Preparedness for when

armyknife

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

TBH, the only benefit I see in the single currency is, I can travel through France, the Netherlands and Belgium, into Germany (and of course, back again) without having to worry, that I've brought enough of each country's currency.

So no benefits for the people living in those countries?

jk0

armyknife wrote: »

So no benefits for the people living in those countries?

I did read years ago a story about how disappointed people were with the Euro when they wanted to mail order something from another country in the Eurozone.

As you know, if we wish to order from abroad, there are bank charges for changing the money. I don't know if it's still the case, but the story went that someone in France ordering something from Germany has to pay bank charges to change French Euros into German Euros.

[Deleted User]

armyknife wrote: »

So no benefits for the people living in those countries?

I probably phrased it badly.

Of course, everyone who travels within the Eurozone, would have that same benefit.

GreyQueen

About 5 years ago, I was holidaying in the Sierra Nevada part of sounthern Spain (the bit between Malaga and Granada). There was a road which had been finished the year before, a new highway parallelling the coast but up in the mountains. It was spectacular, and parts of it had suffered spectacular structural failures in only a few months' use. Such as bits of it ending in thin air, cordoned-off side spur roads which flew out over small, steep valleys.

One of the party was a geologist, and explained that these mountains were mainly of a very unstable rock, and this kind of thing was bound to happen, and would keep happening. So the very expensive road with lots of flyovers over steep valleys was going to keep falling away.

Why am I telling you this? Because the road had big notices all over it, about how it had been built with EU money. Someone else who spent part of her schooling in that same area of Spain told me that her Spanish high school was built with EU money (big notices all over the place saying so, too).

When I pass my old secondary school, I can still see my 'temporary' portable classroom in use. It was a temporary classroom in the 1970s and was rubbish then. I see similar things at other schools. I see a lot of roads which badly need upgrading, in terms of undone maintenance and badly-needed but unfunded improvements.

I have never, in any part of this country, seen a sign saying a road or a school was funded with EU money. We're from all parts of Britain, so have any of you?

It seems to me that money raised in the UK, which is needed for infrastructure here, is being spent elsewhere. I think it unjust, and a good enough reason for getting out of Europe.

moneyistooshorttomention

GreyQueen

- re EU money - I have heard here (in back of beyond Wales) of things being funded/part-funded by EU money. To be honest - it has gone in one ear and out the other - but it does happen to some extent here in Britain (ie we do get some of our money back again).

But I still agree with you - ie that we should get out of the EU. I just registered the comments in this part of Britain a couple of times about where some funding for things was coming from to think "Well that bit of help we have in this particular little part of Britain will stop once we come out of the EU - darn it = negative side of doing so". These things do matter when you can see that you are now in a poor part of the country.

But, for the sake of Britain as a whole (ie those wide-open borders of ours that does impact on a noticeable part of our country - if not right where I am now) then I still think we must come out and put the interests of Britain as a whole first over the interests of one part of it.

(though that may be just my personal take there - in that "You can take money out of her prosperous/middle-class/questioning city - but you cant take her city out of money".....LOL).

[Deleted User]

I've never seen a sign saying paid for by EU money, in fact other than having lived in Kent when they were deciding to build and building the channel tunnel I've only ever seen reference to Europe as a whole by town twinning signs!

I've just asked He Who Knows if he's aware of any signs to that effect and he thinks he might have seen just such a sign on the TV in one of the more remote scottish islands. He thinks that EU funding for things that are 'infrastructure' like roads, schools etc. may only be applicable to areas of economic deprivation but doesn't know for sure.

1Tonsil

Well, things are moving quickly. Our finance minister resigned his post and was replaced by a mild mannered man educated at Oxford. This morning we wake up to find they are going to get a hostile reception when they go to negotiate...with an amazing ultimatum that they are out of the euro if they dont agree today, whether they like it or not. This is against their own rules....but it does not seem to matter.

It seems there is no way for us to move forwards. I honestly think this is the end games and we need to come out now. Having looked at the financial trouble Germany and others are in, it is clear we are going to be a scapegoat for all their issues.

It might be hard, but the Greeks will work together to help each other in the hardships that are to come. But it will be worthwhile. Thanks for all your support, I really do appreciate it. It seems I may be posting soon from a real big SHTF situation. I have decided to keep up our stocks rather than have cash.....it may not be a good idea to have many euros in the next few days! We are prepped up to the eyeballs to be honest and have seen NO sign of shortages at all, despite the articles of the British press and media. Thanks, off to enjoy the sunshine!

[Deleted User]

Good luck 1T and all the rest of the Greek nation, tough times ahead but I think you have the collective respect and admiration of most of the rest of the world!

Watching the Beeb news this morning I saw an interview with an English ex pat married I think to a Greek gentleman who was saying that the cash available from the hole in the wall machines is now ONLY 50 euro notes, the lower denomination are all used up and this is causing problems in commerce as the shopkeepers have no change to give so your 50 euro note becomes the price of the goods. I've always carried a stash of £1, £2, 50p and 20p coins and will build that now to a substantial sum, it's been standard advice about prepping for years now and only today do I really perceive the wisdom behind it.

moneyistooshorttomention

Do keep us posted indeed 1Tonsil on the news. To me - it feels like its a Greek person talking from Corfu with the way you talk about what is happening (ie rather than a British person who lives in Corfu iyswim). So - we are getting the pov of the Greek person in the street here on things. In your head you are Greek...

So - its like having a direct link to what Greek people themselves would say...

The general gist of what I've read in the British press is that if the EEC didn't like the previous Greek Finance Minister - then they are going to seriously hate the new one (with phrases to effect of "wolf in sheeps clothing") was the gist of it. Whereas what I read about the previous one was more along the lines of "What you see is what you get".

So - from what you say - by the end of the day it could be End Game Starts Here.

Keep us posted.

Living_proof

A lot of infrastructure projects are funded by Brussels and I have recently benefited from a broadband support project in conjunction with my local council. I guess it will depend on what your local authority sees as being the most pressing and cost-effective project for your particular area. The EU dreams up these projects and one can apply if it fits your needs, although there is obviously a limit to the amount of funding any authority can get.

GQ - I remember the Sierra road project both before and after. It was built for the Barcelona Olympics I think as the original road would have been unable to cope with the huge increase in traffic.