This is Us...Living

Live Simply & Travel Slow

expat life

How camping in Ireland is different to South Africa

by 3 Comments

So what are the differences between camping in Ireland versus camping in South Africa?Rob and I recently were lucky enough to be invited to our first camping trip in Ireland. Our new friends invited us to tag along for their 40th Birthday celebration. As with most campers we have met – these guys love camping. But more than a love for camping, they are avid campers. What makes them so over qualified for camping is that they are mountaineers! They all met at university – and were part of the moutaineering club back in the day. So you could say that we were safely in the hands of experts in Ireland.

Rob and I have always enjoyed the odd camping excursion. Back in South Africa, we enjoyed going camping with a few regular camping friends. In fact our first ever camping trip together was in the Pilanesberg. I tried looking through my pictures of that first camping trip, and realised the only pictures I snapped were of the animals we saw on our game drive (shame, tough life back in Africa – score one for South African camping!). For context, and for the purpose of showing the differences between South Africa and Ireland camping, I found this image via Google of the campsite in Pilanesberg:

pilanesberg-camp-site-bakga-South Africa

Image Source: Findtripinfo

So we like camping, and back home we had been slowly building up all the necessary camping equipment. Something Rob taught me very early on, the trick with enjoying camping is going away with the right gear. If you are kitted out enough – it makes the experience much more enjoyable. And he was right, even with our first experience getting off to a shaky start (we arrived at the campsite, at night, and had to pitch a tent that we were not familiar with – in the dark!), I have loved all our camping trips together. What makes it so much fun is that I get to plan and organise to a point, but once we are all set up – then its pure relaxing, you can really step away from the hustle and bustle, and just be at one with the great outdoors (I realise this sounds super cheesy, but it is true).

The differences between camping in Ireland vs South Africa? Read this post! Click To Tweet

The only major stumbling block to camping in Ireland was that we brought over absolutely none of our camping gear. Although we didn’t sell it with everything else we got rid over back home. All our camping gear is inconveniently sitting in storage, all the way back in South Africa. But Ruth and John were determined to have us join them. They arranged between the extra gear they owned, and all their mountaineering friends, and rallied to find us a tent, sleeping mats, sleeping bags – all the camping essentials. They even gave us a lift to the campsite and back home after. If that wasn’t enough, they fed us too. We were treated to the five star Irish camping experience, perhaps you could even call it glamping since someone helped us put up the tent when we arrived. So camping in Ireland definitely is way better than home (score ten for Ireland – thanks John, Ruth and friends!)

A little info on where we stayed:

We camped at a spot just outside of Tipperary, on the way to Limerick, called Ballinacourty House. It was an absolutely stunning location, with a beautiful view of the Galtee Mountains. Also close to a great biking park where the guys went off to mountain bike the one afternoon. It cost us 9 euro a night to pitch a tent, per person (excluding electricity). Camping in Ireland might be the way we explore more of this beautiful country, because under a tenner for a night is a huge cost saving in my books! Plus, this particular camping spot allows you to bring dogs! John and Ruth’s neighbours have the coolest giant schnauzer called Harper who got to come camping with all of us. On the camping grounds there is a walled garden with beautiful flowers, I took a million pictures of all the beautiful flowers – I definitely think it is a spot I would love to take Rob’s parents to, I know they would love it there!

Here are a few pics from the weekend:

Ballinacourty House. Camp site. Camping in Ireland. Galtee Moutains in the distance. Campsite is near Tipperary, on the way to Limerick

Our campsite (our tent was on the right)

Ballinacoutry House & Garden, Tipperary, Ireland. Camping, Campsite. Galtee Mountains.

The walled garden

giant schnauzer. dog. pet. Ireland

Harper! This picture really doesn’t show how big she is.

So what are the differences between camping in Ireland versus camping in South Africa?

  1. Pitching a tent in Ireland is a whole lot easier. (and that is not because someone did it for us). The ground is so soft that the pegs just sink into the ground – in South Africa one of the key camping essentials is a big hammer to hammer the pegs into the dry, arid ground.Caamping in Ireland. Ballinacourty Campsite, Tipperary
  2. Not every camp spot has their own BBQ facilities. Every campsite in South Africa has braai (BBQ) facilities next to every tent! In Ireland, you have to bring your own, or in some cases, there are communal facilities that you share with the other campers.
  3. Recycling depots. I love that all throughout Ireland there are facilities you can use that help you to recycle. It is not so big back home, and I have never seen collection points for plastic, bottles and general waste all separated at an actual campsite until we were in Ireland.
  4. Plan for all weather types in one day. In Ireland it can honestly be all four seasons in one hour. On our camping trip we had a bit of everything. It was cold at night (I did not pack enough warm clothes!), was misty in the mornings, and then it cleared up and was such a beautiful sunny day (I even got sun-burnt on my feet, because it was the first time wearing sandals in Ireland!). So bring sunblock, plus a thick coat. It is kind of weird that even though it rained, it didn’t ruin the camping experience. Back in South Africa, if you went camping and it started to rain, you would probably pack up and go home early. But I will say the rain here in Ireland is not like back home. It is more of a light drizzle, and you hardly experience thunderstorms, so it is not all together too bad.
  5. Midgies versus Miggies – it is important that you know the difference. In South Africa we have these pesty bugs that fly around in a group, just annoying you. They will fly into your face, and just generally buzz about. Those are called Miggies. Midgies are something we have only encountered in Ireland. These little buggers are lethal. They are like a cruel mix of a mosquito and a red ant. When they attack, you know it. But they are very tricky to really spot, they look like miggies, but they bite, so that means they are far the worst. We tried several midgie sprays, plus wore thick layers and covered up – and still got attacked.

I have to say that we love camping – whether it is in Ireland or in South Africa. It is great to be outside, and away from the city. It was just the kind of mini-break we needed. A huge thanks to our new friends, John and Ruth, for making such a big effort to make our very first camping trip in Ireland a memorable one. We know that there will be more camping trips in our future, and we hope that one day, we can pay it forward and help someone out just like they helped us.

Do you like camping? Where is your favourite place to camp?

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, Twitter, Facebook, or join my exclusive Facebook Group. And because I seriously am an open book, if you ever want to bounce ideas off me, or just chat and connect send me an email (I really love chatting!).

p.p.s. I try post varied content 2-3 times a week; I am also setting up exclusive challenges; guides and templates that I will only share with my subscribers, so be sure to sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox! Sign up now!

Pin this and read later:

So what are the differences between camping in Ireland versus camping in South Africa?

How a pet improves your life as an expat

by 15 Comments

Moving countries is hard. It is genuinely the hardest thing we have ever done. But I think it would have been so much harder if we didn't have our beloved pet. Only since we have moved over have I realized how much a pet can improve your life as an expat. #livingabroad #expatlife #puglife

Moving countries is hard. It is genuinely the hardest thing we have ever done. But I think it would have been so much harder if we didn't have our beloved pet. Only since we have moved over have I realized how much a pet can improve your life as an expat.#livingabroad #expatlife #puglifeWe always knew we would take Jack (our pug) where ever we went (Read how to bring your pet into Ireland). He is part of our family and we love him dearly. In truth, I love him more than most people. He has always brought us so many laughs and love in the 3 short years we have had him. But I never really knew how much we needed him until we moved to a new country.

Moving countries is hard. It is genuinely the hardest thing we have ever done. But I think it would have been so much harder if we didn’t have our beloved pet. Only since we have moved over have I realized how much a pet can improve your life as an expat.

Jack the pug

When everything is said and done, only people who have gone through a move to a new country, or are going through a move like this, can really empathize with what you are going through. People get busy, and when you are not around them, they move on and life happens. But a pet will always be there no matter what. Jack genuinely just loves us. I think he loves his little life with us, and having him around has lifted our spirits when we have felt despair and loneliness. The truth is, we have had an emotional year so far. As much as we have grown stronger as a couple, having Jack has improved our lives greatly too.

I have been unemployed for over two months now, and it has been a hard adjustment for all of us. You have this idea of how things will go: move over, get a job, start traveling, life is grand. But life doesn’t always stick to a plan you have designed in your head. We have had to work out a budget using only one salary. We have had to learn how to figure out this new dynamic of me being home all day, and Rob going off to work. Rob has had to figure out the new work culture here, and when I start work, things will change again. But every morning we start the same as we did back home, and every night when we go to bed, the same as we did back home. We do it with Jack. We do it all three of us together.

Jack the pug loves the beach. #beachpug

Jack gets up when Rob gets up in the mornings, and he sits with him while Rob eats his breakfast (hoping for treats, I am sure). Then when Rob hops into the shower, Jack jumps back into bed with me, for a snuggle. When I get up, we play with the sheets (I try to make the bed, Jack tries to sleep some more). We mission down the stairs and start our day. Jack follows me everywhere. He comes out and watches me load the washing machine, while I make coffee, while I iron and clean the house (except when the vacuum cleaner comes out because then he hides away). When I sit to blog, check mail, make calls, scan social media – he sits on my lap and snoozes. He loves to be where I am. And I love that he loves me so much. The best part of my day is when we go for our walk. The way that he runs and sniffs everything. I think I see him smiling. He is always so excited to get outside. To meet other dogs and get treats from other people. I could be having the worst, loneliest, saddest day but the minute we are in the park and Jack is off his lead, I can’t help but smile and love him even more. He lifts my spirits.  I think more people need to live life like Jack: care-free and with an open heart.

let sleeping pugs lie #puglife

When Rob comes home, often as he is turning the key, Jack is running to the door. He is the first one to greet Rob when he comes home. And it makes Rob so happy. I see it in Rob’s face – the love he has for both of us. Jack just makes our hearts happy. Rob goes up to get out of his work gear, and the two of them play while I cook dinner. Sometimes the three of us walk together; or we sit and watch series; or talk about our day. After dinner, we all get ready for bed. He is the first one to snuggle up in between us and usually starts snoring before we turn the lights off. We kiss each other good night, all three of us together. One happy little family.A family of reindeer for Christmas

I have heard all the benefits on owning a pet, and how a pet improves your life. But I can’t stress it enough, how much our pet has improved our lives as expats. When everything is foreign, and new – he remains the same, and loves us just the same.

If you are on Instagram, check out my stories, Jack features in a lot of them!

Let me know in the comments: Do you own a pet? How has your life improved since owning a pet?

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, Twitter, Facebook, or join my exclusive Facebook Group. And because I seriously am an open book, if you ever want to bounce ideas off me, or just chat and connect send me an email (I really love chatting!).

p.p.s. I try post varied content 2-3 times a week; I am also setting up exclusive challenges; guides and templates that I will only share with my subscribers, so be sure to sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox! Sign up now!

15 ways to save money in a foreign country

by 19 Comments

15 ways to save money while living in Ireland.

ways to save money in a foreign country

The biggest requirement we had for deciding to move to Ireland was that we would not get into debt with the move. We wanted to save money in a foreign country. It was essential to us, that we learnt from our previous money mistakes, and not get into the same bad habits in a foreign country. Trust me, there is nothing more frightening than being in a foreign country with no savings, and debt. So saving money has been a top priority for us.

The biggest way to save money is to first have a clear understanding of your budget – you need to know how much you will earn, and how much things cost. Once you have a budget outlined, there are other ways you can save money. Some of the ideas listed below are perhaps are a bit more extreme for some people, but these are ways we have saved money in a foreign country. I would like to think that with this new outlook to life (of wanting a more simple life), that some of these ideas would continue even if we were to move back to South Africa. But obviously, some things are dependent on the situation you are living in. Thankfully we have found it relatively OK to live off one salary whilst I look for a job, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we have a good budget in place and we have stuck to the below ways to save money.

Some of the ideas are extreme, but these are ways we save money in a foreign country. Click To Tweet
    1. Try limit the contracts you sign up for. We made a conscious decision not to buy a TV here in Ireland. Honestly, with the way things are going, I am not sure there is a need to sign up for cable TV, or TV channel packages. We signed up for WIFI at home, and this contract alone has helped us to stream all our favourite TV shows. Data is never an issue here in Ireland. We never run out of it, and the internet connection is super fast, so we are able to watch HD movies, while I blog, and check my social media – technology is a wonderful thing. We both did not sign up for a phone contract when we got here. This is because the competition here for phone deals is ever changing. You don’t want to be tied into a package when you could get a different deal every month. I am on a month to month contract that costs me 15 euros a month and includes 30G of data, 400 minutes to any phone in Ireland. I am still able to whatsapp video call my family back home any time I want to.
    2. We haven’t bought a car (yet). This is a massive savings for us. Right now, we are able to use public transport or walk/cycle to where we need to be. But even if we were to need to buy a car in the future, we have both learnt the hard lesson that cars deprecate in value and it really doesn’t mean much to me to have a brand-new, fancy car. So if we need to buy a car, we would first save up for one, and pay for it cash. No car loans for us. The one expensive part to owning a car as an expat – car insurance is expensive. It is something that we will definitely have to shop around for if we ever decide to buy a car.
    3. Find a place to live in a central location to work and leisure. You will figure out quite soon that rent is ridiculously expensive in Dublin. We could honestly rent 2 HUGE places back in SA for the price we pay a month to rent our little elf cottage. But if you can find a place that is central, you can save money this way. We are incredibly lucky that our place is close to the bus stop, train, luas (tram), bike stop, and we could even walk into town quite quickly. You could find a cheaper place to rent further out of the city, but then you would need to own a car, or pay for public transport to get back into the city. I guess it really does depend where you work, and what you do on your weekends. For us, we love the convenience of a lock up and go place that is close to the city.
    4. Meal plan and shop weekly. This is a huge learning that if I plan what we eat, and only buy what we need to make these particular meals – we can save a lot of money. I am also learning to buy seasonal fruit and veg, and buying things that are on special. Sometimes buying bigger sizes is cheaper, but then split it out and make sure you make it go further.
    5. Eating out is expensive. I understand that it is a nice way to see a new city, but there are ways to save money and still eat out. We have learnt that we can buy one combo meal from our local Chinese take out and it feeds us both. Some restaurants also have early bird specials (where you eat dinner for prime time, usually before 7pm). There are also some places that have a 2 courses for 20 euros deal which is also a cool way to have a meal out but keeps you to a budget.
    6. Take a homemade lunch to work instead of buying meals. And seriously, stop buying those over priced Starbucks flat whites and drink coffee at home!
    7. Avoid the fancy cocktails and hard liquor. Drinking at a pub is a favourite thing to do in Dublin. Alcohol is expensive though. Ways to save money here is to drink house wine; or local beers on tap.
    8. Walk when you can. It is also a great way to see a foreign country, plus saves you money. We walk as much as possible. If you are planning a trip further away from home, then you need to book train tickets in advance. Train ticket prices are cheaper a few weeks before you travel.
    9. Sign up for a leap card. This is an essential whilst traveling in Dublin. You can use your leap card on bus, train, luas and even Dublin bike rentals. Also the rate for leap card holders is cheaper than pay as you go on public transport.
    10. If you use a Dublin bikes, the first 30 minutes is free. Rob uses this to get to and from work, and for the most part, his commute both ways is less than 30 minutes, so it’s free! Plus, cycling gets you there quicker than walking.
    11. This was a big lesson we learnt: if your house is using gas and electric, try switching to gas only – a lot cheaper to heat the water with gas over electric. Our gas heats the water, but also heats the house (through the radiators). A trick we learnt was to turn the dial to only heating water, and not the radiators – as this saves us money too. We also only need to switch the gas on for a short time to heat the water, and it doesn’t need to be on all day, so you can save even more.
    12. A big saving we had over winter was keep the heat in the house to a minimum. We invested in an electric blanket and found that once we were in bed, we didn’t need the heat in the house on. While I was working at home through the winter months, I wore a few more layers in the house, and had a blanket when we sat on the couch. Another great trick is to drink more wine 🙂  – I will find any excuse to drink wine!
    13. The benefit of renting a small house means there is less to clean. It takes me under an hour to clean the bathroom, dust the house, clean the radiator grills, vacuum the whole house and mop the floors. Plus, we clean the house ourselves, so that saves us money too!
    14. You learn pretty quickly that a great way to save money in Dublin, is to actually use coins to pay for stuff. I have been known to take a wad of 5c, 10c, 20c pieces and pay for groceries with it. The great thing is that there is a self service machine at the store, so I can feed the machine all my small change without feeling terrible for making the cashier count it out. We have a piggy bank we use to collect coins, so the last week of the month, we use it to buy bread and milk etc.
    15. Try tap for it, instead of swipe. Bank charges here are quite minimal, but still, it is cheaper to tap your card instead of swiping. You can tap for anything under EUR30.

There you have it, this is just some of the ways we save money in a foreign country. We are still learning and figuring out things, so I am sure that we will learn even more ways to save money as we go. The trick is to be aware of your priorities. For us, we want to save so we can pay off our debt, and travel!

How do you save money where you live?

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, Twitter, or join my exclusive Facebook Group. And because I seriously am an open book, if you ever want to bounce ideas off me, or just chat and connect send me an email (I really love chatting!).

p.p.s. I try post varied content 2-3 times a week; I am also setting up exclusive challenges; guides and templates that I will only share with my subscribers, so be sure to sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox! Sign up now!

Even with a clear budget, you can save more money. Some of the ideas are a bit extreme, but these are ways we have saved money in a foreign country.
css.php