What Would You Advise Me To Bring?

[Redpossum]

On the understanding that I'm walking out of here at 0400 on Tuesday, and it's too late to order anything from Amazon, what (other than dollars) would you advise me to bring?

All suggestions welcome.

 

[steveinbsas]

Click on the sprocket next to the magnifying glass to use the advanced search feature and enter the two words "what" and "bring" (searching in titles only).

 

[GS_Dirtboy]

It hasn't been mentioned before so I'll list it here; Dr. Pepper.

 

[Markgeezer]

Sorry if this is a painful memory from a past life for anyone, but there are no baked beans here !

 

[Redpossum]

Click on the sprocket next to the magnifying glass to use the advanced search feature and enter the two words "what" and "bring" (searching in titles only).

Once again, Steve, an excellent answer! That search yielded a gold mine of information.

 

[steveinbsas]

Since you are not yet certain of which country you will eventually settle in, there is no point in getting an FBI report (required by migraciones to obtain a temporary resident visa) until you have made that decision as the report becomes invalid if you (even temporarily) return to the USA before the residencia pecaria is granted (when migraciones has accepted your documents and your temporary residency is pending).

I strongly urge you to bring documentation of the source of the funds which you will be accessing while in Argentina: A copy of the real estate contract (and/or any "official" document that shows the numbers!) if that's the source of the funds. Otherwise, xoom will ask for you two most recent pay stubs if you want to transfer more than their monthly limit. I'm not sure exactly how much that presently is. I was asked to provide the information with my first transfer of $1200 USD. There's no problem with $500 a month. Keep in mind you will only receive Argentine pesos, not dollars.

If you apply for a resident visa your foreign source of monthly income will also need to be documented and bear the seal of the Apostille (any document that has been notarized in the USA can receive the Apostille, including a "cover letter" signed by a bank officer or a CPA).

They will ask for PDF files of your last two bank statements. If you can't comply, your transfer will not be completed. Xoom is 100% safe and the funds will not be withdrawn from your bank account until the transfer is completed and the funds are actually available at the office of their Argentine partner for pick up.

They would also ask for a copy of your passport and the best way to accomplish this is to send them an email with a jpeg of the photo page (which is also good to have in your email vip folder in case you passport is lost or stolen).

If you don't already know, using an ATM card to get cash will result in receiving significantly fewer Argentine pesos than using xoom.com to send money to yourself.

The best rate you will get is exchanging dollars you bring with you at the cuevas in BA.

Use the advance search feature with the key words "xoom" "dolar blu" and dollar blue".

There is also a great deal of info in the archives here about renting an apartment, the difference between short an long term rentals, and paying rent in dollars versus pesos.

 

[jp]

Think of the things you use every day, and invest in quality goods to bring with you. Simple things like good bed linen and cookware can make a big difference to how comfortable you are.

 

[Redpossum]

Think of the things you use every day, and invest in quality goods to bring with you. Simple things like good bed linen and cookware can make a big difference to how comfortable you are.

Ack, you mean there's no IKEA in Buenos Aires?

I was resigned to living without Trader Joe's, but...

Yeah, I'm kidding. I am a little concerned about getting things like vitamins and healthy breads and such, but I can always learn to make my own bread. I just remind myself, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". There's no win in being like the Brits of the 18th century colonial era, trying to recreate England at the ends of the earth, wearing woolen clothes in the tropics and then cursing the heat rash. There's no point in choosing to start a new life, and then trying to make it just like the old one

Overcome, adapt, evolve!

 

[steveinbsas]

Think of the things you use every day, and invest in quality goods to bring with you. Simple things like good bed linen and cookware can make a big difference to how comfortable you are.

Better quality sheets that you can buy at Target are strongly recommended. Most temporary (furnished) rentals have double beds and low quality linens. A good bath towel will take up space in you luggage but is worth bringing as well. If you use "terry" wash cloths, bring severals of those, too. They are almost impossible to find in BA. I suggest bringing linens and additional clothes for your own use rather than clothes or even electronics to sell. The clothes made and sold here will not impress you, especially the jeans.

Better quality cookware is available in BA at a few cookware stores, but it's very expensive.

If you have the time to do some last minute shopping I suggest you consider the following items which you will not find in a temporary apartment:

A solar powered flashlight
Ceramic kitchen knife and a ceramic vegetable peeler
A combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector
A small to medium first aid kit

You will also be able to make friends if you bring a couple plastic bottles of chili powder (the biggest you can find).

 

[sleslie23]

Just so you know, I thought of all of you the other day when I went to the supermarket and bought McCann's Irish Oatmeal and a bottle of maple syrup among many other things (like cheese!) that I have not enjoyed in a very long time. I didn't by Dr Pepper, but I did think of GS_Dirtboy as I walked past it.

That said, I would move back to BsAs tomorrow. 49 weeks left on my lease!