Expat Community > Costa Rica

PombinhaCoco7
Joined 2017
Posts: 1037

Helping peole

4 years ago

I would like to hear from those who live here or those who have lived here.
Honestly, I don't have any pleasure in talking about this subject.
My question is: is it possible for someone who is a Tica to need to buy a very expensive medication?
Doesn't Caja provide that?
They provide it for us and we are not Ticos.
I like to help but I don't like to be taken advantage of.
Throughout the years we have helped several people but we also had some of those whom we helped coming back to us asking for strange favors.
One needed money to buy a Birthday gift for his wife the same week I had given him US$70.00 to buy a cage for his bird and to help with the food.
A Nicaraguan guard to whom we used to give groceries and lunch many times not to mention ice creams, juices, fruit, etc... came to us with a calculator and told us to wait while he was using it. Then he told us that he needed CAN$34.000.00 to finish his house in Nicaragua.
My husband was furious because we had helped him so much.
Then my hairdresser came to my condo saying that the Government would build her a house but she needed to buy the land. So she kept telling me that it could a small land, just enough for the house. Then there she was looking at me waiting for me to volunteer to buy the land.
The other day we invited a street vendor to sit with us and have a beer. When he started a conversation about buying some land, I replied right away that my own son also would like to buy something but that he doesn't have money and we can't help him.
Today this cleaning lady came to my condo and told me that she needed medication that costs 10.000.00 Colones. She said that she will only get paid on Saturday which surprised me because cleaning ladies get paid daily. She cleans different condos.
So I told her that we live out of my husband's pension and we have to be careful with our money but that would lend her 20.00 until this Saturday.
I also told her that previously we have had people asking us for money but that we are not rich.
Oh, I also had a guard asking me for money for his Mom every time I would walk through the front gate.
So after a while I contacted HOA and he was dismissed. He wasn't fired, he was just sent to another complex by the Security company.
We have bought groceries for so many people!
We gave all our furniture and appliances, bedding, towels and curtains, and we helped someone with funeral expenses but we need to protect ourselves.
I don't like to talk about what I give but I'm just wondering if someone else has had a bad experience.
Like I sad in the beginning, this is a subject that I'd rather not talk about but I'm curious.

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