Originally Posted by expat.brat

Can I borrow those hindsight glasses of yours? They seem to have 20/20 vision..

Originally Posted by Jeeper

Hardly, It common sense that the majority of people born after about 1970 don't seem to have in these regards.
Even if the current economic situation didn't exist the logic is still true

Originally Posted by Investoman_uae

I dont know of anyone who left back home!! But if they are leaving for no strong reason, then they will find out that life back home has got more difficult.

If things arent so bad here, then people shud be patient... and live it through... hang in there.

This global crisis is GLOBAL.... so i dont kno how moving back to UK will help?

How will they find jobs back home? You think its easy to find a job these days? Lots are loosin jobs over there.... more than in uae for sure!!

I think a british national with good experience has more chances in uae (and around the region) than he/she does back home.

THINK hard before you do a runner!! Thats just my opinion.

Inv.

Originally Posted by The Dean

These are depressing stories, but to those who are destined to be lucky enough to survive, and to live to see the other side of the current depression (whenever the buggery-bollocks that might be), what lessons will you have learned?

I haven't always had too much sympathy for people who came out here on similar-to-the-UK salaries, but of course without the 40 pct tax rip-off, and who immediately felt they were somehow 'better off'.

Golden rule number one: put away as savings the 40 pct you would have paid in the UK (after all, what's the point of coming out here if you have nothing to show for it at the end?).

Golden rule number two: never commit to a level of expenditure that you would not have considered in the UK. I have lost count of the number of people I have met who have bought two cars out here, whereas they would never have bought more than one at home ("Well we can afford it, and they are SOOOOOO cheap here aren't they?").

Golden rule number three: only borrow what you can afford to repay as per golden rules one and two.

In other words, where things are cheaper, or if you are simply taking home more money each month, treat it as a bonus, not as an excuse simply to spend more money.

I know I'm not being helpful to the thoroughly decent and no doubt hard-working people on The Bored who have found themselves in difficulty, but in some ways many of these problems could have been avoided. The slowdown was coming over the horizon a long time ago (although Mantronic only spotted it in August!), and many of us on here urged caution way back when.

I'm hoping it will all turn out well for everyone, so please don't take my comments wrongly.

Originally Posted by Blue Cat

As you all know my Husband has also lost his job but it wasn't due to redundancy or the credit crunch, might have been easier to take if it was, at least there would have been an explanation of sorts. We have no savings as such, but we have no debts either, apart from a very small loan attached to my car which we could afford to clear. Yes we should have had more savings than we have but a low basic salary, and two children in the UK to provide for made things tight. We have learnt a BIG lesson. Anyway on a positive track - my DH has been contacted by a few companies so fingers crossed

Mrs H - have you heard anything about job offers for the DH? I am wondering if you could get a better paid job to get through this bad patch?

Originally Posted by MrsHaps

all is quiet BC, chasing again today but i think we have accepted that if something doesnt come up this week we need to plan to go. Our visa's get cancelled on Sunday, well we are handing our passports over and that will take a week so the following week we will look to leave. We have been advised to stay out of the uk until April so hubby is on about travelling but to be honest i just want to get home!! then again its the problem with the tax man if we do go home now vs going travelling for a couple of months and going back in April. We have been told that if we do go back in April (having only left in june08) as long as we have stuck with the 90 day rule of being in the country we could get round paying the tax regardless of it not being a full april to april year.

god knows!

Originally Posted by still.unsure

am very sorry to hear about your situation, MrsH, i hope it works out, it's not sunday yet so something (hopefully) will come up

Originally Posted by MrsHaps

all is quiet BC, chasing again today but i think we have accepted that if something doesnt come up this week we need to plan to go. Our visa's get cancelled on Sunday, well we are handing our passports over and that will take a week so the following week we will look to leave. We have been advised to stay out of the uk until April so hubby is on about travelling but to be honest i just want to get home!! then again its the problem with the tax man if we do go home now vs going travelling for a couple of months and going back in April. We have been told that if we do go back in April (having only left in june08) as long as we have stuck with the 90 day rule of being in the country we could get round paying the tax regardless of it not being a full april to april year.

god knows!

Originally Posted by admon

you could look at perhaps taking a 2 or 3 month rental - thailand, spain, etc
Not ideal, but gets you to April..

Originally Posted by admon

you could look at perhaps taking a 2 or 3 month rental - thailand, spain, etc
Not ideal, but gets you to April..

Originally Posted by still.unsure

thailands gotta be bargain about now, i'm sure they're desperate to rebuild their tourism after the political crisis. a couple of months on a thai beach sounds like just the way to recharge and reassess after all this latest pressure (and i'm guessing, but it would be cheaper than spain? )

Originally Posted by Spugsy

me and mrs spugsy were talking about this, one girl she works with has absconded, left her car at the airport and she owes the company about 6 months housing allowance, plus, and I'm not sure but I'd put my life on it, she will have had a credit card from over here maxed up.
Apparently there's loads of cars at the airport every day now left as people and doing a legger.

Originally Posted by AUHJohn

(We have been told that if we do go back in April (having only left in june08) as long as we have stuck with the 90 day rule of being in the country we could get round paying the tax regardless of it not being a full april to april year.)

Doubt this is correct, my understanding is you must have left the UK before the start of the tax year, and thus would be liable to tax if you return permanently anytime before April 5th 2010.

Originally Posted by MrsHaps

yeah that is the written rule but each case is done individually - and further more if the taxman comes after us he wont get nowt because he will make us fricken bankrupt! the amount this has actually cost in 6 months im sure we have paid more tax than we would have at home!