Marrying Argentinian And Moving To Ba - Need Advice

[Stevied]

Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum and thought I would ask for some helpful advice. I'm about to get married to my Argentinian girlfriend, and it is likely we will be moving to BA for a couple of years, starting sometime next year. I may or may not be working while I am in BA (I'm fortunate that I don't need to, but I will probably do some consulting anyway), so I'm not really concerned about finding a job; getting paid in pesos; etc. However, I do need some advice on money management while we are in BA. My girlfriend owns an apartment in BA, so we have a place to live. We obviously have US bank accounts ( and my girlfriend has a bank account in BA, but doesn't really use it much). I'm trying to get a sense of how I should manage money/living expenses while we are in BA. Based upon what I have read on this forum, it seems that I don't really want to utilize my US bank ATM card to withdraw cash because of the terrible exchange rate (same with using US credit cards, I suppose). It also seems like I will need to utilize a combination of XOOM (or some similar service) to obtain pesos, and/or going to Uruguay to withdraw dollars and then exchange at the blue rate for pesos. I'm wondering if anyone has any other advice about general money management, credit cards, etc. for someone in my situation. I would expect to bring some dollars with me (and keep in a safe deposit box), but not sure how many I will want (or be able to) bring into the country. A few other items of information for your advice - I will have a DNI; I will probably be going back to the US every 4-6 months to visit family; my money needs will primarily be for general living expenses - food; entertainment; perhaps a few utilities.

I'm pretty excited about coming to BA, and appreciate your advice.

S

 

[bdk1]

You can bring up to $9,999 US dollars into the country, no questions asked. If you bring more than that, you will need to prove what the source of your funds is. You can keep that money in a safe deposit box at a local bank. If you're planning to go back to the US every 6 months and you can bring in that amount each time, that should be more than enough to live on.

 

[studiodio]

I agree that the easiest is bringing down dollars with you. If you run out before you are going back to US, you can always use xoom with direct deposit into your wife's account. Their rate is less than the blue rate, but less of a hassle than going to uruguay and using atm's there. you can deposit up to 2000 dollars per month, now. good luck!

 

[studiodio]

P.S. The first time you use xoom, you have to fill out a form , send bank statements, but after you have established an account, it is more easy.

 

[Girino]

I agree - bring as much cash as you can, change it little by little as you need it (i.e. don't change 20,000 USD into ARS as soon you arrive) to exploit the blue dollar.
We are in a similar position and live on USD 1,400/month for the both of us, including rent (420 USD/month).

Safe boxes at banks are expensive here, I heard figures around USD80/month, but I hope on the forum they can suggest you a cheaper option at a specific bank.

 

[ghost]

Every time things get tough in AR the government folks threaten to start checking safe deposit boxes. Don't do the box. Bring 20K USD and gage your expenses to your travels. Stay off the radar.

 

[Ries]

You can buy a safe on Amazon for not much- there are many styles under a hundred dollars. Then install it permanently in a hidden spot in your apartment.
Safes in Argentina are more expensive and lower quality.

 

[wild_horses]

Stop giving misleading information, sad old man.

 

[Steph170]

Just a heads up- a friend of my was living here for 8 years on a tourist visa- going back to the states every 3-4 months, taking out 9k from Citibank- he returned to the US a few months ago and citi bank have closed his account-the reason is they said even though he was not taking out 10k to them it seemed suspicious and they do not want him banking with them any more....

 

[nlaruccia]

Every time things get tough in AR the government folks threaten to start checking safe deposit boxes. Don't do the box. Bring 20K USD and gage your expenses to your travels. Stay off the radar.

If you bring $20,000 USD through customs at the airport without declaring it you will definitely be ON the radar once the dogs sniff your dollars.