Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

seven-day-weekend

Welcome to the newcomers and I'm sorry I've not welcomed you before.

Thought you all might like to know I've not won on the Premium Bonds this month - just checked.

Ho well, back to the drawing board!

seven-day-weekend

1.08?:T:T:T:T:beer::beer::beer::j:j:j:T:T:T

donny-gal

I think droopsnout we are trying to qualify as the wafflers on this thread.

I had a bit of a shock today went to see the Dr. over nothing much, and was me by "You've come to have have your BP checked, why haven't you been before?" Seems my records said I should have gone back in November, but I am sure I wasn't told. So it was rather high, so have to go back in 2 weeks, which may delay our trip back to Spain, will keep you posted.

MW was due back today, hope she had a good NY in Holland.

Back to Above Suspicion.
DG

droopsnout

Good luck, d-g.

No problem about end of Jan. We're likely to leave here 9 Feb for our UK jaunt.

About to transfer my attentions to my spiritual brothers on BBC2. ("Grumpy Old Men")!

Francophile

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

1.08?:T:T:T:T:beer::beer::beer::j:j:j:T:T:T

It's hard to believe we're getting excited about this rate but I suppose any improvement is welcome.

donny-gal

Windows Sidebar is showing me 1.098 atm. That may help my BP. :rofl:

DG

Oldernotwiser

magictom123 wrote: »

needed to up sticks and move to another country. Of course you need money for rent in the short term and need to find a job asap but what other things are there to consider when moving abroad. Have the people here that have moved abroad used agents to transfer their possessions or have they just gone with the clothes on their backs.

I wouldn't move abroad without a job to go to; I think that anyone who even moves areas within the UK without a job to go to is pretty daft!

As far as moving possessions is concerned, apart from personal items, I'd look at the cost of buying everything new in the new country and balance the cost against the price of moving your existing belongings. I've known people to move a household of IKEA furniture half way across Europe at a cost that would've bought the whole lot twice over!

gallygirl

droopsnout wrote: »

Good news!

The pound is standing at 1,08€.

Is there an accepted website to rate check on?
According to FT.com it's currently at €1.09 :j :j :j .

donny-gal

Not really the web figures are a guide and are often based on commercial rates rather than the rates we will be charged. There is a good live graph in www.moneycorp.com where you put your two currencies in and it watches the markets, and gives historical data too. I just have the currency converter inside Windows Sidebar always on my desktop, and I found that when I used the Nationwide cashcard for getting Euro's out in Spain and the NW CC for larger purchases that they matched this pretty closely. I have found it the easiest way to get Euros as they do not charge and can give me a better rate than Halifax UK to Halifax Espania free transfer.

DG

seven-day-weekend

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I wouldn't move abroad without a job to go to; I think that anyone who even moves areas within the UK without a job to go to is pretty daft!

As far as moving possessions is concerned, apart from personal items, I'd look at the cost of buying everything new in the new country and balance the cost against the price of moving your existing belongings. I've known people to move a household of IKEA furniture half way across Europe at a cost that would've bought the whole lot twice over!

ONW, we did precisely that, although we transported it ourselves in our denuded of seating people carrier (so no extra costs).

Had we have thought about it properly beforehand, we'd have bought it from IKEA in Madrid, which we passed on the way through!

We bought white goods and the double bed in Spain.

We have since brought a three-seater leather sofa back from IKEA in Wednesbury, because it was on a special offer at less than half price, again in the people carrier. It JUST fitted and in the same load we had an A3 printer (so bigger than the usual type) and some chair cushions. We did actually manage to pack our ordinary luggage in too. I'm so glad we were not in the queue chosen to unpack everything as we boarded the Pride of Bilbao, as everything would have fallen out if we'd have had to opn the doors!!

All good fun!