No Ifs or Buts.....would you stay in Argentina or not?

That’s a hard question because there are both personal, family and business issues at stake for me.

On the personal side, it took me years to adjust to here and I am not really looking forward to start from scratch elsewhere. Moving is a huge pain, especially now that we have stuff of our own vs. when we moved from Italy to here after just starting living together (no property, no furniture)

Family - even if we meet them 4-5 times per year, those gatherings are very enjoyable and we wouldn’t have them elsewhere (my family is scattered in different places and it is not a close knit family).

Business - I work remotely, but part of my job relies on offering services in Argentina to non-Spanish speakers. That’s my niche and I have been working on that for years. I am also halfway in my university degree, and until I am done I can’t move. This degree will be useful even if I leave Argentina for a variety of reasons - it could still help me maintain an Argentinian-part of my business, just a different one.

That said, business-wise the best locations for my work would be the US and Italy, and also being near a capital city (or better yet, IN a capital city). This implies certain costs that perhaps would make me work harder to get the same level of saving we have here. Being able to save is perhaps the biggest pro of living here, money-wise.

In Italy we saved mere hundreds per month (as in €2-300), that then went away as soon as there was some big expense. Considering we won’t have a pension regardless (the forecasts for pensions in Italy are so low, that they are close to the statutory minimum even after 40 years of work), being able to save and invest to have “passive” income is key.

Location:

Business-wise, time zone is also a concern for me. Staying on EST time zone (or 1-2 hours from it) is a big advantage since my clients are in the US. When I was in the UAE, I was going to bed and emails from US-based clients started hitting my mailbox. It wasn’t pleasant to go to bed when the work day was about to start - I always felt like I was falling behind we work and late to reply, plus my yesterday was their today and it lead to some confusion.

I like mild Argentinian weather and I would have a hard time adjusting to cold weather again. It just makes life miserable - no artificial lighting can replace the warm sun and the blue sky of Argentina.

I love the Argentinian countryside and I don’t get the same feeling when I am in the countryside in Italy.

I can say that after moving to Argentina, I was able to get a taste of what my life would like in two places: the UAE and Italy. And I’d still pick Argentina. Because even in Italy, next to my friends and family I am not finding what I have here in terms of culture/diversity. And elsewhere in Italy I wouldn’t have my family and friends, just weather and business. And it would still be more complicated than in the US.

That said, it has always been on the back of my mind that I may have to go back to Italy for a time in case my mother needs me, which is why I have kept an eye open on what I could do to work from Italy with my business.

I would move to the US, though. But it is hard to imagine where and how, it being such a vast country with a diverse cost of living and population. Some parts are cheaper, but I would feel out of place.

Your analysis is a well-thought-out one, serafina . For at least this particular time, Argentina seems to be a good fit for you, as you grow your business and build up some savings.

I’ve enjoyed seeing your appreciation for Argentina grow as you have settled into life in BsAs. You have learned to shrug and accept the drawbacks while celebrating the many benefits. Bravo!

My ideal would be to own a property in the UK which my daughter would look after when we're not there, but still live permanently in Argentina. We could then spend a few months with my family and enjoy just being there for a few months every year.

In the nearly twenty years that I've been living here, it's only in about the last five or six years that I've come to terms that we will settle here.

Splinter , as someone who has BEEN THERE, I’d highly recommend against owning a property that you would visit rather than live in. Maintenance needs are constant, expenses can be multiples of anticipated costs, and your daughter would be dealing with problems constantly, not occasionally.

I love your dream of visiting for months at a time. If that works out, I can promise you that it would be far less expensive to rent a place for a few months each year, leaving the headaches to someone else and insuring that you didn’t spend your time there taking care of problems.

Unsolicited advice from a friend!

I don't know under what circumstances you came here, UK Man . But I believe you likely had a property in the UK before moving to Argentina, and found a way to get rid of it and move across the Atlantic. You can do it again. I know that pets are a big element in your decision, but plenty of people drag their furry family across the world. You'd perhaps have to do it in stages (one goes to the UK, finds a property, and then goes back to Argentina to help with the move), but it is not impossible to achieve.

I have considered, from time to time, what I'd do if I were alone here, and I would definitely move away. And the thought of having to disinvest and move alone is not more entertaining that doing it together. But Argentina is a mutual choice, not mine alone.

Quote from Rice

Splinter , as someone who has BEEN THERE, I’d highly recommend against owning a property that you would visit rather than live in. Maintenance needs are constant, expenses can be multiples of anticipated costs, and your daughter would be dealing with problems constantly, not occasionally.

I love your dream of visiting for months at a time. If that works out, I can promise you that it would be far less expensive to rent a place for a few months each year, leaving the headaches to someone else and insuring that you didn’t spend your time there taking care of problems.

Unsolicited advice from a friend!

I would definitely do it if I could afford it, even if it was a small flat, something, a bolt-hole, a life belt.

Something at the end of the rainbow because this country does your head in and frankly, a lifeboat is an attractive option.

On the very first day I arrived here in May 2005, to be with Adri (you know the rest) she said that all Argentines keep at least US$3000 under the mattress just in case.

Fresh from the UK, I didn't know what she was on about and she said that it was insurance in case she needed to flee the country.

I said that she could not be serious, but she was, deadly serious.

Now, I believe her.

Quote from Bombonera

You might find that after a month back in the UK, you'll be glad to be heading back to Argentina!

Also a valid point. Whenever I visit Italy, I have to ask family and friends to explain me how to do even the smallest things, because they have changed since I left.

And I have been away for a decade, only, but “modernization” affected all aspects of a civilian life. I don’t even know how to use a parking app because sometimes the app is available only in the Italian App Store, or the payment is linked to an Italian phone number but only after registering on the processor’s website.

For example, last time I was frightening because I couldn’t find an ATM machine when I went on vacation, but my friend reassured me that everyone was accepting cards. She was right - when I lived in Italy, they wouldn’t take card payment for small amount like in a café for just a coffee.

I have to take a crash course on life in Italy every time. Even visiting city hall to renew my ID now has rules (you have to book online, you can’t book for the same day, you can also go without an appointment but there is a dedicated line, but when you go there there is one single line and if the teller calls your name you can jump).

Well, sounds not very complicated once you learn it. But I got mad at people jumping the line and the window for those with no appointment being shut down.

I am also always using Google maps to drive around, even in my small town, because they have changed road rules and I keep driving with the old ones (streets that were two ways are now one way, one way street that were a certain way have now switched to the opposite way).

You know you've changed sides when everything in Argentina - road signs, billboards etc - looks familiar, but when you go 'home', it's no longer quite so familiar.

This article make it sound Ecuador (and I suspect any cheaper country) like Hotel California: You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave

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In Cuenca, I pay $750 for three bedrooms, three and a half baths, and a private patio. Something Similar to this in Billings would be about $2,400 a month.

I don't know why she needs that much room on her own.

Quote from serafina

This article make it sound Ecuador (and I suspect any cheaper country) like Hotel California: You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave

I don't know why she needs that much room on her own.

She doesn't say if it's a flat or a house either. Anyway, for that money why cram yourself into a one bed hovel when you can have much more space?

She doesn't mention the language barrier or the recent drug gang violence, all of which is bound to impact her life and have a bearing on her decision to live there.

It's also true that we could not afford to live in the UK any longer, similar to this lady.

Quote from UK Man

Without my wife's connections there's no way I'd live here by myself.

I'd rather not think about that!