A little more on grocery store costs in Cali

[Pete E]

First,the 2,600,000 supermarket bill included beer wine and liquor.
The grocery part was 1,800,000.And in May there were 3 guys staying here,plus girlfriends and also my Colombian partner and his assistant who often eat here.We were having maybe 6 people for breakfast and lunch.I try to make up for it in what I charge but I probably don't charge enough.The guys who actually pay $40 a night short term I am covered.The long termers I probably give too good a deal considering my costs.Last month there were 3 of us here.One guy buying his own food,special diet or I would not go for spliting it out.I still pay close to the 1,800,000.With my maid and apartment and utilities I am paying about $2400.I get paid back $900.So I pay $1500.I would be much better off renting from a generous guy like myself than running the place.
About the wine.One kind I buy is OK for 9000 pesos.Everything else is at least 15,000.about $7.Thats almost $2 a glass.If my girlfriend is sitting here drinking it and a friends girlfriend is over I will offer it to her too.Just polite.Even if the guy himself never ever buys a bottle of wine.Sometimes me and my girlfriend will have a glass,then take a bottle to dinner,pay to have it opened,still cheaper and better than buying it at the restaurant,then drink the rest of the first bottle latter.Thats 2 bottles a day,30,000 pesos,$13,big chunk of the $40.One time we share a cab to dinner,my friend goes on to Chipi Chapi,lenos and Carbon.We go to a good local restaurant.I pay 30,000 pesos for them to OPEN my wine.He pays 30,000 for the whole dinner for 2.I am cutting back.I don't do that 5 times a week any more.Not even once right now with my stomach a problem.
Only rent and some restaurants are cheap here.Everything else is more,usually alot more than in the states.I guarantee you I paid a hell of alot less at Costco in the US than in a Colombian supermarket.Particularly the sundry cosmetic stuff.I mean klennex,300 box at costco same price as a 100 box here.Chap stick,I kid you not,$3!$.79 at walgrens.The wine.I could buy good California wine $4 a bottle at Costco,the chilean,$7 up,not as good.Even the chicken.$2 a pound frozen chicken breasts at costco,more heasr.The meat a little cheaper.The orange juice here.$3 for.1.5 litter.Frozen juice at Costco,better,$.75.The fresh fruit here cheap.But not that cheap.2 kilos oranges for a dollar.Maybe compares with the frozen costs.My renters can drink $3 a day in orange juice and soda.I need to charge more,my fault.But I need to be carefull not to make them pay for other people I choose to give stuff frree to.Did you ever go to the restaurant,divide up the bill,notice how some people just don't get the bottom line,you pay for drinks,tax and trip also.One incredibly cheap German guy.Has 2 desserts at AnTorcha.Drinks my wine which I bought and paid them to open,then thinks his share is just the cost of his food.There are givers and takers.Most people,like 80% will be the taker unless you are constantly straitening them out.I sometimes just pay,say screw it.You come over here I give you a drink.Thats fine,I intertain my guests,I expect to.I 'm not talkingt just my main parties but every day.Its me,the way I am.Generous to a fault,and its my choice,but thats where it goes.Part of my lifestyle,part of how I want to live.I appreciate people who are the same.About one guy in 5 will compensate back somehow.
People here live cheap with cheap rent and eating cheap food.Beans,rice a little cheap meat or eggs.The other day I spent 530,000 at the grocery store.I am thinking thats more than some families make in a month,I spent it on one shopping cart.Little other things.My girlsfriend is good.If she wants to grab some shampo or cosmetics while we are shopping I don't object.I never get allowed to iron a shirt,she will tackle me to take it away.
Part of it is the territory.When its at your place you tend to pay.I used to have a party once a month in San Jose.My ex says WHY is it always at our place?Because we had the best house at the time most centrally located.And I don't want to be driving after drinking.One DUI would cost a whole hell of alot more.People there were good,chipped in.One guy really strong,paid for the pay per view boxing matches,always brought beer,would buy food.He was very relieved when his wife started driving so he didn't have to worry about that DUI himself getting home.
What does kind of piss me off is when guys don't get the whole picturte onn the room rent.$40 a day,total cost,food,laundry,phones,computers,is a good deal.One guy recently.I can get a room at x hotel,75,000 pesos.$32 A NIGHT.Right.Plus 12% tax,$7 a day laundry,pay for phone calls,no free US phone calls,no free computers.When I was paying $45 a night at a hotel before I moved in here my bill would average $63 a day.And no computers or long distance phones.$40 is a deal.A little bitty breakast,not 2c meals and wide open juice and soda.And even people who buy some booze usually dri8nk more when you count their guests also.Its worth it.I usually pay alot more for my share of the same place.And I bit off the one year lease paid in advance and PAID $3000 for of stuff for the place not including furniture.
Bottom line.Look at the bill.General thinking will usually miss alot.Living good costs,as Throw tells us.He is a guy not afraid to pay his way who is not kidding himself about the real cost.Kind of like me I think.

Pete
 

[valleydude]

... in response to A little more on grocery store costs in ..., posted by Pete E on Sep 15, 2005

Thanks Pete! These were some really good posts. I appreciated all the insight. I rarely comment on anything you write but read quite a but and I just wanted to throw the "Thank you!" out there. These posts hit me when I had a couple of things on my mind and you answered them.

V-Dude

[Cali MD]

... in response to A little more on grocery store costs in ..., posted by Pete E on Sep 15, 2005

Hey Pete, When you first moved to Cali did you pack a bag, sell everything you own and hop on a plane?  Or do you still have a home in the states with all your stuff?  

MD

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: A little more on grocery store costs..., posted by Cali MD on Sep 16, 2005

So how does a guy wind up just up and moving to a place like Cali to live?You missed all the details as of October to December 2003 when I decided to move to Cali.Lots in the archives but I moved to Cali with 3 suitcases.It used to take a big truck 2 loads to move me.I did store a few boxes at my sons in San Jose,plus he still has my ski boat that has seen its better days.I sold him my car.Everything else got left with my ex who sold what she didn't want to keep.One way to get rid of junk.
I thought about spliting for a year before I did it.I just kept thinking why am I working my butt off and going deeper in debt when I could be living like a king in Cali on my pension money?The relationship was non existant other than to fight about it,she had been sleeping in another room for months.What the f- -k do THIS  for came to mind often.
I left my ex the  house with a $5600 payment,she got 8 months free out of that before they booted her.There was no equity,I had managed to borrow it out.Fortunately my credit doesn't matter here.She also got a car and the furniture plus I paid off her credit cards.I didn't have to give her anything,my only assets in the states are 2 untouchable pensions.My friend said I would leave them with 2 beds.I could have.I could have just sold it all one day and left when she wasn't there.They could not get at me or my money if we are both gone.We did do a non contested divorce.She accepted what I gave her.I used a paralegal,they can just explain to both persons.I took her over there,the lady explained it and served her with the papers at the same time.The wedding pictures were on the wall untill that day when they came down.My friend ,also married to a Colombiana said Pete the girls don't think you are leaving.I asked Rocio,this was a week before the divorce papers,do you think I am leaving?She said no."You think I am staying for this?" We had a big party at my house,the guys in one room slapping me on the back saying you lucky SOB,the girls consouling in the other room and I left the next morning,December 7,2003.
Since being here I have picked up some stuff.My apartment is furnished but I bought a bed,3 mattresses and a TV,stereo,small appliances.So I am not a 3 bag move again.One of those was my computer and related stuff.
I do not regret the move at all.I wish I had left before I refied my house 3 times and spent $300,000  on our lifestyle there,but it had to get REAL BAD before I would actually go,just the truth about it.I hung in almost 5 years on a marriage that was not working week one.Should have just left her butt in Colombia after a honeymoon that showed me how she felt about me.Coulda,woulda,shoulda,its what you DO that counts.I did love her.I gave her every chance.She just flat didn't love me and could not convince herself to,although I think she tried in her own way.
Stupid.stupid,stupid.So do what I say,not what I did.
That was the abreviated version.I blame myself.I knew better,I just didn't do better.
She was just being her,but she didn't want to admit the truth.I finally had to form the question to get her to admit the truth in the presence of a $90 an hour so called professional who was buying her BS  up to that point.She was a cute charmer that could turn on the tears.Why was that even neccesary if I already knew better?I just didn't want to give up on her.I loved her.I still do in a strange way.As bad as she treated me she was precious to me.
I have been on both sides of one sided love affairs.That side is definetly the wrong one to be on.
I am not deffending what I did or saying I should have done it or that it was anything but grossly unfair to me.I am just admittting the truth about what I DID.YES,I SHOULD HAVE JUST KICKED HER TO THE CURB REAL FAST,I AGREE,BUT I DIDN'T.
OK guys,he asked.I am over it,right?
All but some nostalgic thoughts.I don't want to remember the ugly fights.I want to remember the best parts,and there were some.I not only loved this person I liked her.
She was just never meant for me.
I am on the other side of a somewhat one sided love affair now.I know that she really does love me.I try and treat her as good as I can,except for the other friend and lover who gets a minor amount of my time that I just don't want to have to part with.
Move to Cali,become like a Colombiano.Its not to difficult to adjust to.I really have it made in so many ways.I can't think of another time in my life I would like to be back in.Lovers,friends,good weather.You do have to let go of that thought that there must be something I should be trying to accomplish.Thats not hard for me.Might be for some people.I had a guy ask me what my goals were the other day.Goals are for people who are not satisfied with what they have at the moment.Who says you have to be driven?Who made that good?
I discovered this summer on my 7000 mile road trip in the Western US that I was no longer waiting for something to happen after which everything will be wonderfull and it will be OK to enjoy life.Life is NOW.
Which for me at the moment is recovering from Ulcerative colitis.If I am very good with the food and no alcohol I feel pretty good.Its not difficult,I pamper me,other people pamper me.Number one girl is off on her once a week all night shift as a surgical nurse at the best hospital in  Cali.She works 4 or 5 other 6 hour daytime shifts.She doesn't know if she will get to kick back or be in an operation that can last up to 12 hours.She had one of those recently,ladies heart stopped twice in the middle of it,they had to jump start her.She will be back at 8 AM because there will be a party at the house she is living in and she will not get her needed sleep after her 12 hour shift tonight.That plus I am just tired so I will pass on my other friend and lover tonight.Usually the all night shift is my time with my other girl.Maybe I am even feeling a little LOYAL  to my good girl?If I didn't already have the other girl I wouldnt be doing that,I never did that in the states.I just don't want to let her go,she is my FRIEND and LOVER,and what a lover.Best I have ever had.Damn,maybe I should have called her instead of BSing you guys.I am feeling pretty good right now.
So,I am writting you guys,which is exactly what I want to be doing right now or I wouldn't do it.
After a business failed in 1992 I went back to my government job for 5 years to get a stream of income that even I couldn't f- - k up.I hated it.After running a fun business it was like prison.I told myself I would never ever do anything else I didn't want to do after I was finished doing that.It was my last compromise.
Just talked to Brazilpro on the phone.I am having a good time tonight just kicking back.
Beatriz just called,just minor surgeries so far.Just finished one,going in to another,a baby with a fractured hand.
I was tired,then I got woke up talking to people calling.Beats watching TV.I just bought 10 good copy DVD's,7000 pesos each,about $3.One is the new Hitler movie that just hit the theaters here.You want real copies with sub titles.Some of the stuff on the street is filmed in a theater,poor image and sound,no subtitles.El Centro,the block with the TV and electronics stores.I might even buy some Colombiana porno movies.Sounds redundant, maybe we will make some.Jesse was renting DVD's  for more than that,and having to return them.From now on we will just buy them,keep building a video library.3 TV's with DVD's
Sitting idle at the moment.
This prednesone has me goofy,it keeps me awake at night then I am tired during the day.But I need it right now to recover.

Pete