# Retired Real Life Comparison



## MRW (Apr 18, 2010)

Hi to all British ex pat Retired in Cyprus,

Firstly thank you to ALL the replies to my last thread stated Mid April, they were all helpful to me in a number of ways. I am now trying to dig a little deeper if that is possible. I intend to vist Cyprus quite soon but just a short stay and to compare with other places I am considering, then I would like to come and stay (not actually move) for up to 6 months to get a feel of the country and what it would be like to live there.

I have been doing similar through contact sites in Spain, France, Italy and Turkey. But have now ruled out Turkey.
My reasons:
1) I am 64 and last year lost my job in the financial crash as the company I worked for went bust so no redundancy just a basic state cover payment. Apart from the fact that emplyment (new jobs) in UK are extremely rare at the moment and I think it will get worse before it gets better, my age is also obviously against me, have applied for 127 jobs and only 5 negative replies.
2) Having always saved where I have been able to throughout my life and I still felt confident that I would be, not well off, but at least reasonably comfortable in retirement. Alas, after 38 years marriage and having bought up three children (all now in their 40s) my wife (10 years younger than me) decided to divorce me. That has been a nightmare this past year, but is nearing completion, only thing left is sale of my house and dividing the proceeds. So my lifes savings were split into 2, my private pensions also divided into 2, even part of my state extra pension because I had been making higher national insurance payments for years split in 2.
3) Apart from my service in the Royal Navy when I did visit Cyrus I have been a horticulturist all my working life so have considerable experience. I also visted in the 70s but not since.
4) So having carefully assessed my remaining capital and pension income together with interest on savings and looked in detail at what my cost of living will be here in the UK and the kind of property available in my price bracket I finally decided that it is time (late in life though it may be) to start again somewhere new. 
I am sure you are all probably aware of cost of living in the UK and due to our current financial circumstances I know it can only get more expensive. Just to give a few ideas of basics:
Council Tax I pay is £191 per month = ............................£1910 per year
Water rates I pay twice a year at £264 = ........................£528 per year
Electricity (no gas in my village but last year I paid.......... £3.720 for year
TV licence per year.............................................. ............. £155 for year
Telephone land line....without call cost).............................£320 for year
Internet Broadband aol...(£21 per month).........................£252 for year
House Insurance including building and contents).............£428 for year
Burglar alarm system maintained (burgled 6 times)...........£145 for year
Car Tax (on average size Kia estate diesle).......................£125 for year
Fuel cost (at current £1.15 per litre) based on 12,000.......£1600 for year
Car servicing average twice a year.....................................£575 for year
Approximate total of necessities per year without any 
food, clothes, holidays, eating out etc..............................£9,758 per year

If I add my normal houshold food shopping, clothes, medicine 
redececorating rooms, eating out occassionally and
general spending money it costs me currently about 
£23,000 a year to live here and my estimated retired 
income will be around .......................£17,000 
So yes I know I can survive but my standard of living will be drastically reduced and do expect that in retirement these days, but also partly because it costs alot more than half current costs to live as two single seperated pensioners/people.
By the way I forgot to include the generous winter fuel allowance to pensioners here in the UK of £250 per year! (which I know the newly elected government will abolish as part of the 'cuts' coming.

Perhaps this may help you understand why perhaps only some people are requesting details of moving abroad from the UK and I assure you its not just to Cyprus!
Do any of you remember those long UK winters from November till March? Frost? Snow? long dark miserable days? The rains? Floods? Do any of you recall the traffic jams? the M25? Your tax bills? Frozen burst pipes? Heating bills? Burglaries? Train strikes, Power cuts, bet you wont recal the new wave of drunk violent teanagers swamping the high streets at night, the blaggings in the street, credit card fraud>?just a few of the wonders of living in the UK. 

So, from my first thread started on this site I was very pleasantly surprised at the resonse I had and thank you ALL for your generous help and advice. Whatever happens I have definitely made up my mind to move somewhere abroad and make the most of my remaining life in hopefully a warmer place which welcomes outsiders and the pace of life can be a little slower and more gentle. I do not want to retire in luxury, just be reasonably comfortable and enjoy a relaxed life!

Perhaps some who currently live in Cyprus with some years experience can continue the flow of the good AND the bad sides of life in Cyprus, I have yet to decide where to go.
I do not really want to live in the centre of a town but equally do not want to be remote. ie be able to walk to get my bread, small items of daily requirements, have a coffee and hopefully find some contact with people to chat/talk to. 
I realize I will, when I move there have to have a car but for my stay to find out if I like it I would intend to rent a reasonable place to live and a car for up to 6 months. I would like to experience both summer and winter ie busy tourists and quieter times.
If anyone has any suggestions re any of the following:
A small comfortable hotel that is reasonable CLEAN and comfortable while I look for property to rent?
I have looked on a number of property to let sites but so many of the places named I cannot find the named places on the maps I have so far been able to find. So any good letting agents?
I typed in car hire cost as a search but all I found were articles on importing my car. Do any car hire companies offer longer term rates?
Kind Regards to you all.
Michael Wilkes
(Bedfordshire UK)


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## bert (Mar 23, 2009)

MRW said:


> Hi to all British ex pat Retired in Cyprus,
> 
> Firstly thank you to ALL the replies to my last thread stated Mid April, they were all helpful to me in a number of ways. I am now trying to dig a little deeper if that is possible. I intend to vist Cyprus quite soon but just a short stay and to compare with other places I am considering, then I would like to come and stay (not actually move) for up to 6 months to get a feel of the country and what it would be like to live there.
> 
> ...


Hi Michael,

My husband and myself should be moving out to paphos in the next few weeks.
We will have to work when we get there but we are looking forward to this new adventure in our lives.My husband was made redundant in jan 2009 and hasn't worked since.This helped us make our minds up to move over as we have always talked about doing it because cyprus is a place we both love.Our kids are both grown up and we feel this is our time now.The UK as nothing to offer anymore and I know cyprus is having its share of the recession but if we don't do it now we never will-better to regret the things you have done than the ones you haven't.Although I have no regrets at all!
I hope you get things sorted and enjoy your stay in cyprus.

Regards
Donna


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## MRW (Apr 18, 2010)

*Thanks Donna*



bert said:


> Hi Michael,
> 
> My husband and myself should be moving out to paphos in the next few weeks.
> We will have to work when we get there but we are looking forward to this new adventure in our lives.My husband was made redundant in jan 2009 and hasn't worked since.This helped us make our minds up to move over as we have always talked about doing it because cyprus is a place we both love.Our kids are both grown up and we feel this is our time now.The UK as nothing to offer anymore and I know cyprus is having its share of the recession but if we don't do it now we never will-better to regret the things you have done than the ones you haven't.Although I have no regrets at all!
> ...


Hi Donna,

Thank you very much for that, I wish you BOTH very good luck, I hope you find work and a very happy future there. Everyone I speak to on this site are very positive, helpful and kind and appear to be very satisfied with life out there. I also see no future here for my retirement other than struggling to keep going as I get older, so for better or worse I have made up my mind. I cannot leave until September and will rent somewhere for 6 months and find out where I want to be on the island, look at property and see if I will settle there. Big step alone and at my age. Sorry about your husbands redundancy. I worked without any breaks for 46.5 years and paid ALL my contributions during that time, have been unable to find work or claim any benefit due to having savings so what were all the contributions for? To pay benefits for all those who did not save. You will be 3 months ahead of me so I would like to stay in touch if possible and see how you get on? Would also be interested in chatting further on line if possible. 
So GOOD LUCK, hope I will hear from you again
Regards
Michael


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## Blackie (Jun 21, 2009)

*Too Much Info*



MRW said:


> Hi to all British ex pat Retired in Cyprus,
> 
> Firstly thank you to ALL the replies to my last thread stated Mid April, they were all helpful to me in a number of ways. I am now trying to dig a little deeper if that is possible. I intend to vist Cyprus quite soon but just a short stay and to compare with other places I am considering, then I would like to come and stay (not actually move) for up to 6 months to get a feel of the country and what it would be like to live there.
> 
> ...


 I'm not sure of the point of this post. It seems that you are extremely bitter. Has it ever occurred to you how LUCKY you are?.I'm 4 years younger than you and my wife of 30 years left, and I'm going through a divorce,the difference is i have serious health problems, Insulin Dependant Diabetes,Ischaemic Coronary Heart Disease,Two Heart Attacks,Diabetic Retinopathy (going blind) Diabetic neuropathy (severe nerve damage in both legs) Rheumatoid Arthritis in the arms.elbows wrists and hips ,Yet, until YOUR post I would never dream of using this, or any other forum to moan. I make the most of every day and I would love to have a pension of 17 grand per year. AND I wouldn't mind betting that there are a lot of forum users who have more severe health problems than I have. I'm still in the uk but the inspiration I have had from other forum users,gives me hope that I will succeed in spending my final days in Cyprus,but please,keep your personal moans to yourself.
Blackie


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## bert (Mar 23, 2009)

Blackie said:


> I'm not sure of the point of this post. It seems that you are extremely bitter. Has it ever occurred to you how LUCKY you are?.I'm 4 years younger than you and my wife of 30 years left, and I'm going through a divorce,the difference is i have serious health problems, Insulin Dependant Diabetes,Ischaemic Coronary Heart Disease,Two Heart Attacks,Diabetic Retinopathy (going blind) Diabetic neuropathy (severe nerve damage in both legs) Rheumatoid Arthritis in the arms.elbows wrists and hips ,Yet, until YOUR post I would never dream of using this, or any other forum to moan. I make the most of every day and I would love to have a pension of 17 grand per year. AND I wouldn't mind betting that there are a lot of forum users who have more severe health problems than I have. I'm still in the uk but the inspiration I have had from other forum users,gives me hope that I will succeed in spending my final days in Cyprus,but please,keep your personal moans to yourself.
> Blackie


I for one didn't read this as a personal moan but just merely stating facts as to the state of this country at the moment and not being able to see any light at the end of the tunnel.
Although I do sympathise with you with all your health problems I think it a bit unfair to call someone who as worked and saved hard for his retirement.We all have our problems no matter how big or small.
I do hope you are able to fulfill your dream of moving to cyprus just like myself and many others on this forum.
Regards
Donna


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

I also fail to see Mikes posts as being self pitying in any way. Just stating facts of why he feels it is time to leave the UK.
We all have our own reasons for making one of the biggest decisions of our lives to leave the country of our birth and make a new life in a foreign land. 
Blackie as Donna says we can sympathise with your health problems and perhaps you are having a particulary bad day today which is making you a little tetchy
Lets not get into slanging matches and name calling in here. We are all here to help each other and hopefully also forge friendships for the future.

Veronica


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## MRW (Apr 18, 2010)

*Apologies*

Hi Blackie,

I am so sorry you felt that way, the thread was in no way intended to be any form of moaning, I have very little to moan about.
It was originally sent as a reply to a thread, I think originating from 'Babs'? It was a response to her wondering why, recently, there had been so many requests for information about moving to Cypruss from Brits. Therefore much of its contents were referring to possible reasons why more Brits might be looking to move abroad. I am sure it is gererally always a combination of reasons rather the just a whim which had been suggested. 
My wife and I are on very amicable and friendly terms and have been throughout our divorce. When I said the divorce had been a nightmare I really referred to the legal red tape and costs together with all the form filling and waiting. We have obviously both lost financially as is always the case but I think we will both now be able to move on with our lives, I am sure she will come and visit me in Cyprus and I certainly will her when I go back to the uk to see the children and grandchildren who I think will also visit me. The world is a much smaller place now. 
If you meant the breakdown of my cost of living compared to my pension, again it was another suggestion as to why more Brits are asking for information. You see I have been comparing the potential cost of living between home in the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey, all of which I have travelled to at some time. I spent a week in Turkey last week and have ruled that out. I agree and am quite content with the outcome of my pension after splitting it but to try and maintain a standard of living at home that I would like will be impossible so it makes sense to look and compare the costs elswhere to find where I can get the best value for my lifes savings. Dont gorget my pension is due to saving my earned money into 6 different pension funds over as long as 40 years plus my state pension, thats part of what I worked for.
All the other points made such as weather, tax bills, traffic, crime, etc are all part of what may or may not be part of the reason for the upsurge of people looking to move on. Finally, I would also say that people are realising that the next 5 years or so are going to be financially tough and maybe suffering is easier in a warmer climate with a slower pace of life where one can appreciate life rather than material things. All of my life I have been a socialist in principal and believe in fairness and honesty, The outcome of our recent election will make life a great deal harder for the average working person in the UK so that may also push even more people to look elswhere to live but what a wonderful thing these days that we have the choice and can freely move where we choose.

I am so sorry about your health it sounds dreadful and I do sincerely hope things improve for you and you do get to spend your latter days in Cyprus. 

I too have had that many nice, helpful, welcoming replies on this forum and that alone tells me it is a nice place to live and hopefully unwind from the society I have lived in for most of my life. I seek nothing more than ' Air to breath, Sun to warm me, Water to drink, The earth to live on and hopefully some nice people to meet and make friends with. So I assure you I am not in the least bit bitter, angry or even dissapointed, have had a good productive working life, marriage and now I think retirement is more my own time.
Good Luck and Kind Regards
Mike



Blackie said:


> I'm not sure of the point of this post. It seems that you are extremely bitter. Has it ever occurred to you how LUCKY you are?.I'm 4 years younger than you and my wife of 30 years left, and I'm going through a divorce,the difference is i have serious health problems, Insulin Dependant Diabetes,Ischaemic Coronary Heart Disease,Two Heart Attacks,Diabetic Retinopathy (going blind) Diabetic neuropathy (severe nerve damage in both legs) Rheumatoid Arthritis in the arms.elbows wrists and hips ,Yet, until YOUR post I would never dream of using this, or any other forum to moan. I make the most of every day and I would love to have a pension of 17 grand per year. AND I wouldn't mind betting that there are a lot of forum users who have more severe health problems than I have. I'm still in the uk but the inspiration I have had from other forum users,gives me hope that I will succeed in spending my final days in Cyprus,but please,keep your personal moans to yourself.
> Blackie


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## Blackie (Jun 21, 2009)

bert said:


> I for one didn't read this as a personal moan but just merely stating facts as to the state of this country at the moment and not being able to see any light at the end of the tunnel.
> Although I do sympathise with you with all your health problems I think it a bit unfair to call someone who as worked and saved hard for his retirement.We all have our problems no matter how big or small.
> I do hope you are able to fulfill your dream of moving to cyprus just like myself and many others on this forum.
> Regards
> Donna


Bert,Donna. This is a forum about Cyprus not about the state of the UK.

_Although I do sympathise with you with all your health problems I think it a bit unfair to *call someone who as worked and saved hard for his retirement*_

What part of my post criticises this man for working hard and saving for retirement?


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## Blackie (Jun 21, 2009)

Veronica said:


> I also fail to see Mikes posts as being self pitying in any way. Just stating facts of why he feels it is time to leave the UK.
> We all have our own reasons for making one of the biggest decisions of our lives to leave the country of our birth and make a new life in a foreign land.
> Blackie as Donna says we can sympathise with your health problems and perhaps you are having a particulary bad day today which is making you a little tetchy
> Lets not get into slanging matches and name calling in here. We are all here to help each other and hopefully also forge friendships for the future.
> ...


Veronica. 
The title of my post was Too Much Info. I fail to see why a *detailed* breakdown of MRW's living costs in the uk ,and personal details are relevant on a Cyprus forum, If he was living in Cyprus and the details were about his home in Cyprus,then I would'nt have a problem. As for my comments about MRW being bitter,I still stand by my comments.
MRW is not only bitter and using this forum as a Blog but mentions in another post about the winter fuel payment being abolished,he does'nt know that,so the man is also opinionated. As for me being tetchy and having a bad day you may be right but I joined this forum to discuss Cyprus not to hear about someone being burgled six times or who pays more for a tv licence than anyone else in the UK.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Blackie said:


> Veronica.
> The title of my post was Too Much Info. I fail to see why a *detailed* breakdown of MRW's living costs in the uk ,and personal details are relevant on a Cyprus forum, If he was living in Cyprus and the details were about his home in Cyprus,then I would'nt have a problem. As for my comments about MRW being bitter,I still stand by my comments.
> MRW is not only bitter and using this forum as a Blog but mentions in another post about the winter fuel payment being abolished,he does'nt know that,so the man is also opinionated. As for me being tetchy and having a bad day you may be right but I joined this forum to discuss Cyprus not to hear about someone being burgled six times or who pays more for a tv licence than anyone else in the UK.


I think the point is that Mike was simply making a point about the cost of living in the UK comared to the cost of living here. I do think that this is relevant as people want to compare costs before making their decision regarding moving.
I am going to close this thread now before it starts to degenerate into a slanging match.
Lets please try to keep this forum friendly and not get into any personal *****ing.

Thanks


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