Last week, I found out that my little medical adventure cost us over half our net worth. Not including the '95 Rav4 with the 150,000 miles and a very slightly crinkled hood where I ran into someone. Hey, it was his fault: he slammed on his brakes to miss a dog. Ok, maybe I was following a tad close.
Anyway, that hurt us. Hal never worries about money and he's worried. Preoccupied, in fact. I'm trying not to think about it till I'm better. I don't think there will be a fundraiser, those are difficult here, to say the least. I'm working on a Broadway show tunes fun-evening fundraiser for later this summer or early fall. As long as I get my voice back. I still sound like Edith Bunker. Actually, she sounds better…
We are working: I'm designing tee-shirts and managing websites for a guy
here in Costa Rica. Hal has a new consulting business that is very promising. Still doing property management in Key West, have never lost a
customer. I'll be going back for a few weeks to see
if I can build up that business. If you want to buy property in
Key West or Costa Rica, say the word – I'm your girl!
The blog has been my baby. I can't believe I've kept it up for over four years. I've tried all the usual routes to "monetizing" the blog, the main one being Google ads. But those are nowhere: on a Costa Rica blog, G-ads are all real estate. Ain't nobody clicking on those!
So, a tip jar. A pretty, lipsticked, high-heeled, frilly-skirted little miss tip jar. If you've ever enjoyed the blog, or learned something new, or if you would just like to help us climb out of this hole, now would be the perfect time. Just click on the pig (in the left column). I surely do appreciate it.
Vaya con Dios,
Saratica
Can you hear crickets yet?
If you placed a large banner unit, centered just under that headline on the top of the page you would get much more attention.
Also, it’s generally proven that visitors who come from search engines are more productive than people who read your blog on a regular basis. It makes sense the people who are newest to Costa Rica or who come across your blog in the midst of a search for something else are just going to be more inquisitive and “productive” in that respect.
Also, I can also say from experience that units in the mailing list can be more productive than what is on your site, especially if you have subscribers in the thousands. Unfortunately you went with feedblitz, which injects its own ads instead of giving you a chance to earn revenue with feedburner. You could make the switch now, but wouldn’t benefit much from the users you have already accumulated.
Good luck and glad to hear you are doing better.
Such a well dressed and charming pig. Hopefully everyone who enjoys this site will ante up. Maybe you could set up a counter, kinda like the “cost of the war” “fund for electing saratica as queen of the universe” or something like that. I do want a little something in return…if eventually you could put up my little logo for http://www.oasisbytheseabandb.com
Also, others out there who need some promotion for their biz or whatever, pay up to piggy for a little ad? I’m gonna pay for the ad today, then on next pension day, June, will donate more, that is a gringatica promise. Gracias ms. sal And to Hal, just pay those hospital people a little each month, that is how it is done in the states at least in my family of “barely having even a pot to piss in type folk”…or put sally to work in custodial services at Biblica! She can work it off…
Click on piggy, enter some easy info. on paypal site, even if you don’t have an acct. easy to enter credit card info, password and set it all up, enter amount, DONE…less than 5 minutes. Come on come on, come on it’s such a joy, come on let’s make it easy, make it easy…sorry John L. just trying to rouse the masses. Beatles 4ever.
Hi, Sally,
Hey — not only was your blog helpful when we were researching moving here (you got here just a bit before we did, which was a big help to us!) but is one of the few I’ve continued to read and enjoy over the years that we’ve lived here. Wish I had more to put in your piggy, but I figure even a little bit helps!
I know it’s hard, but try not to stress over the money — it’s not good for healing!! It’ll work out.
Cheers and keep getting better.
–arden–
Happy Mother’s Day, Sally—our prayers go with you during your recovery from that nasty
pneumonia—it’s great to “stop and smell the
roses” again. Tough Key West ladies know
how to survive anything!
If you put google ads up again I’m sure ppl will click on them for you. And are you an Amazon affiliate? I use them occasionally when I use my swagbucks. I can’t get a % from my own sales so you might as well get that little bit.
So glad you are doing well! I’ll see what else I can do – maybe I can sell a few hats for ya!
TIP TIP HOORAY for Sally getting better!
I was so impressed by the outpouring of good wishes for Sally’s recovery from that horrible illness. Such nice people read this website and I know those same good-hearted folks will be equally outpouring in their clicking on the pig and sharing a little with Sally. She shares so much with us through this blog, and the entertainment is worth a little contribution.
So come on, fellow fans of Sally. Hit that pig and send a few coins her way. Ten, twenty, thirty dollars, it’s only money and I guarantee you will feel good after you do it.
Love love love the ad sally, you are awesome. I want to remind everyone: You,could be in Sal&Hal’s boots. Out of the blue, no warning, rug pulled out from under you and an oxygen tank strapped on you. When Hal was posting here with updates, there would be 40+ comments. Well, where are you now with ms. piggy starving for dinero? I can lay guilt on pretty thick , so if you get tired of me doing this, like my kids did, do something, it is the only way to shut me up. “There but for the grace of God/Goddess, go I.”
Thank you for the donations and the good wishes – I am getting stronger everyday and starting to feel back to my old self a bit. I know everyone is doing what they can and I hope when I’m flush again, that if you need something, you will ask. Sorta the original insurance idea, eh? Love you all, S.
Perhaps you should have learned to do your own floors and windows? I’ve heard expats pay $5 an hour for maids
Our maid earns just shy of $3/hour, two days a week (16 hours), about $180/month. She’s been working for us for about six months now, she brings her 2 year old who is precious and LOUD. She doesn’t steal, she’s very sweet and she’s a hard worker.
We also pay her Caja (her medical insurance) for her family @ $70/month. She eats whatever she wants while she is here, we give her everything we haven’t used in a while.
My floors and bathrooms are clean, my laundry is folded, ironed when necessary. Fridge cleaned, cabinets cleaned, everything has gotten a once-over two times a week.
My windows, however, are dirty. My house is known as la casa de los vidrios: house of glass because of all the windows. We will clean them ourselves, eventually. When it gets important enough. Which could be never. I just checked: I can still see out of them.
Firing Maria would hurt her more than it would help me. For $4/hour including everything, my time is better spent working. Which I’m getting back to now.
If you haven’t enjoyed the blog even, say, $10 worth, why do you read it?