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Is inflation rearing its head in CR?

How about Colombia?

Have costs for the basic basket of food, utilities, housing, energy, etc....gone up?

What are prospects for inflation really taking off in CR and Colombia?

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The difference between a Sea Story and a Fairy Tale is that a Fairy Tale starts out 'Once Upon a Time..' and a Sea Story starts out 'This is no Shit...'

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As a business operator here in CR Costs up the past 18 months include;
#1 Fresh meats 9% (pork has gone down 3%)
#1A. Shrimp 18%, Fish 6-8%
#2 Produce 7-8%
#3 Cooking oils 12%
#4 Propane Gas, electricity 5-9%
#5 Anything Cotton (Linens, towels, drapes, bedspreads,pillows) 18-25%

Costs down include;
#1 Pork -3%
#2 eggs -4%
#3 Johny Walker Red & Black -25%
#4 Milk -1%
#5 Bloody Mary Mix -3%

Housing I believe has gone down(rents, puchase prices etc)Gasoline is usually just above the prices in the states and flucuates along with the world markets.
It seems as though the girls and hotel room prices are fairly stable

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This post is provided purely for entertainment purposes and free of charge on the part of the author. No "Sex tourism or travel" promotion is expressed or implied. The author of this post was not provided any compensation for this hopefully entertaining contribution. Any posts regarding any event or hotel item are just my humble opinions only.

as long as the necessities of life are stable or going down ( # 3 and the girls and hotel room prices are fairly stable ) to quote that famous American " What, Me Worry ??"

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My best friend was the clock on the wall, and he turned out not to be much of a friend in the end

Inflation is not the real problem for expatriates living in CR whose income is in dollars. Inflation has been around 4% for the past couple of years which is tolerable in itself. However when you combine it with the 15% depreciation of the dollar you are talking some serious economic impact.

As an example I got my haircut this morning. 18 months ago the price was 3000 colones and this morning it was 3500 colones a bit over a 16% increase. But the exchange rate was 580 18 months ago and this morning it was 495. That translate to an effective price increase of about 40%.

To quote many not so famous expatriates... what, me worry?... HELL YES!

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Post of the month!

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Living well is the best revenge
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I really like Greengo's posts, seriously.
William Faulkner, James Joyce and a poor third, Hunter Thompson. A lot of wisdom and good advice in an unique style. Waiting for the novel.
By the way Bill, if you are reading this, have your wholesale beer prices gone up too? They sure seem to have escalated in the States. Not that I would like to see your beer prices go up at the SL.

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

just like beautiful, downtown SoFla!





we love ya greengo.........!

so, loss of value in the dollar is a bigger hit than inflation of the colone?

oh, and here is a story I just found in the TicoTimes website that mentions inflation in relation to Tico workers

http://www.ticotimes.net/Business-Real- ... ch-11-2011

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The difference between a Sea Story and a Fairy Tale is that a Fairy Tale starts out 'Once Upon a Time..' and a Sea Story starts out 'This is no Shit...'

(export version only, some restrictions may apply, some assembly required, not valid where the sun don't shine...

if you live in the states of Poverty, Darkness or anywhere outside of The Blessings of Civilization Trust, Inc...other rules may apply)

National beers +11%
International +7%

We are about ready to go to c1100 colones from c1000 for a National Beer (includes 10% service, 13% vat/sales-tax) Which means c847=$1.69 for the beer and c253 for the other 23% that flows through. Our First raise in 2.5 years.

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This post is provided purely for entertainment purposes and free of charge on the part of the author. No "Sex tourism or travel" promotion is expressed or implied. The author of this post was not provided any compensation for this hopefully entertaining contribution. Any posts regarding any event or hotel item are just my humble opinions only.

I will have to have a personal c1000 beer going away party at the SL, right before my welcome c1100 beer party.

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

here is a story about inflation concerns in Colombia and steps being taken by their equivalent of the FED here....


Colombia's central bank is expected to increase its benchmark interest rate in its next monetary policy meeting on Friday to squash persistent fears of faster inflation.

A survey by Dow Jones Newswires showed that six of the seven analysts polled project that the central bank will raise its rate by 25 basis points, leaving it at 3.5%. During the last monetary policy meeting, the central bank's board surprised analysts by raising the rate by 25 basis points, the first increase in nearly ten months.

The central bank suggested that it would continue to gradually increase its benchmark rate this year. Alberto Ramos, an economist with Goldman Sachs, expects the central bank to engage in gradual rate increases over the coming monthsthat would place the benchmark rate at 4.5% for the end of 2011.

Inflation accelerated in the last few months of 2010, propelled by torrential rains that damaged crops and pushed food prices higher. "The risk of higher food prices is still the key factor and that has not changed since the last meeting in February," said Daniel Lozano, an analyst with local brokerage firm Serfinco SA.

Agriculture Minister Juan Camilo Restrepo warned last week that Colombia could be entering another season of heavy rains that could damage croplands. Restrepo said that 14% of Colombia's farmland had been affected by the rains and that the process of recovering those lands in some cases would be very slow.

Food prices are a decisive component in Colombia's inflation index, accounting for 28% of the consumer price index (CPI). The central bank has dismissed the surge in food prices as temporary and has instead focused on surging domestic demand and rising bank loans to explain its decision to hike rates.

Inflation gave signs of slowing in February when CPI rose 0.6%, below the market consensus that projected a 1% increase.For the last 12 months inflation stands at 3.17%, within the central bank's target range of 2% to 4%.

The central bank moved to increase its key rate even as it remains uncertain about the level of economic growth that Colombia could see in 2011, the bank suggested in its minutes for the last meeting. The central bank expects the economy to grow 4.5% in 2011 while a similar figure is also estimated for last year.

The milder price increases in January are likely to push the central bank to keep on hold its benchmark rate on Friday, says Julian Marquez, an economist with local brokerage Interbolsa SA. Marquez expects the central bank to resume the rate hikes at a later meeting to close the year at 4.5%.

The rising global uncertainty spawning from the devastating tsunami that struck Japan could also push some members of the board to move to postpone any rate hikes, said Munir Jalil, the chief economist at Colombia's Citigroup unit. Jalil still expects that the central bank will hike interest rates by 25 basis points, but warned that the chances that the rate could remain on hold in the next meeting have increased in the last few days.

If the bank does decide to keep the rate on hold it could risk sending out mixed signals to the market, Celfin Capital, an investment firm, said in a research note. Celfin also expects the central bank to increase its rate by 25 basis points on Friday

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The difference between a Sea Story and a Fairy Tale is that a Fairy Tale starts out 'Once Upon a Time..' and a Sea Story starts out 'This is no Shit...'

(export version only, some restrictions may apply, some assembly required, not valid where the sun don't shine...

if you live in the states of Poverty, Darkness or anywhere outside of The Blessings of Civilization Trust, Inc...other rules may apply)

You are aways a good poster of info Cdude, thank you for keeping us up to date.

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

Damn Bill,
18% on shrimp
I think I posted once about the majority of shrimp in CR were imported from Nicaragua or Panama.
I have had 2 different chicas tell me this. But some say (guys that live there) that 90% or more of the shrimp come from CR. But I digress, hope you don't raise the price of your fried shrimp too much, I don't eat fried shrimp anywhere else in the world but @ the SL. Plus, you keep the horseradish in the fridge to make a good sauce.
Sitting in the bar in the mansion wing, eating shrimp and watching football. Damn good times and damn good shrimp. Oh yeah, there are girls too!! Maybe you should get Crackerass to do some pit bbq since pork is getting cheaper, sounds good SL & Pit BBQ
Regards, 911 Driver
See ya soon, but not soon enough

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The happy hour is a device either for getting rid of social obligations hurriedly en masse or for making overtures toward more serious social relationships, as in the etiquette of whoring.- Brooks Atkinson

Been rising since the Gulf oil leak disaster last year...I will do my best Buddy to keep it reasonable.

Bill

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This post is provided purely for entertainment purposes and free of charge on the part of the author. No "Sex tourism or travel" promotion is expressed or implied. The author of this post was not provided any compensation for this hopefully entertaining contribution. Any posts regarding any event or hotel item are just my humble opinions only.

Well, So many couples that moved here are in serious regret now. Just about everyone I talk to other than us mongers that have an underlying reason for being here are very disappointed.

Many are selling all their crap on Craigslist and moving back to the USA where they can afford to live. You don't believe me ? Before you respond , go to Craigslist CR and call one or two numbers and ask why there selling all the crap they bought just a year ago. You'll here some stories if you got the time.

If I wasn't here for pussie, you could throw a dart at a map of the USA and I'd be there instead of here. Yes the weather is cool in San Jose but the crime and uneasiness almost outweighs that benefit.

This is a great mid-stop place to touch down and enjoy some Nica pussie but anything beyond that and its putting a bow tie on a pig.

I spend at least DOUBLE, thats DOUBLE living here compared to what I'd spend in the USA.

But >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I can afford it so I love it.

You can live cheap here and have a good time, a great time that is, and even add years to your life, but you give up a lot of luxury for that Puss. Probably worth it.

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* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

Very well put. I spend about the same increased percentage on my frequent visits to CR. Seems to me gasoline is much more than the US??????