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Hi. This is my first post, but I must address this. I feel it will be a little long winded, but I hope it helps somebody.
I am retired. I retired at 63, moved to CR and lived in the La Garite area. Yes it was hot and humid, but you learn to adjust or move elsewhere. I lived there for about a year. I rented a 2/2 brand new casa on a compound of 4 casas. They also had horses. I had brought my life long pal with me (Fancy my Shiba Inu). I paid $750/month with furniture and all utilities. The casa was about 1100 sq.ft. My total income from SS and a very small pension is $1855/mo. I bought a small used car and had full insurance on it because, in an accident, the foreigner is to blame. I started buying groceries at the local Wal-Mart and tried eating like the states. Long story short, not possible. I started eating like a local and found it was more nutritional (no more stomach problems, lost some weight which I needed to do, and overall felt better).
I was luckier than most as I met a wonderful tica that was not interested in anything but me. Remember that I am not rich by any stretch of the imagination.
Due to problems that my dog experienced with tics, and some driving forces from home, I moved back to upstate NY where I came from. I have been back for about 4 months and have fallen back into my old eating ways because I cannot find all the fresh foods that I enjoyed in CR. This winter should prove truly bad when fresh fruits and veggies mean eating cardboard. Now, my monthly house payment is $500/month here and I had to get a part time job driving school bus to meet monthly bills and upkeep.
What i am trying to say is, if you look hard enough, you will find bad in everything. I am going back to CR in November to finalize my cedula, join the caja, (about $55/month because of my income), and look forward to the day I can move back. I will be moving to the Heredia area as that climate suits me better. I will also be seriously upping my Spanish speaking skills. At 65 this is hard because I have trouble retaining. Not like when we were young.
I do own my place here in the states, but before anybody goes nuts with that, I could probably sell it tomorrow for about $69,000. Problem is I owe about $65,000 on it. You do the math.
I have owned houses all my life, but never considered owning in CR. There are just to many good deals on renting, or if you’re lucky enough, house sitting. Having said that, there are trade-offs. But remember about seeing what you want to see? I chose to see that I have extra money to go and do a few things and see some things that I have never seen in my lifetime. Without the hassle of “upkeep”, this frees me up for a vast number of things I can do and see. And yes, I am very, VERY lucky to have a girlfriend who values love, kindness, family, and virtue above all else. She has 3 wonderful daughters, and everyone bends over backwards to help me in the everyday hassles we all have. My advice? Make some friends!!!!!!
So, in conclusion, and I can hear the sighs, let it all go. Live the way they do, enjoy life, and don’t be so hung up on how many (things) you have, want, or feel you need. That is strictly an American frame of mind, and it can be debilitating.
Try to live Pura Vida. It can happen. 😀
super helpful last post. I’m putting almost more into my 401k than I can afford to do but I’m heck bent on retiring to CR when my son graduates high school and then I’m hoping he’ll go down there for two years with me and do some volunteer work before going to college. I don’t want to eat like an American. We have so much garbage in our diet. Part of the beauty of CR is eating purely, cleanly, fruits, veggies, rice and beans. Nice post—glad you are working on getting back there!
Good post, Snodad. It rings true and illustrates that acting on a decision is not always a snap of the fingers. It is a process.
I take note of your reference to the heat. I don’t tolerate heat after 32 years in Miami. My mountain property in CR is high enough to experience spring like weather which means very cool nights and day temps not exceeding the low 80’s. I always take the opportunity to advise gringos who dream of retirement to a tropical beach that living in tropical heat 24/7 may not be the paradise they imagine.Snodad, just don’t depend/presume that your CAJA premium will be ‘$55 a month’ because if it is $1855, as you mention, unfortunately, it could be more than double…:cry:
Hope on your return everything work out for you.
[quote=”costaricafinca”]Snodad, just don’t depend/presume that your CAJA premium will be ‘$55 a month’ because if it is $1855, as you mention, unfortunately, it could be double…:cry:
Hope on your return everything work out for you.[/quote]
I, too, am wondering how you came up with $55 for Caja.
[quote=”costaricafinca”]Snodad, just don’t depend/presume that your CAJA premium will be ‘$55 a month’ because if it is $1855, as you mention, unfortunately, it could be double…:cry: [/quote]
My girlfriend went to the local caja, gave them the info they needed to calculate, and they (the caja)came up with that figure. Even if it is double, it is still way cheaper than my Medicare premium of $104/month plus my supplemental. 🙂
[quote=”Snodad101″][quote=”costaricafinca”]Snodad, just don’t depend/presume that your CAJA premium will be ‘$55 a month’ because if it is $1855, as you mention, unfortunately, it could be double…:cry: [/quote]
My girlfriend went to the local caja, gave them the info they needed to calculate, and they (the caja)came up with that figure. Even if it is double, it is still way cheaper than my Medicare premium of $104/month plus my supplemental. :)[/quote]
That same $104 Medicare premium can also buy you a Medicare Advantage Plan. With it there’s no need for a supplemental insurance plan or a prescription drug plan since the Medicare Advantage plan is all inclusive (although it usually involves co-pays and remaining within network).
Question. When you return to Costa Rica do you intend to terminate your Medicare Part B and supplemental insurance?And, if so, in the event of some unforeseen event causing you to, once again, re-relocate to the USA, what kind of Medicare penalties are there related to re-entering the plan?
[quote=”pixframe”]Question. When you return to Costa Rica do you intend to terminate your Medicare Part B and supplemental insurance?And, if so, in the event of some unforeseen event causing you to, once again, re-relocate to the USA, what kind of Medicare penalties are there related to re-entering the plan?
[/quote]I do intend to terminate the medicare simply because , in my situation, I will not be able to afford both. As far as a penalty, i am not sure although i did decline in in Feb when I was in CR, and it will be reinstated as of OCT.1 There is no penalty involved for this particular example. Overall, I am not sure.:?:
[quote=”Snodad101″][quote=”pixframe”]Question. When you return to Costa Rica do you intend to terminate your Medicare Part B and supplemental insurance?And, if so, in the event of some unforeseen event causing you to, once again, re-relocate to the USA, what kind of Medicare penalties are there related to re-entering the plan?
[/quote]I do intend to terminate the medicare simply because , in my situation, I will not be able to afford both. As far as a penalty, i am not sure although i did decline in in Feb when I was in CR, and it will be reinstated as of OCT.1 There is no penalty involved for this particular example. Overall, I am not sure.:?:[/quote]
I just checked with Medicare’s site. There is a penalty. “If you don’t sign up for Part B when you’re first eligible OR IF YOU DROP PART B AND THEN GET IT LATER, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Medicare. Your monthly premium for Part B may go up 10% for each full 12-month period that you could have had Part B, but didn’t sign up for it.” There are also penalties on Part D too.
http://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/part-b-costs/penalty/part-b-late-enrollment-penalty.html
[quote=”pixframe”][quote=”Snodad101″][quote=”pixframe”]Question. When you return to Costa Rica do you intend to terminate your Medicare Part B and supplemental insurance?And, if so, in the event of some unforeseen event causing you to, once again, re-relocate to the USA, what kind of Medicare penalties are there related to re-entering the plan?
[/quote]I do intend to terminate the medicare simply because , in my situation, I will not be able to afford both. As far as a penalty, i am not sure although i did decline in in Feb when I was in CR, and it will be reinstated as of OCT.1 There is no penalty involved for this particular example. Overall, I am not sure.:?:[/quote]
I just checked with Medicare’s site. There is a penalty. “If you don’t sign up for Part B when you’re first eligible OR IF YOU DROP PART B AND THEN GET IT LATER, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Medicare. Your monthly premium for Part B may go up 10% for each full 12-month period that you could have had Part B, but didn’t sign up for it.” There are also penalties on Part D too.
http://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/part-b-costs/penalty/part-b-late-enrollment-penalty.html
http://www.drugs.com/medicare-part-d/faqs.html#penalty
[/quote]Tks for the info. After reading up on it, it sounds more like a dam tax than a penalty. If I don’t join and get a penalty, I will pay that penalty for the rest of my life. Not a penalty, a disguised tax. (IMHO):evil:
Seriously reconsider dropping Medicare. I realize if you can’t afford both, you are in a pickle. But a friend of mine who has lived in CR for close to 40 years was vacationing in the States when he had a heart attack. He had surgery and was confined to the hospital for a long time. You can bet your bippy he was glad he had Medicare coverage. If you never, ever plan on returning to the States (not even for a visit), I can understand you wanting to drop coverage. I don’t know about enrolling for Obamacare when you are eligible for Medicare. I know for my husband and me coverage will be quite affordable once he leaves his job and we no longer have medical coverage. For 2 of the plans it will cost nothing, and for one other it will cost $29/month. It will be a while before we will be covered under caja, and although we will be living in CR by the end of this year, I will sign us up for Obamacare in the event we need it upon returning to the States.
There seems to be many who have returned to the US for surgery that would have to be performed privately here, unless you want to wait 2-3 years.
If the premium is that low, you can’t afford not to pay it. Realize that not everyone who moves here, stay for the long term, for many different reasons.[quote=”CHERYLJK”]Seriously reconsider dropping Medicare. I realize if you can’t afford both, you are in a pickle. But a friend of mine who has lived in CR for close to 40 years was vacationing in the States when he had a heart attack. He had surgery and was confined to the hospital for a long time. You can bet your bippy he was glad he had Medicare coverage. If you never, ever plan on returning to the States (not even for a visit), I can understand you wanting to drop coverage. I don’t know about enrolling for Obamacare when you are eligible for Medicare. I know for my husband and me coverage will be quite affordable once he leaves his job and we no longer have medical coverage. For 2 of the plans it will cost nothing, and for one other it will cost $29/month. It will be a while before we will be covered under caja, and although we will be living in CR by the end of this year, I will sign us up for Obamacare in the event we need it upon returning to the States.[/quote]
I agree, under the ideal situation he should cover himself with Part B and Part D Medicare coverage (and get the best bang for his buck by purchasing a Medicare Advantage Plan … soup to nuts for $104/mo) but, since he won’t be able to afford both Medicare Part B and Caja, he still has the peace of mind that in the event he became seriously ill while visiting the States, he still is covered (free of monthly premium) for Medicare Part A which does cover a large chunk of the costs of hospital care. http://www.medicare.gov/what-medicare-covers/part-a/what-part-a-covers.html
I have been living in the southern zone for close to 2 years full time, with trips back to the states every 3 months. We had the house for 6 years prior and came down twice a year for vacation. The house is an old, ugly, small Tico house and needs lots of work and things are breaking down on a weekly basis. It is on an acre of absolutely breathtaking land.
I actually find it comical. To me it is an adventure. Above ground pvc water pipes, going up to the mountain to straighten them out and fix the leaks with hule (bicycle tires) after a lot of rain, monkeys descending in packs jumping from tree to tree, fresh fish from the public dock, excellent chicken, beef bones for my puppy, a great Salvadoran neighbor couple who helps me all the time, a neighborhood gringo/tico bar, close to the Panama border for a modern supermarket and clothing, a great automechanic who delivers my truck back to my house after he makes his repairs, gorgeous natural environment, the chickens who make daily visits and the rooster who crows, a huge gulf where I can take my rowboat and trolling motor in the back of my pickup truck and put put over to an island (with my dog!) where drinks are served, or bring your own, and have smoked pork and fresh lobster (no butter sauce!), lots of kids and families enjoying the beach and the day.
I can download movies and kindle books and have Netflix, Skype, great internet that hardly ever goes out, buses and taxis whizzing by if I need one, no hurricanes, sunny practically every day, internet banking and bill paying.
Using aeorcasillas to have stuff delivered from Amazon right to my p.o. box. I could go on and on.
On the downside, yes, I have to find a solution to all the household defects and appliance problems and the insects eat me alive. And living without a/c.
But even knowing that 99% of Americans would think me crazy, I feel so lucky. The only thing I miss is a library and an occasional good steak.
I still have a modern house in FL and could return. For now, for me this is an adventure of a lifetime. Im loving it!
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