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Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

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  • droopsnout
    droopsnout Posts: 3,620 Forumite
    I'm getting better every day, thank you! :)
    Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good. - Thomas Sowell, "Is Reality Optional?", 1993
  • droopsnout
    droopsnout Posts: 3,620 Forumite
    edited 1 December 2011 at 5:31PM
    Re the euro, though, it's not looking great, if the intimations from the Governor of the Bank of England are anything to go by today. Also there are strong rumours that some European bank is about to go under. Danny Alexander refused to deny it on radio today. There was also massive intervention from the national banks of China, Japan, UK, USA and Switzerland amongst others last night. The finger is pointing at a French bank, but no idea which.
    Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good. - Thomas Sowell, "Is Reality Optional?", 1993
  • seven-day-weekend
    seven-day-weekend Posts: 36,755 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    PLEEEASE let our house sale complete before it all goes pear-shaped!

    And pleeeassse let the bank not be Solbank or Santander!

    (Selfish of me perhaps!).
    (AKA HRH_MUngo)
    Member #10 of £2 savers club
    Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton
  • droopsnout
    droopsnout Posts: 3,620 Forumite
    Oh, I do hope it all goes OK for you, sdw. It does look more like being a French bank than a Spanish bank, and the euro will last into the New Year, I think.
    Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good. - Thomas Sowell, "Is Reality Optional?", 1993
  • seven-day-weekend
    seven-day-weekend Posts: 36,755 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 1 December 2011 at 6:27PM
    We don't actually have huge amounts of money in Spainish banks (simply a current account for living expenses), but our buyer has ALL his money and his mortgage offer in Solbank, and our son has his mortgage offer from Santander in the UK....

    Hope it's not your bank either, droopsnout :(
    (AKA HRH_MUngo)
    Member #10 of £2 savers club
    Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton
  • droopsnout
    droopsnout Posts: 3,620 Forumite
    Fingers crossed!
    Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good. - Thomas Sowell, "Is Reality Optional?", 1993
  • seven-day-weekend
    seven-day-weekend Posts: 36,755 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Well we are now in a hotel in Barakaldo, Bilbao, about to get up and have breakfast before embarking on the Cap Finisterre which sails at 10.30 am for Portsmouth.

    We will be home for lunchtime tomorrow.

    Then we have to eject the lodger (who has done nothing about moving, despite having two month's notice), and also help our son and his girlfriend move when the sale of their flat completes. However at the moment the lawyer is in hospital having an operation, and then he is going to the Costa del Sol to play golf for a week, so I don't think the completion will be soon. :(

    THEN perhaps we can gt on with our new lives!!
    (AKA HRH_MUngo)
    Member #10 of £2 savers club
    Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton
  • sandy2_2
    sandy2_2 Posts: 1,931 Forumite
    Hoping you have calm seas for the crossing and warm wooly jumpers for when you arrive in Portsmouth (my home town)

    Sandy
  • droopsnout
    droopsnout Posts: 3,620 Forumite
    Brr! Yes, i have just been listening to the radio, and it sounds terribly cold, with ice and snow up north. Anyway, s-d-w, enjoy the crossing. There isn't a breath of wind here, so I hope it's calm for you. Will be going over to the UK ourselves later this month, but I'm afraid it's the long haul up to Dunkerque for us. (Mind you, it's 400 miles to Bilbao, anyway).

    Sounds like there are lots of frustrations at the moment, but I'm sure they will all be dealt with and just be vague memories soon.

    Have a safe and pleasant journey.
    Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good. - Thomas Sowell, "Is Reality Optional?", 1993
  • seven-day-weekend
    seven-day-weekend Posts: 36,755 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 13 December 2011 at 7:19PM
    Thanks all, well we are now ex- expats.

    The crossing was mostly calm, a little choppy at the Bilbao end, but like a millpond for most of it.

    I waved to you in Portsmouth Sandy, I love Portsmouth, a lovely interesting city.

    Wolverhampton is dark, gloomy, wet and SO COLD. We have our heating on all day and can't get warm. My son went shopping in a tee shirt :eek: but he has mild Aspergers' Syndrome and does not normally notice variations in temperature much, he wears the same clothes all year round. My husband and I are freezing!! And it started to get dark at 3.30....

    Lodger has still not budged. Just laziness, nothing else, he would go if we did it for him. So we are getting him some boxes tomorrow and telling him that anything that is not in them by the end of the week will be on the tip :) Then we'll cart him and the boxes to his parents' house. Job done.

    Son's flat purchase is still not going smoothly, he still might have to pull out so we are looking at another flat tomorrow in case we have to go onto Plan B.

    This si the one he is hoping to complete on:
    http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-23793520.html

    And this is the one we are looking at tomorrow in case he has to withdraw from the purchase.
    http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31622360.html
    It's not as nice as the first one, but it's in the same nice area - and within the tiny budget.:)

    We are still sure we have made the right decision though. Will probably start doing all the things we want to do after Chrsitmas now.

    Best wishes to everyone and enjoy the sunshine for me. :)
    .
    (AKA HRH_MUngo)
    Member #10 of £2 savers club
    Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton
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