Anyone thinking of emigrating?

Yeah, this is a biggie. I remember one of first jobs after leaving Ireland was for a company in Frankfurt that had a very strong Betriebsrat with strong rules in place. The company had a very secure building, and your access card also registered your hours. If you were doing too much overtime and got over a certain number of hours (can't remember the number, but not hard to hit) you were automatically denied access to the building.

My current company doesn't clock hours, but if it is seen that someone is having to work extra hours to get something done, this reflects badly on management. In all my time working there I've never worked more than my contracted hours. It makes for a great work-life balance when you know you can always leave the office at a specific time and focus on other things in life.

You know we actually need landlords...

The more of them you have the more the rents come down. Less landlords, less accommodation to rent, the rents go higher due to fewer places out there to rent.

Tonnes of people are sitting on cash who could become a landlord but who would want to do that in 2021. They are painted as the villains'. Apparently the best time ever to be a landlord yet they are leaving the market in droves.

I suspect that dig is intended to bait. It's certainly an amusing attempt. I'd love to see a photo of your non proletarian castle. Does it cost much to heat?

Germany

(Well, don't know about the motoring costs - don't drive - not an issue for me)

In real terms, my net income goes further than it ever did in Ireland.

I've been living in Berlin for eight years, but that doesn't really answer your question because 1 - Berlin doesn't subscribe to your ill-formed stereotype, and 2 - I was expected to be organised in Ireland, so...

I have been living in the Netherlands (Amsterdam) for over three years now, previously also lived in Australia for a short period.

Wanted to share my experience and correct some of the mistruths being bandied about.

Relatively speaking taxes and cost of living are not cheap here, I would say the tax system is pretty similar to Ireland but the difference is what you get for your tax here. Amazing infrastructure and public transport which makes getting around so easy that I have no need for a car. This in itself presents a massive financial saving for me when I think of how much it cost to tax, insure, fuel, and maintain a car in Ireland.

NL is a small country (bout the size of Munster) with a high population density as such property can be expensive. However even in the fancy parts of Amsterdam it is still cheaper than Dublin!. I haven't bought yet so have been renting and this is a completely different experience than back home. In the last 4 years I lived in Ireland, I had to move 4 times because of various landlord excuses. In the final 6 months I couldn't even find a property that would take us because we had a dog! Bottom line renting in Ireland offers no security. Here it is the opposite, I pay a decent amount for my apartment but it has great (brand new fixtures and fittings) and once you live in a property over 12 months you have TOTAL security no exceptions,. I can do whatever I want to the property once it can be put back to its original state before I leave. MY rent can only go up about 0.5% each year and that is it. Bottom line I feel like this is my home, not like I am some serf waiting to be put out on the street at anytime.

But ultimately the biggest improvement for me is quality of life, Nobody here thinks commuting 10 hours a week is a sane way to live, most parents work 4 days a week, working overtime or extra hours to do your work is seen as wrong and not encouraged so work life balance is better. There are amazing parks and public spaces everywhere and unlike Ireland they are used everyday because they are not overrun by feral teenagers. On a nice day you can go have a BBQ and beers in the park without an ounce of trouble or intimidation. This is a big thing in my book, it is so safe here that despite the weather you spend a lot more time enjoying what the city has to offer.

OK some cons, Weather is just as bad as Ireland, It can be hard to make friends as an expat.

I miss the people and nature in Ireland but NL just shows me how good it can be to live in a city that is run for its people, not developers, hotels, cars, freal scrotes

I recently married a Mexican woman and spent 15 months there during Covid after our wedding was postponed a couple of times. I like the culture, food, weather and going out to eat a lot which is just not feasible here. The language barrier and lack of mates/family is concerning but will hopefully lessen over time and I think being away is a lot easier now with technology than even 20 years ago. 

I have always been a good saver but every year for the last 7 or so years I have ended up further away from securing a home due to price increases in Dublin. I took my money saved for a deposit and built 3 2-bedroom apartments in Mexico city during Covid when I was stuck there. I was amazed how far the money went over there compared to here. 

I am approaching my mid-30's and want to have a family soon but can't imagine how that would be possible here with the cost of living and housing. I'm an accountant and my wife works in cybersecurity so we have good job prospects but where's the quality of life. 

Mexico has well reported safety concerns but that's mostly confined to the border states which we avoid, Mexico city is like most North American cities I've been to and the sheer number of places to visit for relatively cheap from that location is great.

Ireland currently is No Country for Young People.

There's no such thing as "nostalgia" for just a few years ago.

Fuck all was different. Jan 2015 was only 84 months ago.

If you you said 1994 and 1995, you might have point.

Yep I totally understand what you're saying and it's a thought that's crossed my mind multiple times. I specifically mentioned the Algarve as it has a good healthcare system and the bonus of a lot of English speaking doctors in the area. But as I said, it's only a dream. Unless I come into some serious money in the next 15 years, I won't be going anywhere ☹️😁.