Exit Planet Bust

[PopGun]

Both me and the misses work for the same company, and well basically the writing is on the wall. I doubt we will both be able to retain our employment status in six months.

Yet what other work is out there? After being made redundant five years ago, and slowly working my way back up again retraining in a different industry, there's no way I'm prepared to take a another minimum wage hit. If they think I'm going to slave away rebuilding my career only to be knocked down once again, they've got another thing coming.

The wife, despite having good qualifications, is only recently reaping rewards and earning a decent salary. Took her nearly ten years of shitty low paid work getting there mind.

So should the worst come to the worst, it looks like our only option for worthwhile employment is fleeing the UK Gulag!

But to where? The wife is close to her family, so anywhere further then Western Europe is out of the question

Spain/Eire/Italy appears to be toast so we are really stuck. I was thinking of France, as it’s nearby and my other half lived there for a year and can speak the lingo (helping me to learn too). Yet I’m still not sure. Has anyone one on here emmigrated to France? Or are there any other alternatives for a qualified childless couple in their early thirties?

Oh and as for the house, well, it can sell for a song as far as I care.

[why me]

Both me and the misses work for the same company, and well basically the writing is on the wall. I doubt we will both be able to retain our employment status in six months.

Yet what other work is out there? After being made redundant five years ago, and slowly working my way back up again retraining in a different industry, there's no way I'm prepared to take a another minimum wage hit. If they think I'm going to slave away rebuilding my career only to be knocked down once again, they've got another thing coming.

The wife, despite having good qualifications, is only recently reaping rewards and earning a decent salary. Took her nearly ten years of shitty low paid work getting there mind.

So should the worst come to the worst, it looks like our only option for worthwhile employment is fleeing the UK Gulag!

But to where? The wife is close to her family, so anywhere further then Western Europe is out of the question

Spain/Eire/Italy appears to be toast so we are really stuck. I was thinking of France, as it’s nearby and my other half lived there for a year and can speak the lingo (helping me to learn too). Yet I’m still not sure. Has anyone one on here emmigrated to France? Or are there any other alternatives for a qualified childless couple in their early thirties?

Oh and as for the house, well, it can sell for a song as far as I care.

The netherlands might be a good bet. Tax is a bit shitty though. Most people speak English very well.

Edited December 18, 2008 by Hancial

[HAMISH_MCTAVISH]

What line of work are you both in?

[Orsino]

You're not the only one Hancial. I'm daydreaming about Japan but the euro zone would suit to. Basically, anywhere where I'm not paid in pounds. It would only be for one or two years with a plan to return to the UK and buy a house in 2011 or 2012. I don't believe I'll miss a damn thing in this country if I wasn't here for the next couple of years.

[bear-curious]

The netherlands might be a good bet. Tax is a bit shitty though. Most people speak English very well.

I was thinking this, too, although they were not immune to the property bubble and there's always the small matter of rising sea levels... But a more vibrant economy and society altogether IMO.

Sorry to hear about your difficulties. Thereby hangs an all too familiar tale.

[why me]

I was thinking this, too, although they were not immune to the property bubble and there's always the small matter of rising sea levels...

theyve had that small matters for years ! Something tells me the Dutch could sort if it went up ten metres !

[Guest DissipatedYouthIsValuable]

theyve had that small matters for years ! Something tells me the Dutch could sort if it went up ten metres !

Don't they keep a squadron of small fat-fingered observant boys on call just in case?

[why me]

Both me and the misses work for the same company, and well basically the writing is on the wall. I doubt we will both be able to retain our employment status in six months.

Yet what other work is out there? After being made redundant five years ago, and slowly working my way back up again retraining in a different industry, there's no way I'm prepared to take a another minimum wage hit. If they think I'm going to slave away rebuilding my career only to be knocked down once again, they've got another thing coming.

The wife, despite having good qualifications, is only recently reaping rewards and earning a decent salary. Took her nearly ten years of shitty low paid work getting there mind.

So should the worst come to the worst, it looks like our only option for worthwhile employment is fleeing the UK Gulag!

But to where? The wife is close to her family, so anywhere further then Western Europe is out of the question

Spain/Eire/Italy appears to be toast so we are really stuck. I was thinking of France, as it’s nearby and my other half lived there for a year and can speak the lingo (helping me to learn too). Yet I’m still not sure. Has anyone one on here emmigrated to France? Or are there any other alternatives for a qualified childless couple in their early thirties?

Oh and as for the house, well, it can sell for a song as far as I care.

One bit of advice though - dont expect the grass to be greener on the other side. I've lived and worked in loads of different countries and 'ld Blightly has a lot going to it and does pull on the heartstrings. Having said that I'm off next month to live in Oz!

[Wimbledon88]

My advice: never move to another country for financial reasons. Only for cultural or political reasons.

[bear-curious]

Don't they keep a squadron of small fat-fingered observant boys on call just in case?

You see? Employment opportunities for the overweight British couch potato as well...

[Guest mattsta1964]

Both me and the misses work for the same company, and well basically the writing is on the wall. I doubt we will both be able to retain our employment status in six months.

Yet what other work is out there? After being made redundant five years ago, and slowly working my way back up again retraining in a different industry, there's no way I'm prepared to take a another minimum wage hit. If they think I'm going to slave away rebuilding my career only to be knocked down once again, they've got another thing coming.

The wife, despite having good qualifications, is only recently reaping rewards and earning a decent salary. Took her nearly ten years of shitty low paid work getting there mind.

So should the worst come to the worst, it looks like our only option for worthwhile employment is fleeing the UK Gulag!

But to where? The wife is close to her family, so anywhere further then Western Europe is out of the question

Spain/Eire/Italy appears to be toast so we are really stuck. I was thinking of France, as it’s nearby and my other half lived there for a year and can speak the lingo (helping me to learn too). Yet I’m still not sure. Has anyone one on here emmigrated to France? Or are there any other alternatives for a qualified childless couple in their early thirties?

Oh and as for the house, well, it can sell for a song as far as I care.

Same here.

The reality is, there's no point in working anyway.

You can't save money unless you are a high earner but if you do manage to, your savings will be eroded, either by inflation or by soaring asset prices.

There's no point in paying into a pension either.

Everything in the UK is a rip off and the country seems to be populated by a mixture of idle scum, spivs and conmen or state employees enjoying a guaranteed pension at our expense. The list goes on and on.

There is absolutely no point in working and living in the UK unless you are asset rich and debt free........and that accounts for a miniscule number of people here.

As for alternative locations.........well they are a bit short aren't they?

Oz and NZ are really in much the same mess, maybe slightly less advanced and America is absolutely screwed.

The problem with Europe is the EU. It is a fascist entity without doubt and I don't believe it would be safe to live there in the longer term.

I still think America will lead the world out of this hole even though it is in a terrible mess right now.

[why me]

You see? Employment opportunities for the overweight British couch potato as well...

Yes ! We can just line up all the fat girls along Boston seafront.

[game over]

I'm also predicting a mass exodus from the UK.

Tax rates will have to go up at some point to pay our overseas creditors. As taxpayers leave, tax rates will have to rise yet again to make up the short-fall. The incentive to emigrate strengthens and a vicious circle begins

So, in the future I think that it's fair to say that the average UK worker will have to pay more in tax, but receive even less in public services.

Those that have the talent will leave, those that don't won't be able to emigrate.

[1888]

lived in Germany for last 3 years

moved to Belgium a few months ago

imo there are no easy options

NZ tempts me but they are in as much doodoo as us (well nearly)

when the SHTF everywhere it is the immigrant that has the harder time

from the local populace

If I was free of responsibility I would head east pick up a yacht

and spend 2 yrs seeing the world and eating muchos fish

[blankster]

There's a danger of people not realising the present is but a snapshot in time. The prospects for Britain might not look very good now, but if you move abroad you might end up in a worse predicament in a year or two, especially in the Middle East / Gulf area.

[furan]

...

I still think America will lead the world out of this hole even though it is in a terrible mess right now.

I reckon I agree with that. Seems to me they are around 6 months / 1 year ahead of us in this process ... their hpc started on their west coast a long time before ours and it spread east... perhaps west coast USA or Canada is the way to go?

[Guest mattsta1964]

I'm also predicting a mass exodus from the UK.

Tax rates will have to go up at some point to pay our overseas creditors. As taxpayers leave, tax rates will have to rise yet again to make up the short-fall. The incentive to emigrate strengthens and a vicious circle begins

So, in the future I think that it's fair to say that the average UK worker will have to pay more in tax, but receive even less in public services.

Those that have the talent will leave, those that don't won't be able to emigrate.

Get out now because the state is absolutely dependent on keeping people in the UK or by immigration to keep the ponzi scheme going. The loose immigration policies of NuFascist were designed just to keep those tax receipts coming in. As long as most of them were working and paying tax, it was keeping the whole hideous edifice of statism standing.

They will stop people leaving. They will have to because immigration will fall (as there wont be any jobs for them) and the state needs to keep people here to finance the national debt. Our money is undrwritten by our future slave labour. They wont allow millions to leave.

So we'll see just how benign and democratic the state really is once the financial system collapses!

[The Masked Tulip]

Netherlands or France - former speaks better English than most Brits and is a wonderfully chilled out country. Not many hang-ups. Good health also as has France.

You will miss the scream manic depressives on Eastenders though.

Maybe we should all stay and fight for our country - try and to regain it from the numpties.

[Johnny Storm]

They will stop people leaving. They will have to because immigration will fall (as there wont be any jobs for them) and the state needs to keep people here to finance the national debt. Our money is undrwritten by our future slave labour. They wont allow millions to leave.

Although I dont disagree with you, how do you think they might do that? Without the rest of the slaves realising they are slaves which is the important part of keeping the illusion going.

[bagsos]

Get out now because the state is absolutely dependent on keeping people in the UK or by immigration to keep the ponzi scheme going. The loose immigration policies of NuFascist were designed just to keep those tax receipts coming in. As long as most of them were working and paying tax, it was keeping the whole hideous edifice of statism standing.

They will stop people leaving. They will have to because immigration will fall (as there wont be any jobs for them) and the state needs to keep people here to finance the national debt. Our money is undrwritten by our future slave labour. They wont allow millions to leave.

So we'll see just how benign and democratic the state really is once the financial system collapses!

There was someone on a thread a few weeks back who said he had it on good authority that the govt was preparing to "lock down" the UK in 2010.

Me and my partner are thinking of emigrating to Oz too - she has done it already, got the passport and then came back when her mum became ill. However I doubt they are immune - one of their main economic activities is digging stuff out of the ground for the Chinese to process and sell to us.......and we aren't buying that stuff anymore (plus the Chinese, if they are sensible, will want to be paid in a much harder currency than sterling or US$). Interesting article in today's FT about mothballed container ships and bulk carriers. The bulk carrier bit spells bad news for the Ozzies (and the whole lot spells bad news for the South Koreans as their will be a whole load of orders for new ships cancelled).

[gavp]

Both me and the misses work for the same company, and well basically the writing is on the wall. I doubt we will both be able to retain our employment status in six months.

Yet what other work is out there? After being made redundant five years ago, and slowly working my way back up again retraining in a different industry, there's no way I'm prepared to take a another minimum wage hit. If they think I'm going to slave away rebuilding my career only to be knocked down once again, they've got another thing coming.

The wife, despite having good qualifications, is only recently reaping rewards and earning a decent salary. Took her nearly ten years of shitty low paid work getting there mind.

So should the worst come to the worst, it looks like our only option for worthwhile employment is fleeing the UK Gulag!

But to where? The wife is close to her family, so anywhere further then Western Europe is out of the question

Spain/Eire/Italy appears to be toast so we are really stuck. I was thinking of France, as it’s nearby and my other half lived there for a year and can speak the lingo (helping me to learn too). Yet I’m still not sure. Has anyone one on here emmigrated to France? Or are there any other alternatives for a qualified childless couple in their early thirties?

Oh and as for the house, well, it can sell for a song as far as I care.

Seems to be a funny way of going about things. If you're main concern is employment then you need to go wherever the jobs are in your chosen field. But unless your skills are really in short demand you're going to have to work your way back up the ladder wherever you go, surely?

[conflict]

Both me and the misses work for the same company, and well basically the writing is on the wall. I doubt we will both be able to retain our employment status in six months.

Yet what other work is out there? After being made redundant five years ago, and slowly working my way back up again retraining in a different industry, there's no way I'm prepared to take a another minimum wage hit. If they think I'm going to slave away rebuilding my career only to be knocked down once again, they've got another thing coming.

The wife, despite having good qualifications, is only recently reaping rewards and earning a decent salary. Took her nearly ten years of shitty low paid work getting there mind.

So should the worst come to the worst, it looks like our only option for worthwhile employment is fleeing the UK Gulag!

But to where? The wife is close to her family, so anywhere further then Western Europe is out of the question

Spain/Eire/Italy appears to be toast so we are really stuck. I was thinking of France, as it’s nearby and my other half lived there for a year and can speak the lingo (helping me to learn too). Yet I’m still not sure. Has anyone one on here emmigrated to France? Or are there any other alternatives for a qualified childless couple in their early thirties?

Oh and as for the house, well, it can sell for a song as far as I care.

Everywhere in Europe (well with 1 exception ) is being hit hard its not just the UK, so if your limited to just the EU then your stuffed.

As many have said the one case is the Netherlands and its the only place I have lived outside the UK that I would live in long term again. Have lived in US, France, Germany and the Netherlands and out of them the UK (north UK not the south that's worse than any of the others ) and the Netherlands are the only 2 that are great places to live. Don't even consider France unless you can speak French fluently, that was my mistake and was just no fun

As to Australia really look into it in details they have already been hit a lot harder in many ways than the US never mind the UK, and long term could be the worst off due to they are very dependent on imports and exports to survive.

Edited December 18, 2008 by conflict

[50%deposit]

Same here.

The reality is, there's no point in working anyway.

You can't save money unless you are a high earner but if you do manage to, your savings will be eroded, either by inflation or by soaring asset prices.

There's no point in paying into a pension either.

Everything in the UK is a rip off and the country seems to be populated by a mixture of idle scum, spivs and conmen or state employees enjoying a guaranteed pension at our expense. The list goes on and on.

There is absolutely no point in working and living in the UK unless you are asset rich and debt free........and that accounts for a miniscule number of people here.

As for alternative locations.........well they are a bit short aren't they?

Oz and NZ are really in much the same mess, maybe slightly less advanced and America is absolutely screwed.

The problem with Europe is the EU. It is a fascist entity without doubt and I don't believe it would be safe to live there in the longer term.

I still think America will lead the world out of this hole even though it is in a terrible mess right now.

Hes right.

I dont know why I bother getting out of bed.

doh, I dont.

[PopGun]

Maybe we should all stay and fight for our country - try and to regain it from the numpties.

I'd love to, unfortunately I don't see a way of achieving this without a pitchfork.

All very good advice so far. I forgot about Holland

My misses enjoyed living in France (after the initial culture shock) and I do think it's a beautiful country, I know it has problems but at least I could grow grapes.

Just getting some info about places, and I appreciate hearing people's experiences.

What industry are you both in?

Sub Prime Finance Could be worse, at least I'm not an Estate Agent.

[VeryMeanReversion]

My advice: never move to another country for financial reasons. Only for cultural or political reasons.

Worked for me. Lived in the US for 4 years, saved up a nice deposit to buy in the uk in 1997 after the last HPC.

Set me up for life.

VMR.