ABOUT THE LIVING LIFE IN COSTA RICA BLOG

I (Vicki Skinner - aka "THE Sarong Goddess") created this blog in 2007 to share DETAILED Finds•Lists•Info•Events•Experiences to help bring more EASE to people living in, visiting or thinking of moving to Costa Rica since DETAILS are NOT easy to find!
I’m NOT an expert (an "expert" 2 ME knows 101%-NOT me). I believe in sharin info•helping where I can! And with over 2,200 entries, so some things might be out of date, so if you find old info PLEASE help each other by getting the updated info & sharing it with me to revise. At least you have some basic info to get you started.
VOLUNTEER TO HELP:
Better yet - do you have extra time on your hands & looking for a volunteer project? Since this blog is a labor of love & RARELY does anyone share a donation (even though MANY have said how much it's helped them), I could REALLY use help updating info. Spanish speakers ESPECIALLY welcome since my VicLish can be somewhat limited at times!!

DONATE:
Has my blog helped in any way? Helped find something•brought more EASE? More exposure or business?
I welcome you to show YOUR appreciation for my efforts!
ANY size DONATION is APPRECIATED!
(see below other ways to show your appreciation)
The easiest way is with PAYPAL - Attn: LivingLifeInCostaRica@gmail.com
(you do NOT need to have a PayPal account to do this - just a credit or debit card)
ADD INFORMATION:
Do YOU have/know of a Business•Event•News•Place•Things 4 Sale•Rent to add? Email:
LivingLifeInCostaRica@gmail.com

OTHER WAYS TO SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION FOR THIS BLOG

• APPLE LAPTOP - Do you have a Laptop you're not using? Mine recently broke so I'm using a lender. Must be new enough to run current Skypes & have an SDCard slot.
• Amazon.com or GoDaddy.com Credit•Gift Certificate (attn: SarongGoddess@gmail.com)
• Something else to share?? A gift certificate or invite for your business? I'm open!! (at times I'll add other things here that I'm seeking)

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Do you live in Costa Rica and need to go back to the United States and need to stay connected with your peeps in the States via cell phone?

Going back to the United States & need to stay connected with your peeps in the states?

Renting a cell phone in the U.S. usually means 2 year contracts, expensive plans & if you get a Pre-Paid Phone - they can be EXPENSIVE . . . BUT - Net10 has a WONDERFUL plan that makes calls just 10¢ a minute & some of them INCLUDE a phone for just $30!!!


You can buy a brand new PrePaid Phone Card which comes WITH a Cell Phone it INCLUDES 300 minutes of airtime (at 10¢/minute withIN the U.S. )!!! The priced depends on which model you get but it ranges from just $30-$60 with http://Net10.com

YOU designate where you want the phone number to be for (by area code)!

NO need for credit cards or additional purchases (other than additional minutes), NO activation fees, NO Annual Contracts, NO monthly charges, NO credit checks, NO PINs or cards to buy.

INTERNATIONAL CALLS
You can make international calls to many countries (unfortunatelycurrently not Costa Rica) for just 15¢/minute (the regular 10¢ call charge + 5¢). Their Net10 International Neighbors plan gives you up to 3 Canadian or Mexican phone #s that you can give family/friends in those countries to call you on your Net10 phone! http://AurisTechnology.com/net10ild/index.asp?site=faq_neighbors#2
Want to stay in touch with your family/friends in Costa Rica (or other places not included)? They can get a U.S. number (of your choice) for just $18 for 3 months with http://Skype.com & you can call them on it. They'll have to be online to make/receive calls (hence they must have high-speed internet access).

As is normal in the states YOU ARE charged for ALL INCOMING calls as well as outgoing.

I get their most basic/cheapest model (which I LOVE as it's REALLY compact & has a blue screen!) which is the BEST VALUE because it also INCLUDES a FREE Accessory Kit with car charger, power charger, headset & case (note that a headset is CRUCIAL in many states) for JUST $30 (probably + tax)!!!
http://Net10-store.com/bpdirect/net10/PhoneDetails.do?action=view&productVariantExtensionId=3538792

WHERE CAN YOU FIND A NET10 CARD/PHONE:
You can pre-order one online at http://Net10.com to be delivered (for free) within 3 days to you in the States (this is good if you need to forward any calls from here to the states when you activate) OR at:
Walmart, Walgreens, Target, Radio Shack, KMart, Family Dollars, Dollar General, Circuit City

They have other cell phone models including 2 that are a VGA Camera Phone & one with Bluetooth® Wireless Technology for just $40 & $60 at:
http://net10-store.com/bpdirect/net10/Start.do?action=view&market=GSM5AT&zip=90035&AID=&VID=&VC=&SAHCID=&COM=&locale=en&siteType=TR&gotoPhonelist=true

Note: The pre-paid card is ONLY GOOD FOR 60 days & the cheapest new card you can get is $30 (so I ended up not using/throwing away a BUNCH of $ that I didn't use) & to reactivate it costs more money than buying a new one.

I JUST noticed they also had an Easy Minute plan with 400 Easy Minutes for $40/month (this would have worked best for me but I didn't know about it) along with a 250 (just $25/month for 250 minutes) & 150 plan (just $15/month for 150 minutes) & a Net10 Unlimited plan for $80 for the month with unlimited local/long distance & text messaging & NO ANNUAL CONTRACT!!!


Chat away!!

Vicki