Presents for Navidad. How stingy is stingy?

[Bob_S]

Hey look folks I don't have the money saved up to go right now. Ok? HOW MANY TIMES do I have to explain it. It is humiliating enough to explain it to someone you care about, let alone some of you Yahoos.

Don't take it personally.  "Just get your butt on a plane and go" is the mantra we tell everyone.  Most of us have been there at some point, looking in our piggy banks and estimating that at its current growth we'd be able to make 1 trip within the next 6 months and maybe 2 trips next year if we stick to cup noodles for dinner for the next few months and so on.  We pestered Zulu and V_Man and everyone who comes on the board.  It's part of our role, not just informing but encouraging.  And you'll probably hear it again and again: go man! just go!  But if you have a plan, you can generally shut people up so it's not so annoying.  When they say Go, Diego, Go!  You can say, Yep, got plans to go next May.  That satisfies.

[z_k_g]

We pestered Zulu and V_Man and everyone who comes on the board.  It's part of our role, not just informing but encouraging. 

Yep...BegintheBeguin, Equal opportunity ass kicking, welcome to the club...

Zulu

[maritime04]

no gift is stingy if it comes from the heart....................................... last year was the 2nd holiday season i spent and the first time i brought gifts, it was a nice shirt, in the 30-40 dollar range one for the mother one for the sister, and that was it ooh coloring books and crayolas about 10 bucks for the kids, they were happy with that.
 
Poor colombian families that i know only purchase gifts for the little kids, and purchase new clothes for themselves, "estranas" for Dec. 25th and the New year they are supposed to wear new clothes its good luck or something.....

[JimD]

    ...my thinking we had some sort of repoire was a misunderstanding...
      Researcher

No doubt good advise to btb but what's a "repoire"?

[benjio]

vo

    Not having the money is a legit reason not to go but the advice here is don't start a relationship if you can't go soon. It's good advice so don't take it personally.

   Yes, I realize my thinking we had some sort of repoire was a misunderstanding on my part. Insulting you was not my intentions at all so from now on I know to be serious with you.And in that spirit I'll repeat my serious advice for you: Don't go to Colombia. You are too sensitive. Those ladies will rip you to shreds.


      Researcher

I can't agree with Researcher enough on this particular subject. Although I always get bashed for it, I've even gone as far as to say don't even try the Latin American option if you can't visit at least two or three times a year. The distance can be extremely difficult, and in a "live for the moment" culture, the patience of any woman can run out over enough time.
 
Begin, I'm well aware that I'm very blessed to have the opportunity to travel, and even luckier to be able to frequent the places I love to be. You're right, every man isn't financially able. I don't know your financial situation or whether or not you have the ability to take extended vacations from your job; but I will tell you one thing. There are some relatively cheap ways of getting to Colombia that few gringos explore. I lost my job in January of last year and I still managed to visit my ex three times in 2010. Granted, I had to make some sacrifices...but it is definitely possible. I've gotten from Houston to Barranquilla and back again for $400. If money is the only issue for you PM me for details. 

[Bob_S]

No doubt good advise to btb but what's a "repoire"?

Rapport? (Pronounced ra-pour)

[JimD]

Yeah Bbob S that's probobly what he meant. "Repartee" didn't eem to fit.

[Researcher]

Rapport? (Pronounced ra-pour)

    Repoire: 1. common misspelling of rapport.

   "Rapport" spelling is too close to "airport" spelling. I didn't want to take a chance on upsetting btb further!  hehehe!
 
 
       Researcher

[JimD]

So lame!!!!

[Researcher]

So lame!!!!

  Oh come now Jim don't call btb lame.


      Researcher

[Bob_S]

Knock it off, guys. 

[Calipro]

vo
I can't agree with Researcher enough on this particular subject. Although I always get bashed for it, I've even gone as far as to say don't even try the Latin American option if you can't visit at least two or three times a year. The distance can be extremely difficult, and in a "live for the moment" culture, the patience of any woman can run out over enough time.
 
Begin, I'm well aware that I'm very blessed to have the opportunity to travel, and even luckier to be able to frequent the places I love to be. You're right, every man isn't financially able. I don't know your financial situation or whether or not you have the ability to take extended vacations from your job; but I will tell you one thing. There are some relatively cheap ways of getting to Colombia that few gringos explore. I lost my job in January of last year and I still managed to visit my ex three times in 2010. Granted, I had to make some sacrifices...but it is definitely possible. I've gotten from Houston to Barranquilla and back again for $400. If money is the only issue for you PM me for details.

Why not share your personal knowledge on how you got from Houston to Brranquillla and back on $400 with the general population?

[whitey]

I've flown between Detroit and Cartagena a few times for less than $500 (return, taxes and luggage included) on Spirit.  $11 and 2 hours more on a puerta-a-puerta to get to Barranquilla.

Those prices were 1.5 years ago though ... about $100-150 more now I think.

[benjio]

Why not share your personal knowledge on how you got from Houston to Brranquillla and back on $400 with the general population?

Sorry Cali,
 
Didn't want to piss off P-L's "Repetitive Post" Police.
 
http://www.planet-love.com/index.php?topic=6494.msg88632#msg88632
 
The trick is to reduce the cost of your trip to Florida as much as possible, as it is usually the bulk of the total ticket cost. Rent a car, ride the bus, take the train, etc. If you take Spirit or Aires from Ft. Lauderdale to Bogota you shouldn't pay more than $300-$500 a ticket...depending on the time of year of course. Then proceed to your final destination from there (assuming it's not Bogota). The bulk of most plane ticket cost when traveling from the U.S. to Colombia is getting to a gateway city. You have Houston to Bogota via Continental, New York to Bogota, Miami to any major city in Colombia via Avianca (usually the most expensive option), or Ft. Lauderdale to Bogota. Spirit use to have a flight directly to Barranquilla from Ft. Lauderdale but for some reason they did away with it.
 
There may be more options but I'm not aware of them off the top of my head.

[chameleon]

I just sent cash and told her to buy what she wants/needs, which includes a suitcase for our upcoming trip. I also planted the idea in her head that if she bought lingerie with some of the money I would not be opposed. 

[benjio]

I also planted the idea in her head that if she bought lingerie with some of the money I would not be opposed. 

NOW THAT'S WHAT THE [snip] I'M TALKING ABOUT!!! Nothing like a gift both parties can enjoy!

[beginthebeguin]

The box I sent last week. (Ok, everyone now have a %&*@#% fit!) also contained some lingerie and tangas. You get extra points for tangas I'm told. 

[Fuzzyone]

[beginthebeguin]

Well the presents are a moot point now it seems. The box never got to the woman's address. Sent out on the 28th of November and here it is the 22 of Deciembre and it has not arrived yet. Her sister tried to track it down at the local post office. No luck. At to top it off the entire Vallle de Cauca is without natural gas for the whole week. A landslide in the Tolima Dept. caused a main natural gasline to break. The will not be any natural gas into the whole Valle until after Christmas day at the earliest.
 
So there has been a 'run' on small propane stoves and hot plates in the stores in the city. Lot's of people have to go out to eat if they want a warm meal. It's been this way for a lot of citizens since the eighteenth of the month.
The temporary cost of living just went up again. When it rains in Colombia it really 'pours' bad news.   
 
http://www.elpais.com.co/elpais/cali/noticias/valle-del-cauca-pasara-navidad-sin-servicio-gas-domiciliario

[JimD]

BTB first question: what mailing service did you use? There is one called ABE Cargo Express that is extrmely reliable for getting packages to Colombia. Second question did you ship to a street address or an Apartado Aereo? The latter would be hopeless.

[beginthebeguin]

USPS Priority Mail to a street address. Had no problem b4. But that was USPS first class under 4lbs.

[Chris F]

Hey look folks I don't have the money saved up to go right now. Ok? HOW MANY TIMES do I have to explain it.

Well..maybe if you were not buying a bunch of gifts for people you have never met and spending even additional money to ship them there, maybe you would have enough money to fly Colombia.
Just sayin.
 
 
 

[beginthebeguin]

Hey, what's your point Cris? I fly there with an extra suitcase full of gifts I pay the same mount in extra baggage fees (or more) than I would shipping USPS or some other carrier. Gee you must have been lurking for days to respond to his thread again. Thanks for the obvious.

[mambocowboy]

my package sent to Barranquilla 12/6 via USPS also hasn't arrived and I'm unable to track via USPS website. Spent $40.40 on postage...

[beginthebeguin]

Mambocowboy did you send it by Priority Mail or First Class?  1st class limit is 4 lbs. Anything over that goes Priority Mail. I send a package to BAQ on the 5Dec11 via First Class and that one arrived. Hmmmm. I guess Priority Mail is not exactly Priority. Well, that's the USPS for you.