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The ATM in Costa Rica Spits Out US Dollars — A Travel Story

Sandy Ingram
3 min readDec 23, 2023

Photo by Phil Mosley on Unsplash

Being retired is like starting a whole new chapter in your life. It will be what you make it.

Imagine, after being gone from the United States for over seven years, I finally visited a country where the ATMs at Walmart, no doubt, spit out US dollars.

Before that, I had little contact with the greenbacks and was excited as hell when a woman gave me a crisp $1.00 bill at the Walmart in Puerto Vallarta because I marveled at seeing the US currency.

I still carry that one-dollar bill with me today from over five years ago. However, now I also carry a $10 bill I received at Panama's money exchange booth.

I am a US citizen, and I love my country, yet I find the lifestyle I want to live excessively expensive in America. (I have a bad habit of wanting a view of the sea)

No complaints.

I packed three suitcases and purchased a one-way ticket to Mexico ten years ago. Now, I am down to a backpack, a carry-on, and a secret pouch.

I find the US to be expensive and overpriced. But what do I know? I’m not there! The US is a country I visit to make connecting flights to another continent.

-I am sharing this article for two reasons. The first reason is that the little things can make…

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Sandy Ingram
Sandy Ingram

Written by Sandy Ingram

Retired US citizen traveling the world, slowly. Author, YouTuber and Retired Tax Professional Registered w/ DOT Since 1999.

Responses (2)

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So, every six months, when I am in Mexico, and every three months in most other parts of the world, I must travel to another destination to stay compliant with immigration laws and the ...

Excellent idea.

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I find the US to be expensive and overpriced. But what do I know? I’m not there! The US is a country I visit to make connecting flights to another continent.

Great

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