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Unexpected Costs To Account For As An Expat Moving To Ireland

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Moving to Ireland? Here are some of the unexpected costs you need to account for as an expat planning to live abroad in Ireland.When you make the decision to move overseas, I think most think it is an easy enough decision to make. Do you have a job to go to? That is probably the one consideration most people would think of before moving abroad. But the real question you need to ask yourself before you move to a new country is: Will I be able to afford living in a new country for the long term?

People often make the mistake of assuming because salaries sound better overseas, that they will be making tons of cash when finally move there. Converting to your home country currency is probably the worst mistake you can make because you are then basing that new salary off cost of living back at home without fully realising what the cost of living is like in the country you intend on living. Read this post for better insight on cost of living between Ireland and South Africa.

More to the point about money and budgets is that there are always going to be unexpected costs that seem to creep up when you move overseas. You are in a new country, and you want to explore, but it might be helpful if you have enough saved before you move over to account for some of those unexpected costs that you don’t often think about in the excitement of starting a new adventure.

  1. The cost of visas, work permits, and being legally allowed to stay in the country long term.

Depending on how you are able to enter the country to either work or live abroad, there may be costs associated to obtaining the necessary visa. It’s a good idea to check in advance of you arriving what those costs could be, since they will probably be in the foreign currency.

Certain work permits in Ireland cost money as well. In most cases this may be paid for by your employer but it is good information to be familiar with in case the onus falls on your shoulders to settle.

In Ireland, as an expat with a non-EU passport, you are required to register for a GNIB card within 90 days of arriving in the country. The cost associated with this immigration registration card is EUR300. If you arrive in the country before getting employment sorted out, you will need to pay for this card twice. The first time to notify them that you are intending on staying in the country, and the second to update your employment status. If you are like me, that means that you could pay EUR600 in your first year.

2. Finding a place to rent and deposits.

If you are looking for a rental as an expat, there are certain cases where you may have to pay more than a full month as a deposit to secure a good spot. We have heard of friends who were required to pay a double deposit. Because good rentals in the city of Dublin are quite costly, the difference between be able to secure a place to rent and having to let it go, may come down to who can pay the upfront payment right then and there. Finding a place to rent that is pet-friendly carries additional challenges, read this post for how we managed to find our place.

3. Additional custom costs to shipping your home overseas.

This is another hidden cost that people sometimes don’t account for. You could decide to send some things over from home to your new home abroad. What you might not realise is that you pay a fee to move it overseas, but then depending on its destination, you will pay a customs fee to bring it into the new country. If you can, find out what that cost will be beforehand (a good shipping company should be able to give you an estimate) so that it is not a heavy surprise when you get to the other side. It may also help you decide what is worth sending over, and what is maybe better off leaving behind.

4. Getting a car is not just about buying the wheels.

You are legally required to have car insurance if you own a vehicle. Because you are entering into a new country, you will need to show your car insurance history from back home. If there is a gap in payments (i.e you cancel your car insurance before you move over) there is a risk that you may need to pay a heavier premium/penalty. Furthermore, certain countries are allowed to swop out their drivers license for an Irish one, South Africa is one of those countries that are accepted. However you have to do this within the first year of your arrival, and your home country’s drivers license needs to still be valid. The cost to swop out your drivers license is EUR55.

5.  The cost of medical aid.

If you wish to take out medical aid in Ireland, the biggest difference here is that the premiums are paid upfront for the year. Unlike in South Africa where the premiums are deducted off monthly, you need to have the full payment for the full year, ready upfront. This could be quite a big lump sum depending on what package you intend on taking out.

For more info on living abroad, and moving to Ireland, you can find all these kinds of posts here on the blog.

LOOKING TO MOVE TO IRELAND, WHAT INFORMATION WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO COVER IN THE NEXT POST ABOUT LIVING ABROAD?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

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Moving to Ireland? Here are some of the unexpected costs you need to account for as an expat planning to live abroad in Ireland.

7 Simple Ways to Cut Down on your Grocery Bill

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7 Simple Ways to Cut Down on your Grocery BillLiving on one salary has meant that we have had to really get honest about our monthly budget. One of the best ways to save or cut down on your expenses is honing in what you spend your money on. Since we all gotta eat, food and eating out seems to take a large portion of  your overall monthly budget. It is exceptionally costly to eat out here in Dublin – more than it was back home in Johannesburg. But there are ways we have learnt on how to lower our food costs each month. We still are able to eat out (selectively), but here are ways we have been able to cut down on our grocery bill.

  • Set a budget for take-out and eating out  – and stick to it.

Something we have gotten quite good at is getting creative on how we eat take out or eating out in general. We look for specials all the time. We often skip going out at dinner time because dinner is often more expensive, especially if there is alcohol involved. If we do plan on eating out, then we opt for brunch or lunch. One of or fave things to do over a weekend is make a big breakfast at home and then grab a coffee and or donut while we are out. It still gives us the same amount of joy, just works out cheaper.

  • Create your own take-out meals at home.

If we feel like take out we opt for getting frozen pizza or making nachos or burgers at home. It is super easy  to make and is more cost effective than if we were to order take aways.

  • Drink water – it’s free.

We try not drink during the week, not only does it help keep the costs down, but it is healthier! What I have noticed is how much money we can save if we skip drinking even non-alcoholic drinks and opt for water instead. We drink water straight from the tap, we crazy like that, and to be honest I think it tastes great.

  • Plan your meals for the week and meal prep what you can.

We have found that the minute we plan what we are going to eat – we spend less on food. We eat breakfast at home, and take a packed lunch to work. I try plan at least 4-5 dinners every week. This way we have some wiggle room for impromptu plans while we are out exploring or we eat the leftovers. On top of planning what we eat each week, I like to meal prep on a Sunday. We grill a bunch of chicken, chop some veg and boil some eggs. Easy things that we can grab and put a quick meal together. This is perfect to have on hand on the evenings we both get home late from work and the thought of starting to cook dinner from scratch sounds like too much admin to do.

  • Use what you have at home first before buying more.

When we plan meals, we stick to the plan. The rule in our house is we eat what we have at home before going and buying more food. The key to making this rule work is making sure that you have planned a variety of meal options for the week – if you stick to chicken and veg every day of the week, you will get tired of eating the same thing every day. But if you have different dinner ideas, then you have the option to change dinners around to what you feel like eating on that particular day.

  • Pick meals that use seasonal foods, and look for items that are on sale.

The best way to save money on the cost of food is to use seasonal foods that are slightly cheaper than if they were out of season. Our local Tesco keeps the food in season or on sale right at the front of the aisle. When we go shopping for food, I try incorporate these foods into the dinner ideas we plan for the week. Similarly, if its not on the plan for that week, even if it is on sale, I try stick to my shopping list. It is quite easy to get wrapped up on the sale items and buying for the sake of a good deal, does not save you money. Especially if you can’t eat it all, if you buy too much it causes unnecessary food wastage – which is one thing I hate to do. Besides, its very often the unhealthy food on sale – and we don’t any more of that in the house!

  • Avoid buying bulk if you know you won’t use it in a month.

This rule just helps keep the budget in check. If you buy a large amount of one thing, you might be saving money in the long run but it uses up your monthly budget pretty quickly. Unless you take that savings in the next month and put in savings, but not many people do that – you tend to not really see where that money goes in the end.

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS YOU TRY SAVE MONEY ON YOUR OWN GROCERY BILL?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

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7 Simple Ways to Cut Down on your Grocery Bill

Top 10 things to sort out when you arrive in Ireland (as an expat)

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the top 10 things you should get sorted as soon as you move over to Ireland as an expat.The best part of living abroad is the realization that you can never get away from admin and paperwork. Some things change and some things stay the same, but no matter where you live, there will always be admin and paperwork! The bonus fun fact is that it is going to be slightly different wherever you plan on living. The paper work also seems to increase depending on if you are married/single; if you need a visa to live or work in a place and if you plan on one day seeking permanent residency in a particular foreign country.

Basically you can not avoid getting sucked into an admin paper trail, so I thought that I would outline some of the basic things you, as an expat in Ireland, should try get sorted within the first few weeks of your arrival. This list is a culmination of our experience and is purely based off our own experience and unique situation to moving to Ireland from South Africa. If you are looking to chat more about how you can move to Ireland, feel free to contact me, and if its technical info you need about your own situation, Citizen Information can also be a great resource.

Disclosure: this information is also based on the fact that you have legally arrived in Ireland and that you are legally allowed to enter the country and live/work here. If you want to read more about how we moved to Ireland, maybe start with this post and then come back here.

Top 10 things you need to sort out as an expat moving to Ireland

Top 10 things you need to sort out as an expat moving to Ireland Click To Tweet
  1. First things first, you need to find a place to stay – I recommend trying to do this while you are actually in the country, although you can most certainly check the various rental sites online. I just found that good spots go quite quickly, so you want to be able to give them a call, or meet/view the place quickly. This post is a great resource for anyone looking for a pet friendly rental in Dublin. Key to getting a rental sorted, means that you can get a proof of address in Ireland. I had hoped that the rental agreement itself could be used as a form of proof of address – but the bank however would not accept this as proof of address. You will probably sign up for utilities like gas/electricity/TV/Wifi any ways, and these can be used as proof of address. If you are married, try set up these accounts where both of you have a name on these utilities (or one has TV and the other has electricity account). A proof of address is going to be a valuable piece of paper you will need to set up other things while you live here in Ireland.
  2. If you are a non-EU passport holder, when you went go through immigration at the airport, they will give you a card with information on setting up an appointment for your GNIB card. This is basically an immigration card that shows you are legally allowed to work/live in Ireland. It is essential you make this booking within 90 days of your arrival. Over certain times of the year, appointments book up months in advance – so the first day you arrive in the country, you should go online and set your GNIB appointment. Make sure you give yourself time to get this sorted. (Note: it will cost EUR300 for this card; so bring cash or card to pay for this at your appointment). Depending on if you plan on working or living in Ireland, you will need to bring with you all the necessary documentation – this should be outlined on their website.
  3. If you are like me, and plan on bringing over your phone from your home country to use here in Ireland, check that your phone is unlocked before you leave home. In South Africa, most phones are unlocked, but Americans that have come to Ireland often find out too late that their phone is locked, making it impossible to switch to an Irish sim card. I recommend going and getting your first sim card for your phone at carphone warehouse – they offer sales and specials for all service providers here in Ireland. You can get a pay as you go SIM, or a contract – depending on what you are looking for.
  4. When you first arrive in Ireland, you might be relying on public transport for a while, until you have a car. I strongly recommend that you sign up for a leap card – it costs EUR5 for the card and you can top up from your phone (Andriod only) or at the luas or train stations. Leap cards can be used on Dublin buses, Luas and the DART, you will also need a leap card to be able to register to use Dublin Bikes (it costs further EUR25 per year to be registered to Dublin Bikes). The rates for all these public transport services are cheaper if you use a leap card than if you pay cash – so it is well worth it!
  5. Before you arrive in Ireland, I hope you will look at if you need a work permit, and which one you can apply for. This really will help ease the stress if you know this before you arrive. If you are not sure, then read this post on finding a job and applying for a work permit in Ireland.
  6. Key to getting GNIB cards and work permits, is keeping track of when your passport expires. It might sound like an obvious one, but I recently got my work permit, and my permit is only valid till when my passport expires. I will need to get a new passport and then go back and update it with my work permit details thereafter, these costs all add up at the end of the day.
  7. If you are planning on working or earning a salary here in Ireland, then you will need to open up a bank account. This is a bit different to back home, you have to book an appointment at the local bank, and go in with your passport, and proof of address. I had to use a utility account as proof of address, because AIB would not accept my rental agreement.
  8. Once you have a bank account and a work permit, then you need to set up an appoint with social services to get a PPS number. You only need a PPS number if you are planning on claiming welfare, or if you are paying taxes (i.e working).
  9. After getting your PPS number, you need to go online and register your pps number with MyGov.ie to avoid paying maximum tax. You need to do this BEFORE you start getting your paycheck.
  10. If you plan on buying a car/ driving in Ireland. You are allowed to swop your South African drivers out for an Irish drivers license. All you need to do is fill some forms, go for an eye test, and then make an appointment. You will need to hand over your current, valid South African drivers license. It takes 3 weeks – 3 months to get your Irish drivers license back. The cost to get this sorted is EUR55.

So there you have it, the top 10 things you should get sorted as soon as you move over to Ireland as an expat.

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

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Top 10 things you need to sort out as an expat moving to Ireland

What I learnt about Minimalism after the 30 day #Minsgame Challenge

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Last month, I decided to try The Minimalists “30-day Minimalist Challenge”. But aside from the 465 items I managed to throw out throughout this challenge, I learnt a lot more about what Minimalism means to me.Last month, I decided to try The Minimalists “30-day #Minsgame Challenge”. The idea behind the challenge is to get rid of the excess in your home – cut down, declutter, and only keep what is need or love. The rules of the game are simple: on day 1 you remove 1 thing from your home; day 2 you remove 2 things and so on; all the way to day 30 where you need to throw out 30 items. The items you choose each day can be big or small. You can throw the items out in the trash, or donate them to charity, give them to someone who would love them or even sell them, but it must be out your house by the end of that day. At the end of the 30-day challenge, you will end up throwing out, donating or giving away 465 items! It seems strange to think that I managed to throw out so much, but the thing about this challenge is more about what I learnt about Minimalism and what it means to me.

When I started the challenge, I thought it should be easy enough – over the last year, I have really gotten quite ruthless at letting go of things and I find it relatively easy to ‘declutter’ things I know don’t serve a purpose in my life. Before we left South Africa we sold most of things online.  What I didn’t account for was the frustration I would feel when I still managed to find things in my home that I should have gotten rid of a long time ago. I guess you think that if you are a minimalist then you should have zero things to get rid of. Yet somehow, I had overlooked things, and they had managed to stay in my home when I didn’t really need to keep them around. An example is that I found over 20 USB flash sticks in all sorts of places in my home. A lot of them were promo sticks that I thought I would need or found to be useful to keep at the time. But in nearly a year of living here I hadn’t used or thought of using them once. Further to that, some of these USB sticks I had held onto for over 3 years back in South Africa and had never checked or used the content on them.

30 day minimalist challenge, #minsgame review. I think that is the biggest lesson I have learnt on this journey to a simple life, filled with less stuff. That it isn't as simple as not holding onto anything. Minimalism is not about throwing absolutely everything out either. What I think minimalism is, is having space to breathe. A way to sift through the clutter and see only the things that spark joy.

I think that is the biggest lesson I have learnt on this journey to a simple life, filled with less stuff. That it isn’t as simple as not holding onto anything. Minimalism is not about throwing absolutely everything out either. What I think minimalism is, is having space to breathe. A way to sift through the clutter and see only the things that spark joy.

Minimalism isn’t about stuff. It's about the joy of not having to worry about stuff. Click To Tweet

What I learnt about minimalism after this challenge is that minimalism isn’t about stuff. It’s about the joy of not having to worry about stuff. You can fill your home with trinkets and knick-knacks and all these beautiful wonderful things – if they serve a purpose and that purpose brings you joy then that works for you. You can still be a minimalist with lots of “things” – in fact, I know plenty of girls with huge closets filled with clothes – and I know for a fact they wear them all. Then that works for them. It’s the ones who have price tags on clothes, never worn outfits because they don’t fit, or they feel guilty because they bought it and then decided they didn’t like it. That is what we need to work on. Minimalism helps you work through the guilt your things hold over you. Minimalism helps you to let go of fear and guilt and start thinking about what it is you actually want. Do you want to run into debt by buying pretty things for yourself or because you want to create this illusion that you are happy on the inside? Minimalism strips away those insecurities. It leaves you open to feeling and thinking differently. It lets go of expectations and assumptions on what you think you should have and do. Frankly put, you start not giving a fuck. That’s what I love about minimalism. For the first time in my life I am not living up to be like the joneses. I’m living how I want to live. I am not buying the one trend statement piece for my home because it’s in every decor magazine. But I can buy it, if I really want it. The key with minimalism is – what do you really want?

And so that what this challenge revealed to me; that I am still working on what I need and want to hold onto – and what I want to let go of. It’s a journey I am not sure it will ever really end. It’s not like in 30 days you have thrown out all you need to and now you are a minimalist for life. There will always be something you can find that you don’t need to hold on to. When you do eventually let go of clutter, I am sure you will feel more at peace. But first it will be uncomfortable. Because when there is no clutter between you and your thoughts, that’s when you have the chance to really look at your life, be reflective and think about your next move.

Last month, I decided to try The Minimalists “30-day Minimalist Challenge”. But aside from the 465 items I managed to throw out throughout this challenge, I learnt a lot more about what Minimalism means to me.

Sorting out clutter is different from decluttering, and decluttering is not the same as minimalism. For me, decluttering was the process that sparked the minimalist lifestyle. I am nowhere near where I want to be, but I am moving towards a life a really want to live. I am a work in progress, and I guess that means that some days I may find a ton of things I need to let go and get rid of, and other days I may focus on how far I have come. How much minimalism has given me this peace and calm – and how I am trying to surround myself with love, kindness and joy.

If you are looking for the same, then I highly recommend you start with looking at what you want most out of life – don’t worry so much if it’s different to what I want, or what your family and friends want. And don’t focus on getting rid of a certain number of things. The truth is, even after 465 items, you might be nowhere near being a minimalist. Start by focusing on what makes you happy. The rest comes fairly easy when you learn to listen to yourself first.

WHAT DOES MINIMALISM MEAN TO YOU?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

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Last month, I decided to try The Minimalists “30-day Minimalist Challenge”. But aside from the 465 items I managed to throw out throughout this challenge, I learnt a lot more about what Minimalism means to me.