COST OF PRODUCE IN CUENCA - More on our frugal lifestyle!!!

Mango, parsley, chard, pineapple, plantains, garlic, cucumbers, carrots, green peppers, peas, beets, avocados, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes.  All this for $12 - Really?  Yes Really!!!

I remember reading different blogs and looking at photos of Cuenca's mercados when Bo and I were planning to relocate here.  It was one of the first things I looked forward to doing once we landed - finally, going fresh produce shopping at the various Mercados.  Here we are, 3-1/2 months later, still loving our almost daily shopping trips to the wonderful colorful and abundant markets in El Centro, and also shopping from the street vendors along the way.  We have our favorite vendors now whom we know by name, and we get lots of special treatment and favor.  You can see in the photo that the pineapple is perfectly peeled because one of our favorite vendors takes care of us.

Here's a breakdown of what this produce cost us which should last us several days:
1 Pineapple (sweet & juicy)    $1.25
2 Mangos (huge & meaty)        1.00
7 Carrots (sweet & Fat)             .50
Peas (shelled, bagged)            1.00
7 Tomatoes (huge)                  1.00
5 Avocados (delicious)             1.00
7 Beets                                   .50
4 cucumbers                          1.00
Garlic (peeled cloves)               .50
4 Plantains (ripe)                    1.00
Chard (large bunch)                  .50
Parsley (large bunch)                .25
Cauliflower (large head)           1.00
Broccoli (large head)                1.00
11 Peppers                               .50

Our Ecuadorian families tell us how much more we can get for our money if we would go to Feria Libre (some think we are getting gouged).  Soon, we will trek out there for a shopping trip with our friends who will show us the best vendors to buy from (we've been there but not to actually shop).  We will do a price comparison to see if it's worth it to save a few dollars.  However, for the convenience of being able to walk four to eight blocks to the markets from our apartment, and because it's only the two of us and produce here is fresh and organic and spoils if not eaten quickly, we don't know if it's going to be worth the long trek to Feria Libre and back.  We'll see.  For now, we enjoy knowing our vendors and feel we are getting a lot for our money.  It's also rewarding to frequent and bless our favorite vendors.

This is the 9 De Octubre Mercado which is very close to our apartment.  It is a very busy, clean, and abundant market that has wonderful meats, seafood, vegetables,and fruits plus food and juice vendors.  We sometimes shop here but enjoy the 10 de Augusto Mercado and their vendors more, where we mostly shop since moving to El Centro.

It's the 16th of March, and so far we've spent a total of $121 of our $289 food budget in groceries, household, wine, produce and protein (poultry, beef, seafood and shrimp).  We've had several dinners at our home with friends.  We cook most of our meals and eat in more than we eat out.  Our food/household bill for just the two of us back in the USA was between $600 and $800 dollars.  We purchased organic meats and produce (so spendy there) and the cost of groceries and household items was so much more.  Here, we eat even healthier (we do not buy prepackaged or canned foods) and spend less because we only buy what we need as we run out of that item.  Living in the heart of the city prevents us from having to stock up on items because we can walk out our door and find a tienda close by to pick up what we're out of.  This, I love about living in El Centro.

We recently attended a party where an ex-pat couple shared with us that their monthly grocery bill runs $700 to $800.  It's just the two of them, but they say they entertain a lot and shop mostly at SuperMaxi.   They also expressed that their monthly living expenses were in the ball park of $3,000 or more a month.  I share this because it will become a personal budget for each and everyone coming to live in Cuenca.  No one can say how much it is going to cost another person for groceries, housing, transportation, medical, etc.  We, ourselves, can live here on less than $1,300 a month because we are purposing to live frugally.   It is our desire to eat healthier, live a simpler less costly lifestyle as we continue to learn about and explore this area and culture to see if it truly is where we want to plant ourselves for a long-term commitment.  Remember, we did not previously visit Cuenca to know what to expect.  We just packed our bags and came!  

We continue to document our daily spending, to shop daily at the local markets (Yes, we buy our meat and seafood at the open markets, and yes we're still alive and well), and to purpose to stay within our monthly budget.  My really fun frugal shopping trip today landed me in a second-hand store (and I read there weren't any to speak of here!!!) where I found 5 pair of fabulous practically new designer jeans, perfect fit (I've lost 10 lbs of ugly fat since being here - woohoo) for guess how much?  $28, really?  YES REALLY!!!

I told you Cuenca has everything one could possibly need!  Even a thrift store!!
I'm happy and I love Cuenca city life more each day.

One of Bo's delicious salads we love to munch on - Avocado, Tomatoes, and butter-fried platanos (plantains) - with fresh limon, a drizzle of cold-pressed olive oil, and sea salt.  YUM!  Walking miles and miles each day and eating mostly Paleo is our choice for a healthy lifestyle.

Bo's Beef Bone Broth simmers on our stove daily - and this is one of Bo's bone broth soups - with beef, potatoes, and fresh chard.  WE LOVE CREATING DELICIOUS SOUPS!

COST OF LIVING IN ECUADOR - OUR "COST OF LIVING IN CUENCA" BUDGET

I've been waiting to see the figures of how much we've been spending since December 5th when we first stepped foot on Ecuador soil.  It seems like so long ago, yet it's been exactly 10 weeks today!  Truly, I feel we've been living here so much longer, perhaps because we have moved so much (four times in 8 weeks) and have met and shared meaningful times with so many different people, some we now call friends.

We looked at two different apartments for rent in the last 3 days.  Why?  Hey, why not?  We're always looking for a better deal and also for the place we can call home, and maybe we're in it already and just don't know it.  Honestly, after the last two apartments we just looked at, this place is a palace!  Our $500 a month all-inclusive 2 bedroom, 2 bath, room with a view "departamento" right in the heart of El Centro is beginning to look pretty fancy and quite reasonably priced.  The last two apartments both had "suicide showers."   Suicide showers are a home-installed water heating system where the hot water for the shower is heated directly inside the actual shower head.  Stray wires, a lot of insulation tape and a combination of water and high voltages of electricity creates the warm (if you're lucky hot) water.  If the installation is faulty, sparks and shocking will occur.  Fun, huh??

The first "available now" rental we looked at Sunday morning was only about 6 blocks up from Simon Bolivar where we now live, so it was a perfect location and only $400 a month completely furnished.  However, it was Oh So Small and had too many pink, yellow, limey green, and blue walls for me.  The couple renting it proudly showed us around and were absolutely unaware they had a suicide shower!  It looked deadly!!  They thought that's how the bathrooms here were. They're going back to Washington anyway, so I didn't put the "you could die" fear in them.  Hopefully, they won't touch it before they exit or they're in for a real shock!!  The second apartment we looked at today was very rough or rustic funky - but, gee, it was only $195 a month for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath unfurnished place and right across the street from the mercado, a great location!  Well, you definitely will get what you pay for here unless you happen to find the deal of the year.  So, again, we are feeling quite blessed and happy right where we are at. 

I got to thinking about our continued quest for the next best rental.  Before we came here, we had researched many blogs and articles on-line, since we wanted to have a realistic idea of the housing and cost of living (as well as the weather, medical care, foods, and people).  Housing and cost of living varied depending on what article or blog we read.  So, we decided, from day one, to keep a daily running total of every penny (yes, penny!) we spent so that in two or three months we would have a realistic idea of what our own personal budget would be.  Of course, with the four apartment rentals in two months and the added expenses for being on a vacation the first month here and eating out a lot, then the relocation services, etc., we knew we would be spending less once those expenses died out of our list.

Now that we're more settled in and know where to shop and are riding the bus more than taking taxis, we are able to get a more realistic monthly expense list that we will try out for the next two months to see if it works for us.  I wanted to share our personal budget because I believe that there are many opinions from varying lifestyles living in Cuenca - some more extravagant than others, and some more frugal.  There are many expatriates here who have enough money to go out every night to eat and not blink an eye, and there are those who are on a fixed pension income which will be the ceiling for what they can spend, hopefully with some left over to save.

When Bo and I left Oregon and the USA, we repacked our bags!  By that, I mean we both wanted to truly simplify our lifestyle and live modestly and frugally, focusing on the things that are truly important to us - the people we meet and the way we spend our time.  We are still both on the same page (that's a good thing when you're married), and the longer we are away from our USA rut, the more we are enjoying our new focus and way of life.  Like today - we shopped frugally and wisely.  We bought only what we needed, and we do not have extras of anything at home.  When we run out of something, we go to the store.  We have one of everything.  I have 3 cleaning products and a bottle of vinegar.  We buy fresh food daily, and there is little or no waste.  We're getting even better about this.  We cook 90% of our meals and eat out only at the delicious Ecuadorian restaurants, where we can buy a full course meal for two for $5 to $6 (Really!!!).  We continue to learn more ways to be frugal and save the longer we live here.

Okay, I'm letting you all behind the curtain!  Why not?  We have nothing to hide and we hope to be an inspiration to many who want to learn to live simply, become self-disciplined, and live frugally and modestly.  Does it mean we are sacrificing?  Not really!  Life is full of choices.  We choose to live this way.  We want to continue to save while living here, and we want to live unencumbered and free.  So, this is our choice for the next few months to see just how much we can still enjoy life on a frugal and wise budget.  Okay, here goes:

RENT - $500 (We live in one of the best and perfect locations of El Centro.  Our apartment is large, completely and comfortably furnished, and we pay month-to-month with no added fees or charges.  It works for us!)
FOOD - $289 (This figure includes produce, protein - lots of seafood, groceries, household, and limited alcohol.  We love to cook and EAT fine food, and this amount will allow us to do so.  We used to spend $700 a month on food in the states - Yikes!!!!)
PHONES - $10 (We each buy $5 worth of minutes each a month, so far with leftover minutes).
DINING OUT - $52 (We actually believe this could be high for how many times we now plan to eat out monthly. We'll see.....)
ENTERTAINMENT - $65 (This would be for any concerts, live plays, etc. we might attend.  However, most of the arts and entertainment here is FREE!!  Also, if we go on an out-of-area bus trip exploring the country.....)
GIFTS - $65 (We believe in giving - whether it's a gift to a friend or giving to an unfortunate we encounter in our day.)
TRANSPORTATION - $27 (I love not having a car nor the expenses of insurance, maintenance, etc.  Every time we ride a bus for 25 cents, I smile!  I don't even like taking taxis anymore even if they're only $1.50 to $2.00 a ride inner city.  Man, I'm becoming a penny-pincher and a true city chica.....)
MEDICAL - $130 (We just picked a figure to cover any out-patient expenses we might incur.  Still learning this area of our budget, although several doctor visits later and we think this is going to work for us - and way on the high side for what medical costs here.  In the future, we will look into medical insurance which could run $100 a month for the two of us - gee!!!)
FURNISHINGS and/or CLOTHING - $130 (Though we're not buying ANYTHING extra, sometimes something may come up that we need for our apartment or in clothing.  I recently had one of my photography prints matted and framed - a whooping $30 which would have cost about $150 or more in the States.  So, we did allow a frugal furnishings budget - yea!!!!  As for clothing, we're set for now, but one never knows!!!)
GRAND MONTHLY EXPENSE TOTAL FOR THIS FAMILY OF TWO = $1,268!!! (This is our high figure, so it could be closer to  $1,200.)

For us, this is a very realistic budget right now.  We are not interested in dining at fancy expensive restaurants, paying high rents, or living out of walking distance to El Centro.  We like being close to all our needs, and we are excited at the possibility of having this budget work for us long-term.  Of course, this could change, but for now it's feasible and what we personally hope to live on.

I'm glad we had the determination and self-discipline to keep a record of our daily spending from the day we arrived.  It took a bit of time and thought, but we knew it would pay off and be helpful in the end.  I'm a visual person.  I have to see it before I believe it.  As much as we go shopping, I was under the false illusion that we were spending a lot of money on produce and groceries.  Afterall, we also buy a lot of seafood each week.  In the states, that was a big big chunk of our grocery bill.  So, now I know and I'm thrilled!  I'm also thankful I have a husband who is money-frugal and conscientious.  He is not a tight-wad and would lay the world at my feet if he could (and he has!!).  Like I said, we're both on the same page at this season of our lives, and that's a good thing!!

Again, this is our story and our personal journey and choice. I hope this visual helps those planning to move here and those already here.  HAPPY BUDGETING!

            I LOVE CUENCA                   

Our beautiful City, CUENCA!

We live one-half block from Cuenca's fabulous Parque Calderon.  We love walking over here at night when the city is lit up and sitting on a bench and people-watching.  It's an active and wonderful area of El-Centro.

One of four rivers that surround the City of Cuenca - El Rio Tomebamba.  Bo and I can walk here in less than 10 minutes and then walk for miles along the wonderful walking/jogging paths.

Cuenca is a city of majestic and old churches - Historic church buildings that I never tire looking at. I hope to photograph them in the evening all lit up and sparkling.

One of my favorite things about living in Cuenca is the amazing flower market one block from where we live.  Every weekend Sra. Anna (my beautiful and loving flower vendor (pictured here on the right) makes me a $3 to $5 bouquet of the most beautiful and freshest variety of flowers.  She thoughtfully picks them and arranges them especially for me, and I carry my huge (and I mean huge) bouquet home - feeling very special and happy.  The beautiful vendors I know personally and the colorful flower market and amazing prices for a bouquet are only a few of the things I love about living in Cuenca.