Tips for making the most of your money....

It just dawned on me the other day that I could be making better use of my money here in Brazil. These tips are also relevant in the United States however Brazilian business have capitalized on profiting off customers in a "hurry" or customers that want something without having the money to pay for it right away.

Most stores in Brazil offer a "cartão da loja" a.k.a. a store credit card. Employees walk throughout the store like used car salesmen asking (begging) you to sign up for one. While the majority are pretty basic in practice, where they get you is if you buy something and break it up into payments. In the US when when you pay for something by credit it is paid how you choose as long as you make the minimum payment. Here in Brazil you specifically state how many months you want to spread out the payment - some stores go all the way up to 12 months. What they try to hide from you is the interest you will pay; which is and can be as high as 22%. Be careful. It is best just to pay it off at the end of the month and establish a solid credit history with the store. I am not sure if these cards actually report to the credit bureaus but nonetheless you are wasting money when you pay interest on items you can pay for right away.

Another easy way to save money is to buy everything you possibly can in bulk and at a grocery store. Buying items when you are in a hurry comes at a premium. For example a case of beer at the gas station costs R$40,00 where at a grocery store it costs R$19.90. That is a 50% markup. This isn't just for beer, it is for almost all items you purchase.

You gotta be kidding me....

Another day in Manaus, needless to say very little surprises me anymore. Last night I purchased a "pos   pago" (post-paid) plan at Claro. What takes 15 minutes in the United States took over 2 hours. I actually recall my last car purchase in Chicago took only 1.25 hours. So I guess buying a cell phone is a BIG deal here. Claro seems to have by far the fastest internet in Manaus. They claim 4G (b/s). Unfortunately it is pretty much useless outside of Manaus. 

Today I planned on going to the bank to pay a GRU for my spouses passport - surprise! Every bank in the Amazonas is on strike. You got to be kidding me. How can people function here without access to there money? By drinking. Now I know why there are so many parties here - because it's the way to cope with laziness, long days, bureaucracy and bullshit. 

What's next? :-)

I must be dreamin.... Free NFL Sunday Ticket in Brazil?

Well my day just got better... I feel like I won the lottery.

There is a free and easy way to watch all the NFL games (recorded or live) in Brazil. I guess the NFL likes to screw the people that live in the US and make it easy on expats. Anyways, you can watch on your computer, phone or tablet. Look at this link:

gamepass.nfl.com

Wooooooooohooooooooo! :p

I survived Brazil for... 1 month!

After 30 days in Brazil I am happy to say I have survived, and have no regrets about making the big decision to move. I now live in a country that is extremely bureaucratic but definitely gives its citizens and residents to live equally amongst each other. Don't get me wrong, certain parts of Brazil are not as open minded as others and in addition certain government agencies. But in the month I have lived here I know am in my permanency process, have been married, received my protocol from the DPF, work book from the Ministry of Labor and have met amazing and wonderful people throughout Manaus. Here is to anther great month in the Amazon... And now the job hunting begins!

Car Rental Saga

Note to self - whenever renting a car in Brazil, cancel the credit card after renting. I was notified by Chase (my bank) that AVIS has tried to run my cancelled credit card 26x all for varying amounts. Not very comforting! Glad I cancelled my card when I did, but getting a new one sent to me is a pain in the ...............!

Bank Account Open

Well, despite the 4 hour wait in the bank today, I officially opened a bank account. I guess preparing ahead of time for the bureaucracy helped a great deal speed up the process. However, the waiting in the bank was extremely painful. To date besides applying for marriage this was by far the most painful process. I suggest anyone intending to move to Brazil as an expatriate check out the Brazil forum on the expat-blog.com. This site really helped me prepare for everything I was facing well in advance. Besides finding a job, I think I am good to go until December and now I can sit back and relax and help others through this painful process/culture shock.

Couldn't open a bank account, but got my work permit....

Ahhh, another wonderful day in Brazil. Spent 2.5 hours in Bradesco trying to open a bank account. Waited 2.75 hours to be told I need a declaration from my landlord that I lived at my address, even though I had a credit card bill and a notarized apartment lease. Seriously? So tomorrow I get to spend another 3 hours waiting. The good news is I got my work permit. It took less than 30 minutes. Just needed to show my protocol, CPF, marriage certificate (show originals, and provide copies.) The lady told us we didn't need notarized/authenticated copies but I have a saying especially in this country - "it is better to be safe than sorry." I have my green book and can work legally in Brazil, albeit I speak very little Portuguese!

Useful Tips (common sense safety)

I have come across a couple common occurrences not normal in the United States but seem to be very common in Brazil.

1) if you buy alcohol (bottle) make sure it is sealed and completely full. On two occasions now I have purchased half empty bottles of Vodka. 

2) if you attend a festival or large gathering do not carry your wallet or purse with you. If you must, then don't carry every credit card you have. That way if you lose it you aren't without a backup card. Minimize your losses. 

3) try use a credit/debit card for every purchase unless you must use cash. Your card carries the same protection as it does in the United States.

Festival de Ciranda - Day 2

Another fantastic experience last night. The dance and music is all the same to me but never say that to a Brazilian. They take there music, dance and colors very seriously - kind of like Americans do with their football teams. Most cities of some size in the Amazonas has some regional dance specific to each respective city. For example - Manacapuru (Ciranda) Novo Airão (Pena Branca). Most festivals have ended for the year - thank God, the partying is insane here. Last night I passed by numerous people that were passed out on the street sleeping in their own vomit. Pretty sad and disturbing.