Recent content by Lagniappe

This was an interesting exercise. This is an unusual year, with very high expenses, but travel is still up there! 1. Transportation 22%. (New Car, insurance, fuel, transit, etc.) 2. Federal Taxes 21% 3. Travel 20% 4. Home Related. 10% (buying condo, moving) 5. Food...

I should not respond while watching Netflix. MB Way is safer than cash AND the vendor also receives payment immediately. It is safer for me not to carry cash, or have to go to the ATM in a rush to get cash.

I have been using more Peer-to-Peer payments lately. In the states it was Venmo and Zelle, but now that I am here in Portugal, there is a network called MB Way. Many vendors will not take credit or debit cards, but you can pay them directly using MB Way, as long as they are in your phone...

Not this time, as I no longer have a home in SW Florida, but I so appreciated these annual events. Have fun everyone!

I haven't seen any discussion of the Volvo EX30, which is coming out early 2024. It's a small SUV with a 475 km range. I had an XC60, but lost it during hurricane Ian last year. I just put a deposit on the new EX30. I live in an apartment with no garage, but EV's get free parking in Lisbon, and...

I grew up in and around New Orleans, but it has been decades since I spent time in the city. I went for a trip to see family in early October, and decided to stay in the French Quarter for a change. Jazz Paddleboat on the Mississippi River, Cafe du Monde, Jackson Square, Walking ghost tour, WW...

I started with zero Spanish, having never studied any language other than English, so with all of the work you've already done, you've got this!

I've done language immersion twice so far. After I retired in 2018, I went to Barcelona for ten weeks and went to classes 20 hours per week. I easily reached A1 level, A2 was a struggle and I never got through B1. The most challenging part was distinguishing Spanish and Catalan. I definitely...

I would recommend you speak to a tax expert. I cannot give tax advice. However, I have been advised to leave my investments in the US, since I am American and the US will tax me regardless of where I live. Portugal does not tax income gained elsewhere as long is it is subject to tax in that...

I lived in Naples from 2016 until December 2023. Downtown is definitely "too perfect" at times, but venture a few blocks north and you get to much more of a quiet beach town vibe. I lived a 10 minute walk from the Gulf and five minutes from Doctors Bay, and walked to Publix in my beach clothes...

Why not use WhatsApp? At least in my experience in Portugal and Spain, everyone uses Whatsapp for calls and messages. It's tied to your US number, but uses data, whether your phone plans or whatever wifi you can access.

I stayed at the Trinity Townhouse Hotel for three weeks last year. Right next to Trinity College, and close to everything but on a quiet street. I would stay there again. https://www.trinitytownhouse.ie/?utm_source=mybusiness&utm_medium=organic

I live in Lisbon, and have to say, 2K per month is unrealistic to live anywhere near the city these days. I have a couple of friends who are paying 700 for studios in good neighborhoods, but they are small, on high floors with no elevator, and not very well cared for. You can probably still get...

$30K.

I have a T-Mobile e-sim, and a Vodafone physical sim here in Portugal. I have my phone set up so that after I dial a number it asks which sim I want to use. I can also switch settings so that the data used is from a specifically identified sim. Setup with T-Mobile was painful, but it has been...