Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

droopsnout

Just wanted to add that there are all sorts of small details that make moving back to the UK a little complicated.

House insurance: there is a maximum number of days we can leave our house unoccupied.

Car insurance: again, there is a limit as to how many days a vehicle can be out of its "native" country.

Health systems: we're well and truly in the French one.

Direct debits: all the French ones for insurances, utilities, local taxes, etc., still have to be paid, and that means transferring money.

Savings made on energy bills over a maximum permitted three-month stay in the UK don't cover the cost of the journey to the UK and back.

The house here would be unoccupied and as such subject to greater risk.

Our gardens would be neglected.

We lose normal contact with all the people we have become closer to here.

droopsnout

Latest: 1 GBP = 1.09733 EUR

Francophile

droopsnout wrote: »

Latest: 1 GBP = 1.09733 EUR

This is so depressing and seems to be causing real hardship.
We've had our house in France for more than 6 years now and we used to transfer £400 per mth for Mortgage taxes etc. A few months ago we had to up that to £500 per mth and now that's not covering it. Looks like we'll have to increase it to £600. I certianly don't want to sell up and it's always been in our retiremant plan to live there 6 months of the year but it's becoming increasingly more difficult to afford.
Let's hope things take a turn for the better (although it could be a while in coming) so that people can continue to live their dream.

donny-gal

Tell me if my maths/logic is a little wrong, for as I watched the UK news last night, it said prices are going to keep falling in the UK, how?

House prices - yes they may
Food - we only grow a small % ourselves, so the rest will have to be brought in on the terrible exchange rate
Petrol/Diesel - yes that come down, how diesel is now 12p litre dearer than petrol baffles me too, but unless they continue to sell the barrels at less $ and we now have $1.544 = £1 when it was over $2 not that long ago bemuses me too
Gas I think it is (though it may be electric) is relative to the barrel price for oil.
Manufacturing industry is neglible now in the UK - so again more dear imports.

Then again at moments I think it is all a sham to get us into the Euro with no difference!

Maybe I am cynical, daft, or whatever, but tbh I am unsure that it wll be cheaper to live here.
DG

droopsnout

Yes, except that inflation fell on figures issued yesterday, and the Bank of England is saying that inflation could fall to 1% next year.

I don't understand that, either, except that production costs may have fallen alongside the price of oil.

Well, if they DO want to join the euro at parity (which I doubt), that would make life simpler in one way - we'd know we wouldn't have any more depreciation of the pound! On the other hand, we'd be 60% worse off and couldn't afford to live.

In which case, I think we'd lock the doors here, go back to England and sign on. After a year, they can pay me dole, pay for my health care, and then I can look forward to my bus pass, my reduced TV licence, my winter fuel payments, and all the other stuff they wouldn't have to pay for if I stopped here.

droopsnout

The pound now seems to be in freefall. It's lost more than a centime since my earlier post:

1 GBP = 1.08695 EUR
1 EUR = 0.920008 GBP

donny-gal

Unless droopsnout you get less than Job Seekers Allowance in your pension, £60.50 per week, then you get no dole, even with full stamps, unless you qualify via means test.

I am sure you can find it, but here is the page.

However, if you see any loopholes we have missed then please pass it on.

DG

droopsnout

Francophile wrote: »

This is so depressing and seems to be causing real hardship.
We've had our house in France for more than 6 years now and we used to transfer £400 per mth for Mortgage taxes etc. A few months ago we had to up that to £500 per mth and now that's not covering it. Looks like we'll have to increase it to £600. I certianly don't want to sell up and it's always been in our retiremant plan to live there 6 months of the year but it's becoming increasingly more difficult to afford.
Let's hope things take a turn for the better (although it could be a while in coming) so that people can continue to live their dream.

I really hope things work out for you, francophile. £600 a month is lot of money!

There must be many people in similar situations to all of us, but I'm not finding much about them in the news sites. Bits and bobs, but nothing much.

droopsnout

donny-gal wrote: »

Unless droopsnout you get less than Job Seekers Allowance in your pension, £60.50 per week, then you get no dole, even with full stamps, unless you qualify via means test.

I am sure you can find it, but here is the page.

However, if you see any loopholes we have missed then please pass it on.

DG

Oh, great!! I'll wait till I'm a very skinny 65-year-old, then.

I mean, I presume they'll manage to pay my State pension? Or will they have found a way out of that, too, by then?

I'll check out that page later, d-g, as right now I'm due to go teach an English lesson. Could do with more of them!!!

droopsnout

Good grief!!

1 GBP = 1.07768 EUR
1 EUR = 0.927916 GBP