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Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

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  • gallygirl
    gallygirl Posts: 17,240 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    traineepensioner wrote: »
    I would look at opening a Santander 123 account while you're still in the UK..... 3% interest on balances up to £20,000 and free cash withdrawals from Santander branches in mainland Spain. We do it and it works well. You can manage the account online while in Spain.
    That's really good to know - I have a 123 account but thought that one DIDN'T have free withdrawals - will investigate :)

    Thanks :)
    A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort
    :) Mortgage Balance = £0 :)
    "Do what others won't early in life so you can do what others can't later in life"
  • Mint1955
    Mint1955 Posts: 685 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts I've been Money Tipped!
    Anyone North Cyprus on this forum? Holiday home owner up to now but thinking of making visits much longer and in a while being there full time.
    Living the dream and retired in Cyprus :j

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5105296
  • gfplux
    gfplux Posts: 4,985 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Hung up my suit!
    Yes the joy of free banking.
    Anyone not familiar with Non Uk banking will have difficulty getting their head round paying for a current account.
    If you have an American passport you will find great difficulty even opening an account in Europe now after the passing of the FATCA regulations.
    Be glad to a European.
    There will be no Brexit dividend for Britain.
  • donny-gal
    donny-gal Posts: 4,661 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    gallygirl wrote: »
    That's really good to know - I have a 123 account but thought that one DIDN'T have free withdrawals - will investigate :)

    Thanks :)

    Me too. DG
    Member #8 of the SKI-ers Club
    Why is it I have less time now I am retired then when I worked?
  • droopsnout
    droopsnout Posts: 3,620 Forumite
    Gallygirl, how did your investigations go?
    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
  • donny-gal
    donny-gal Posts: 4,661 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    It seems its in Spain only and at Santander Branches there. Investigating more tomorrow as it seems I can have a 123 and keep my Zero.
    DG
    Member #8 of the SKI-ers Club
    Why is it I have less time now I am retired then when I worked?
  • droopsnout
    droopsnout Posts: 3,620 Forumite
    Do you think Santander would like to open/buy a bank in France?

    I'm another one who uses smile (i.e. Co-op Bank) to make transfers at £8 a throw. I really don't see why it is so expensive these days! The last couple of times I have transferred money, it was in the French account next day, and it's all done electronically.

    Why can't we cut out the middleman's clerical time entering the data we've had to type into a web page anyway and make a foreign (EU) transfer just as we would a UK one?

    Time that splendid institution the EU got onto that one.
    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
  • donny-gal
    donny-gal Posts: 4,661 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Have you tried Moneycorp or Currencies Direct? DG
    Member #8 of the SKI-ers Club
    Why is it I have less time now I am retired then when I worked?
  • droopsnout
    droopsnout Posts: 3,620 Forumite
    No. Two reasons. Both almost certainly completely without foundation.

    First, fear. I don't know how to use them, and that puts me off. And the £8 fee from smile/Co-op isn't so high that I'm really pushed to look elsewhere.

    Second, I always think that the sums concerned aren't high enough to make it worth their while.

    Can you put me right?
    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
  • donny-gal
    donny-gal Posts: 4,661 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I used them when we bought, so that was a big amount. Preferred Moneycorp, not sure why. £5 for a 2-3 day transfer, £9 for instant if you do it on line, seems any amount. You can ask them to delay until exchange rate hits a certain value, but that is usually for the larger amounts. Maybe not worth £3 ?? DG
    Member #8 of the SKI-ers Club
    Why is it I have less time now I am retired then when I worked?
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