About WarrenM

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Male

Currently Lives:

Bahia de Caraquez, Manabi, Ecuador

Citizen Of:

United States

Past Expat Posts:

Mexico

Korea, South

About WarrenM

I have been retired for a number of years. I have been married for 5 years to my present wife, Janice. I enjoy fishing, traveling, sports (as a spectator only, these days). For those who know what I mean, Janice and I are both friends of Bill W. (If you don't know, please don't ask) Since 1997 I have split my time between Puerto Penasco, Mexico on the Sea of Cortezz in the winter and a cabin in the Arizona Mountains in the summerr. When I first moved to Mexico it was possible to live here much cheaper in USA. That is no longer true. What used to be $4.50 for a very nice shrimp dinner is now $15.00 My income including Social Security, pension from Motorola and IRA MRD is about $20k/yr. We have not been able to live on that, but have been seriously digging into principal, which has also been seriously depleted by market valuation. I have been reading a lot about Ecuador, and it is our hope that we can live comfortably there within our income. My main motivation in moving is economics. I enjoy both the ocean at Rocky Point(the gringo name for Puerto Penasco) and the cool mountain air in the summer. We are planning an exploratory trip this summer

Advice for New Expats

My only experience living abroad is in a town 65 miles form the US border whose economy has changed from fishing to Gringo tourism. I don't have any advice at present, but will be willing to share after I have more experience.

Education:

Frenchtown High
  1947 to 1951

Lehigh University
  1951 to 1954

Lehigh University
  1957 to 1959

Arizona State
  1962 to 1965

Favorite Assignment:

Assigned by who???

Favorite Cuisine:

Italian

Favorite Museum:

Don't have one

Favorite Movie:

A Walk in the Clouds

Favorite Book:

Any by John Grisham

Favorite Sports Team:

Phoenix Suns

Some Forum Posts:

Ecuador: TransExpress or GlobalBox?:

I am looking for a way to ship stuff bought online to Bahia. I used Club Correo a few years ago, but they are gone. The replacement seems to be TransExpress which uses Laar Courier here for delivery. The other alternative I have seen is GlobalBox who delivers using Servientrega. Has any one had recent experience with either of these? Or is there a better way? Thanks for your help, Warren

Ecuador: Crisp Bills Needed?:

It isn't necessary to bring a large amount of cash if you have a bank debit card with a Visa or other common logo. You may be subject to a 1% charge for a foreign ATM transaction, but it is safer than carrying $1000 in 20s. Leave the USA with about $200 in twenties with a couple of fives and tens and when it runs out go to any of the bank ATMs. Your US bank card will work fine. Warren

Ecuador: Bahia:

Yes people live here. About 2000 total Ecuadorianos and expats. If there is a down side, younger people find that there aren't a lot of places to go drinking and dancing. My wife and I have lived here 3 and 1/2 years. It is a clean peaceful town with most of what we need within easy walking distance. We love it. It is hoe. Warren

Ecuador: Skype advice:

Perhaps your "call phones" is defaulting to inserting an Ecuador prefix in front of the number you are calling. Make sure you select USA (click on the little down arrow next to the flag)

Ecuador: We finially got here:

Stop at Bahia (de Caraquez) on your way down. Warren

Ecuador: Second-time residency?:

You said that you "acquired residency which expired" Did you mean that your application paperwork expired, as most seem to have interpreted, or did you mean that you had your cedula and then spent more than the allowed first year 90 days out of the country after leaving in April?

Ecuador: obamacare:

I am on medicare plan A and not affected, but my wife is under 65. My understanding of the affordable care act (obamacare) is that there will be a penalty for anyone who does not sign up by Jan1. How much is the penalty? How is it collected? Does it apply to expats? If not, to whom and how does she prove that she is not resident in the USA. (We both have our cedulas) The website www.ushealthcare.gov requires entry of state of residence before any information can be obtained. We have a mailing address with a scanning service, but no longer own or rent any residence. What, if anything do we need to do about obamacare? Warren

Ecuador: THE SHUTDOWN:

Joe, I notice from your profile that you are a citizen of Canada. Why are you discussing US government and politics?

Ecuador: Ecuador a safehave for enemies of the U.S.:

I am somewhat concerned about rumors (no, I haven't heard anything from any real news sources) that some South American countries, including Ecuador may close their US embassies in retaliation for the detention of Bolivia's presidential airplane. If that were to happen, the US state department would probably strongly advise us to get out. I love it here and don't really give a s..t about the politics. Being forced to leave would cause me serious financial hardship.

Ecuador: This site is nearly impossible to use. How do I respond to a private message?:

Hi Donna and Phil, If you look near the top of the page, just below the Cigna ad you will see the word PMs. Click on it and your messages will be displayed. Respond same as you would to any other post here. The only difference is your response will be readable only by the person who sent the message. The site isn't impossible; some of the people are. Sorry to hear about your loss. Warren

Date Joined:

5/22/2010

Total Posts:

122

Posts/Day:

0.05