Oxstones Investment Club™
By Jason Holland, International Living
I’m kind of a thrifty guy.
I don’t buy the latest smartphone that comes on the market. In fact, I have the most basic model money can buy in Costa Rica—just $30, plus $15 a month for minutes.
I don’t splurge on fashion—why bother? I’m in board shorts and a tank top pretty much 24/7 at my home in the Costa Rican beach town of Tamarindo.
But when I travel to Nicaragua, I go a bit hog wild and feel free to indulge in many of the “luxuries” I normally deny myself.
That’s what brought me to Josseline, a thatch-roofed restaurant right on the beach in San Juan del Sur, on the southern Pacific coast, on my most recent trip to the country. I had been waiting almost five months to go back.
I’d been dreaming about sitting down in the heat of the day with a cold beer, watching the water, feasting on three succulent grilled lobster tails basted in garlic-butter sauce. Delicious. Best of all, the whole thing was just $10.
I waited until Granada to treat myself again. After a day spent tromping through narrow streets admiring colonial architecture, I needed a break.
So I headed to Hotel Spa Granada, a boutique hotel in the heart of the colonial quarter. (By the way, the hotel itself is worth a look. It’s in a huge restored colonial, with modern art everywhere.)
I scheduled an hour-long aromatherapy massage for a bit later—$22. Then I headed to the pool. A day pass is complimentary with the massage but is usually $5.
Finally, in León I got a haircut. I was looking for a traditional barbershop—boxing on TV, old men of the neighborhood gathered around, and all that. But they were all closed for a religious holiday when I was in town.
But on a side street near Parque Rubén Dario I did spy a gentleman lounging in his rocking chair at an open door, a sign with scissors overhead. He said, “We’re closed—I’m too tired,” with a weary sigh. But when he got a second look at my somewhat scruffy appearance, he relented.
“Come inside, and I’ll fix you up.”
It turned out to be more salon than barbershop, and there was 80s Europop on the stereo instead of the expected Latin music. But I got a great haircut as the stylist gossiped about his neighbors and extended family. Just $5—with tip.
You Could Be Living in Paradise Right Now… for a Lot Less than It Costs You to Stay Home
A comfortable retirement is no certainty these days… even for folks who have worked hard and saved.
But the good news is: In all sorts of havens beyond our borders a couple can live comfortably on $1,200 a month, rent included (less if you own your home). With a $2,500-a-month budget, you could retire like royalty.
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It’s not just luxuries that are cheaper in Nicaragua. Everyday expenses like groceries, taxi fare, rent, medical care… you get it for less than the United States… and, in many cases, even other Latin American countries.
Editor’s note: You can ask Jason more about his recent visit to Nicaragua at the 2013 Ultimate Event. Or speak to expats and experts from any of the retirement destinations we cover. With country insiders from Panama… Ecuador… Costa Rica… France… Italy… Malaysia… Thailand… and many more… your journey to a happier, healthier, more financially secure future overseas starts here.
Tags: comfortable retirement, costa rica, Hotel Spa Granada, Josseline restaurant, life expenses, live comfortably, living standards, luxuries, nicaragua