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Coming home? Are you thinking about it?
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We're coming home not for any home sick reasons but because my Kiwi fiancee wants to sample a bit of life in Dublin for a year or so.
Always better to move for positive reasons than "to get away" from a bad situation.
I've come to the end of ten days "domesticity" in Dublin, while also keeping an eye on the jobs market, and I don't know if it's the fact that I've spent a grand total of just 35 days at home in France since mid-March, or the feel of the hot breath of the Celtic Phoenix on my cheek, but it's taken less time than usual for the shine to wear off ... and I haven't even heard a single episode of Liveline!
Two rainy days spent driving myself around the M50 (as opposed to being driven, like on previous occasions) helped me understand what gets the guys&gals on the motoring forum in such a rage: middle-lane hoggers! :mad::mad::mad: I've driven amongst the Parisians and the Italians but never come so close to road-rage as in the last 48 hours!
And the cost of living! :eek: Broadband packages, mobile contracts, insurance, all so expensive and PARKING :eek::eek: 4€ for two hours' parking on a Sunday???
It's only six months since I looked after my nephew and nieces for a similar length of time, but everything seems way more expensive than then. Over 20€ for a "family" ticket to a dreary heritage site with none of the promised activities ("because of the bank holiday ..."
) It's really hard to adjust to the notion that you've got to pay the same entry fee for a 5-year-old as a 15-year old (under 12s are free into just about everything in France).
When talking to foreigners before, I used to say that the financial crisis knocked a bit of sense into the Irish after the mad years. After seeing things evolve over the last year, I'm not sure it had a lasting effect. I think this is my last "taster visit" and I'll be going back to France knowing I'll get another decade out of my about-to-be redecorated rooms.0 -
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CelticRambler wrote: »
And the cost of living! :eek: Broadband packages, mobile contracts, insurance, all so expensive and PARKING :eek::eek: 4€ for two hours' parking on a Sunday???
It's only six months since I looked after my nephew and nieces for a similar length of time, but everything seems way more expensive than then. Over 20€ for a "family" ticket to a dreary heritage site with none of the promised activities ("because of the bank holiday ..." ) It's really hard to adjust to the notion that you've got to pay the same entry fee for a 5-year-old as a 15-year old (under 12s are free into just about everything in France).iusedtoknow wrote: »
It was nice to bum around Cork and my old spots, and great to be up in Galway for the weekend - but I felt like a stranger. It didn't help that I was using my US credit cards (raised a comment EVERYWHERE), driving an automatic and if i heard "it's well for some" when they asked why I had to rush back to the US after the funeral once I heard it 1000 times. The begrudgery of people that "got away" is still there.
I agree with some of the assessment you lads made and obviously it's a point of opinion. I think either way, it's great to have your mind made up and be decisive of it. My mind is sending me back to Ireland but that could still change.
The price charged for some of the landmarks and attractions in Ireland is a joke. I love the Cliffs of Moher but it seems pretty crappy to monetize it the way they have. I know the Grand Canyon is the same but that's the Natives trying to make something out of nothing for themselves. You'd think they could just not charge an entrance fee to the cliffs and still make money in the center by charging for extras. The visitors coming to see it also generate enough business for the surrounding areas without a need to charge. I went to the Rock of Cashel, it was covered in Scaffolding and still charged full whack...
I'm in the US, so broadband might be different in France. I would take Irish broadband any day of the week over what I have to deal with over here. All of the providers here don't compete with one another. A company called Quest runs the providers in this region. They don't have to give good service. I'm currently paying $76.99 a month for 40 Mbps download (in goes between 1 Mbps to 30 Mbps at any given moment)...I've hit my limit with the providers here. The reason I'm paying so much is because you get your low introductory rate like anywhere but here it increases year on year...the only way to lower it is if I sign up for extra services, which then puts me on a rolling contract for more services and the price will go even higher after the next 12 months. (It's a recurring trend in the US, companies are not regulated like they are in Europe)
The kicker is that many Apartment complexes sign exclusivity rights to certain providers. I have moved every year for the last 4. I have not had any other option other than this provider...I work from home for 2 of my jobs so it actually impacts me every single day.
Parking in downtown Phoenix or Tempe costs a lot more than 4 euro an hour too. Forget about it in San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York. My a-hole employers actually charge us (employees) for covered parking...it's discounted but still...(In Ireland on a Sunday, most places are free for parking for the simple reason they don't employ anybody to check the tickets on that day...)
Mobile contracts are a kicker here too. 12 months ago a law got passed to allow you the right to unlock your phone to use with another carrier (after you complete your contract)...it hasn't worked so well, so far. I know Ireland had some teething problems with that too. For me it took months. In Ireland, when it was passed 10+ years ago. It took 2 weeks. I have been with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile so far. Verizon is much more expensive than what I paid back home but has a good service. AT&T have put me off phones. My Galaxy S4 is slow and has a broken screen. My next phone will be non-contract just so I don't get r*ped again. They wouldn't allow me to tether my phone. They locked the feature on my phone...I bought the most data heavy plan...anyways..it doesn't matter. They are arseholes here! And you have very few rights as a consumer
My dad has only driven automatic for the last 16 years. He doesn't get any smart comments. I know they call it the Republic of Cork and it's meant to be different down there attitude wise but it hasn't been a problem. Also, most new automatics have hybrid gearboxes anyways..Maybe it's a kin to when I was driving a small Toyota when I moved here. Maybe Cork is like the South here. I'm a small car driver in a pick-up truck world, here.
I've done the maths for me. Cost wise, it's more expensive here BUT I have to factor things in. If you look at the price of petrol here...of course it's cheaper..but where do I live in relation to work? Where are all the jobs related to the affordable homes?...I'm driving over 40 miles a day. It's a breeze in the morning since traffic is light and it's all freeway but traffic sucks on the way home...in the end, I pay a lot more on fuel here than I did in Ireland because I'm traveling a lot further and dealing with more traffic.
Some groceries are cheaper, others are more expensive. That's one of the few things my fiance likes about Ireland is the quality of produce and price. She would load up on Pears, Beets etc. Beets would cost cents..where as they'd be over a dollar here. When you find something cheaper here, you need to give it a good look. The way I try to think of it is, Safeway, Fry's, Winn Dixie, Walmart, Target, Albertsons can't even be compared to Tesco or Dunnes. The quality of the products to me are much higher in the Irish stores. If you want a comparison, I think you'd need to compare Tesco or Dunnes to Whole Foods, Sprouts, AJ's, Trader Joes (May be pushing it, they are a little suspect too)
Rent where I am is much, much cheaper than Dublin but I've never had a desire to live in Dublin. I'm not even sold on settling in a city. I'm paying 1,100 a month for a 2 bed in Tempe, Arizona. I have also had to move every year because when I get to the end of my lease they always up it...every single time. I refuse to pay for it. They think they have you by the short and curlys because everywhere is unfurnished. Moving means actually moving! Not just throwing your clothes into a few garbage bags. It's an ordeal...(I think it's interesting to a point, it creates a micro-economy, creating jobs for moving, buying furniture etc.)
I was paying 800 euro a month for a 2 bed in Salthill, Galway. Even with the much stronger euro of yesteryear, that means I'm paying a lot more here. Obviously, Ireland just brought in water charges. My water charges here aren't bad. About 33 a month (seems to change depending on city district). Here I'm also paying for extra utilities, waste, sewage etc. on top of my rent. My electric bill is about the same here as it is in Ireland
I'm paying a lot in taxes. A lot! My first few pay cheques in the US shocked me. I thought I would pay a lot less. Then I got my first tax return, thought ok...not as bad but not as good as I had hoped. All of a sudden last year, I owed money to the state for taxes...At this point, I'm paying over $800 a week in taxes on my income. Made much worse by the fact my taxes here don't do anything for me...there's no security. The rate of pay is higher and maybe tax is cheaper than Ireland for married couples...I was in the top bracket in Ireland before I left. I found my money went a lot further but again, I'm making a lot more here so this is a better place for to save money.
I just had a pretty interesting episode happen to me recently. I posted about it on another thread. My grandfather (who is a Veteran, hooray!) lost his leg in an accident when he was in his 60's, he was helping a woman with a broken down car get it off the road and got hit by a passing driver. He's been unable to work ever since.
He's getting into his late 80's now. I just forked out over $5k to get into him into an assisted living home. He didn't have enough money. What's interesting is, I got to see a layout of his incomings and benefits. He's entitled to 1,800 a month from the Veteran Association. His Social Security pulls in about the same...my taxes are going towards doubling retirement benefits for those who have served over those who have not. At the same time, the big hubbub during this election cycle on the GOP side is about raising the retirement age and cutting social security....some even wanting to end it entirely.
I've got a 401k and my social security. If I stay working here, it's very, very likely that I won't have social security when I retire. My 401k will be completely based on my investments...which can be out of my control. I met a guy who's retiring at the end of the year. He wisely invested in Apple from very early on. Problem being...he's just about to retire and what happens? Apple's stock crashes. He said it's still ok for him. He can still retire, he just won't have as much money as hoped. He still quadrupled his money from the stock but it's still a volatile retirement scheme. Private companies have stopped offering pensions, so for me, right now..there's not much alternative.
A friend of mine got stomach cancer. I found out when he came to pick me up in an old 1991 Jeep. He drove a 2013 Ford pick up Truck that was his pride and joy. He had to sell it to try and get money to put towards his care (this is post 'Obamacare')...he was on his wife insurance. It was 'good' coverage for here. She was a nurse, after all. Anyways, long story short after his deductible and the insurance companies percentage, he still somehow owed $40k and the treatment killed him. He got sick, had to scrap his retirement plans, sell his favorite posession and then died anyways. He didn't explain it to me but that's how but he owed 40k. My fiance and I have spent hours trying to make sure we're all set for the baby...she's got great coverage as she works for the state. We're ALMOST all covered but have discovered a couple of areas where there's gaps in the insurance....the US system is disgusting
The sales tax where I live is just over 7% (Yet, for some reason the price difference for items is not much different...the dirty little secret is they round out the prices anyways)0 -
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Have been having really bad sleep for the last couple of nights trying to weigh up everything. Which is unlike me as I would normally sleep like a log regardless of what's going on. Today, I'm after booking a one way flight booked home :-) It's like a weight has lifted off my shoulders having definitively made the decision :-)
The very best of luck Statina! I was in the same boat a few months ago where it just took over my thoughts. I became so obsessed with thinking about the move that I just had to bite the bullet, book a flight and finalize a plan. That was 5 months ago and I finally leave here in 2 weeks. Haven't regretted it for a minute since booking it. I think when it takes over to that extent its really time to follow your heart and do something about it.For what it's worth my wife and I gave up on great work in Australia because we just couldn't settle there. We really tried but we haven't regretted it once since we got back.
Ireland can be infuriating but it's not the insular backwater it once was (unless you live in Ballyslaphappy). Being here for the passing of the marriage referendum was one of the most positive experiences of my life, it felt as if the seismic shift I given up waiting for had finally happened, the old certainties were gone. Homerule no longer meant Romerule.
Quality of life is taking precedence over career, seeing parents pass away brings forward the reality that we're next. We both live less pressured and very comfortable lives now, have one car which we use for the big shop and visiting her mother. We're probably moving to the UK for a course she wants to do but after that we might go anywhere. The important thing is that Ireland is only ever an hour or so from most of industrialised Europe, not a half or full day away in Canada or Australia.
Both of us have work we can slip in and out of, we'll never be rich but we're only here once and sometimes you have to smell the roses.
Man I can relate to a lot of this! Y'know, I'm not even too bothered about moving home as such. I'll probably end up in the UK too, but when you've lived on the other side of the world for so long, just to be an hours flight from home almost feels like I'm going home! And to have Europe on my doorstep again... aaaah sooo excited!
Its also refreshing to hear how you think Ireland has moved forward a lot in recent times too! 0 -
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Statina's question does highlight a certain murkiness in cross-border tax arrangements. This was brought home to many British nationals who abandonned the "dream" in France and went back to (or stayed in) the UK, while still owning a house in France. The French government decided to apply social charges to any rental income on said properties, and being social charges, not taxes, there was no way for the no-longer-residents to reclaim it. The French government was subsequently found (by the EU) to have been in the wrong (quelle surprise) and ordered to fix things, which they did by announcing that anyone affected could reclaim the unfairly levied charge ... within a ridiculously short period, and with no effort to actively inform the people affected, who were understandably fairly unlikely to be keeping up obscure French current affairs.
There are undoubtedly many other examples of investments made in good faith in one country by people such as all of us on this thread who find themselves moving on/back/away, and are not aware of changes and/or investigations that have taken place while our attention was elsewhere. In my own case, I've tried to protect myself by keeping things simple, but I still don't really know how much (if any) of my "contracted out" UK pension contributions will end up in my French bank account. That pension was taken out with AIB in the hope that it would make things easy if I moved/retired to Ireland. They transfered my plan to a different company, then sold that to someone else, but it's still in the UK, and who knows what'll happen if the UK quit the EU ...
I've since changed my plans for surviving into my old age. 0 -
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Have you guys seen this video? Oh man it made me tear up! I love how it doesnt sugar coat anything.
I am thinking of going home for two months (mix of holidays from work and working remotely) so I will also be seeing about a car rental for that time. Might ring around and see if anyone will do a deal because I will be paying out of pocket.
Am a total n00b at rental in Ireland, what is and where can I get excess insurance? It's so much easier in America, my credit card does it for me!0 -
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I only live in England and feel pangs for home! Which makes me feel a bit of a saddo when I see you all live in the US and Oz etc
I'm 28 and have been here 4 years.
It's like it's the same but different here. It doesn't truly feel like home, although I like living here- midlands- and have a good job and great quality of life. But when I go home to Dublin (and it's great for me that I can go quite often as it's so close), I love being by the sea and close to my parents. I like the atmosphere around the place and the easy banter you can have with people. It's just not QUITE the same over here in England, although the people are nice too.
However, just because I think that objectively, Dublin is a nicer place to live, that doesn't necessarily mean I'd have a better quality of life there. Jobs don't interest me there (car manufacturing atm) and the cost of property is ridiculous. So am I willing to give up everything I have here for a chance to live by the sea in a 1 bed shoebox, at best? Probably not.
I'm being sent to China with work for 6-12 months and am hoping I'll have some solid realisations out there about where I want to put down roots. My head says England, my heart says Ireland, but I'm really trying not to have rose-tinted glasses about it. I'm at a place now where I don't want to dither anymore, I do want to plan my future.
It's not an easy choice. Reading other posts though, UK seems to be regarded as the best of both worlds in a way, and that's what I'm focusing on. Some people move here and never seem to think about going home, not me though!
Anyway it's nice to have a place to ramble on freely! :P Would definitely make use of a sub-forum!0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE30AnPSznk
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