EP39: What Curt Spends While Vacationing in Aruba

Podcast

An Aruba expense report is the topic of discussion on episode 39 of One Happy Podcast. The idea for this episode came from a few questions I recently saw on the Aruba Facebook groups. Would be visitors to the island were asking for advice on how much they would be looking at spending while on the island. Estimates were all over the place, with none being very specific. I don’t blame the people answering the questions for this vagueness as it’s a natural limitation to Facebook groups. It’s just really hard to give a complete answer on a one paragraph Facebook post. Thankfully I have a podcast, which allows me to give a much more detailed answers.

On this episode of the show I use my September 2015 Aruba trip as an example of what a trip to Aruba can cost. What I do with that data is list actual prices we paid for car rentals and dinners on the island. Hopefully by providing that information to you guys it will help you figure out your own budgeting. This post is geared more towards Aruba newbies but can also prove helpful for anyone wondering how their expenses stack up.

Sometimes it comes off like it’s taboo to discuss specific numbers, but in my opinion specifics are the only way to be helpful. When someone asks for recommendations for an affordable place to eat if only a name is tossed out it means nothing. Affordable to you may be completely different than it does for the person asking the question. By providing not only the actual amount spent at a particular restaurant but what it was spent on it allows for a more complete picture for the person making the inquiry.

 
Details

EP34: Creating Fortuna Villas with Debbie and Patrick

Podcast

Joining me today on Episode 34 of One Happy Podcast – the Officially Unofficial Podcast of Aruba are two very special guests, Debbie Mitchell and Patrick Mallison. If those names aren’t familiar to you just think back couple of months. Do you remember a couple from the UK who purchased and began renovation on a villa in the Savaneta area of the island? It was an incredible project that transformed what was a quaint home relatively traditional looking Aruba home into something truly magnificent.

There were lots of posts about the project in the various Aruba centered Facebook groups. Eventually those postings became so popular that a dedicated Facebook page was started for those of us who wanted to keep up. It was then that Fortuna Villas was born. Then over a 2 month period many of us followed along living vicariously through the adventures of Patrick and Debbie. If memory serves me, at one point we were even enlisted to help make a design decision.

Now finally after so many weeks of dedication, focus and hard work Debbie and Patrick were kind enough to come on the show. In this episode of One Happy Podcast we talk about their discovery of the island and how falling in love at first sight compelled them to do what so many of us dream about… buying a home on the island of Aruba.

 
Details