Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

donny-gal

But 7DW they would not be able to employ as many people if it was efficient! Although frustrating for us, maybe they have a point!
DG

seven-day-weekend

And unemployment in Spain is STILL 17%.....

seven-day-weekend

http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/ipc/country.asp

Did anyone know that if you last worked in your country of residence, that you have to claim your UK State Pension from that country?

So that if I had worked in Spain, I would have to claim my UK State Pension from Spain next January.

Basically you have to claim it from the country in which you last worked.

I have a feeling that this is a recent change.

Luckily I have never worked in Spain, my last employment was in the UK and can claim it direct from the UK. I'd never get my pension otherwise, as I would never have the right paperwork.

droopsnout

Didn't know that.

Mind you, in this age of IT, why should we have to claim at all? I don't recall having to ask them to tax me. I seem to remember they were able to contact me to require me to pay tax.

What's the difference?

Also ... I've just received one of those periodic letters they send out asking for details of any changes to my Pension. What a waste of money!! It is their agent (Capita Hartshead) who pays it to me!!! Why isn't the info readily available to them?

seven-day-weekend

droopsnout wrote: »

Didn't know that.

Mind you, in this age of IT, why should we have to claim at all? I don't recall having to ask them to tax me. I seem to remember they were able to contact me to require me to pay tax.

What's the difference?

Also ... I've just received one of those periodic letters they send out asking for details of any changes to my Pension. What a waste of money!! It is their agent (Capita Hartshead) who pays it to me!!! Why isn't the info readily available to them?

Too true droopsnout. We get those letters every so often too, in fact I think one must be due about now.

I think the reason is that they want YOU to provide the information so that if a mistake is made in the figures it is your mistake and not theirs.

That's the reason the Inland Revenue gave me anyway.

droopsnout

Mistakes? Made by a government???

Nah! Surely not!!

droopsnout

For those of us in France, this page at the Connexion newspaper website has lots of links to sites where we could save a centime or two.

gfplux

Hello all just back from Florida to nice and wet Europe. The lawn is soooooooo long. That will be a hard job to cut..
The weather in Florida was changing as I was there with the summer starting with a vengeance. At the beginning the temperature at midday was 26C (80F) as I left it reached 32C (90F) my daughter claims that where they live the temperature in July/August is only 38C (100F) which is MUCH cooler than Disney at that time of year!! They also have less bugs!!
I had a great time and now am counting the weeks (50) until next time.
My daughters business happily is thriving in spite of the recession. However difficult times are hitting some retail malls with many empty units since last year.

seven-day-weekend

Well.

I have kept at least one cat all our married life until we came here to Spain, when we decided that pets would cramp our style.

However, the last few weeks a pretty little Siamese cat has been sitting outside our door. She has a home, I know where she lives, but like all cats she likes more than one home. She is very friendly and talkative like most Siamese.

I was beginning to like her very much and was hoping her Spanish owners would get fed up withher (as they do) and let us keep her. I'd already got plans in my head to have her spayed and pet passported and take her with us on our travels (Siamese cats will usually take to a harness and lead).

Out of the blue yesterday, whilst still purring like a traction engine, she turned round whilst I was stroking her and for no reason bit me so deeply that there was copious blood :mad: and it really hurt and swelled up:eek:. I had to take myself off to the docs for a tetanus injection!

All my years of owning cats, I have NEVER had one bite me, other than 'play-biting', which does not break the skin.

Gone off the cat now. Ungrateful little wretch.

She still keeps following me though......I expect I will start feeding her again soon.

(My husband was watering the plants when it happened and gave her a good long spray of hose up the backside. I always knew cats could levitate, this one proved it!:rotfl: She disappeared over Miguel's wall in about a millisecond.)

So that's the big news in the SDW household! Nothing much happens here as you can tell:rotfl:

droopsnout

"Expats give up on Provence dream"

The press goes once again for exaggeration - BBC this time.

Does anyone know anyone who has left their continental home to return to the UK?

Edit: Forgot: s-d-w knew a young couple whose business didn't work out.