This article is continued from part 1…
Then, to get around, I recommend not buying a car, that way you don’t have to spend on parking, repairs, gas and insurance. Instead, learn to use the local bus system and the trolley, both of which charge a modest $.25 per ride.
For communicating, buy a cheap used phone on the street for $20, a sim card, and just go on the prepaid system. Buy cards to put credit on your phone and learn to communicate with people like the locals do in countries where cell phone calls are expensive, via text messages.
For internet, you could find free WIFI hot spots to get online with your laptop. Most luxury hotels offer a free signal in their lobby or up-scale restaurants and cafes often do too.
For calls home back to the States, learn to use Skype, teach your mother or father how to use it before leaving, then set times to be connected via email (remember to take a microphone from the States to plug into your laptop).
Following these tips you could live in Ecuador for under $1000 a month, even in 2011!
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Sorry to hit you up will all these questions at once. My question here is do you do recommend opening a bank account immediately and transferring funds from a U.S. account or just using an ATM in the interim. I know they use the dollar there, so it won’t be all that difficult. I assume people use cash to pay rent?
Just use an ATM until you decide to stay for sure…easier.