# France is cheaper than the UK



## Siimplyloco (Jul 21, 2015)

We've just enjoyed lunch sitting outside in some 35 degrees Centigrade, but there was a nice breeze. I had a huge plate of carpaccio with salad, Jan had thick sliced Atlantic salmon in a lemon sauce, we shared a crisp but soft baguette smothered in butter, and washed it all down with a bottle of ice cold JP Chenet Rose.
Total cost?
Carpaccio €1.95
Salmon €2.49
Wine €1.54
Baguette €0.85

I make that just under seven euros, about a fiver, all bought from Herr LIDL. I also bought 8 x 50cl bottles of 4.9% lager for €4.49. That's €1.12 a litre...
Eat your heart out Mr Tesco!
John


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## vwalan (Jul 21, 2015)

in spain last winter 5%lager /beer was only 50p or 63 cents a litre . 
that was based on 1.22euro to the pound . hopefully it will be much better now with the pound at 1.39-1.40 euro. \
have fun and enjoy yourselves . tesco are expensive at the best of times .


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## qwertyy (Jul 21, 2015)

Wow! That is nothing!


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## TJBi (Jul 21, 2015)

siimplyloco said:


> Baguette €0.85



That was an expensive baguette!  I'm sure we were paying €0.35-€0.45 in April/May at Carrefour/Leclerc/Intermarché.

Tom


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## Siimplyloco (Jul 21, 2015)

TJBi said:


> That was an expensive baguette!  I'm sure we were paying €0.35-€0.45 in April/May at Carrefour/Leclerc/Intermarché.
> 
> Tom



There are supermarket baguettes, and then there are artisan baguettes...


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## Amethyst (Jul 21, 2015)

siimplyloco said:


> There are supermarket baguettes, and then there are artisan baguettes...



Artisan and Lidl ? Do they go together?


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## Siimplyloco (Jul 21, 2015)

Amethyst said:


> Artisan and Lidl ? Do they go together?



My mistake, the bread came from the village artisan baker! Too much JP Chenet...
Apologies.
John


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## Amethyst (Jul 21, 2015)

siimplyloco said:


> My mistake, the bread came from the village artisan baker! Too much JP Chenet...
> Apologies.
> John


Ha Ha The wine sounds good!!


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## vwalan (Jul 21, 2015)

havnt gone through france for a few years now . 
but do find spain cheaper on the booze , can only imagine their tax is less. 
while in spain i try all the shops . i actually prefer the wine from aldi. not quite as sharp as the cheap ones in lidl. 
i usually only buy the tetra packs . might bring home a few bottles in case i need to look posh. ha ha . 
it seems uk lidl are selling argus beer but at 2,31 quid a litre . seems along way from the 63 cents spain was charging . 
its brewed in portugal , but is dearer there just a bit . tax again i suppose. 
but its been sunny and rainy here today. warm but not hot . 
enjoy the nice weather over there where ever you are .


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## Tbear (Jul 21, 2015)

Well I was drinking beer at £3.50 (5 Euros) a pint at the weekend and I hope you all get infested with the fleas of a thousand camels.

Richard


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## piman (Jul 21, 2015)

Hello Richard, 

at least you have the opportunity to drink flavoursome beer here in the U.K, less chance of that over the channel.

Alec


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## jacquigem (Jul 21, 2015)

I assume belgian beer exempted!


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## vwalan (Jul 21, 2015)

the argus beer range do about 5 different types from a lager to a dark brown ale . 

mind my favourite is and as been for years adelscot bought in france . mmm. 
brings back fond memories of pontchateu,mind that was 30 yrs ago. but mmm . 
i do miss france a little bit , or should i say brittany .


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## Tbear (Jul 21, 2015)

piman said:


> Hello Richard,
> 
> at least you have the opportunity to drink flavoursome beer here in the U.K, less chance of that over the channel.
> 
> Alec



It was a very nice drop of Speckled Hen served beautifully at just the right temperature by a very pretty barmaid  so perhaps it was value for money after all. Added value was the steam engines that pulled up in the carpark along with a Ford Model T.

Richard


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## vwalan (Jul 21, 2015)

and i reckon tbear remembered it just like he was a kid again .hee hee. 
bet he even tried to glance at the barmaids legs and dream, ha ha .


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## Tbear (Jul 21, 2015)

vwalan said:


> and i reckon tbear remembered it just like he was a kid again .hee hee.
> bet he even tried to glance at the barmaids legs and dream, ha ha .



For a man I have never met. You know me so well 

Memories and dreams are a wonderful thing. 

Richard


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## Robmac (Jul 21, 2015)

I certainly enjoyed the Pelforth in France last time I was there. And the Biere de Noel, which is actually brewed in Belgium. Powerful stuff!


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## Tbear (Jul 21, 2015)

David, you have been corrupted by spending too long in the sun in France. Not all swallow as much beer as they can before falling over. Some of us enjoy a nice big glass of amber nectar. There is no need for an overpowering taste, just something to tickle the taste buds as you quench your thirst. If you wish to drink so called beer at 9% you or at least I am very limited on the amount that I can drink. A modest couple of pints would do me serious harm.

I doubt you have a 25cl glass of blond beer to celebrate a good day at the race track. 

Richard


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## Tbear (Jul 21, 2015)

I have have said on more than one occasion, "I will be happy to buy you a Proper Pint".

Richard


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## Tezza33 (Jul 21, 2015)

vwalan said:


> mind my favourite is and as been for years adelscot bought in france . mmm.
> .


In 1995 we were approaching Paris on the way home and we went in a small supermarket, they had a pallet full of Adelscot priced at the equivalent of £2.50, the packs were 6x4bottles so 24 to a pack, I carried on to the checkout and was charged £2.50 for the 24, thinking it must be rubbish I tasted one, I quickly went back with a trolley and filled it a few times, 25 cases altogether and if I had room I would have got more, we went in another supermarket later and it should have been £2.50 for 4
Happy days, panicking going through customs though


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## snowbirds (Jul 21, 2015)

Just back from Denmark, Germany & Holland,and everything is cheaper than the UK. Paid  1.25 euro for Diesel yesterday at Hook of Holland @1.37 rate loaded on my euro card.

Snowbirds.:drive::raofl::raofl:




siimplyloco said:


> We've just enjoyed lunch sitting outside in some 35 degrees Centigrade, but there was a nice breeze. I had a huge plate of carpaccio with salad, Jan had thick sliced Atlantic salmon in a lemon sauce, we shared a crisp but soft baguette smothered in butter, and washed it all down with a bottle of ice cold JP Chenet Rose.
> Total cost?
> Carpaccio €1.95
> Salmon €2.49
> ...


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## vwalan (Jul 21, 2015)

tezza33 said:


> In 1995 we were approaching Paris on the way home and we went in a small supermarket, they had a pallet full of Adelscot priced at the equivalent of £2.50, the packs were 6x4bottles so 24 to a pack, I carried on to the checkout and was charged £2.50 for the 24, thinking it must be rubbish I tasted one, I quickly went back with a trolley and filled it a few times, 25 cases altogether and if I had room I would have got more, we went in another supermarket later and it should have been £2.50 for 4
> Happy days, panicking going through customs though



it seems its been changed now and you only get the taste of the malt whisky. 
there used to be a few different ones of them from a blonde to a dark one . i remember buying loads of the dark one from eastenders in calais that was when you bought out the old warehouse not the new selling one .  they couldnt sell it . we came back regularly with loads of it. 
mmmm, made me feel thirsty.


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## Tezza33 (Jul 21, 2015)

vwalan said:


> mmmm, made me feel thirsty.


I am going for a Month on Aug 4th, I fancy one now but I will wait


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## vwalan (Jul 21, 2015)

i,m ok i brought back enough argus beer from spain to have 3 cans a day untill i go back in november . 
cant beat having a good payload. only brought 600 cans . ha ha . 
mind its hard to stock up the supermarkets keep running out . 
do manage a few wines as well just incase i,m going to have a party. 
still running spanish diesel as well. again big tanks are a bonus .


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## zombies (Jul 22, 2015)

Sorry, you cannot compare British bitter with continental lagers but the IPA beers in the UK are far better than the bitters and the Stella types. IMO of course. Some cracking bottled beers around at the moment.

I was never an English beer drinker until now.


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## Tompa (Jul 22, 2015)

Just finished my last bottle of Pelforth brune yesterday from our spring French tour. Very very sad.  Tompa.


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## piman (Jul 22, 2015)

[No message]


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## harrow (Jul 22, 2015)

Why would you be "slowly sipping continental Dutch, Belgian or French blond beer" rather than "swilling British bitter." 

What difference apart from the flavour would alter your drinking technique?


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## antiquesam (Jul 22, 2015)

We now have five micro breweries in Portsmouth all brewing fine ales which can, of course, be bought in one of those old fashioned things called a half pint glass.


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## zombies (Jul 22, 2015)

Oops, sorry. Misunderstood.

Continental 'beers' are not cheap or not compared to the usual stuff on the shelves in french supermarkets which was why I referred to the likes of Stella, it is okay, wouldn't say nice but its cheap in France. That Pelforth stuff is horrid (for me) and not cheap, i cant think of others, shows the range and I haven't looked for a while.
I had one on offer recently in a supermarket in UK, 99p, a really nice drink and that is what I prefer over price, i'd rather pay a bit more for a beer or a bottle of wine rather than stocking up on them brown barrel things for 5 euros, disgusting stuff.

Nice to try out all these ales though.

The St Austell stuff is my fave, Tribute etc or Doom Bar but draught has to be Dartmoor.


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## zombies (Jul 22, 2015)

Oh, I just wanted to answer the OP title - France is cheaper than the UK

It isn't.

Sometimes you might get 250e council tax but you can get 3000e tax as well. Beer and some wines aside supermarkets are not cheaper, I think they are better but they are not cheaper. 
The tax system just eats up any profit you have.

In my experience living in France is not cheaper, and I'm a cheapskate.


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## piman (Jul 22, 2015)

Hello David, 

"And the fact that there is very little flavour "

Oh dear me, I wonder what bitter you have tried?  While it is a term for a style of beer there are quite a few varieties with really delicious flavours. Normally fairly low in ABV but that doesn't mean little taste.

Alec


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## Robmac (Jul 22, 2015)

Isn't the point of drinking beer to get as much as possible down your neck before you fall over?

Or am I just old fashioned?


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## Siimplyloco (Jul 22, 2015)

zombies said:


> Oh, I just wanted to answer the OP title - France is cheaper than the UK
> 
> It isn't.
> 
> SNIP.



I take your point, but we are just visiting, and my post illustrated some key differences. As an aside I keep my boat in a lovely marina here close to the sea for €2200 a year, electricity and water included, a facility that would cost at least five times as much in Hamble where we live in the UK.
Vive la France!
John


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## richardstubbs (Jul 22, 2015)

I think you will probably be very surprised - I hope so anyway. I certainly was - we lived in France from 2004 until 2012, and the transformation in the British beer industry in that time was huge, certainly here in mid Wales. Our local pub used to have one hand pump delivering Banks's bitter (from Wolverhampton). Now it has six, with a constantly changing selection of local ales and ones from further afield, from both craft breweries and more established ones. The Banks's remains, but even that is transformed. I used to hate it, now it's a lighter, more hoppy brew with loads more flavour.

The current fashion (or one of them) is for IPA style beers with at least some American hops. I really like them - powerful floral hop flavours and high alcohol content without being at all heavy.

My view is that the smoking ban has played a large part in the change - pubs are different places now, attracting a different clientele. Most decent pubs will give you a taster now too, so you can try before you buy.


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## Tbear (Jul 23, 2015)

Robmac said:


> Isn't the point of drinking beer to get as much as possible down your neck before you fall over?
> 
> Or am I just old fashioned?



No Rob. You just never got round to growing up. Too late to bother with that now. Retirement is all about heading back to childhood or at least mine will be. Put my notice in yesterday.:heart::camper::bow::scooter::lol-061::goodluck::boat::lol-053::fun::wave:lane::lol-049::rolleyes2::beer::rockroll::king::cool1::banana::raofl::juggle::wacko::tongue:

Richard


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## El Veterano (Jul 23, 2015)

There are now 1,285 breweries operating in the UK (according to my CAMRA guide), and that is the largest number since the 1930's, so you will have a fair bit of tasting do to while you are on your hols here...........


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## Robmac (Jul 23, 2015)

Tbear said:


> No Rob. You just never got round to growing up. Too late to bother with that now. Retirement is all about heading back to childhood or at least mine will be. Put my notice in yesterday.:heart::camper::bow::scooter::lol-061::goodluck::boat::lol-053::fun::wave:lane::lol-049::rolleyes2::beer::rockroll::king::cool1::banana::raofl::juggle::wacko::tongue:
> 
> Richard



Congratulations Richard. We must compare notes on how to be a burden to the kids.


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## John H (Jul 23, 2015)

We have been visiting France for more years than I care to remember and there is no doubt that the country is nowhere near as cheap as it used to be (relative to the UK). Whether your overall costs per week are more or less than in the UK depends on what you buy. Food is now approximately the same price as here (but arguably better quality) while diesel and wine are very much cheaper. LPG is more expensive and so on. Since we travel a lot and enjoy the local tipple, it does work out cheaper for us but all things are relative - entering France this spring after several months in Spain, we were shocked at how expensive the country was, yet when we leave the UK for France this September, it will seem cheap!


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## vwalan (Jul 23, 2015)

hopefully with the pound getting better all eu should seem cheaper than it was last winter. hopefully it might get back to 1.65 to the pound then going abroad to the eu will be back to the old days . mind still not as good as it was in the 60,s .the pound lost almost 2/3rds of its value since then ,well when it was at its lowest. lets hope the pound keeps rising . there was a time when it was hardly worth taking anything abroad . now other than alcohol ,fuel and fags best take every thing . how little can you spend in a foreign country as been the fun for the last few years .


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## John H (Jul 23, 2015)

vwalan said:


> now other than alcohol ,fuel and fags best take every thing .



That's easy for you to say with a rig that big!!!


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## vwalan (Jul 23, 2015)

John H said:


> That's easy for you to say with a rig that big!!!



its called choices . i made mine you made yours . mine is probably cheaper on the ferry than yours as well. its classed as a car and caravan . they allow 11mtrs mine is only 10mtrs . silly part is my mates is only 6.4mtrs but as a m,home it costs more for his. 
unfortunately i only get 16-17 mpg but then not to worry. 410.60 quid return to spain this winter . cant drive up and down through spain for that . never mind a bit for wear n tear.


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## John H (Jul 23, 2015)

vwalan said:


> its called choices . i made mine you made yours . mine is probably cheaper on the ferry than yours as well. its classed as a car and caravan . they allow 11mtrs mine is only 10mtrs . silly part is my mates is only 6.4mtrs but as a m,home it costs more for his.
> unfortunately i only get 16-17 mpg but then not to worry. 410.60 quid return to spain this winter . cant drive up and down through spain for that . never mind a bit for wear n tear.



Is that mpg figure with or without a truck load of potatoes on board?


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## vwalan (Jul 23, 2015)

thats the average i get over the winters with the trailer on almost all the time . at home running without i get 19-20 mpg. 
i,m glad i went big i dont find it causes much of a problem. its not really much longer than many m,homes ,is only 7ft 6ins wide . not as high as most luton m,homes . easier to manouver due to being an artic . loads of payload and allows me to take various toys like m,bike diving gear ,surfboards etc . mind cant do some of them now must be getting too young to do them ha ha . 
never know might catch you on the cabo one winter. summer will soon be with us .


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## John H (Jul 23, 2015)

vwalan said:


> thats the average i get over the winters with the trailer on almost all the time . at home running without i get 19-20 mpg.
> i,m glad i went big i dont find it causes much of a problem. its not really much longer than many m,homes ,is only 7ft 6ins wide . not as high as most luton m,homes . easier to manouver due to being an artic . loads of payload and allows me to take various toys like m,bike diving gear ,surfboards etc . mind cant do some of them now must be getting too young to do them ha ha .
> never know might catch you on the cabo one winter. summer will soon be with us .



I'll look out for you this winter - you should be easy to spot - especially with all those toys!


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## vindiboy (Jul 23, 2015)

4 items is hardly a bench mark for the cost of living in France ?? but sounds good to me.:tongue:


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## jagmanx (Jul 23, 2015)

*Piece of cake ?*



runnach said:


> Just had lunch at Chateau De Vassiere. No change from 50 euro, which excludes drinks. Best we have eaten this trip, worth every cent:tongue:



ie  Gateau @ Chataeux

Credits to "Allo Allo"


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## witzend (Jul 23, 2015)

*French Farmers*

All this cheap living at the expense of the poor old French Farmers no wonder they've thrown a wobbly


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## Tbear (Jul 23, 2015)

Robmac said:


> Congratulations Richard. We must compare notes on how to be a burden to the kids.



According to the insurance, if I retire at 65, I should make 66. If I retire now I may well reach 80. Got to be a good start.   God help the poor sods who have to go at 67.

Richard


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## vwalan (Jul 23, 2015)

anyone can retire at any age . if you want your gov pension then thats tough . should have taken out a private one years ago. i started drawing mine at 50 yr old .


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## Tbear (Jul 23, 2015)

vwalan said:


> anyone can retire at any age . if you want your gov pension then thats tough . should have taken out a private one years ago. i started drawing mine at 50 yr old .



You should live to be a seriously smelly old git then


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## Robmac (Jul 23, 2015)

vwalan said:


> anyone can retire at any age . if you want your gov pension then thats tough . should have taken out a private one years ago. i started drawing mine at 50 yr old .



I did the same, and having just retired, I am so glad that I did. Many people tell me that I will get bored not working, believe me I won't. I still can't find enough hours in the day to do all of the things I want to do.

I do need to start exercising more though, I'm putting on weight already after 5 weeks of retirement!


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## Tbear (Jul 23, 2015)

Robmac said:


> I did the same, and having just retired, I am so glad that I did. Many people tell me that I will get bored not working, believe me I won't. I still can't find enough hours in the day to do all of the things I want to do.
> 
> I do need to start exercising more though, I'm putting on weight already after 5 weeks of retirement!



And in those 5 weeks, how many days have you had nothing to do with the business? 

Richard


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## Robmac (Jul 23, 2015)

Tbear said:


> And in those 5 weeks, how many days have you had nothing to do with the business?
> 
> Richard



I've only helped out one day Richard, just to give my son-in-law an easy day, as he had worked a very long week. But you are right, our office is at home, so my daughter is always there running sales and accounts, and inevitably, any problems still get referred to me.

We made another big step today though, we have arranged for the 'phone line to be moved to her house, and ordered a log cabin for her garden as the new office. This will be a better situation all round. Julie has also read the riot act recently and told the kids to leave the poor old man alone!


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## Sky (Jul 23, 2015)

I retired at fifty two, nearly five years ago. If I'd done it at fifty (which I wish I had done) I'd be better off as I'd have been able to sell my business for a little more. 

I won't get my state pension until I'm sixty six. 

No real regrets though - other than wishing I'd paid more into my pension when I was younger.

Full-timing certainly keeps the costs down. :dance:


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## maxi77 (Jul 23, 2015)

For France to be cheaper than the UK prices must have really dropped. When we sailed down to Portugal in 2010 we found French supermarket prices terrible, Spain was better about the same as UK but Portugal was great and the food tastes like food too 

The only affordable meal out was Moule frites in the harbours. Our dog got quite partial to moules


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## antiquesam (Jul 24, 2015)

Tbear said:


> According to the insurance, if I retire at 65, I should make 66. If I retire now I may well reach 80. Got to be a good start.   God help the poor sods who have to go at 67.
> 
> Richard



How do the insurance people know when you are going to die?


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## Robmac (Jul 24, 2015)

antiquesam said:


> How do the insurance people know when you are going to die?



Beats me, but I might give them a ring. 

I'll ask for a quote for about 80, I'd be happy with that.


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## Tbear (Jul 24, 2015)

antiquesam said:


> How do the insurance people know when you are going to die?



When you die someone claims on your life insurance. They work out stats on age, sex, lifestyle, work, smoking or none smoking, etc. They have huge numbers to play with over decades. Still not an exact science but they have been a little too close for comfort in the past with retired colleagues. Hence I am going at sixty on a modest pension but one I hope to claim for a long time.  

Richard


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## vwalan (Jul 24, 2015)

you may find that given your investment in your pension pot .you will only get as a pension what you are getting as interest each year at the moment . but as you keep paying you increase the investment . really instead of pensions it would have been more financially better to have bought property . but we live and learn . hopefully the quicker you start drawing the more you get in the end . mind if you have passed your hopefully stated retirement age it can be better to cash them in . you get a better interest elsewhere . have to look hard though .


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## maxi77 (Jul 24, 2015)

We drove through France a couple of years ago and it was still expensive. One of the problems is French employment law which makes employing people expensive. One of the reasons the French feryy company is beingsold because under the French system it cannot make a profit. I like France but not their prices


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## Tbear (Jul 24, 2015)

vwalan said:


> you may find that given your investment in your pension pot .you will only get as a pension what you are getting as interest each year at the moment . but as you keep paying you increase the investment . really instead of pensions it would have been more financially better to have bought property . but we live and learn . hopefully the quicker you start drawing the more you get in the end . mind if you have passed your hopefully stated retirement age it can be better to cash them in . you get a better interest elsewhere . have to look hard though .



I am lucky that my main pension is of the final salary type so I will have the maximum lump sum plus a pension. The lump sum we will invest and draw a regular income on but I can't see us getting much interest on it. We could always flog the house. get a bigger van and live a little better but the other half would never go for that. In truth, I like having a firm base as well.

Richard


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## vwalan (Jul 24, 2015)

tyres, batteries ,car parts , clothes ,furniture . building materials .i find all cheaper in uk. there are lots more . i certainly used to buy tools abroad when i had my garage . but looking at prices abroad now uk is cheaper. but lets hope its on the change .


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## vwalan (Jul 24, 2015)

i admit it as been awhile i looked at france . and yes the internet as brought lots of things down . i was amazed how morocco as gained so much. they can now view things on the net that they never saw unless europeans took it to them . i found when the pound fell it made uk cheaper but as the pound rises against the euro of course the eu should be cheaper . last winter i got 1,20 e to the pound when i left uk . its 1,40 now so thats a fair difference . i would like to think the pound goes back to 1,65 but cant see it . 
mind i doubt house prices in rural france will reach uk prices . or is it slowly being all sold up. 
uk can be not expensive though if you look in the right places . after all uk or france both far too cold in winter . most of spain is as well ,its a funny world we live in . 
as you know i nearly moved to brittany . i think i,m glad i didnt . i do keep a look at property in france spain and portugal . but can see good and bad every where . i do like it here when the sun shines . not today . its liquid sunshine . but allows lots of water to be harvested for tipping down the loo etc . keeps the water meter still.


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## Robmac (Jul 24, 2015)

Tbear said:


> I am lucky that my main pension is of the final salary type so I will have the maximum lump sum plus a pension. The lump sum we will invest and draw a regular income on but I can't see us getting much interest on it. We could always flog the house. get a bigger van and live a little better but the other half would never go for that. In truth, I like having a firm base as well.
> 
> Richard



My pension came from working for a bank for 25 years Richard. When I took voluntary redundancy just after the millennium, I just crept in with one of the last final salaries pensions, and also took a lump sum. Many of my colleagues resisted and stayed on, and were completely screwed by a Tupe deal by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Although my pension was reduced because I took it at 50, I feel I had a lucky escape, and it pushed me into starting my own business which is doing very well.

Sometimes you've just gotta roll the dice and see what happens!


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## zombies (Jul 24, 2015)

Lol. Rose tinted comes to mind


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## vwalan (Jul 24, 2015)

my favourite place was around josselin or ploermerl.  i would have liked pontchateau but every time we saw a place it soon disapeared before we could get it .we almost bought a placve at plougonver but then the sale of uk place didnt happen . as it is i,m still in the same bungalow and more or less happy to be here . good parking . nice neighbours . central for getting around . but i,m not jealous of you living where you are but i know its gotta be nice . mind you wont convince me its warm in winter .


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## vwalan (Jul 24, 2015)

yes i have spent several xmas,s around that area . mind loirre atlantic was always the warmest . la baule always seemed the warmest place. although we have done a few around pornic or pointe de st gildas . used to be ok to use the hotel bar there and stop in the big carpark. 
i remember once getting back towards redon and it was thick snow . we just went south again . 
you will be getting my feet itchy soon . i will get over your way one summer and surprise you. 
still got your place marked on the map. ha ha .


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## zombies (Jul 24, 2015)

[No message]


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## Obanboy666 (Jul 24, 2015)

Tbear said:


> I am lucky that my main pension is of the final salary type so I will have the maximum lump sum plus a pension. The lump sum we will invest and draw a regular income on but I can't see us getting much interest on it. We could always flog the house. get a bigger van and live a little better but the other half would never go for that. In truth, I like having a firm base as well.
> 
> Richard



Same here regarding final salary pension.
My died died a week after her official NHS retirement age @ 55 years.
Totally changed my plans, took as much lump sum as possible out of my main pension, bought my motorhome.
Sod saving, my pensions give me a comfortable retirement, if I see something I fancy I buy it. Kids will get house when I finally peg it. Live for today, life's to short.


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## maxi77 (Jul 24, 2015)

On the other hand my experience is perhaps closer to that of the majority of our members who simply roam about France for their enjoyment. A full time residents experience will be different. Having regularly visited France for some 50+ years I have notice a significant change in travellers costs compared to other countries.  I am also aware from both press reports and discussions wih business colleagues in France that the employment laws do have a cost implication which has counteracted the benefits of lower lower land costs. In manufacturing this has in some respects helped by driving up productivity to remain competitive but for many in the service industries labour simply costs more tha in for example the UK, helped of course by zero hours contracts and tax credits.

Don't get me wrong I like France and the French, and have had great times there since I was 17 when I had my first-ever  holiday my own in Paris.


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