How much £ is enough?
#61
Just Joined
Joined: Feb 2014
Location: New York
Posts: 29
Re: How much £ is enough?
Makes sense, thanks Pulaski.
#62
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2013
Location: Chicago
Posts: 470
Re: How much £ is enough?
Just curious. How did you find life in the wide open Canadian provinces? Lots of natural beauty and space. UK is very densely populated in contrast and must be quite a change. Do you miss it? (sorry if diverting this topic.)
#63
Re: How much £ is enough?
No, I just used 50% of median income as an illustration. If you are spending $60k in CA then you'd expect to spend 24k GBP in the UK. If you chose to live in London you'd be silly to use the UK median income and would use the one in London. The calculation has to be done for your particular spending level and location.
Last edited by nun; Jan 12th 2016 at 3:12 am.
#64
Re: How much £ is enough?
Agreed. That seems totally stupid to me. I was earning about four, no, five times the median income in Canada, and now on my work pension alone, I'm living on the median income in the UK.
Painlessly. While paying rent on an apartment (until the solicitors say we can move to a very nice, mortgage free property)
Painlessly. While paying rent on an apartment (until the solicitors say we can move to a very nice, mortgage free property)
#65
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 716
Re: How much £ is enough?
As others have mentioned it very much depends on where you plan to live. In 2011 we did a trial run in the market town in Yorkshire where we have lots of friends and we are close to relatives. Really good bus service and we lived there in a 3 bed rented house for 7 months, no car except to rent sometimes when we had folks visiting. We took a number of trips around the UK by train and bus. Once you get to retirement age (66?) there are free bus passes as well. Based on that experience we are planning to move to that same town this year, and our budget includes a car and a house plus £5,000 / year for fun travel. I know what the council tax will be for a 3 bed detached house similar to what we rented, and have estimated electricity and gas costs. I reckon it will cost us ~£1,600/month and that should be a nice lifestyle (for us). This last 3 years in the USA our healthcare costs have been ~$9,000/year, and this year the insurance premiums alone will cost $8,364. (We are age 60 and my ex-employer retiree insurance is the best deal for us as we like to travel and need a PPO plan). Not only is the NHS free at point of service I believe from age 60 that prescriptions and eye tests are also free.
#66
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: How much £ is enough?
Hi Durham lad,You mentioned that after the age of 66 you get to travel free in the U.K. can you tell me does that apply to any British subject, or only ones that receive a pension.We would not get a British pension, but hoping that we might just be able to get free travel within Britain, both British subjects 68 70.Cheers Irish Guinness
#68
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: How much £ is enough?
I think it depends on residency rather than receipt of a pension.
Do you have a N.I. Number?.....of so then you should be OK?
Probably best to check the 'Bus pass' website.
#69
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 716
Re: How much £ is enough?
Thanks will check the Bus Pass. We left the U.K. In our teens so never worked there.
#70
Re: How much £ is enough?
The climate is foul. In the winter you risk freezing to death, in summer being eaten alive by mosquitoes.
The economy is based on dirty oil which should be left in the ground. Edmo is ugly, in places very smelly and full of accountants driving pickup trucks, wearing stetson hats and denying climate change.
Apart from that, I loved the place. But, I don't miss it at all.
#71
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,543
Re: How much £ is enough?
Age for qualifying was once sixty, and then rose progressively to sixty-five in line with the rise in women's pension age. I was a little younger than 65 when I got mine.
I save quite a bit of money, but also makes life easier. You just scan your card in when you get on the bus, so you don't have to state your destination! Makes life easier if you're in a place you don't really know, or haven't decided when you're getting off! Also, before having a pass, I once went on an errand and bought a return bus ticket. On the return, the first bus I tried refused me as he was a different company from my outward journey. Bus pass obviates all such complications.
#72
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 716
Re: How much £ is enough?
As Grayling mentions, you just need to be a British resident to get a bus pass (and be qualified by age.) I moved back to the UK last spring, and waited till I had my new British driving licence before I applied for the bus pass. The scheme is administered by county councils. You applied online or by mail, I chose to apply by mail since the Norfolk CC website couldn't seem to accept my attempts to upload my passport photo. Anyway, I filled in a simple form, just name and address really, and sent it in with a passport photo and photocopy of my passport and new driving licence. This constituted proof of identity, age and residence in Norfolk.
Age for qualifying was once sixty, and then rose progressively to sixty-five in line with the rise in women's pension age. I was a little younger than 65 when I got mine.
I save quite a bit of money, but also makes life easier. You just scan your card in when you get on the bus, so you don't have to state your destination! Makes life easier if you're in a place you don't really know, or haven't decided when you're getting off! Also, before having a pass, I once went on an errand and bought a return bus ticket. On the return, the first bus I tried refused me as he was a different company from my outward journey. Bus pass obviates all such complications.
Age for qualifying was once sixty, and then rose progressively to sixty-five in line with the rise in women's pension age. I was a little younger than 65 when I got mine.
I save quite a bit of money, but also makes life easier. You just scan your card in when you get on the bus, so you don't have to state your destination! Makes life easier if you're in a place you don't really know, or haven't decided when you're getting off! Also, before having a pass, I once went on an errand and bought a return bus ticket. On the return, the first bus I tried refused me as he was a different company from my outward journey. Bus pass obviates all such complications.
That's great news,it will help just having the bus pass thanks again for taking the time to post.
Cheers I.G.
#74
Re: How much £ is enough?
In rural areas, you may find there are not many services to use your pass with. My village has no bus service at all. The nearest bus stop is a mile and a half away; there are 4 buses a day to Bideford and 5 to Bude. However, the Bude bus is not reliable and it is not recommended unless you have a way to get back from Bude if the bus breaks down.
#75
Re: How much £ is enough?
In rural areas, you may find there are not many services to use your pass with. My village has no bus service at all. The nearest bus stop is a mile and a half away; there are 4 buses a day to Bideford and 5 to Bude. However, the Bude bus is not reliable and it is not recommended unless you have a way to get back from Bude if the bus breaks down.