Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

seven-day-weekend

Welcome to the forum, Robin. Your dfrriend's dilemma sounds awful Has he tried the Land Registry direct to get his house registered? It does sound dodgy. However I think it IS possible for it to cost thousands. House taxes here are a fortune.

Anyway, to all: We're now at our home exchange in Jaca in the Spanish Pyrennees. It iswonderful, I would love to live here. A lovely quiet small town but with all amenities within walking distance and beautiful scenery.

joeyjimbles

Hi all
I don't live in France but since many of you lovely forummers do I was hoping you could help me.
We are due to have our first trip again in early July so I've been nosing on Carrefour and E LeClercs websites for some prices for stuff (I know there are other cheaper supermarkets and will use them but I was trying to get some general ideas about costs) but I got confused about Loyalty Cards.

I have a blue plastic Carrefour card with some yellow, orange and red people on it and 'ma carte de fidelite' on the top with the carrefour logo top right. On the website they only seem to refer to a Pass card - but it looks like a credit card with the visa sign on it.

So could someone kindly tell me if Carrefour have changed their card? Basically I just need to know if my card is still valid and ideally will the small balance of euros still be there even if I have to get a different card/

Many thanks for your help in advance.

*Robin*

gatita wrote: »

This is an excellent forum for expats. I am sure you will get very good advice. Good luck.
I would certainly hang fire with what seems like an extremely dodgy gestor, at least until you get professional advice you can trust
Whoops forget to put in link!

http://www.eyeonspain.com/forums/Threads.aspx?dev=FB38

Gatita - Thanks very much for the link. My friend is going to 'phone Maria, one of the lawyers on that site, and see what she's got to say..

Seven-day-weekend - Thank you for your very kind welcome to this section of the MSE forum.
I have seen one of your threads - you've got a lovely house in one of the villages in the high Alpujarras, haven't you?
..I didn't know it was possible for a private individual to approach the Land Registry directly. That could be worth trying; thank you.

seven-day-weekend

*Robin* wrote: »

Gatita - Thanks very much for the link. My friend is going to 'phone Maria, one of the lawyers on that site, and see what she's got to say..

Seven-day-weekend - Thank you for your very kind welcome to this section of the MSE forum.
I have seen one of your threads - you've got a lovely house in one of the villages in the high Alpujarras, haven't you?
..I didn't know it was possible for a private individual to approach the Land Registry directly. That could be worth trying; thank you.

Yes, we are in the eastern Alpujarras, in a village called Yegen, which in the 1920s entertained some of the Bloomsbury group in the persons of Virginia Woolf and Lytton Strachey, who came to visit Gerald Brenan, a British author who lived in Yegen and wrote a book about it called 'South from Granada'.

Our house is actually for sale, the move was never intended to be permanent, although we do love it and will be sad to leave it.

http://www.alpujarraspropertydirectory.com/calle-gerald-brenan-yegen-yegen-for-sale

donny-gal

Small world 7DW - we drove through Jaca today on our way down here. DG

*Robin*

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Yes, we are in the eastern Alpujarras, in a village called Yegen, which in the 1920s entertained some of the Bloomsbury group in the persons of Virginia Woolf and Lytton Strachey, who came to visit Gerald Brenan, a British author who lived in Yegen and wrote a book about it called 'South from Granada'.

Our house is actually for sale, the move was never intended to be permanent, although we do love it and will be sad to leave it.

http://www.alpujarraspropertydirectory.com/calle-gerald-brenan-yegen-yegen-for-sale

We visited Yegen years ago, when our big kids were teenagers - one holiday we did a kind of Brenan tour (ex- is a huge fan). I think ex- found three bars, and there was a front room shop where I got some garlic sausage that was so extraordinary, it is still the standard all other chorizo must measure up to in our family..
So there's obviously a lot more facilities today which makes campo living so much easier.

Love the website for your house, I take it the chap who was interested a few weeks ago didn't go for it? The price seems very reasonable for the size and condition, although where we are [other side of Motril] you'd expect to get a bit of garden / back yard with a village house.

Anyway I hope you find a buyer soon, and meanwhile - enjoy your holiday!

seven-day-weekend

Most of the houses here don't have any attached land, although many of the villagers have land up the mountain (we don't though!).

The guy who looked a few weeks ago wanted a seimming pool, land and flat roads (why he is looking in the mountains I do not know). Also he had not got the budget.

Yegen now has six bars and still has the jamon/chorizo shop.

droopsnout

joeyjimbles wrote: »

So could someone kindly tell me if Carrefour have changed their card? Basically I just need to know if my card is still valid and ideally will the small balance of euros still be there even if I have to get a different card

Hi! My Carrefour card shows a family in silhouette on a pale blue background. I would imagine yours is still valid, though, but couldn't be sure. They certainly did change cards about ... maybe eighteen months ago??? But IIRC they send out a voucher for the amount saved on the card once a year. You really need to speak to the "Accueil" staff in store. Sorry to be vague, but I don't shop very much in stores in the Carrefour group.

*Robin* wrote: »

what I've seen of this thread seems to be more casual, general enquiries

True, but big problems occasionally come up here. It's a fact, though, that the specific expat message boards elsewhere have a wider readership and more experienced posters. On the other hand, a huge amount of misinformation is given out by those who believe they have "been there, done that", and it can get very confusing when you try to sort out which piece of advice is good and which not.

Anyway, welcome to the forum, and I hope your friend gets this really serious business sorted out.

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

We're now at our home exchange in Jaca in the Spanish Pyrennees. It is wonderful, I would love to live here.

It would have been good to pay you a visit, s-d-w, but we are in England following the death of my Mum last Thursday. Jaca is about 170 miles from where we live.

Savvy_Sue

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

The guy who looked a few weeks ago wanted a seimming pool, land and flat roads (why he is looking in the mountains I do not know). Also he had not got the budget.

:rotfl:

droopsnout wrote: »

It would have been good to pay you a visit, s-d-w, but we are in England following the death of my Mum last Thursday. Jaca is about 170 miles from where we live.

Sorry for your loss, ds.

donny-gal

Sorry to hear about your Mum DS. DG