Moving Abroad: 5 Steps to Purging Your Stuff

Part of any move is The Great Purge. Well, for me at least. I'm the opposite of a hoarder, more of an 'everything out' type of person. So when I moved in with Sandro a year and a half ago, I came with my clothes, childhood photo albums, and some animal art to give the place that feminine touch. He had all the major necessities (furniture, appliances, etc) so what was mine at my old apartment was sold or donated. Over time I've accumulated more books, more knick knacks, and enough kitchen gadgets to serve a restaurant. Now that we're moving to Buenos Aires, another more thorough purge is in order.

First, there's the traveling. We don't have the wherewithal to move anything extra, either on the plane (imagine me dragging one of those carts through the airport bar while waiting for the flight), or through the mail (Argentina is notorious for handling the shipping of cargo pretty poorly). And if we did spend the money and effort to send things like our library or our favorite bedspread to Argentina, the chance that it would get lost or cost an arm and a leg to pick up is just not worth it.

Secondly, there's the fact that most rental apartments in Buenos Aires come furnished (at least those that are available to shorter term foreigners like ourselves). So no need to bring our own pots and pans or linens or seating arrangements. And we won't have to spend money on that stuff once we get there. It's the perk that comes with paying higher rent than the locals. And for convenience sake, I'd say it's a fine deal.

So how do you just 'get rid of everything'? It's a lot of work and organization, but it's do-able and rewarding.

1. Swap - Hold a clothing/book/housewares swap with some friends. Invite everyone over to bring the things they don't want and to take things they could actually use from everyone else. My girls and I did a clothing swap last week. I brought two huge garbage bags of clothes that were cute and wearable, but that just didn't make the cut for Argentina. I left with one new dress and one new pair of shoes, both of which will sensibly fit into my suitcase and my Buenos Aires lifestyle. We ate snacks and drank wine and made an afternoon of it and it was really great to see my clothes go home with my friends who will actually wear and love them. Remember: There will probably be loads of leftovers, so everyone chip in to help clean up and re-bag everything. Someone volunteer to drive it all to the nearest thrift shop at the end of the day.

2. Thrift - Anything your friends don't want can go straight to your local thrift store. Most thrift stores donate to charity and will give you a receipt so that you can write off your donation on your taxes the following year. Thrift stores will take new or used clothes, housewares, electronics, books/movies/records, and pretty much anything else that isn't in terrible shape.

3. Sell - Selling new or lightly used items is fairly easy online or at a local resell store. We've used CraigsList.org to sell all of our furniture so far. We list the items at about 5% higher than we expect to get for it, and sure enough, someone comes and makes an offer at just the right price. It takes some time to list the item, research a fair asking price, and respond to emails from potential buyers. You'll also have to deal with strangers coming to your house to inspect, pay for, and take away your stuff. Be smart and be safe and you will be fine. And then you've got cash.
Buffalo Exchange is a boutique resell store (Read: glorified thrift) that offers cash or credit for new or barely used name brand clothes, shoes, and accessories. We have one in Philadelphia that, although it can be picky, has bought back a handful of my nicer clothes and shoes. I've taken in two bags of items and left with one full of the rejects and have made anywhere from $3-10 per piece. Once I took the cash (30% of what they will resell the item for) and bought myself lunch. Another time I took the store credit (50%) and left with a new coat. Check for vintage, consignment, and resell shops in your area to get a little extra cash for those 'better than thrift' pieces.

4. Give - Maybe your friends love your stuff and don't want to pick through it at a swap, or the resell store rejected it but it's still really cute and you can't bear to see it on the shelves at a thrift store. Maybe a buddy is recently single and is looking to furnish his empty apartment. Giving your things to people who you like and who need them is the best way to know your stuff will be appreciated and taken care of. All of my friends are getting pieces of me to hold on to, whether they want it or not!

5. Store - It's ok to keep stuff. If you are not planning on being gone too long or you're particularly attached to what you've got, pack it up. A family or friend's basement can be the safest, cheapest storage option. However, Uhaul and other national and local self-storage facilities offer safe, dry, temperature controlled spaces from $55-$120/month. You'll have to either pay upfront for a length of time or arrange a monthly payment by credit card from abroad. That's literally the price you pay for being a hoarder...oh! I mean uh...a sentimental stuff keeper.

So it's two suit cases apiece for Sandro and I, one checked and one carry on each. Clothes, Kindle, a couple photos and mementos, and that's it. But what about those childhood photo albums and that letter from your best friend from high school? Believe it or not, I do have a sentimental bone in my body (but just one), and I am lucky enough to be able to store a few things at Sandro's dad's house. BUT. I've narrowed it down to a couple of boxes. Two cardboard boxes will contain my life's physical memories and everything else is going to have to live in my mind (or on the internet).

Expat Banking

I jumped on the Charles Schwab train. It has been raved about by many a Argentine expat as the best bank for people traveling extensively or living abroad. Don't get me wrong, banks aren't cool. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do, and this seems like a decent option for people whose financial lives are fairly simple.

Great things:
It's online. There are branches, but most transactions take place in outer space (the internet) so you can take care of biz whenever. Not whenever you can make it to the bank across town. Also, (mostly) paperless, which is more common now, but still gets points from me. And Chuck has a decent mobile app, like it should, which is more than I can say for my ex-bank. All of these things are great for travelers or expats who have addresses back home and maybe other accounts out there but want to be able to easily access/transfer/manage money in more than one currency.

ALSO...Chuck pays you back for all the ATM fees you rack up at the end of every month. That's right. Wherever you go, however outrageous the surcharge, you know you're getting it back. I imagine I'll forget that sweet fact the first month we're in Buenos Aires. When the chunk of change shows up in my account at the end of it, it'll feel like a surprise present! Then I'll get used to it and curse the fact that I have to pay the fees up front at all. But that's the world we live in, right?

And talk about excellent customer service. First, it was pretty easy to set up. With terms like 'brokerage' and 'investment' floating around all over the site, I was mildly overwhelmed. But the website and the guys on the phone were so great and helpful. They called me the day after I set up the account, "just to make sure I was comfortable and satisfied." I was. When I called because after only two days I had forgotten my online account password, they walked me through the verification process and got me back in the game. For being a big deal bank, they are patient and very available.

So here's how it goes:
For a non-millionaire, it's actually pretty simple. If you have and are going to be keeping a US address, go with the regular account available at their website. The "regular" account is a brokerage account. Since I don't have the need for 'brokerage' in my life, I'm just using it as a savings account for now. If you are working with investments, that's where they will go.
Automatically connected to the brokerage account is a checking account that comes with a debit card and works like any other. Signing up is a simple process of filling out online forms. You will get email and phone call confirmations and you will have plenty of opportunities to ask questions and sort things out. Big perk: There are no minimum balances on these accounts.

But you are opening a bank account because you have some money, so some of it needs to get with Schwab. You can either write yourself a check or wire money from your old account to your new one. I chose to wire my funds because checks and the mail can take forever, cost a stamp, and it's 2012...I don't even have checks. If you choose the wire option, you will receive all the information you'll need from Charles Schwab on the site. You'll then have to call your old bank and request the wire transfer. This may cost $10-15, but it happens immediately so...convenience.

Another option to look into is the Charles Schwab high yield savings account. I'm still working on getting this added to my account, but according to Chuck it has a higher interest rate than the brokerage account. This one, for some reason, requires that you request it over the phone. You'll be sent a form via email to print out and mail in applying for the account. Once the paperwork is processed, you'll have this third account connected to the brokerage and checking accounts. The idea is, spending money goes in checking, savings goes in savings and earns interest, and when I win la lotería, that goes in brokerage for investing.

If you don't have a US address and are putting all of your eggs in a Buenos Aires basket, you'll have to go with the international account. This requires a $25,000 minimum in the brokerage account and a headache's worth of documentation and proofs of everything you've ever done.
If you have an impressive financial portfolio (stocks, bonds, funds, the like) that you'd like to include in your new Charles Schwab banking lifestyle, there are options for that and I can imagine they are not so complicated to figure out as well. Unfortunately, I don't have any other information about that, but I'm sure the sweethearts at Schwab customer care will be happy to help!

My point is, don't be intimidated. Be responsible. Here is a way to get your finances in order and not get totally screwed when you're trying to make a major move. It's totally do-able.
I would also love to hear other people's experience with banking abroad or Charles Schwab. How's it working out for ya?
<3

UPDATE: More good things from CS!
I got a FREE box of checks in the mail today. It came with a handful of pre-paid deposit envelopes. I did mail in a check I received for some work here in the States, so this was insanely convenient and free all around. I don't, however, imagine I'll be using checks for much once I get to Buenos Aires. Or will I? Anyone have any use/issues with checks?

I also got a notice with their personal information privacy policy stating that they use my info for internal marketing, etc. and did I want to opt out of having my info shared with third party affiliates? Well, yes, I would like to opt out. I called a number, entered my social security number, and was immediately removed from their sharing list.

I can't believe how easy and convenient this bank is!

A South Philly Style Asado

Whatever you call it, cooking meat on an outdoor grill is the best. Argentina is famous for its barbeques, or parrillas (say, puh-REE-juh). The best one I had when we visited Buenos Aires last year was outside on a patio in the middle of San Telmo. Dudes were serving up chorizo sausages on a bun (Choripan!) along side other slabs of roasting pig and cow pieces. Mmmm!

Well South Philly has its own way of charring up pork. We don't let tiny, concrete "backyards" stop us from setting up spit. This weekend, our friends Eric and Megan hosted their second annual pig roast. The star: a 65 pound girl with feet, tail, and snout in tact. They built the spit out of cinder blocks and kept hot coals going down inside it. The pig was splayed out and held between two racks made of metal piping. Miss Piggy was attached at the hooves with metal zip ties. She was flipped once an hour and coated in homemade chimichurri sauce. We could smell her throughout the house as we enjoyed every kind of typical, American side dish; potato salad, mac n' cheese, kale and beet salad, chips and salsa, local beer, and red velvet cupcakes! South Philly's very own asado!

4 Steps to Working Abroad

For months after I finished my college degree (ten years late!) I scrambled to find work here in Philadelphia. I came up with a decent office management position, but for reasons that would bore you, I left. Sandro had just finished up his contract working at the University, so the two of us found ourselves unemployed with an entire summer and a move to Buenos Aires ahead of us. This seemed really nice, except that I wasn't prepared to swing it without an income. I sent out one hundred emails and resumes in the hopes of just finding something that I could make money at but also get out of come October when we leave for Argentina. Once we reached Buenos Aires, I planned to hit the ground running looking for whatever work was available to me as a brand new expat.

Another couple of months later and my summer has been filled with cheap grill outs, thrift store shopping, and other penny pinchers. Then, this week, I got so many jobs! It's been really crazy actually. Rather than one full time, consistent job, I've gathered up a hand full of part time projects that are all really different and fun.

"How?", you ask? Well, like I said, it's been months in the making. My friend Claire (ex-Philly girl, current BA compadre) suggested remote freelance work as a way to secure some funds regardless of where I was planted. I honestly didn't even know what this meant. Freelancers, in my mind, were graphic designers, architects, and novelists and none of these skills could I lay claim to. But if that's what it was going to take for me to get to Buenos Aires with enough money for beef and wine, then by all means, I'd do it.

So I'm turning in my barista and administrative assistant cards for a ticket to cyberspace. So many other people work from home, on computers, with their cats, sipping coffee, and listening to music. Why can't I? When I really think about what I want and what could work for me at this point in my life, I'd say that pretty much sums it up.
So I began polishing up my resume I noticed some themes: lots of research, lots of writing. And when I thought about the things I do online in my free time, they fell under these same categories. I hunted down some remote positions in these fields and sold myself as a researcher and writer capable of putting my skills to work for the internet.
Word of mouth and experience go a long way, and all of the sudden I'm color coding my calender to keep my hours straight. When someone asks me what I do, I can now say I am a Freelance Writer. It feels great! Oh, and somewhere in the job application hurricane I also landed a temporary dog walking position. Some days I come back down to the real world and get to hang out with this kid:

So you say, "Good for you, Reeves. You got pretty lucky. How am I supposed to figure this out?". I will do my best to pass on my advice:

Pick a thing and pursue it.
Decide what you are going to do. Research the types of jobs that include the skills you have. Listen to what other people are saying about the opportunities and downfalls of the job. Read everything you can that relates. Reassess. Some job titles sound really fancy (Chief Auxillary Elutriater = Housekeeper) when in reality, the work they entail can be monotonous. In contrast, some titles sound like complete nonsense (Preparation Expert?), but allow you do some really cool things (I bet the Preparation Expert at the cupcake factory isn't complaining).

If you've done it, you are it.
Edit your resume. Highlight all of the skills and responsibilities you've acquired in all the jobs you've had, even the seemingly unrelated ones. Relate all of your skills to the requirements of the job you want. Recognize that if you've done something and succeeded at it, you can be that. A dog walker must be organized and able to multitask. If you are trying to make the move from professional dog walker to Online Project Manager, be sure to mention those qualities. You are organized and an excellent multitasker!

Put it all out there.
Get that resume into the hands of every person you can get a hold of. Look high and low. Explore every avenue. Don't be too insecure to check into the best opportunity in your field. There are connections to be made and valuable information to be gained. The worst they can say is No, Thank You. But don't be too cocky for the unpaid internships or the one-off projects. They are experience and resume builders that could lead to more promising opportunities down the road.

Follow up and work it out.
Just like with any job, follow up with the people you've contacted if you haven't heard from them in a week or so. Be prepared to negotiate with whatever opportunity comes along. Is it the lame data entry position that you hear back from first? Think about it...could you swing it part time if you heard back from something better? Is it an important step or connection to something bigger? Do you need the money right now and this is what's going to get you through til next month? Do what you gotta do. But don't be afraid to risk getting your feet wet. Some experience is better than nothing. I've taken every little thing that's come my way so far. And although it's been hectic to juggle at times, I've made some serious connections and steps down my path. It's been worth it.

My overall message is this: don't not move abroad because you're worried about money. Be responsible and take the time to work out some type of income if you're going to need it. Remember: If you have some type of experience in the professional job market, then with some work and follow through, you will be able to get some remote work that pays straight into your bank account in US dollars. This is ideal and will get you where you're going until you figure out the next step.
Happy hunting!

Tag! You're It!

I found this game over at EFF Etc and couldn't resist.

Answer the 11 new questions at the bottom on your own blog or in my comments. Be sure to leave me a link so I can check you out! Add 11 new questions of your own and tag someone new.

Erin's Eleven Things:

1. Why do you blog?
I blog because I have something to share. So many other bloggers have helped in my journey to Buenos Aires and in teaching me how to blog. I want to be able to pass on my experiences and advice to those who come after me. Blogging also helps me clear my mind. When I have a lot of ideas or a problem to solve, putting it down on the blog helps me calm the chaos.

2. What is your favorite book and why?
My favorite book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I don’t care about Steinbeck at all, most of his work bores me. But this book is beautifully written and the characters are so honest and multi-layered. It’s 600 pages but it’s so engaging I powered through it.

3. If you could have any super-power, what would it be, and why?
Is empathy too corny? If I could have a super power, I would be able to see things from other people’s perspective perfectly clearly and with perfect grace.

4. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Buenos Aires! Ha, obvious answer. Really though, anywhere. Anywhere but Asia. Asia overwhelmes me.

5. What would your perfect day consist of?
Coffee. Cat. Foot massage. Sandro.

6. What do you live for?
Friends. Seriously. Without them, what’s the point.

7. If you could time-travel to one point in time and spend a day, when/where would you go? (you can’t change the past!)
I would go back to 1980, the year of my birth. I would tell my 20 year old parents that everything was going to be ok.

8. What’s your dream job?
I want to be a digital mapper. I want to survey cities and map the physical manifestations of social issues. I want to use those maps to then advocate for minorities' rights.

9. What makes your best friend the best?
He is the most generous person I know. He can hang out for an hour and not say a word, but just be by me doing whatever. He buys me fizzy water as a special treat.

10. What is one skill you wish you had and why?
I wish I was more athletic. I hate exercise so much but I really wish I was one of those people who craved it.

11. If you could live forever, would you? Why or why not?
No. Nononononono. Carbon is meant to decay. I am perfectly at peace with that.

My Eleven Things:

1. What has been your favorite age so far?
2. What are you most grateful for right this minute?
3. When was the first time you experienced (fill in a particular emotion here)?
4. Where is home?
5. If you had to incorporate one food into every meal you ate for the rest of your life, what food would you choose?
6. What do you want to be remembered for?
7. What do you think about the Curiosity Rover’s Mars landing?
8. What’s your worst habit?
9. What’s the best thing about you?
10. What’s your favorite website and why?
11. On a scale from 1 to 5 (5 being the most presentable), how would you rate the outfit you’re wearing right now?

Tag! You're it!

Short Term Apartment Rental in Buenos Aires

Renting an apartment in Buenos Aires as a foreigner is a difficult and expensive thing. Sandro and I decided we would rent an apartment online for our first month and a half in the city while looking for a more long term, hopefully less expensive situation once we arrive. My experience in nailing down a roof for my head remotely has been tricky, so let me tell you how it worked out and what some of the options are.

First, here's some real talk. The lovely homeowners of Buenos Aires know you are a tourista. They know that if you have money to get to Argentina, you have money to rent their apartment. And they know that you're probably willing to pay at least what you paid back home. So don't expect cheap rent, at least not in your search for a short term apartment (read: less than two years).
Buenos Aires homeowners require a DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad) for long term, local rate rentals. DNIs are bestowed upon Argentine citizens at birth and those expats willing to wade through a sea of fees and bureaucracy. Those of us entering the country on a tourist visa are subject to higher rates without the opportunity to sign a two year lease.

Hostels, room shares, and CouchSurfing are all ways to avoid these high rates. Sandro and I are willing to kick in the extra funds for privacy and space for our first few months, so we did not explore these options. However, they are inexpensive ($10 USD per night!?), get great reviews, and seem like a super fun way to meet people right off the bat. I'd love to hear about other people's experiences with these living situations!

There are many local rental agencies in Buenos Aires for those looking for a private apartment. These organizations work with homeowners to find renters for their vacant apartments in every neighborhood in the city. Most of their websites include a section for entering the dates of your stay, the number of guests, and any amenities you can't live without (WiFi, a full stove, security box, etc.). You may also search for apartments based on the neighborhood or price range that works for you. There are loads of apartments listed on many different sites, so search thoroughly before sending an inquiry or making a reservation. Also, be aware: Just because a great apartment is listed does not mean you will actually get to stay there. I ran into obstacles in every step of this process. The agency might not have updated the availability calendar and the place you like might already be booked for your dates. The agency might not be able to contact the homeowner to confirm your reservation. The price listed might be the off-season price and you might be arriving in the middle of summer (high-season = higher rates). The homeowner may ask you to wire money to another country completely, or to show up on check in day with $1600 USD in cash, and you may not feel comfortable with that. Needless to say, we decided to go a different route. However, I believe that given the right set of circumstances, there are some decent apartments to be had. Here are some of the agencies that I was in contact with. Please let me know if any of these have worked out for you!

o For Rent Argentina
o Alojargentina
o MySpaceBA

Another option in the Buenos Aires-short-term-apartment-rental-for-expats hunt is a global agency. I have used both VRBO and AirBnB in my travels elsewhere. These services are similar to the ones above in that they are the middleman between the homeowner and the renter. A search for a shared or private room in a hostel or a home, or an entire private apartment in Buenos Aires yields tons of results on both sites. The downside of these sites is that they are expensive. The advantage of using them is that they put you in direct contact with the homeowner and accept payment via credit card or PayPal. They both offer customer support via email or phone should anything go awry in the booking process.
After a couple of months of searching and contacting and dead ends, we went with an apartment from AirBnB. We are paying more than we pay for our apartment in Philly and are getting less space. We are banking on the fact that the photos of the apartment are somewhat accurate and that the owner is indeed a reliable, honest 24 year old native law student. Who knows? But I find confidence in the fact that we were able to pay a deposit via PayPal and can cancel (for a fee) should we arrive and find the digs not up to snuff.
The reality is, we will arrive and have a home base. We will get to put our clothes in a closet and put our feet up on a couch. We have bought ourselves time to make some connections and hopefully get some word-of-mouth wisdom on a less expensive, in person, long term living arrangement. And for this, I am grateful.

Feel free to leave stories, recommendations, or other apartment hunting advice. All tips are helpful!
Besos,
Amber

5 Ways to Meet People in Buenos Aires

Meeting new people is high on my priority list for our move to Buenos Aires. It would be nearly impossible, or awkward and boring at least, to move to a different country and not make some new friends. One of the reasons we chose Buenos Aires as our destination is that there appears to be quite a few ways for a new comer to socialize with locals and with fellow expats. Here are a couple of groups/places/events that I look forward to getting into:

Spanglish
Spanglish is a language exchange group that meets in cool bars around the city. English and Spanish speakers get together over beers and spend half their time chatting in each others native tongue. Reservations via email are required and each meeting costs $35 ARG (about $8 USD). What a fun way to learn conversational Spanish and get to know people from who knows where!

Beerlingual
Beerlingual is a bilingual pub quiz (Philly, read: QUIZZO!) that also happens in bars around the city. Participants are welcome to group up into teams of various native languages and questions are asked in both Spanish and English. Again, beers, new people, Spanish practice...all in one! Beerlingual asks for a reservation via their website and costs $30 ARG ($7 USD) at the door. However, this fee includes a free beer. Beerlingual and Spanglish also collaborate to offer an unlimited, monthly pass for $45 USD. If you went to both events once a week, you'd save $15 USD.

Puertas Cerradas
Puertas Cerradas, or Closed Doors, are dinners that take place inside a chef's home. The chef prepares a prix fixe, multi-course dinner, usually including wine and dessert, for 6-15 guests. The cuisine is as international as the chefs who create it. Schedules, menus, and prices are available ahead of time on the chef's website, and reservations are required. Prices range from $150-$250 ARG ($35-$55 USD). A few popular puertas cerradas include Casa Saltshaker, Cocina Sunae, Casa Felix, and look out NOLA Chef, a New Orleans native with taste I can get behind.

Yoga
Nothing like getting twisted up in your stretchy pants for making new friends! Whether it's yoga, pilates, or any other group oriented activity, coming together to practice a mutually appreciated hobby is bound to bring people together. BuenaOnda YOGA is the most recommended yoga studio I've come across. 1.5 hour classes take place in three different locations around the city, three to five days a week. Each class costs $14 USD with multi-class discount cards available. I'm also looking into Corporea, a pilates studio in Palermo that offers group classes of up to five people. A pass for one class per week for four weeks costs $170 ARG ($38 USD, so less than $10 per class, which is a pretty decent rate.

Milongas
Milonga refers to the dance style that preceded the tango, as well as the dance halls where tango is practiced now. You can't go to Buenos Aires without encountering tango, either on the street or in one of these dance palaces. A tourist can pay an arm and a leg for professional lessons and a dinner and dance show. However, the city of Buenos Aires sponsors free tango lessons throughout the city in the summers. Bring a partner or meet a new one! I can't wait to get out there and practice my gringa moves!

Has anyone out there had success in fun, adventure, and meeting new people in any of these places? What am I missing?