cost of living in northern cyprus

mariner


Joined: 10/02/2011
Posts: 5

Message Posted:
12/02/2011 21:12

hi we have tried searching for a up to date cost of living comparison, but unable to find one.

we are a couple would have no mortgage non smokers, need one car and 1-2 meals out per week.

any information on utility bills on a 3 bed with pool and other expenses would be appreciated, regards, stuuart

nurseawful



Joined: 06/02/2009
Posts: 5934

Message Posted:
12/02/2011 21:19

Stuart cost of running a pool between £50-£60 per month excluding electricity. On average electric in the summer bills when running 1 air-con unit and the cost of pool electricity 200-250 turkish lira. Water bills for Lapta 46 tl one month and the next 34 tl. Meals out can be as cheap or as expensive as you want them to be.

Car we have a pajero and the road tax is 750tl per year! Insurance depending on the type of car you have can be anything from 250tl 3rd party to £500 fully comp.

Hope this helps

Chris

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
12/02/2011 22:41

Suicide is a cheaper way of life!



Richard

elkiton



Joined: 15/03/2009
Posts: 514

Message Posted:
12/02/2011 23:19

I suggest yearly cost of living based on our experiences...( caveat, not the same for everyone).. approximates to...£10K marginal....£12K realistic....£15K Ideal more = luxury.

TonyE

mariner


Joined: 10/02/2011
Posts: 5

Message Posted:
12/02/2011 23:52

many thanks, this is a big help, regards, stuart

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 00:19

Do your own pool and save a small fortune... well, enough for a few meals out a month.

Sid447


Joined: 15/05/2009
Posts: 141

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 09:12

Not TRNC specific,



but found it very useful:-



http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Cyprus&city=Nicosia

walkerscott


Joined: 13/08/2009
Posts: 901

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 13:21

http://www.northcyprusfreepress.com/2009/11/21/how-much-does-it-cost-to-live-in-north-cyprus/

http://no-deeds-no-money.moonfruit.com/#/trnc-news/4544168069

http://www.cyprus44.com/forums/964.asp

also type in cost of living on the site and slowly read your way through all the advice which should give you a good idea ...

bigjuss


Joined: 09/09/2010
Posts: 221

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 14:31

the trnc is certainly cheaper than life in england.

im in england and just cant help but notice the price hikes everywhere.

stopped at the service station m25/m1,diesel...£1.40 per litre

cigarettes....£7.45 for 20.nasty sarnies.....£5 ,£2 for a coke!

shopping at asdas,the cheapest supermarket,some foods have rocketed in price.....

ltr sunflower oil - £1.43. 2 corn on the cob - £2 ...decent bread.....£1.60 a loaf.

half pound of ham..£4.50 6 eggs...£1.60.

if you dont want to live on "buget food" its £120 a week to feed a family of four and a dog.

food in cyprus is far cheaper if you get your fruit n veg from ya belles,you get a bag full for a fiver!

go to a local butcher,ask him what he can do you for a 250ytl bulk buy,youd be suprised..stock your freezer right up!

stock up on 2for1 offers at the supermarkets,lemar,tempo,supreme.edeners (ozankoy) is cheaper for a general shop.

do a load of home cooking and youll find a family of four can eat well all week for £70...easy

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 15:03

You cannot compare prices at a service staion on the M25 with prices you would pay in a cost of living costing, you would not be buying those things to live weekly would you. £1.29 litre diesel, £1.50 for 2good loaves, 6 eggs £1 that's more like it here in the North, fruit and veg can be bought at Llidl and Aldi even at Morrisons and Asda you can get enough for a week for £5, and it's not budget food.

eagleyemonkey


Joined: 21/03/2010
Posts: 184

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 15:36

Most of the food in the UK is budget food, poor quality. You pay for the rare good stuff .

Cyprus bread, Eggs, Fruit and Veg, you can't compare to 'morisons' etc.

But depends on what you like.

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 19:07

If you eat healthy local food, plenty fresh veg. and fruit, eggs etc. and leave imported

products, you can live very reasonably and healthily.

bigjuss


Joined: 09/09/2010
Posts: 221

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 19:20

speckie....i wasnt saying go shop at the service station for your shopping!! i was just pointing out how much stuff has risen.

im not telling any lies either when comparing asda prices.

and lidl and aldi.......well if you eat that crap,id definatley say you are living on a budget.

buy fruit and veg and its gone off the next day!, and NO....you cant buy a bag oif veg from aldi,lidl or morrisons for a fiver!!

i think you better take up "skip diving" mate!!!!

Pipie


Joined: 05/01/2008
Posts: 5499

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 21:23

Tony E



Is the cost of living summary from you based on a 3/4/5 bed villa ? what type of vehicle ? a drinker /smoker/ eating out etc etc !!

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 21:47

What a load of rubbish!



The UK is far cheaper on most goods than the north. Now compare the prices of things like shampoo, toothpaste, washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, electricity bills, water rates? How about meats and wine, decent clothes, shoes or new cars, and maybe you'd like to compare the prices of electrical goods, internet charges and mobile phone charges too... They're all a rip off in NC!



What you have to remember, is what percentage of your income are you spending on your weekly shop and bills, then ask the average NC and see if that percentage is similar?

elkiton



Joined: 15/03/2009
Posts: 514

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 22:12

Pipie,

Hi, I have over the last 3 years posted on several cost of living surveys, and find it quite interesting that whilst I consider my tastes "average", you could go +/-25 in either direction depending on an individual's lifestyle. In our case we are a married couple with a 4 bed villa and maintaining our own pool, a Ford Ranger 4 x 4, we smoke in moderation, eat out once a week on average, and entertain friends in, ditto. We do not trek back to the UK at all.

Tinlondon, sorry, what is a load of rubbish?

If you are talking about the overall cost of living here v UK then i cannot agree with your statement. I moved here 3 years ago and find that on our pensions we survive admirably well, whereas in the UK I had to hold down a job in IT, commuting daily to the city to enjoy a comparable lifestyle. So given that I was earning £60k+ all expenses,, and here I have just our pensions, something does not add up. Would you perhaps like to suggest what that might be ?

TonyE

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 22:18

bigjuss. Don't know which lidl and aldi you use but I don't have any problem with their fruit and veg keeping them for three or four days which is how long I would keep them no matter where I bought them and can get enough for £5, that's all I buy from there. We certainly don't live on a budget we don't have to, we have a dinner every evening with potatoes 2 or 3 fresh veg (no frozen) and meat, fish or chicken all fresh.

Agree with msg 15 compare other prices, no contest.

What about the cr-p people on here rave about, where to go for the best fish and chips or the best steak pie, I make my own.

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 22:26

Have to agree with Woodspeckie, message 17 and TinLndon, message 15. Overall, I wouldn't say that cost of living in NC is much cheaper than UK; overall, there probably isn't much in it. Having said that, I am only going on what we spend whilst we're on holiday, though we still have utility bills, etc. to pay on our apartment. I may find it to be different if I lived there full time.



TonyE - you say you manage very well in NC living on your pensions. I'm pleased to hear it, although I have to say also that if you were earning £60k+ in UK. I'd have thought you would have had a very good lifestyle there, too?

Pipie


Joined: 05/01/2008
Posts: 5499

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 22:35

Thanks for reply Tony E !!

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
13/02/2011 22:46

I'm sorry Tony E, I should have made myself clearer... my comments were aimed at the motorway services shopper. I've been holidaying in NC for a number of years now and have many family members who live there and I get to hear how much they pay for certain items and on the items I have mentioned, I find the UK to be a much cheaper option for these.



I agree that NC may be more favourable when it comes to council tax, but then again you get what you pay for! I have a good police service that serves my town, my environment is clean and tidy the roads are in a good state. Secondly, I know a lot of people complain about it, but the NHS is still fit for purpose and is a good safety net should things go wrong with my health. I think comparing like for like is difficult when one 'like' isn't available in a country. But some things we just can't get in the UK and that is the NC weather and sea - so that i guess is priceless!

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
14/02/2011 09:35

elkiton, Is correct, In fact you can live well here for 2000 lira per month, If you can strecth to as elkiton says £15000 K per annum, then yes luxury.



Most of our food here is far better and much cheaper than UK.



I also think it depends what you expect from life. Certain things people mention do not really fit into the cost of living.



Living = staying warm, healthy, eating. and the basics. Many other items ie. Top of the range TV,s Luxury Motors, Meals out, top of the range mobile phones etc. etc, are not in that bracket.



But unfortunatley to us spoilt B------s from th UK they have become the norm, This is one of the reasons that the UK is in the state it is in and the problem with credit cards, people expext these things.



If you are coming here to live on a fairly tight budget, then simply learn to do just that and you should enjoy a good life.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
14/02/2011 10:19

Johhnylee, Which particular foods are "Better and much Cheaper than UK??The Meat is expensive,the Fresh Fish variety is very limited ...(" Farmed Bass "or Bronze head Bream) Just wondered that's all

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
14/02/2011 10:25

.... and half the fruit and veg are packed with growth hormones well above the EU limits. thats what give the cucumbers their ability to continue growing in the fridge and the tomatoes with it's tough potatoe like skins! I'm you will never convince me that the quality is better than the UK.... I think the first question should be, is it safe! It wamkes you think why the NC's cancer rate is ranked 5th highest in the world (source of data... last week's medical report in Kibris Gazetesi).

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
14/02/2011 11:19

Over use of pesticides on fruit and veg here in TRNC is a major problem,as there is little legislation on the use there of...( some veg is cheap but often poor quality)I think the cost of living if you take into account the cost of Cars, Electrical's,Health care and treatments...And the many financial consequences of bad building issues here... the overall/annual costs are comparable with the UK ...(But we do have Sunshine)

Pixie


Joined: 18/03/2009
Posts: 489

Message Posted:
14/02/2011 12:09

We spend about 150 tl on food and eat mostly soups made from fresh vegetables, vegetable dishes and meat dishes. We hardly ever eat pasta or rice. We tend to buy lots of juices and soft drinks. We also buy lots of fruit. We buy a lot of cheeses and I tend to vary the types so if I buy cheddar, fetta and spread one week, Ill buy red elciester, gouda and white cheese the next. We also buy lots of milk. We have pastry and cakes (homemade ) 2-3 times per week. We spend 150tl per week on food. We buy detergents, washing powders, fabric softeners,shampoo etc in bulk and on special. I tend to spend about 400 tl every 4 months.our car fills up for 85tl and that goes for 7-10 days. We eat out 6-8 times per month about 60-100 tl. I find this to be much cheaper than Istanbul, where everything was more expensive.

mariner


Joined: 10/02/2011
Posts: 5

Message Posted:
14/02/2011 12:22

hi, thank you for your replys. Our rates in the UK are £200 per month, you can not keep pace with the rising costs, regards, stuart

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
14/02/2011 13:40

We tend to look at the special offers and vwey often things are cheaper than the UK, we find that all essential food is cheaper and far superior to the UK,



Tomatoes and salad, all of the Veg, it has taste, like veg from the 60s in the Uk, The best bread I have ever tasted in the world, and sooooooooo cheap.



Proper sausage and pork from the Pork shop, very good offers on minced lamb and minced beef the last few weeks, in several of the supermarkets.



Fast Food Buthchers in Alsancak steak to die for, yes a bit pricey, But I class Steak as a luxury item not an essential.



What I am trying to get across is that people ask about the Cost of LIVING,



Yes you can buy mass produced crap in the UK very cheap, Just have a walk around Bilston Market 3 pies for a quid, god knows whats in them (eyelids bumholes) and all the other crap,



The cost of LIVING in the UK is expensive,

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 08:14

msg27 Bilston Market?? Sorry Lee, I don't think Bilston is renowned for it's "fresh produce" by any stretch of the imagination,( maybe Steel or Coal)so consequently not a very good yard stick or comparator....

sienna


Joined: 09/01/2009
Posts: 1627

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 08:54

I think you live within your means if you have 70K coming in you will spend it - if you have 20K coming in you will budget to that



No matter where you live



I think it swings in roundabouts somethings are a lot cheaper in North Cypurs than UK - but electrical stuff is a lot more expense but then you are not buying these on a weekly basis.





I don't live in the North but when visiting we tend shop in one place whereas I guess if you lived there you woud get to know where the special offers are ! ie shampoo toohpaste etc



Tescos fruit is awful goes off in a day - the fruit and veg look forward to in N.Cyprus they are so much bigger better and seasonal unlike the tastless cold storage rubbish we get here - we may be able to get fruit at any time of the year but it just isn't the same

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 10:32

martinD41, actually Bilston market is brilliant really, except you have to have your brain removed before you enter, oh and get a tartan shopping trolley and put on about 5 stone in weight,



I still like to have a look at it when we go back, My friends mom and dad where into Iron and steel



His mom used to iron and dad used to steal.



sienna you have hit the nail on the head, force fed fruit and veg that you get all year, when rally it should be seasonal. tasteless tomatoes, the produce looks nice and neat and clean, but it has very little taste.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 11:16

msg30 Lee ,I take your word for it,I have rarely bought supermarket veg until I came here..Ours was always straight from the Guernsey farm shops, Or in the case of Fish straight from St Peter Port fisherman's Harbour..

I really miss the live Crab & Lobster at £3to£4 per Kilo...............Oh well never mind eh.....

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 11:40

In TRNC examples:

chicken breasts (skinless fillets) = £5.50kg, 30 eggs = £2.20, minced beef (regularly on offer) = £7.10kg

a few months ago these cost 10%+ more because of the sterling weakness and that's the problem with ex-pat pensioners, they are dependant on exchange rates.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 11:47

I find the sudden abundance of cheap "minced beef" rather worrying (Brucellosis)??

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 11:53

in the UK, according to the Daily Mail, 50% of chicken are infected with salmonella.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 11:56

I am glad I don't come from the UK

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 12:29

Mince beef - £7.10Kg - How is that cheaper than the UK, that's almost double the price ?

Chicken is pretty much in line with UK prices,

I'm not going to argue eggs with you, they seem like a good deal in TRNC.

I'm getting varying stories about prices in the the TRNC, my cousin was complaining that she paid over 100TL for a leg of lamb the other day, surely it can't be that much?



As for imported UK goods, that's just simply rip-off prices, as I found out when i had to buy a can of Lynx deodorant last year!

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 12:41

TinLondon, I'm just quoting a few prices in the TRNC rather than saying whether it is cheaper here. That way people can make up their own minds according to their own eating habits, e.g. might be vegetarian. 500ml lager in some pubs in TRNC = £1. I've always wanted to do a regular feature on http://www.northcyprusfreepress.com quoting supermarket prices but can't get anyone to go to the trouble, scanned receipts would even be useful.

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 12:58

Hi Malcolm, I think that would be very useful. if you're able to have a similar set up to 'MySupermarket.com" comparing prices of TRNC supermarkets, it may push the retailers to compete with each other a bit more rather than sell items for high prices because a supermarket down the road is selling them high too. When i'm there, I just don't get the feeling that there is much competion going on. All the supermarkets are pretty much the same in the TRNC and if I had to compare, they're much like the US, where they all seem a bit outdated, gloomy inside, bad lighting, poor displays and generally employing staff that don't want to work.



We all complain about the UK supermarkets, but we have to remember that these stores, bring in a lot of revenue for the country in taxes and jobs. I work very closely with Tesco, who are currently managing over 500,000 staff across 5,000 store throughout the world. If the TRNC had a mini Tesco, I'm sure the government wouldn't be in such a mess!

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 13:02

Martin D41, If you read the Donkey thread started by DonkeyKeeper, that may answer your question about the abundance of cheap minced "beef"(?) , it was also in todays Kibris Gazettesi.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 13:10

No, they were Shot,that's not the HALAL way,but, who knows?.

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 13:32

www.ncsupermarkets.com tried that, we've a link on the NCFP website. Very little information there. The reason you cannot do the equivalent of mysupermarket.com is that local supermarkets don't have shopping online and you therefore can't use software to extract prices from their online database.

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 16:54

Ref msg 36 leg of lamb is approx 34TL per kilo.

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 17:14

Thanks JJ, Even being generous with a 2.5 exchange rate, that still makes it double the price of what it is in the UK. So with meats and day to day things like toothpaste, shampoo and cleaning products , electric and water costing more... The TRNC is a lot cheaper if you're a dirty vegetarian!

elkiton



Joined: 15/03/2009
Posts: 514

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 20:09

Jeannie,in the City, my salary I quoted was basic before commission, and yes, the lifestyle included things like flying off to New York to see a show,or Saltzburg for a concert.- Those days are long gone,they were experiences of a lifetime, probably never to be repeated.Here in retirement,life is simpler,our needs are far less,there is no "keeping up with the Jones's".Although the culture side of life is generally lacking, the low stress approach (by the majority!) makes for a very happy existence.

Tinlondon,vegetables here cannot be compared to the UK.They are fresh,ie a few hours out of the ground,not 6 weeks gas stored and passed off as fresh,which as we both know is a marketing expression for green things with no taste.A lot of things more expensive? true, but generally the Turkish equivalent, is ok and not pricey.

My advice is, "For UK equivalence, move to Germany, not Cyprus".You will not convince we who live here that the UK is cheaper. Better for some, maybe, cheaper no!

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 22:08

msg44 So you are convinced that the TRNC is cheap,Well the Villas are cheap,and badly built ,(renting is the way) but never mind the veg is fresh....happy days......60K+ expenses? ,what did it say on your school report,"MUST DO BETTER".......I Did

elkiton



Joined: 15/03/2009
Posts: 514

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 22:23

Come on Martin, drop the sarcasm please or you will appear to be the typical 44 "lout"poster out to insult and abuse. If I posted some of my best years earnings you would not believe that, and yes, my school reports often said "Could try harder", and like you apparently...I did.

Not sure what point you are trying (and failing or is that flailing (sic)) to make at my expense...the thread is about the cost of living, try to keep up or as the phrase goes, Butt out and go start your own thread about badly built houses. It was a good discussion until you piped up.

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 22:26

Can't speak for anyone else, but I do find talking about the amount of money one has had/one has, to be in dreadfully poor taste

brightlights



Joined: 09/11/2009
Posts: 117

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 22:39

Past earnings mentioned to indicate that it is possible to enjoy a lower "standard" of living when retired here on a considerably lower income. Sorry if it offended you, will not contribute to the thread again. Will leave it to those who think they are better equipped to comment.

brightlights



Joined: 09/11/2009
Posts: 117

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 22:42

sorry, used Diana's account by mistake whilst she was using my PC

TonyE

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 23:04

lamb may me 34 tl a kilo but its mainly fat and bone at the moment. We find the price rises going throug the roof at the moment.I do not like the tomatoes here as I love spanish or italian ones, now to hear that all the produce is full of pesticides thats me off them. I always thought they were all organic here x

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
17/02/2011 23:18

If you know what you are looking at,now is a perfect time to live virtualy off ground.

I do,we do.You can too.

No artificials,all fresh,no sell by date.



Just 1 fresh duch egg gives you alot of protein: http://www.iloveindia.com/nutrition/protein/egg-protein.html



http://www.natureofcyprus.org/mushrooms-cyprus-english.html



wild asparagus.............hmmmmmmmm,lovely jubbly



It is a great plessure to find them,never mind the fresh air and the exercise you get at the same time.

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
18/02/2011 01:13

Message 48 - my post No. 47 was intended to be "tongue in cheek".



I apologise if you couldn't see that.



J

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
18/02/2011 09:53

msg46....I agree, the cost of "Housing" is less than that of the UK, and much less than my home Island of Guernsey,where a 3 bedroom chalet bungalow will cost around 500K/600K...But the Veg is "World Class" and the fish is just hours out of the water.......(60K was more or less my company's monthly wage bill)those were the days

tarry67


Joined: 16/05/2008
Posts: 1053

Message Posted:
18/02/2011 23:03

Just been back to the uk for the first time in 3 years and was not really shocked with the price of food, infact I thought that Asda was ok as was Morrisons. The price of beer, real ale I must stress, was rather a shock, but well worth it, and I didn't care after the 5th pint or so in front of the big open fire.

I was staying with family this time and they have bills for gas and electric on one bill which was about £60pm but the phone with internet and sky tv inc seemed so cheap compared to here.

I must say cars are so cheap now in the uk and made me jealous of my friends to see what they were driving for less than half the price here.

It seems I am spending more here now because we are not getting the interest at the banks we were once getting I suppose.....!!!!!!

Sun is cheaper here though I must admit.

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
18/02/2011 23:57

Hi Steve, I think we do have a fair price on our home entertainment in the UK,



I'm with Virgin Media, I have



- A mid package TV service (86 channels I think) with a V+ box (pause live TV and records, a bit like sky+, lets me watch 1 channel and record 2 others),



- Phone line with free evening and weekend calls to any UK number or any Virgin Mobile,



- 50Mb broadband with unlimited downloads,



- Virgin Mobile with 300 free minutes and unlimited text and web access.



All for £48 /Month (around 120TL)

mineko


Joined: 08/11/2010
Posts: 29

Message Posted:
19/02/2011 11:42

Where do you get road licence for a Pajero for 750tl. Our was 1,400 tl. what cc is yours ?

tattlad


Joined: 13/12/2008
Posts: 479

Message Posted:
19/02/2011 11:46

Msg 56 That's exactly what I was thinking, as mine is 1.400 YTL also, I can't fathom this out though, because a mate of mine in Catalkoy has a Nissan Navara pick up and his road tax is only 750 YTL how can that be ??? his vehicle weighs more than mine and it's also a diesel.

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
19/02/2011 15:22

I have lived here for nearly 4 years now and can honestly say that I cannot really remember what things used to cost in the UK then never mind now. What I can say is that my husband and I worked long hours for relatively little money, were stressed up to the eyeballs and didn't have a great quality of life. I do remember spending a fortune on eating out about 4 times a week because we were always too tired to come home and cook at 7.30-8.00 at night and we couldn't get 2 meals for a fiver where we lived. I think if you really want to be here then you can and will live and eat well within your budget. I reckon the majority of us still live on more money than a lot of the locals.

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
19/02/2011 16:46

Joandjelly, I think what you say sums it up, I also feel that certain items people talk about do not actually fit into the cost of living bracket.



A great deal of them fit into the non essential Luxury Item bracket,



Change of subject, are you the jelly, who when you first moved over, around the same time as ourselves, was in the bed next to me and we where both on drips with Sand Fly Fever, at Dr Manures ?

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
19/02/2011 18:13

Yes!! Wow what a good memory you have. I am actually the Jo of the JoandJelly and I got sandfly fever a few months later and had the Dr Manure drip treatment too. Touch-wood, neither of us have suffered since which is a blessing as paying for that twice certainly didn't fit into our budget

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
19/02/2011 19:19

Had you got an old Cortina at the time ? I was in a bad state and a bit out of it, but that rings a bell.



I found out later that he used the drip for everything and charged ridiculous prices, our friend fell over and banged his head, and he put him on the same drip.



Just thought Im taking this off topic, Sorry, anyway glad your'e well and enjoying it here.

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
20/02/2011 13:39

Yes we had the 1977 Cortina for a year. We sold it to a Turkish builder for the same amount we paid for it so it served us well.

It's been nice talking to you Lee. Take care.