Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Ha, you're welcome!

I mentioned it because I wonder if there are others like me--I love to keep up with this thread and check it whenever I get an email alert that there's a new post in it.

But i rarely go on the rest of BE--not because it's not interesting! but because I try to discipline myself a bit, as I know all too well how one can just fall into the internet and never come up for air and can forget to have a life!

However on this occasion I thought I'd have a look at what was going on--I'm so glad I did! Saw your news and your fabulous thread....(and also caught up with Miss Betty's saga, among other things...).

I should add that I always thought that if anyone I knew from this thread had an exciting development, they'd post it here--didn't think they might start a new thread--though I've nothing against that, of course, it's great! Perhaps others think the same way, and that's why I suggested your mentioning it here.

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

You are absolutely right. I think my head was too high up in the clouds to think to post it here but normally I would have. I consider this particular thread as the "base" thread and usually begin to read this one first. :)

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Fish what Ive noticed in the UK is most people 18 to say 50 seem to use debit/credit cards to buy everything from a hamburger to a round of drinks at there local pub, meals, food shopping ---- the works!!! and most of these people have not a clue how much there spending until there bill/statement comes in :eek: people in my generation tend to like cash, and my Mums generation of course cash for everything, --- me I always use cash for everything I buy on a daily or weekly basis, the only time I use my debit card is when I purchase something on line, for example just recently I bought a real nice toshiba blu-ray player from amazon for £49
I dont own a credit card, dont believe in them, even if you pay your compleat balance off every month, I dont see the point in borrowing money for day to day living when all I have to do is go to my ATM once a week and draw my usual amount out and that goes in my wallet, and thats what my allowance is for the whole week, and before I buy the weekly shopping I put so much each week away for all the utility bills, and with other stuff if I cant afford something then I dont buy it ---- simples ;)
thats how my Mums generation did it and very few people were ever in debt in there day, me thinks why change something that works !!!!

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Hi Rodney...

I totally understand where you are coming from and I'm pretty much the same, I've never used my bank card for a debit purchase, just for ATM cash...

I do have a few credit cards but hardly use them, I use them for rare online purchases, airline tickets, hotel rooms, renting a car, but mostly for gas/petrol...

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Hey cheers you must be excited, I hope you and your wife have a great time over here, dont forget to tell your bank that your taking a vacation in UK so that way you wont have any probs with them locking your account as soon as you use your debit card, if you do use a debit or credit card here keep in mind that for every cash withdraw from an ATM you will probably get a conversion fee and a transaction fee slapped on by your bank and the bank here too,
always best to buy at your US bank before leaving UK GBP travelers checks for the bulk of your vacation money, and a few hundred in cash, just my opinion for what its worth,

BTW theres a nice couple of fine british ales waiting for you at my Local Pub in Pompey :thumbsup: or did you say once that you did not drink, well in that case a nice cup of tea at my local cafe with a nice belgian sticky bun ;)
Take care mate,
Rodney.

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

I've done a lot of research on that. Steve Reeves, the travel expert, says hit the the ATM at the arrival airport. With the one bank account I have they don't charge any fees and they refund any fees charged by the other bank. Apparently travelers checks are a thing of the past because of the ATM's.
I do have type 2 diabetes so that puts a damper on a lot of things I would like to eat over there.
100 degrees here today!
Cheers

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Make sure the bank knows you are going over.
I used my debit card all over in UK, the credit union I'm with refunded all the fees to me.
Our credit union doesn't even have travelers checks anymore.

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

When I came back almost 3 years ago, I brought travellers checks with me and the bank in the US had to raid their supplies - some of the checks were very, very old! I took them to Thomas Cook at the first opportunity and had them exchanged and put on a GBP card, then I used that to pay for whatever I wanted to - one set of charges, one exchange rate instead of going place to place to find a deal. You need a photo ID to get the card, such as your passport, and the card is not linked to your bank account. You can also change travellers checks at a Post Office - they do not charge commission for doing that, but do not, to the best of my knowledge, offer the same Cash Card scheme as Thomas Cooks.
http://www.whichwaytopay.com/compare...ds-summary.asp

I am not advocating the use of any of these cards, as my only experience is with the one I bought from Thomas Cook.
http://www.thomascook.com/travel-mon...el-money-card/

You can also check your balance at any ATM machine, as well as withdraw cash from an ATM machine using the card.

Happy travelling! :)

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

I am one of the people that use credit cards for every possible purpose.

I pay the account off in full every month, so never pay interest. Instead I get some kind of reward - cash back or airline miles or whatever. Plus the money is in my account for a few extra weeks instead of the bank's account.

To my mind, doing this is one of the few tiny ways in which I like to think I am getting one over on the banks - in a very, very small way, of course, but it is using the products they have designed to make massive profits to my advantage and not the banks :p

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Hi Rebs...

I see where you are coming from, good for you...

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

In USA I used Credit Card for everything, collected airmiles and used them on the main carrier from our local airport.

Back in UK I have been leery of booking fees and extra charges applied to purchases using Credit Cards so have avoided using CC.
Besides, not sure I would be flying so much so had no need to get airmiles here in UK.
After two years of no usage of our CC issued through Lloyds Bank the bank cancelled the card, which they gave me unrequested in the first instance.

Anyway, no problem getting a new CC with a new bank I switched to and to get a bit of use I found I can buy train tickets online with CC for no booking fee.
I made online hotel reservation and they required guarantee by CC, Debit Card wouldn't do it, as far as I could see.
I'm also a buy-now-and-pay-it-off-before-due-date user.

I don't intend to use this UK CC much but it is a handy back up if, say, we fall ill on a foreign trip and have to pay up front for healthcare. Travel Insurance is all well and good but it can be that they refund payments, not make direct payment.

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

It seems we are evenly split on the issue of using/not using credit cards to pay for everything.
Although I'm in the group that uses the credit card for everything I think if I used cash I would check my bill a lot closer and spend less but I've got to keep the economy going;) The only place I need cash is for the barber and now I see he has a sign that says cards are excepted.

Cheers

PS Its going to get up to 104 here in a few days and over a 100 for the rest of the week.:thumbdown:

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

cheers you really have my sympathy on dealing with the extreme heat where you are, it brings back bad memories of me and how I used to dread the summers starting in Vegas every year, summers that never seem to end with blistering heat day after day for soooo many months with no rain :eek:
never mind you will soon be able to cool off in UK :) a few days ago on the 1st june our summer weather actually started, we had to wait this year, we have had terrible cold and wet weather all year up until now, we have shot from our usual 40s & 50s temps to a nice 75f today yippie ;) with sunshine that lasted most of the day,
so it seems you picked the ideal time for your trip, lets hope the weather continues to be nice ----- for you my friend :thumbsup:
Take care,
Rodney.

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Hang on, I was coming for the rain. Do you mean I have missed out on it?;)

Re: Over 40's Moving Back and Catching Up
 

Cheers....Just wanted to wish you a wonderful trip home want to hear all about it when you get back. I could have you eat all the food I miss but you would end up putting on an enormous amout of weight. I think one of the most simple things I enjoyed was having a cup of tea and a toasted teacake....:)

Jasper...we use a debit card and thats it. When you see the amount of money the banks charge when using a credit card it makes me cringe. I would rather do without if I couldnt afford something but unfortunately thats not how many people think, I know some older people that are caught in that trap enjoy today pay later. By the time its paid for its worn out.:frown: