train of thought.  Good that this forum is here for everybody to have their say; and most importantly, provide information and answers to questions so that the 'Writer' of the original inquiry can then decipher it all and make their own conclusions.  On this particular thread... things have really taken a turn, which is Not unusual... so one 'never knows' what to expect. '

But some of the writing on this particular thread is really full of incomplete 'data' or just data that is missing and therefore, makes the commentor come up somewhat 'half complete' when stating their facts and figures before doing a full scale, complete, search.   Tell what you Know... not what you 'think' you know... because somebody is going to actually know...  get it???

As for why Dominique no longer responds... perhaps she has no reason to. ???  Maybe she got her solar panels and a good looking Tico (wink wink) to service them??  Maybe she left, and the reason is none of our business.  It was 2021... so maybe Covid played a part in her departure from the forum.  We just don't know and probably never will.

As for all the back-and-forth about how many 'expats' leave CR and why...  it's missing a ton of contributing factors... so we should all just ignore what's 'here' until somebody who gives a u-know-what takes the time to do complete research and analysis.  Example:.. nobody bothered to 'include' how many people 'move TO' Costa Rica every year... so the number of those leaving means nothing when it comes to percentages.  And perhaps 'country of origin' was a factor???   Do more Americans go back to the states because ????  Maybe because it's closer?  Maybe because they can find 'similar' climates there, like Florida, where they can be closer to family and friends and Whole Foods; and then, of course... the health care concerns.  Of course healthcare 'up there' is better... and perhaps some of the expats come down here Knowing Full Well that their 'time' here is not going to be permanent.  Were they supposed to 'file' that with somebody??  Maybe their spouse died, or a family member up there needs their support?

And yes!!  the 'grandchild' story.   I cannot relate ... I'll just 'cringe' inwardly and save my thoughts on that one.

So... I can add even more 'missing' factors.  Do the 'border runners' just get tired of it and return to their country of origin because they can't stay here because they 'can't' get Residency??   There's always 'testimonials' from border runners on here as to how easy it is ... and even easier now with the 180 day visa... but they Never Share why they chose that particular 'situation' ... ???  I'm guessing, and maybe its just paranoid ME... but perhaps they didn't or couldn't get a 'clean' criminal background check??   Maybe it's just a more free-spirited way of doing things... ??   Why else would you do it??   Before the 180 day Visa...  people were running up to Nicaragua every 3 months... and during that massive Migrant movement when a couple Million Venezuelans (plus many unfortunate others... willing to risk their lives for a better Life) were crowding the border in chaos.  But now that I've written this... maybe somebody will share ?????    I for one, would like to know if only to close one of those perpetually 'empty' spaces in my very long inner list of 'whys?'  Honestly, I'm more curious about 'that' than how many foreigners come here to 'live', where they are from, or how long they stay?  Or even why they leave.  That's about as important to me and my life here as 'googling what; "Tucked Tailed out of Costa Rica" means.... why even bother???   Considering the source.

As for wealth 'left behind' ...  like that doesn't happen Everywhere????????????     In the long run... it's all 'good' for some lucky Tico who gets a great deal on some expats' house because the guy hooked up to a breathing machine in a suburb of Dallas had to just 'drop' the price and be 'rid of the place' before it became an 'issue' for those he or she leaves behind.  And as far as renovating and doing well on future resale down here... if you do it where actual Ticos live, with reasonably good incomes, like our own, then you should do fine.  But a Tico that can afford a nice house to LIVE in (not 'stay' in for long holiday weekends) isn't buying the 1.2 million dollar steel and glass sculpture overlooking the Pacific.  They want and need to be able to drive to work or their place of business... even if its a dairy farm in San Carlos, from 'that' house.  Sure, there are exceptions to everything... but 'banking' on the exceptions doesn't sound like a good investment.  Just saying.  What would happen if CR stopped allowing foreigners to live here??   Or to own property here??  What would happen if Trump became a dictator and told expats they had to 'return' home or he would liquidate their assets in the states; or even halt their Pensions???  He's selfish and would most likely want us to be spending our greenbacks UP There where he or his buds can make money.   ????   lots to consider.

Here's a real testimonial...  I bought a tiny fixer upper in western San Carlos canton... good solid concrete 'bones' ... nice 1500 sq. meter property on paved road with municipal water and trash collection 2x per week... surrounded by fields and mountains... and within a 30-50 minute 'commute' to Quesada or La Fortuna; and gutted it, added on to it, and made it a really nice house.  I work in the garden daily... I will say it is my first and only garden and it looks great!!  and All In... I'm still under $100k (USD).  Many of the people where I live Do commute to bigger towns for work; daily. 

Because my 'area' is popular with city folk, whether from San Ramon, Quesada, or even the Capital... we get a lot of 'weekend' and 'holiday' visitors... renting Quintas, or just here for day trips; driving around and admiring the countryside.   If I had a 'nickle' for every time a car stopped in front of my place while I was trimming hedges or whatever; and was approached in a friendly manner, by somebody who said they liked the house, had driven by many times, and was 'curious' if I would sell???... I would have a lot of nickles.   I 'almost' always say it isn't for sale; but I have asked a few of them what they would offer.  I give them the stats and it's obvious to them, due to my accent and caveman Spanish that I'm an extranjero... so that they can make their offer 'knowing' i'm a gringo.  I have been surprised.  4x the offer was in the 70-90 million colones range... which converts, today (with crap dollar at 509 colones = $1)  ... to around $137,500 to $176,800.   If the dollar ever goes back up to the 580 'range'... the price in dollars for my $100k 'investment' would drop to $120.6K to $155K... if I were to still get offers in the 70-90 million colones range.   Granted... these were just offers and taken with a reasonable grain of 'salt'... but better than expected.   So I guess location location location... doesn't mean the same thing if the 'buying' public isn't going to be interested in a mountainside 'dream house' that is far far far away from the daily needs and lives of your typical tico who isn't on full time 'vacation'.   Maybe my renovation project was actully a good investment???   omg!!

Also... if somebody is going to ask for, 'the "facts" you cite above' as was written earlier in the post...so that "we'll be in a position to take what you write seriously"...  you should be able, Dave, to provide your own "facts' for that which you are citing.  No??

I had to laugh, when you wrote "To qualify for temporary legal residency, you must have a monthly income of at least $1,000US, but living on anything like that amount would be difficult if at all possible.  Really???? I'm referring to the part that i made 'bold' type...    Where did you get that information???????    Does the typical Tico family live on more than that????   If yes... show us your data.  If no... then how the hell are they staying alive???  Why haven't they all just laid down and died??   Why haven't they erased 'Pura Vida' from the lexicon here if it's nothing but pain and disappointment here in Costa Rica???   Do you have facts???

I am an expat.  I am from the United States.  I lived in a big city.  I worked a 'professional job.  I have a Master of Science degree.  And I'm not stupid.

I live on around $800-900 a month, here in Costa Rica, and sometimes less... depends on what I need to 'replace'... like shoes, or shovel, or something else that really isn't very interesting to talk nor write about. 

Big revelation... it's not difficult, nor is it impossible unless I'm dead and this is all a dream.  But I'll provide some facts so that 'other' readers, perhaps new to the forum and looking for a detailed source of information that comes from real-life experience and not just late night keyboard babble; can hear something that isn't just a 'guess' to bolster their on-line argument with somebody who speaks in circles and shouldn't be addressed by anything other than kind words; or else; just ignore them. 

1) My electricity bill has never been more than $20/month.  Full disclosure... I live alone, do not have AC (just ceiling fans) and i only have an 'on-demand' hot water shower head.  Since the temperature where I live is never below 70 degrees F... the water coming out of the faucet is never 'cold'.  Hot water for washing hands or dishes isn't something that 90% (a guess!) of Ticos have... but they survive.  If I am here for 25 more years... (I would be 87) I will pay approx. $9,000 for electricity.  Sure, it could be only $5K to install solar panels... but ???  don't they require maintenance??  Like... what happens if one breaks?  And... what if there is a bad storm and there's storm damage??  What happens if my roof leaks under the panels...???  Won't I have to remove them to replace that portion of roof or at least, patch it??   As far as I can tell... I don't have to pay for damages to the 'electric' lines except for the one that leads to my house from the pole, on my property, at the street... and I buried that line, in a tube which is embedded in concrete, so the 'chance' of wind or storm damage is nill.

My water has never been more than $10/month... (and even less when the dollar was stronger!!) ... and my Wifi is around $27/month... which has gone down from $35/month due to competition!!!  Food is cheap or at least, reasonable, if you eat what the Ticos eat.  Makes sense.  I didn't move here to eat like a New Yorker.

I don't drive because driving costs money and cars break... and it's not 'news' that Americans love their cars and love getting into them and 'going'.... ???  Usually, to someplace where they are going to spend time doing some 'aimless' shopping and then spending money on something they never knew they needed.  Hahaha!!

DGMW...  I don't hate cars and occasionally will rent one, or even use the Pirate Taxi in my village... but if the bus (I have 3 bus routes that are 300 yards from my house) is already going there... ????   Why would I just add another car to the road??... plus, I get to look out the window of the bus and enjoy the beautiful CR countryside go by. 

I do own my house... so I'm not paying rent.  Full disclosure on that.  I currently pay $255/month for the Caja... but it was less when the dollar was stronger.  Duh.   I am planning on visiting the Caja administrative office in the near future to get rid of the 'maternity care' portion of my caja payment (which I learned about from somebody here on the Forum... thanks!!).  I am not planning to have a baby.  So maybe some savings???

What I'm trying to say is... that I am proof that you can live for less than $1000/month, with caveats, and that saying it is 'impossible' or 'difficult' would be more 'believable' if you backed it up with your source for the 'facts' as cited in your own comment.   Fair?   maybe not... but I think we owe it to those who are reading this because they may be considering coming down here and need to know more than just our assumptions.  After all, we are here and living it so why not share our 'own' experiences and not what we 'think' are the experiences of others.

I'll be a jerk and say that I'm sometimes glad to read that somebody has 'left' because they hated it and had a laundry list of complaints about life here in CR.   Bye!!!  Adios!!!  It'll probably happen to them again.... if it hadn't already happened to them before they came here... ?   

Why do I write this... because I don't want them to be here.  I'll even be a 'selfish' jerk and say that I don't want to be around people who hate what I love.  That's not fancy thinking.   

Pura Vida.

@daveandmarcia......It does me no good to hand-feed you further,as you are too rankled and anchored to a script,parroting yourself into acting dumb.......I will agree with you on one thing, the great profits that are made from those leaving Costa Rica.....As they sell to the "Tourists-Turned-Investors' that come at our summer high season.That type of buyer never realizes,till it is too late,that they invested into a house,that turns into a petrie dish of a mold incubator in the rainy season.....Timing is everything !

***

rainagain and edwinemora, please reread what I've written that you find bothersome. I have noted where appropriate, that something I've written has been based upon my own personal observations and nothing more. I have also pressed for more information and citations of the sources for assertions about claims others have made. So far, nothing but (at best) individual's accounts of their own observations or experiences -- hardly reliable samples, no?

Once again, what, edwinemora, is the source of your data that indicates that 95% of expats depart Costa Rica within five years? I've searched the Internet and cannot find any such data. Where did you find it? Likewise, what's your source that that 95% lose everything and return to their home country as paupers? If this is based upon your own observations, how many observations is that? Otherwise, you're pulling all this out of a very dark place.

@daveandmarcia....Just go back to my last reply to ChrisJohan........You will find what I mentioned about those who " Bang their Pans",what was done by you in the last 48hrs......It is worse for rainagain,like many(tourists-turned-investors) he didn't even know what the "Registro Nacional" was and believes Ticos are Oracles......His formula a road taken by many,is what dooms all in their approach to full-fill their personal eden project in Costa Rica...

edwinemora, I've asked you before to divulge the basis for, among a number of other things, your claims that 95% of expats who move to Costa Rica leave within five years and further that all or most lose all their accumulated wealth in the transition back "home". You've yet to respond, so here's the deal . . .

If you can cite a credible, data-based source (one or more) for either of those claims that's published on the Internet and which I can read, I'll send you c10,000 either by interaccount transfer at Banco Nacional or via SINPE. That's a quick c20,000 that will make you a little richer and, more importantly, save your face.

So, howsabout it?

rainagain, I've just read your "lengthy" contribution immediately above and find nothing to criticize save for one important point. While you have found it possible to live for less than $1,000 per month, to do so typically requires some considerable concessions which may simply not be acceptable to many aspiring expats. Too, you pay no rent which accounts for at least 25% of most folks' monthly expenses. Add that in and the computation takes a different turn.

I have long believed that one of the factors that makes expats leave Costa Rica is that they have to just give up too much. While some folks can live happily without the material things that make their lives pleasant, not everyone can. And it's not just about money. Not everyone will tolerate a diet based on rice and beans supplemented by whatever's cheapest at the farmers' market this week. Not everyone will be comfortable coming home from grocery shopping for the week riding the bus. Not everyone will tolerate standing in line at the local EBAIS when they're in pain in order to get an appointment for later on.

I am absolutely NOT criticizing the choices you've made or the concessions to which you have become accustomed, but I am comfortable to assert that many aspiring expats will not be as comfortable as you say you are. My wife gets carsick on the bus, so that's out for us. As a diabetic, a diet high in carbohydrates is out of the question for me -- no rice and beans. Likewise, the CAJA's choice of medications to control my blood sugar doesn't afford me an effective choice. So there's another expense I suspect you don't face. And have you priced dry dog food lately? (See, having a dog is one of those things that make our lives pleasant. Your mileage may vary.)

My point is, and remains, that if we spoiled first world denizens have to give up too much of what's important to us, then living on $1,000 a month simply isn't feasible.

@edwinemora

Edwine... What??   You asked me about those 'property' documents a long time ago and I responded that not only did I 'know' they existed; but that I have 'said' documents for each of my three properties here; in a drawer, in my desk... So I'm wondering... what did you mean when you stated above that I didn't know what you were talking about.  ??????  That would be a lie.  You just wrote a lie about me on this forum.  The moderators can go back to your orignal 'post' and see my response for themselves.   

I'm not sure you are completely in control of your mental faculties; but please do not write Lies about me on this forum.   I hate that.

Please Moderators...  look into this.

Peace.

@daveandmarcia......It is not my fault you can't find this information/data...Save face for you,as someone as yourself, who eats his own excrement and ends up blinded by it ? ?

@rainagain......You are the one blasting away intoxicated by your own delusions of exhausting grandeur...

@daveandmarcia

Dave... of course, you forgot to end your response to my 'lengthy' post with the words; "in my opinion only".  ?????   

So is it just your opinion... or not?   Really man... feasible is a stretch when it comes to something you know nothing about; nor do you provide facts, figures, data, colors and flavors.

Your exact words in your earlier post, to which I wrote the 'lengthy' response; were; "but living on anything like that amount would be difficult if at all possible."   Again... it doesn't say that this is your assumption nor opinion.  So... ???   Obviously, you are making an assumption and forming an opinion and then using that opinion to assume that living on a $1000/month is difficult if not impossible... but you forgot the important words, "this is only my opinion and assumption.  I have no data to support it."  Maybe you simply forgot. 

Look...  I don't want to argue...  but what's your motus operandi here???    Why can't you just write about your own experiences and give testimonials from your own first-hand knowledge????    I'm guessing that many many Ticos live on less than $1000/month... if it's impossible then I guess they must be near death.   

I have 'added' a ton of wonderful aspects to my life by living here...  the only thing that really comes to mind that I left behind.. is standing in line at the store or post office 'wondering' if somebody else in the line is going to pull out a simi-automatic weapon and blow 20-30 of us away; causing our family members to provide DNA samples to make identification of our bodies possible.   

I'm happy to make that list of 'additions' if you so want it... but considering you find my posts to be 'lengthy'... I'll save you and everybody the 'read'.  In fact...  I won't comment to anybody anymore.  If they write in with questions... How much?  Where?  How? When?  etc...   I'll just tell them to google it.   I have a list of 13 'folks' who sent me private messages asking if I would be available, in the future, to lend an 'ear' to their inquiries (and many notes saying 'thanks for the info") as they are planning their moves.  Not just from this forum... but from others as well.  And I don't tell everybody 'yes'... only those that seem to be making a good effort to find things out 'first' on their own.  But I'm happy to send them in your direction since you seem to know everything about me and my life here.  "What will I have for lunch on Friday, Dave???"    Will breakfast even be possible; or feasible???

No problem.   Just send me your email and I'll forward it to the folks.

As for dog food, my friend.... what makes you 'believe' that I don't have a dog???  I do.  Her name is Azel and she's a wonderful little  creature.  She was abandoned by a Tico drug addict and we have been together 5 years this week. I buy her food at the local bike shop that doubles as an underground 'vet' clinic... they buy pat food at super 'bulk' and then separate into smaller bags and sell at a very good low price... so that the locals, many who are poor, can afford it.   i have two cats too...   but you don't know that.

And I too get carsick... but I use Dramamine because YES those bus rides, especially thru the mountains, can seem like a carnival ride that never stops.  it's an easy thing to do.   Have you heard of it???   I've been taking it since I was five years old.

I only eat rice and beans 2-3 times a week... other than that; I just eat dead iguanas that I find by the side of the road... along with delicious things from my garden and from my generous neighbors and friends... we all share overages.  How did I survive the USA without that wonderful little piece of life ????????????

As for the Caja... I use both private, when I need see the 'need', and the Caja too... because I'm paying for it.  Not sure what or why you wrote about 'that' in your response to my 'lengthy' post.   

Look... I don't care how everybody else lives here... expat or tico.  It's none of my business.  But on this forum, like others, people regularly write in asking for testimonials and experiences so that they can take all of that information... and it varies greatly, and  then discern from it what works for them and then decide if moving here is a viable option.   That's all.  They want and deserve to hear from people doing 'it' in a variety of ways.   Like... $1000/month...  or $5000/month.... they deserve to hear it all.

Why can't you just let it go???    I prefer 'ripe' plantains... but I don't bore people with 'why' their preference for green plantains is, in my 'opinion' wrong or bad... I really don't care.

Please don't poo poo on what you 'think' is wrong with the testimonials (which are real life experiences...not opinions) from other Expats... spend time telling the readers what you 'know.'  You didn't bother 'sharing' your budgets; expenditures; etc.  But you certainly had a lot to say about mine.   Why???   I've always considered your comments to be of a higher quality than most others I read... you take the time to find out and then generously share.  It actually makes me angry how 'lazy' some of the readers are...  like a 4-minute internet search is too difficult for their arthritic hands... but writing on the forum isn't????

I'll stay in my lane, and you stay in yours... only by doing that can you and I both be of any 'help' to the readers.  But unless you're hiding in the bushes in front of my house, making observations... I would refrain from making assumptions about How I live... because you have to admit, Dave; you know nothing about that.   I just don't understand why you couldn't let me share my experience here in Costa Rica without you seeming to doubt that its possible.  I just don't get it.  What's in that for you???  Does doing that make your life richer???

Peace to you and Mrs.

Pura Vida

@edwinemora

Ok...  Love it.   You rock!!!