So, for the past year I have lived alone and thus have been paying utilities - phone/Internet, electricity, gas, and water/garbage - here in Colombia. All this time, I've been complaining because I thought the only way to pay these bills was to go to a place with a Baloto (Colombia lottery) and pay there. You can only pay in cash and so each month (twice a month - because the phone bill comes in the middle of the month) the errand has included walking to at ATM, or several because almost always one of them is out-of-order, taking out cash, going to the little store that is generally only open during normal workday hours so I'm rushing when I get home to get the cash and get there in time and pay these bills. Some of which, seem almost ridiculous to be paying. My gas is maybe $5.00 per month, "Can't I just pay for the whole year upfront?!" I would think to myself until I finally got a wake-up call and found out that I can pay my bills online directly from my bank account, just like in the United States. Doh.
Lesson learned: Ask around about things before deciding that things in Colombia are more complicated and frustrating than in the U.S. (This still holds true for some things but I'm finding more the pluses balance out the cons...I just need to dig a bit deeper).
Made me laugh
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