Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

Merrywidow

Well done Sloan - you are very organised. I am lying low at the moment as my expenditure has been on overdrive lately. Yesterday it was a major dental job. My lower jawbone is shrinking, hence loose teeth. They removed 4 lower front teeth and replaced them with implants and a bridge. Op wasn't painfull until the injections wore off but I'm fine today, stiff and sore but I'll survive.

I envy you your holidays. I have no plans for this winter yet. I always go to Amsterdam for New Year with the family. That's as long as they are not off skiing inAustria. When I get the urge for some sun I will go.

When I see the mention of Newcastle airport my mind flips to way back in the 70's when I had a flight back to Amsterdam after Christmas in Saltburn. It was snowing heavens hard and when I got to the airport they had cancelled all flights. I was furious and was stomping around muttering when I got talking to 3 men who were on their way to an important business meeting in Amsterdam. To cut a long story short they hired a private 6 seater plane and invited me to join them. Wow what an experience. It was like being in a flying car. I sat next to the pilot and it was all surreal. He even 'plopped' up and down on the clouds for fun and to amuse me. It took 2 hours to get to Amsterdam but I have never forgotten it.

sloan

Sounds really fun. My memory of a small plane was in Australia to one of the islands in the barrier reef. It was like being in a tin can. We were very relieved to land. Hope there are no cancellations/delays with our Easyjet flight. It leaves about 8.10 and our Cyprus flight at 12.05. If everything runs OK we should have plenty of time .... but the best laid plans of mice and men ...

Merrywidow

My trip on Easyjet - Gatwick to Tolouse in France in September was a shock. With only hand luggage its easy. I arrived 2 hrs before the flight. I had one hold bag and there were no check in machines or online check ins so I had to join an horrendous queque in their dedicated area which handles all their flights. I was in that Q for 1 hour or more and only just made it thru customs and baggage search to my plane. Don't know what Stanstead is like but you have been warned - allow lots of time. Good luck

sloan

Hi

Will be in Newcastle in plenty of time. We will have 2 hold cases and two pieces of hand luggage.

Savvy_Sue

I don't know if it's possible, but if you can book your hold baggage through to your eventual destination that should save queuing when you change planes, both to retrieve your baggage and re-book it!

droopsnout

I'd like to open a new current account with a UK bank/building society. Does anyone happen to know of any which may be opened by an expat in the EU?

I know that some banks will allow UK customers who emigrate to maintain their accounts, but I'm talking here about opening a new one.

donny-gal

Probably only the big ones as an ex-pat account, HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds.

They will probably be with charges and not like the offers on the UK national ones.

Maybe if you have a UK address and use it via the web??

Then again google gives

http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=0&oq=opening+a+UK+bank+account+&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADBR_enGB328GB329&q=opening+a+uk+bank+account+from+overseas


DG

seven-day-weekend

DS, as far as I know you can only open a new account at a bank at which you already have an account, if you are abroad.

You may be able to open one in person using your UK address, and then change the address once it is open.

Then use internet banking.

I have opened several new Bank Accounts since I've been abroad, but only at banks where I already had an account. However, I did open one at Nationwide this year and I had only become a Nationwide customer through my previous BS being taken over. I was in the UK at the time, and explained to the guy at Nationwide that my main home was in Spain, but I also had a UK address. He asked me which address was on my driving licence, I said the UK one, and he let me open a current account (registered to my UK address) and I then signed up for the internet banking..

Hope this helps.

(Edited to add: Just had a thought - if all else fails maybe you could get round it by opening a joint account with a UK resident, using their address, and then later they could get themselves taken off).

gallygirl

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

(Edited to add: Just had a thought - if all else fails maybe you could get round it by opening a joint account with a UK resident, using their address, and then later they could get themselves taken off).

:T Cunning plan SDW, filed away under 'things to remember if I can ever afford to retire'

droopsnout

Thanks for your opinions, ideas and pointers.

My wife has a Nationwide account and her paperwork is sent here without problem, and since I will be in the UK over the New Year, I will perhaps see about opening an account with them.

I am looking to remove monies from our joint Halifax account following the changes to the charges made by the Halifax, which don't really affect us, but which I think are outrageous for those folks finding it hard to make ends meet.