Buying a strong box

PriceSmart (there’s one in Alajuela and one in Escazu that are open in the evenings and on Sunday) usually has small combination safes. Office Depot (next to PriceSmart in Escazu and just off the autopista in La Uruca) has them, too.

Anything large enough to contain a laptop is going to be a small safe, not just a thin metal box. It’ll be heavy but not so heavy that some burglar couldn’t carry the whole thing away unless you bolt or epoxy it to the floor.

Ronny, yes, a membership is necessary for PriceSmart. Obviously, if you intend to [i]’bolt this to the floor'[/i] it will be in your own home and not a rental property 🙄

N&M’s,in San Pedro, on the main road out of SJ sells them, too.

I am planning to cone to Costa Rica in a few weeks to check out the real possibilities of moving and living there. I will want to rent first to see how life goes and I do understand that theft can be an issue. Since I won’t be buying my own property, is it really necessary to bolt a safety deposit box to the floor to keep my laptop and other things from being stolen???

[quote=”costaricafinca”]Ronny, yes, a membership is necessary for PriceSmart. Obviously, if you intend to [i]’bolt this to the floor'[/i] it will be in your own home and not a rental property :roll:[/quote]

My plan was of course to come and look around a couple of times before making a move to CR. Now with the changes in the law, and my not qualifying under the old rules, makes this a little more rushed than I had planned. I am coming to CR in Feb – just need to make my flight arrangements, have lived in other countries already – and would be surprised if I found I didn’t like it 🙂 I’m easy going, non materialistic, and really looking for a place where I can live on the money I already have – I can’t do that here in Florida…..and…..if I don’t like it – no big deal – I come back! Not the end of the world. I don’t have much to get rid of here – rent a furnished condo, do have to sell my car – but relatively easy move and decision for me. If I don’t come in under a pensionado residency, I understand I can still come (just need to leave every 3 months – right?) but would not then be eligible for the gov’t health care – is that right?
I don’t mind going through the hoops and applying for residency even before checking it out – I’m THAT confident in my abilities to adapt. I’m extremely positive and know that I can live and enjoy Costa Rica…..

[quote=”costaricafinca”]No, it isn’t ‘really necessary’ and quite impractical to expect to bolt a safe to the floor of a rental unit.
Again, it depends on where you choose to live.
You have mentioned on another post, about the requirements of residency here and the costs involved. If you haven’t been here before, I wouldn’t advise you too jump ahead until you have really looked around and see if this is the place for [i]you[/i]. Many disagree on how many or the percentage of people actually returning ‘home’ due to lots of different reasons that their expectancy was very different from their actual experience.[/quote]

There is a 50 something single woman from the states that lives on the Carribean coast. She has a website and has been blogging about her experiences in CR for the past 2 years. I don’t know anything about her residency status, but she may be a good source of info, as I believe she is living on a very small budget. If your interested in contacting her send me a pm and I’ll send you her contact info.