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!
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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

"Retire For Less In Costa Rica" - Paul & Gloria Yeatman - & San Ramon

Thinking of MOVING to Costa Rica - A MUST SUBSCRIBE TO and CONNECT with!!!!!!

I just FINALLY met – IN PERSON – the couple that I feel has one of THE BEST websites for anyone even remotely thinking of MOVING TO COSTA RICA -


Paul and Gloria Yeatman
with


First off – they’re a GREAT Team and my kind of DETAILED kind of people AND such NICE and FUN kinda folk!! 

Every few months they even break down their budget so you can see where their money goes so YOU can see if you can truly live in Costa Rica on a budget!

Their articles have MEAT - REAL information which I LOVE and RESPECT!!!

I'd seen their website but didn't put much time into reading it since I was already living in Costa Rica but I was Hotel Sitting at Cariari BandB (a convenient location if you're on an exploratory trip of the Central Valley as well as that Atenas, Grecia, San Ramon area) and a couple - Carole Ann and Ken - were doing just that.  I was Connected to them by Mike Styles (a fellow "Warden" with the U.S. Embassy and one of the founders of the “Community Action Alliance” (more on that below).  Mike, you’re an ANGEL!!!) when I called him asking for any English-speaking Red Taxi drivers out there for this couple wanting to come out and check the area out and he said that Paul and Gloria were who they refer people to for such things!!

I KNEW from the moment I saw their beautiful faces on Skype that they were SPECIAL PEOPLE!!

So, you Carole Ann and Ken met up with Paul showed them their place, drove/showed/introduced them around San Ramon for about 2 hours and they got all this FABULOUS education/info for just $20-$25/hour (heck – a taxi who doesn’t understand “our ways” is going to most likely charge you around $15 and for how much info???  This is “such a deal”!!!!) and they got SOOOO MUCH out of it!!!!

Not interested in San Ramon?  Heck, hire him for a few hours if nothing else to hear how the 2 of them live (and their 2 cats that costs them about $25 a month) live off under $1,500/month and WITH a car!!!  (that seems more like it as I hear so many people asking “Can I live in Costa Rica for under $3,000/month?”  Say WHAT?  I don’t get how they’re spending THAT much (unless they’re into “dining out” more fancy like, into the limited cultural “opportunities” Costa Rica offers, haven’t given up gringo products and heavily shopping at AutoMercado, traveling around [especially staying in nicer/more $$$$ places] or drinkers+)

REALLY not interested in going out to San Ramon or don’t have the time?  I’m sure they’d be happy to consult with you via Skype (also for just $20-$25/hour [via PayPal]).

I’m REALLY hoping if nothing else, they would offer a few Scoop Out Costa Rica to Move To type tours where you go explore various areas and how to live on a tighter budget (which I’m sure would be a VERY DIFFERENT tour than what others are doing [and they’d I’m sure be WAYYYY cheaper than the $2,500+++ per person tours others are doing as well!!!]).
Oh, Paul started putting it out there for anyone interested in going down to hang at the beach (usually to Playa Doña Ana beach – THE NICEST closest beach that is between Puntarenas and Caldera) which they go about once a week - they and 4-30 of their "closest friends" (anyone!!).

Make sure to sign up for their monthly
NEWSLETTER!!

CONTACT:
Paul and Gloria Yeatman
8-919-2710  •  Skype: Gloria.Paul.yeatman  •  US#:  1-410-665-4961
PDYeatman@gmail.com

Make sure to tell them Vicki CONNECTED you and give them a BIG HUG from me as I SOOOO ADORE both of them!!!!


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SAN RAMON
San Ramon is the largest coffee town in the western Central Valley. In order from Alajuela, they are Atenas, Grecia, Sarchi, Naranjo, Palmares, then San Ramon. San Ramon is about 45 minutes west of the Juan SantaMaria International Airport in Alajuela (about 65 minutes from San Jose). It is located about equal distance to both the airport and the closest, nice beach with monkeys in the trees. The elevation of the town is about 3450 ft., but Paul and Gloria, live 4 miles west of San Ramon at almost 4,000 ft. elevation (the higher you go - the cooler it is!). There are ocean views from many properties in the area. San Ramon is larger than Grecia or Atenas, with about 75,000 people in the greater San Ramon area.

Though I haven’t been there yet (VERY SOON!!!), the thing that IMPRESSES ME the MOST about San Ramon is some of the people have created this

Community Action Alliance” -


which seems like BY FAR THE MOST active community group I’ve seen in Costa Rica!!!  Their “Mission” is “to help ex-pats integrate in to their local communities” plus they do a LOT to give back to their community with all sorts of things to raise $$ and English classes?????? And for us - Spanish classes and LOTS more I’ll be writing about!!

San Ramon is also a sort of “college town” as UCR – University of Costa Rica - has an extension campus there (so maybe that attracts some more freer thinkers??!!).

After I visit (within the next month I’m sure [especially if I can line up a House, Pet Sitting gig there after the gig I’m on now ends on October 4!! – Hint!  Hint! If anyone knows of anything out that way [but it MUST be ULTRA conveniently located - and/or have a car - as I’d like to REALLY explore this town/area]) I’ll DEFINITELY be writing up more about San Ramon!!!
Some info sites on San Ramon:
http://SoloBuenoSanRamon.com/town.html
(do you know of any good ones [other than theirs])


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1 comment:

Live in Costa Rica - International Living said...

San Ramon is a great town for prospective expats to Costa Rica. It's a real deal Costa Rican town with the low prices to match. And San Jose and its suburbs, which have world class medical care and American-style shopping are just over an hour down the road. As you mentioned, the expat community there is very active - the Community Alliance does a ton of good work. I applaud their efforts. Makes San Ramon a great place to live when you have people that care so much about the community.