CR: Colones « A Broad In Costa RicaA Broad In Costa Rica

Grabbing 4%

Must be nice to be a government, able to muck around with the money when the mood strikes. Grab a little here, a little there… I would have said "Stealing 4%" but that might sound a little caustic. Slanderous, even.

For instance. Last Thursday – Thanksgiving Day, ironically enough – if I gave someone a dollar, I got 520 colones in return.

Late that same day, without notice, the BCCR (Banco Central de Costa Rica) quietly revalued the colón in an attempt to gloss over Costa Rica’s runaway inflation. When we woke up Friday morning, if . . . → Read More About Grabbing 4%

Money and Banking

Many people write to me about living in Costa Rica, asking what it’s like, how to move here. Mostly, they ask about schools and money. Schools are pretty covered on the blog; money has not been. A complicated topic, I’ll tell you what little I’ve learned in the past year.

Just before we moved here, we called a few local experts and asked about banking, how to open an account, buying a corporation, things like that. One guy asked where we were from. When we said, "Florida," he said, "If you are a U.S. citizen, I can’t even talk . . . → Read More About Money and Banking

Worth It’s Weight In Aluminum

If you are wondering why your bag is so heavy after a week of traveling around Costa Rica, you probably have a pound of change gathered at the bottom. In the states, you pretty much want to throw your pennies away. They are worthless unless you’ve gathered together at least 100. Then, if you can exchange them for four quarters anywhere, you can park for 40 minutes in downtown Key West. That’s pretty much the only thing $1 will buy you these days.

In Costa Rica, the coins are even more ridiculous. . . . → Read More About Worth It’s Weight In Aluminum

Travel Tips #2

Costa Rica is a vacationer’s wonderland. I’ve had several visitors and everyone is wowed as we were! So fun to show "new" (like we are "old") visitors around! On the forums and on the blog, future visitors write asking about Places to Stay and Visit, hence "Travel Tips" was born. Following are my answers to questions asked by a future visitor on the CRLGroup forum:

Q: Looking for some info concerning a 3 week trip. Is it easy to cash $100 dollar bills there? What about travelers checks? Is one type of travelers check more . . . → Read More About Travel Tips #2

A Broad In Costa Rica

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Grabbing 4%

Money and Banking

Worth It’s Weight In Aluminum

Travel Tips #2

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