Money Saving Tips For Living in Panama City, Panama

Last activity 24 June 2015 by PacificaMaryAnn

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PacificaMaryAnnContributor14 June 2015 23:41:17

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The best money saving tips for living in Panama City, Panama involve the use of a credit card. One can pay for almost anything with a credit card in Panama City. Pay for rent, groceries, pharmacy, opticians, medical, everyday shopping, entertainment, and restaurants. Using a credit card for most purchases eliminates the need for a local bank account. Using a credit card for most purchases reduces the number of trips to the ATM for cash, thus reducing ATM fees. Max out the withdrawal amount and use the ATM only once a month.

Ask the property manager to accept rent on the credit card. Use a credit card that pays cash rewards that can be applied directly to the credit card balance. Our landlord paid the credit card fees so we paid nothing extra and gained the rewards that lowered our rent by $40 each month.

Some credit cards pay higher rewards for food and gas purchases. Our credit card recognized that Riba Smith was a grocery store. Avoid credit cards that only pay rewards with gift cards. Make sure there are no overseas fees and request a high limit.

Shop at Albrook Mall for bargains on clothing and housewares. Charge everything and earn the cash rewards. The food court has bargain fast food that is tasty. The Multiplaza Mall is upscale and expensive. Do-it Center is a hardware/misc. store that actually has weekly sales. The prices are still higher than in the US, but if one waits, most items will go on sale. They accept credit cards and have a customer rewards program.

PriceMart Membership store is a good place to shop if you are ok with bulk shopping. Credit cards are accepted and the snack bar offers the cheapest lunch in the city.

Buy water and sodas from street vendors. A 16 oz. bottle of water or Coke along the Cinta Costera is only $1. A soda in a Casco Viejo café is $4.25. Do not expect too much diet soda to be available with vendors.

A few more cost saving tips:

-Skip cable and sign up for USTVNOW on the Internet. It is free and has a good selection of channels. A decent Internet speed is required, though.

-Ask for the jubilado discount even if you do not have a card. In El dorado, fast food places give the discount if one looks 55 or older.

-Or, try the expat favorites: Ride the bus, eat less, drink tap water, and rent cheaper older apartments.

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jonoyakkerActive member23 June 2015 01:13:07

My viewpoint on food is that eating quality food, even if more expensive, is the best investment because health is irreplaceable. At 57, I am in better shape than most because of that. That last thing I want to put in my body is fast food. Price and value are two very different things! If you don't think that health is valuable, talk to someone who has lost theirs.

PacificaMaryAnnContributor23 June 2015 01:35:04

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This thread is about money saving tips for living in Panama City. But..............

Since you want to compare health, Mr. Jonoyaker, I am a very healthy vegetarian who lost 16 pounds by walking everywhere in PC. Walking dropped my BP almost too much. Cholesterol is low by being a vegetarian. I enjoy fast food as often as I can! Yum! Say hi to pj for me. I really missed him on this nice forum!

PacificaMaryAnnContributor23 June 2015 10:40:22

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To return this thread to its original topic, "Money Saving Tips for Living In Panama City, Panama", I will share some fast food tips for eating in Panama City.

If you really want to eat where the Panamanians eat in PC, go to the many food courts in the malls. Panamanian's love fast food. The food courts are always packed. The food is good and inexpensive. A meal can be as low as $4. Portions are huge, but residents in PC walk a lot. Larger malls, like Albrook Mall, have salad bars in the food courts. In Panama, fast food has more to offer. Local fast food restaurants serve full meals of baked chicken and rice or other typical local foods. At "Full Pizza" you can get a 9" pizza for $2.50. Fast food offers 15% off for jubilados.

In Panama City, "expensive" does not equal quality. Expensive restaurants serve plenty of greasy foods. Tantalo's, in Casco Viejo, serves Panamanian empanadas (fried pastries stuffed with sausage & potatoes or beans & cheese) or coconut cashew chicken. A typical meal will cost $20 per person. Full serve restaurants offer a 25% discount to jubilados.

For some reason, expats think its hip and trendy to go out for a wine-and-try-the local-foods evening at restaurants. It is also very expensive and not necessarily healthier.

Just few of the fast food restaurants that the locals enjoy at the Albrook Mall Food Courts........

Sushi Express
Red Dragon
Pio Pio
Chicken Factory
KFC
Popeye's
Pizza Hut
sbarro
Dominoes
Churro Mania
Carls' Jr.
Johnny Rockets
SUBWAY
Taco Bell
Full Pizza

There are more listed at www.albrookmall.com

jonoyakkerActive member24 June 2015 00:59:17

Maryann, Sorry if I offended you-it was not my intention. I'm very passionate about health and diet as I see the repercussions everyday around me. It's one area where I splurge but I consider it an investment in my health.

No, cost does not necessarily equal quality. But fast food equals problems down the road.

Jon

PacificaMaryAnnContributor24 June 2015 10:50:59

135

No problem, jonoyakker. You could start a new thread on "Healthy living in Panama" or 'Health and Diet while Living in Panama". It would be preferable to taking this thread off topic. This thread is about "Money Saving Tips for Living in Panama City, Panama". Rent is high in PC but there are ways to pinch if people get creative.

There is interest in Panama's food production and availability, etc. Creating a new thread would attract viewers to your passionate subject and help promote this blog site. A really well thought out title for the subject will cause your thread to show up on a google search, thus attracting more viewers to Expat-blog and then ultimately to reading your opinions on healthy eating. Expat-blog is a great forum and it is well moderated to keep it a great forum. New threads keep Expat-blog interesting . Just a suggestion.

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