Living on the Edge - Money, Shopping, and Tequila

Bienvenidos Canada!

Ah, Christmas time.  Back in the good old USA they have been shopping in preparation for the big day.  Some (very few actually) are done already as we are.  Some are just getting geared up for the push.  Some will wait until the very last second.  Then there are those who did it all in January.

One of the Malls In Portoviejo

Here in Ecuador it is probably much the same.  Yes, they celebrate Christmas here.  Yes, we hear all the traditional carols, though most times they are in Spanish.  There are sales in the stores, there are elves in the malls, there are Christmas lights, decorations and trees up everywhere.  What there are not, are mobs or rushes.  No huge lines, people being rude, pushing or shoving.  Shopping has not been a nightmare and I am profoundly grateful.  I do not like to shop and I especially hate Christmas shopping in the USA.



Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, just not what you are compelled to do to "celebrate".  Seems like a good time to talk about shopping and bills though.

We have done a good bit of shopping since we got here.  Not for Christmas but to get the creature comforts we felt were needed.  I did not really want to do it.  We have read about so many things you can not get here that I was just a bit worried.  As has happened with most things here, I should not have been worried at all.

Buy at the HiperMarket.  Starting at $999.

First things first.  Rent.  Real estate companies do not handle many rental properties because there is little money to be made for a lot of work.  There is not much you can find on the internet.  There are plenty of rentals available though.  For Rent (Se Alquiler) signs are everywhere.  Our five bedroom, five bathroom house was not on the internet.  Our agent found our house for us by driving around Crucita.  We are a block off the beach with ocean views and within walking distance of too many restaurants, stores, and cantinas to count. Our rent is $700 a month USD.

Utilities.  We all hate that monthly electric bill and some of us also have a gas or oil (or both) bill depending largely on where you live.  Hot water heaters, air conditioning (in Florida), and heating your home will take large bite out of any Christmas budget. We read a lot about these costs in Ecuador prior to coming and I am happy to say they were largely true. Our electric, water, and gas cost us just a little under $50 for the month.  WI-FI  is another $25. Our Skype phone number and US calling plan is a another $6.50. Our one month utility total was $81.50 USD.  Many rentals can be had which will include utilities.  You just have to shop around. Short term rentals abound and a beachfront condo can be had for a month at the same price as our home.

Direct TV is pay as you go.  We do not use it but the cost for Bronze service including HBO and Cinmax is $33 a month.  We will have it soon but right now, we have plenty to do without it.

Budget $120 USD and that will cover all your utilities. Everything.

Beautiful Produce

Food.  A subject near and dear to my heart.  We have had to do a little bit of searching.  There are 3 main supermarkets (mercados) here.  SuperMaxi, which is a higher end market.  Southerners think Publix. HiperMarket is another.  They are the Walmart equivalent in that they have groceries and household items, including furniture, appliance, hardware and gardening sections.  SuperMaxi and HiperMarket are both located in actual shopping malls.  Aki is yet another market that we have not visited yet but we will.  Right now HiperMarket is our go to shopping experience.  The mall also has food court with  KFC and Carl's Jr.  So you fast food junkies can get your fix. They also have a few organic eateries and vegetarians can generally find something. Vegan not so much.  You will do better to cook your own I think.  These stores have all the baking needs, vegetables, meats, and canned goods you could want.

Peanut butter!

You may not find the brands you are used to but you can find the equivalent easily enough.  There is no reason not to purchase the Ecuadorian made or Latin American brands.  They are less expensive (no import taxes), fresher (because they are made or grown here), and you support the local economy.  If you live here, that is you too.

There are two prices for everything.  There is the price for Cedula carriers (the Ecuadorian national ID) and there is the US or English price.  You pay a percentage based tax (7.5%) if you are not a citizen or are without a Resident VISA.  As soon as you have your Resident VISA, you get your Cedula, These prices are clearly marked on the tags.  So far, we have paid no additional taxes.  The citizens who work at the stores have been more than happy to use their Cedula number, as they collect rewards points for use.


After many trips into Portoviejo, we have since discovered that we can find almost all of the items we need in our own back yard.  That is to say, right here in Crucita.  There is no "Super" tienda. There are many tiendas and street vendors.

Fresh herbs. All you want!

Vegetables are my favorite because they are not genetically modified.  They are not dyed or waxed. They have not been stored for months.  They have taste.  A five pound bag of oranges is around $2 or $3 in the supermarket.  That is about ten oranges.  They look like oranges are supposed to.  They are not dyed or waxed, meaning you are not paying to have them look unreal.  They are delicious.  Here is the really cool part.  In our town the vendors ride around on bicycles and small trucks.  They come by your front door.  If you keep your ears open, you can walk out and catch them.  After awhile, they get to know you and come by regularly.  We bought 2 large green peppers, 6 tomatoes, a bag of mangos, cilantro, 6 ears of corn, and a large pineapple- all for $4.  You can plant the seeds from them and grow your own.  There are so many fruits and vegetables I have never seen before.  It will take us a long time to try them all.  I am game!


Meat can be bought from the local stores but the fresh meat is best bought from the super markets.  I know there are butchers around and will find them but for now, $6 for six sirloin steaks, $2 for four chicken quarters, $3 for eight pork chops, and $3 for a pound of fresh ground chuck seems pretty reasonable.  Lunch meats, hot dogs, and other sausages are plentiful.

Fishing boats of Crucita

Fish is available in the supermarkets but living in Crucita, I do not buy from them. We have all the fresh fish we could want right here.  The fishermen will sell off the boat, there is the market on the north end that is jumping at 6:00 AM, and the south end also has a small market. Fish is brought in all day long.  Mahi, Sea Bass, Snapper, Swordfish, Sardines, Drum, in short, everything.  Mahi (Dorado) cost us $5 for three pounds at the actual fish market.

South fish market in Crucita.  Yep, our fish they are cleaning!

You pay a bit more there but you do not have to wait and they have everything already packaged.  Pacific shrimp is $5 a pound.  We have not had crab, lobster, oysters or about 100 other different kinds of fish yet.  You get the picture.  Like the vegetables, vendors come right by your front door almost every day.

Bakeries are plentiful,  Breads, cookies, cakes, you name it.  They are fresh and they are delicious.  We bought butter cookies form a vendor on the bus to Portoviejo.  $0.50 a package.  They were still warm and made with cane sugar.  They taste just like the Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies for a fraction of the price.  We bought loaves of Pan con Queso (Bread with Cheese) on the bus too.  $0.25 a loaf.  They are about the size of croissants. You can buy sandwich bread, hamburger and hot dog buns, tortillas, or fresh baked at the supermarkets as well.  I have not found bagels, though cream cheese is available.  They offer a range of prepared food at their deli/bakeries as well.

Spices and oils are also plentiful and affordable.  I bought a bag of 100% saffron, 5 grams for $2.  A large light olive oil was $4.  Peanut butter can be had as well.  It is more expensive than meat. You can expect to pay $3 for a little bag or $9 for a jar.  The biggest surprise for me was spaghetti sauce.  $9 for a small jar.  Pasta cost next to nothing though so go figure.  I will make my own sauce from scratch and freeze or bottle it.

Hair dye.  Loads of the stuff.

Cosmetics were something we thought were hard to get, based on all of the blogs we read.  Not true.  Hair dye for days.  The same price range as the USA.  Walls of it.  Shampoo, conditioner, soaps, make up, perfumes and lotions. All available. All very comparable to US pricing and quality.

Clothes and shoes can be expensive, especially at the malls.  Payless Shoes has everything you see in the US however, prices range from $30 to $50 USD.  Shirts can be had from $5 on up.  Socks are $4-$6 for a set of three.  Underwear is $4-$6 per pair depending on what your style is.  Sunglasses and readers are $2 unless you want RayBans or the like.  There are plenty of designer stores if that tickles your fancy.  As with anywhere, mall prices are outrageous.  If you are willing to explore you can find bargains.  The flea market in Portoviejo is on the horizon.

Whiskey.  Yep.

Another item near and dear to my heart is alcohol.  I loves me some cocktails.  I am first and foremost a whisky man.  Neat is the way to drink it.  No other way.  Black Owl Whiskey can be had for $12 a fifth.  It is very good. There is a fire or cinnamon version as well. There are American versions available but I refuse to pay $50 for a fifth when comparable is available,  They have rum and vodka and with all the fruit it's a good thing.  I haven't seen Jager but this is a small village.  There are party towns close by and I'm sure you can find what you want.  Wine is another thing.  We have even had locals tell us it is too expensive which was surprising.  At restaurants perhaps.  There is a cork fee at many.  We found some wonderful South American wines for as little as $5.  With all the fruit available, sangria is amazing.  Tequila is an item easily found.  I do not see Jose Cuervo which is a blessing.  Horrible, Americanized tequila in my opinion.  Here you will find lots of blanco (white) tequilas.  Very smooth and delicious.  Then there is beer.  Pilsener is the brand here, their Budweiser if you will.

Vodka for my Lady.

You can get Budweiser if you like sex in a canoe (if you do not get the joke my apologies).  There are other "imports" to be had as well.  I like beer and the Pilsener is very good.  $1.40 a liter but here is the neat part.  $0.50 of that $1.40 is the bottle deposit.  You keep your bottles and return them to the beer truck when it comes around. They trade you out, and the beers are now only $0.90.

All of these items can be found in the supermarkets.  They can also be found in the tiendas of Crucita.  Get to know the locals and you will have the honor of drinking their homemade liquor. We had rice "shine" that was amazing.  I'm told they also use cane sugar but I have not experienced that yet.  

Pet supplies are another item we read were either hard to come by or expensive. That was, unless you went with sub par food. They have Purina products here for both dogs and cats, canned food, supplies such as litter, litter boxes, brushes, leashes, toys, etc.

Purina is here but there are better options.  

The local food is just like it is in America.  Some is not good, some is.  A little experimentation goes a long way.  You will not find Eukanuba or Blue but there are quality foods here. The cost is comparable to US pricing.

Next week we will tell you all about the Christmas party.  Many of the children in rural areas do not get much for Christmas.  We have volunteered to help at a party for a few hundred kids.  I can't wait. A lot of kids stare at the long haired gringo with blue eyes. Apparently, I stick out in a crowd.  I think we are going to have some fun!

We'll also start getting into restaurants and cuisine. You should expect it to be a running theme because as we're rapidly finding out, all the cultures and subcultures have their different takes on food.  That makes for gastronomical heaven as far as I am concerned.  As an amateur cook, I am loving the fresh delights we see every day.

Right now it is time to go to Calle Malecon and have some Ceviche (say-bee-chay) de Pescado (fish).  A couple of shots of tequila blanco sound really, really good at the moment too. Ceviche is becoming a daily dietary need I think.  That will set us back around $15 unless we have more than one shot.  Adios!

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