Cost of living crisis ( sorry greed crisis)

It can’t be Europe too…. They didn’t have Brexit!!!!!!

 

Housing and pension assets

 

I rarely if ever book a package holiday and I know it doesnt come without risks.
Eg. Due to 4 of our family tied to school holidays 2 kids 2 teachers.
We flew from Birmingham as flights were at very good times. Both mid/late afternoon. 22nd July mon. Return 3rd August sat. 12 nights. Park my drive saved around £ 80 each car. Accommodation £960 for a 2 ad + 2 kids. room bed and breakfast. Loads of facilities for kids. Cheap booze. (Hotel Best Cap salou.)
£900 for me n mrs. Room B&B
Hoppa minibus airport to hotel and return. £105, 7 of us. Cheaper and more convenient than coach transfers £20+ each.
Admitted food and drink to pay for. But spent far less than upgrade to all inclusive and we ate out every night.
Flights around £150 pp + baggage return reus.
If looking at Booking.com it may also pay to go direct to the Hotel and save a good amount. As I say it comes with some risks. That need looking at as a package holiday sorts most issues out. Touch wood never had an issue.
We once had a travel consultant organise a holiday to Florida 6 of us saved us a fortune. Same Direct flights from manchester £1100 each on line at the time. £450 via consultant. Could have saved more. £100 each if willing to transfer flights from New York and gone at unearthly hrs from Gatwick.

 

I’m guessing most of the pensioner millionaires are down south who bought their council houses back in the day and are now worth a fortune.

 

You are right probably paid a fortune as well. But dont forget. Having a valuable house may not mean cash rich.

 

If I was a betting man, yes. But it doesn’t give location, just numbers

 

My general approach to holidays is that I want to feel as local as possible. I've got absolutely no interest in staying in a hotel full of Brits, eating British food. We've done the USA completely from scratch twice, China, Cambodia, Thailand, plus most of Europe. We could never have afforded a lot of the trips if we'd done them as package tours. Looking at India or Sri Lanka for our next big one, and I'm itching to go to both Albania and Slovenia in Europe. Taking a package to any of them hasn't even entered my head. At the end of the day if something goes a bit tits up then we'll sort it out, one way or another!

 

Exactly. It's all very well being a paper millionaire, but you still need to have a roof over your head.

 

I dont know if it's the case but I would imagine if they are paying small amounts in council tax the vast majority of expenditure is dished out by central government. Are other taxes higher. Genuine question. I remember income tax being circa 30% not 20 as today. But recouped by other means eg. Vat.
Escaping to another country is not the answer most working folk would would benefit from. Pensioners may have a case. But then become part of the problem. Taking revenue away from this country. That's not how a socialist society works imo. Miniature capitalists do.
I understand wanting to move to warmer climes. But not to escape paying dues.
And flying back and forth to watch tarn could prove expensive
I have been at near rock bottom..but chose it, nobody should have to suffer that. Especially those that finish up there via whatever means. Ending up in poverty. Believe it or not. Tory masters use that as a tool to spoon feed the gullible. Unemployment is the main one. Full employment doesnt serve a purpose for a capitalist led society.

 

We had the same approach. The only time we used a travel company was for Vietnam which was our honeymoon and given we'd planned our wedding to within an inch of its life, we just wanted the certainty and an easy life. Audley weren't cheap, but I was really impressed with them. Indonesia we did it all ourselves, though in hindsight, we're embarrassed by how many flights we took. And it was a bit dicey here and there, but it all worked out.

I'd recommend Slovenia. We only had a few days there so based ourselves in Ljubljana and just got the local bus to Bled. Bigger than I thought it would be, but absolutely stunning. I'd suggest going in winter/spring, just as the backdrop looks all the more stunning and I suspect in summer it will be rammed and you'll have loads of people on the water. If you're there for longer, there are loads of hills and forests to explore too.

 

Bled is just the most stunning place I have ever been. We considered going back and getting married there but in the end ran off to Gretna instead as it was cheaper.

 

There are some stunning places in Europe, natural and influenced by human civilisation. Bled is just picture book stunning. I think we went late February one year and the water was so still with no activity on the water making it all the more special.

There are probably 4 places outside of Europe I've been that I felt really humbled by. Ha Long Bay. Petra. Borobudur (a temple in Indonesia) and from the top of a mountain in Langkawi, Malaysia.

 

Those that are on lower incomes will still receive it...

 

Many who won't be well off won't. The threshold to get it is too low. Nobody is arguing that millionaires should get it.

 

I'm far from being a millionaire but have a decent pension with savings. But am more than willing to give up my allowance. As will possibly millions more. I want a viable public health service. Public ownership of all utilities. A higher max tax rate than as stands. 90+ % at one time to fund the second world war. Reduced over time.
70% say for example. Above £200k pa. Until the economy is back on its feet. Then look again. I'm pretty sure those footballers on £200k pw won't starve. Or bring back the max wage to a level where they are set for life regardless. Then football might be cheaper for the masses.

 

Slovenia is amazing, stunning. Albania is a shithole.

 

The appeal of a retirement in Spain for 60+ British people has wained considerably in the last few years. Once it was relatively easy to settle there but now it’s much harder to secure Residencia and much depends on being able to demonstrate a quite high level of income. Of course, your average pensioner of modest means will not qualify so a full time retirement to the sun is out of the question. It’s also a fact that many who DID settle in Spain have sold up and returned home post-Brexit. I’ve been there a lot recently and spoken to many with such stories to tell of friends and family who have given up on their dream.

We bought a place on the Costa Blanca a few years ago and made the mistake of not grabbing residential status immediately. By the time we decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea it was too late and the property was not being used enough to justify the running costs. Then this 90 days there and 90 days back rule ruined most second home owners plans to over-winter in Spain while only spending a few summer months in the UK.

Bottom line is that there are problems wherever you choose to live your life and tv programmes like A Place in the Sun give a totally distorted view of it all.

 

If you own a £1m+ house, you could sell it and buy one for half as much and have lots of money to spend. No point sitting on a fortune and shivering over winter...

 

Aye move up north away from family and friends in your twilight years

 

Very much depends on your individual circumstances though. Some people may be happy to significantly downsize or move to another city. Others may not wish to or be able to. A house move is incredibly stressful even when you're young and fit. Can't imagine how difficult it is when you're elderly.