A few dollars a day

  Have any of you ever experienced living on less than ten dollars a day? So the question you may be wondering is it really possible to live on less than ten dollars a day and some days less? In the States, especially Seattle, I found that almost impossible with groceries needing to be bought, my car needing to be filled with gas, parking meters needing to be paid, the newest trend needing to be worn, the latest music to be heard, and the newest craze restaurant serving food that needed to be consumed. And only a little distance away is a country which survives on the basics bought at the store, the fruit grown from their backyard, bread from the family member who lives right next door, and all the entertainment you could need from a 2 year old dancing away to some tipico song. Can a simple life really be as gratifying as a life where you get what you want.  I can confidently say yes and even go to the extent of saying the simple life is more gratifying than the consumer driven life.


  Let me tell you a little about my spending habits here in Panama. I usually pay around $2.70 for transportation when I need to go into the larger city to get food or other essentials. I may stop by the local store to treat myself to a diet coke and my favorite cookies adding up to no more than $1.10. I play soccer with the locals when I'm needing my exercise or do pilates in my room, both cost nothing. For entertainment I play cards or dominoes with my host family or sit and chat about the latest happenings, both cost nothing. For relaxation I read in the hammock or visit among friends who live down the street, both cost nothing. For family time we sit around a plate full of food ($1-3) and chat.  So this gives you a good idea of what life costs for us here. In fact ten dollars is a lot! I never would have thought that living in the States.


  Yes there are benefits and downfalls where money is not an option and your hammock is your getaway. First I'll name some downfalls that inevitably come with lack of money. For those of you who love to travel not only to different countries, but also just around your own neck of the woods this is made more difficult when on a tight budget. For Brennan and I we wouldn't be able to travel to any outside countries if we hadn't saved up before we came to Panama. In some ways that may make you feel stuck in where you're at and that there's no where to escape, however I don't think the Panamanians need to travel to escape for relaxation. Their family is the center of their world here (which I think is the most beautiful thing to see) and family becomes their escape. Here in Panama family always lives close by so you simply need to walk down the street ($0) and you have found your peace of mind. So for us who need to get out for a while, which means spending money, Panamanians need to merely walk down the street. One other downfall to living on a tight budget is the lack of variety in food. For me my body is use to getting a balanced diet of some type of protein, some starch, and some fruit or veggies. Here veggies are harder to come by and the cheapest items at the grocery store are rice, pasta, and other starchy foods. For my stomach it is difficult to eat a mound of rice, a mound of pasta and some bread on the side, however once again Panamanians have accustomed their bodies to process this type of meal. It may not be healthy, but they make due with what they have and make sure their family is not hungry.


  So now onto the benefits. I believe living simply with less than ten dollars a day offers you more chances to be creative with your resources. Instead of buying an $80 membership to a soccer arena you can round up the neighborhood kids and start your own futbol game in the local cancha (basketball court). Instead of buying a boat to go to the lake you create a rope swing and entertain yourself for hours while perfecting your flips into the water. Instead of paying $20 to go out dancing at a club you call the neighbors over to your house and blast reggaetons while dancing the night away. Instead of owning your own car and paying for gas every week to get to work you wake up early to pay thirty to ninety cents for a bus or chiva transportation with all the other workers. Really it's all about making the most of what you already have. BE CREATIVE. Another thing I love about living with little is that it makes you focus less on material matters and more on people. Like I said earlier family and being relational is one of the most important things to the Panamanian culture. When people are the center of your focus you don't have time to be consumed with the material. Why would I need to go shopping when I'm busy hosting my family for dinner. Or why would I need to go to the theaters to see a movie when the whole family loves the juicy drama of the daily novella on the comfort of your own couch. I definitely think the benefits to living on ten dollars or less a day greatly outweigh the downfalls. It's all about priorities and I definitely think Panama definitely has it's priorities right.


  I challenge you to try living off of less than ten dollars for a day. Can you do it?