Moneysaving in Belgium?

stellar2011

Hello all,

I'm about to move to Brussels for a couple of years for work. All sorts of questions to organise, like apartment to rent, internet contract to choose, mobile phone deals, insurance, the list goes on! Everything that here in the UK, I would come to MSE first to check how I could get the best value for my pounds.

Now it will be euros... :eek:

I have tried to search for some kind of Belgian consumer advice website, but cannot find anything like MSE. Does anybody know of a service that might work?

I am beginning to find a few expats' forums and things, which I will use, but it's a wrench not to have this site

Second question - how to convert between pounds and euros in the most efficient way? Tips in particular on how to convert my eventual (I always like to think positive!) EUR savings into GBP would be most welcome!

Thanks very much.

Obviously_the_best

The best way to convert large amounts of money is CurrencyFair

Other than that, can't really help, sorry.

zerog

Umm, given that Belgium is French and Flemish speaking, the MSE equivalent would be in those languages. Are you searching in English?

stellar2011

Thanks both! Yes, I'm searching in French (don't speak Flemish unfortunately).

I didn't know about CurrencyFair, that's a great tip.

*smurfy*

Have you tried looking at http://brussels.angloinfo.com/af/461/brussels-magazines-and-newspapers.html
or at http://www.xpats.com/
And maybe asking people on these sites?
I take it you know where things like Waterstones the English book shop is in Brussels? sorry can't help mush as it was in the 70's when I lived in Brussels.

stellar2011

Thanks smurfy! Yes, xpats is a good site and I'll have a nose around the other one you mention.