Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

Oldernotwiser

Francophile wrote: »

Seeing this has really made me yearn to get back to my other home in France. Unfortunately it will be March before we can get back but I suppose the upside is that the sun will probably be shining.

Well it sure isn't shining now!

worrypants

Hello from Canada

not over 50 but retired and living on a Brit Army pension
absolutley impossible to do in the UK

only just found this thread and like another poster has said there must be loads of expats on mse but Ill bet they dont know this thread exists:D

wonder if it could be moved to a titale of its own?
I would think because of the basket case country that the UK has now become there must be many many contemplating leaving and would find the grear posts in this thread really useful

will post more on canada if there is interest

but suffice to say a brit can own property here just the same as a canadian
cost of living a third of the uk

you can get in up to the age of 55

there are routes in that dont require specailist skills

you can semigrate eg 6 months here 6 months elswhere

its not as cod as you think we hd endless weeks of over 100 degress all summer and at the moment very deep snow and blue skies and sun

no language barrier

wonderful people and so peacful and uncrowded
awesome scenery and wildlife

distinct lack of brits :T

seven-day-weekend

Hi there, welcome worrypants!

Yes it's good to have non-European expats here - there used to be some USA ones but I don't think they come here any more.

Please keep posting!

donny-gal

Welcome worrypants

Maybe an expat or almost expat thread should be set up. We have a foot in two ports Spain and the UK, not being brave enough to make the full move yet. The space is very obvious to us too when we drive across Spain and France, miles and miles with no towns/villages just countryside and very few cars sharing the roads with you. While you do get some beautiful countryside in the UK, you are sharing the roads with too many cars for sure.

Are we interested in Canada - come on we love hearing about anywhere, call us nosy if you wish, but we normally settle for inquisitive. lol Tell us more.
DG

droopsnout

Yes, glad you found the thread, worrypants. It's good to have a non-European ex-pat perspective here.

I found the financial aspects of your post very interesting. Are you, like us, feeling the pinch of the collapse of the pound? Some of us exist on pensions, too, and in my case, I've seen the value of my pension depreciate by 34% since I moved here (France) six years ago. Cost of living here is roughly the same as in the UK, I would say.

I had thought that some greengrocery prices here were much higher than in the UK, notably sprouts and cauliflowers. But yesterday I had a look at prices at Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury, finding they were broadly similar. One of these days, I'll do a shopping list for a typical week here, and compare prices properly.

I'm afraid I'm over 55, so no chance of moving to join you. But do keep posting, as I - and others, I'm sure - would love to learn more. It's the everyday titbits about ordinary lives I enjoy.

brodev

I do the 6 months UK and the other 6 months in Algarve, Portugal. If anybody wants to know anything about Algarve or Portugal I'll try to find out. This is only my 2nd 6 month spell in Algarve but I had been doing the same in Costa del Sol for the previous 12 years.

seven-day-weekend

Welcome brodev!

Some friends of mine went to the Algarve a couple of years ago.

Where did you go on CdelS?

brodev

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Welcome brodev!
Where did you go on CdelS?

I have a house, unfortunately still, in Estepona

droopsnout

Hi, Brodev. Enjoy the thread!

I've never been to the Algarve or Estepona (or indeed anywhere further south on the Med coast of Spain than Tarragona). Love Barcelona and Madrid. Would enjoy reading of your experiences: problems, successes, joys, pains ... Wherever we live as ex-pats, temporary or permanent, I think there are many sorts of problems that we experience in common.

Hope to read more from you soon.

seven-day-weekend

I too have never been to the Algarve or Estepona (never been further west along the coast than Malaga airport). Be good to hear of your experiences.

Why do you say 'unfortunately' you have a house in Estepona? (I could make a guess, but I'd be interested to hear your reasons!).