Supermarket prices in Hungary

@nz7521137 The problem, I have no income, just capital (not too much though), I do not like high property taxes, my capital just flows away. Having said that of course if you made an investment at the right time, it is good. At the time (in 2014) we made an investment (not only investment but also to live) in Hungary and we liked it (honestly I still love the area where we lived). But things were going in a wrong direction, receiveving a good offer (perhaps it could have been better looking back), so we decided to sell. Again Portugal has many pluses, no doubt about it, but also some minuses (we concretely were thinking about Madeira or something close to Porto (Lisbon is really too big for us).

Yes it would have been a good investment, but so was Hungary, now Turkey, difficult, but over the last two years (close to Alanya) prices exploded (good for us), now they are going down. (like almost everywhere I think)

What is important is good, healthy life, without a job one has to turn to own capital.

By the way  we looked at Batumi 18 months ago (but the property taxes put me off), in hindsight it might have been the right decision (what happened, happened)

Nothing to complain (yet)

@nz7521137

I think some food prices have more than double.

It's now as expensive for me to go food shopping here as in the uk.

Tescos is particularly expensive now .

@nz7521137
I think some food prices have more than double.
It's now as expensive for me to go food shopping here as in the uk.
Tescos is particularly expensive now .
-@anns

At Tesco, some prices are better with the Clubcard.

But it does show how much profit they are making on those items.

@nz7521137
I think some food prices have more than double.
It's now as expensive for me to go food shopping here as in the uk.
Tescos is particularly expensive now .
-@anns

So true at Tesco with so many items.

The club card helps if you buy what they have on sale.

We moved to HU because it's cheapo, if it gets like EU priced or US priced, I'm outta Dodge!

I wonder how some people can keep a balanced diet with these prices, Produce is very expensive.

Prices seem to have doubled because I am not purchasing any differently then I used to do but I am spending 2 times the amount at least.

@nz7521137
I think some food prices have more than double.
It's now as expensive for me to go food shopping here as in the uk.
Tescos is particularly expensive now .
-@anns

LMAO go back to sleep

@nz7521137
I think some food prices have more than double.
It's now as expensive for me to go food shopping here as in the uk.
Tescos is particularly expensive now .
-@anns
So true at Tesco with so many items.
The club card helps if you buy what they have on sale.
We moved to HU because it's cheapo, if it gets like EU priced or US priced, I'm outta Dodge!
I wonder how some people can keep a balanced diet with these prices, Produce is very expensive.
Prices seem to have doubled because I am not purchasing any differently then I used to do but I am spending 2 times the amount at least.
-@Marilyn Tassy

I agree, it's all gone crazy.    I don't really get why fruit and vegetables are 2 x expensive.   The price of sunshine and nutrients in the ground hasn't changed.   It must be fuel/transport, wages and PROFIT.

Like the mix of wind and solar power?  Have they increased in price in line with the oil price?  Free raw materials.  I want a discount for using my part of the sun and wind without my permission.

If the wealth of the world was shared as it should be, we'd all have more then enough.

My husband has ideas that food should be free becuase everyone needs it to live.

In his ideal world people would volunteer to work doing what they are good at working only a few hours or so per month as needed for humanity.

No more 9 to5 jobs.

If food was free perhaps at first everyone would go crazy, taking more then they need etc. but with time they would learn to only take what they need because no one is going to take it out of their mouths.

I am not for AI controlling the wrld but in many ways it would make allot of things fair to all.

Share the worlds resources and no one is allowed to own them. No one can have more then they need . AI for medical needs, fair distribution of goods an emotionally and physically supportive world for all.

Dream on I guess. People generally are greedy and believe they are different then the next guy. We noticed on Maui a group of very young children palying with each other in love and fairness. It was not like your everyday playground where children are tossing rocks, calling names, grabbing toys from each other. This were Hare-Krishna children. I wonder without that intesnse religion what we all could learn from each other to make eveyone feel part of a loving society.

If we tend to show kindness most times people will take advatage and think you are foolish.

My son puts it as when a child is conceived the parents must be in harmony when the spark is lite. If not then damaged goods are born.

Wow, I really have gone off the rails and need to move this post to another page!!

Prices are high but I'm not!

@Marilyn Tassy Leaving Hungary 18 months ago might have not been so stupid (Financially I mean)

@Marilyn Tassy Leaving Hungary 18 months ago might have not been so stupid (Financially I mean)
-@cdw057

Hard to say where is a great place to live these days.

Everyone has differnt needs.

We have no financial issues here in Hungary but overall am almost done with it even so.

Things we liked about it here years ago have changed and we have changed as well.

Our son likes Japan allot but at times he dislikes being a stand out.

He can not and will never blend in over there.

I will never be seen as a Hungarian even if at first glance people think I am Hungarian.

Once I open my mouth the cat's out of the bag!

There are many unjust things here that locals hardly take notice of which at times get on our nerves.

It would be strange if we all found ourselves back in the US again .

Never say never though.

Hungary's prices are still relatively low, but we switch between the countries. We had our car brakes done in Hungary, which was half the price Austria was charging. We did give €25 tip.
I tend to eat out for lunch a lot because we have a lot of wine taverns in my town and they offer set 2 course meals at a good price and also good potions so will only have a light bite in the evening.
-@SimCityAT

All those service type industries are cheaper as wages are much lower in HU. They are increasing. And of course if you open your mouth and show you're a foreigner, it's 50% more immediately.
-@fluffy2560

I saw they are paying $21.00 an hour at McDondals in Ca.

Sounds high but I bet they don't give full time hours and rents there are over $3,000 per month for a crummy one bedroom in the valley.

Went to the farmers market early yesterday.

I think I'm not going to hassle with it until the fall.

Too many people, hard to see what's for sale.

Really packed with people looking for deals. There were some deals like tomatoes for 400 per kilo but overall the prices are not that much lower then the big stores are.

Picked up some honey from a bee keeper, suppose that's one of the few places where you can get that product from the producer?

My husband still yesterday told me more then once to not talk, he is afraid they will overcharge if they hear Englsih spoken. As it is people are always aksing where i"m from at that place. Yesterday I was mistaken for a Dutch person? Not sure why, maybe my haircut and hat gave off that vibe?

Onions were average 560 per kilo there, not much less then the shops charge.

A head of lettuce was 400. I think it's less in the shops?

Blueberries varied from 3,700 to 2,999 per kilo, we bought the reduced priced ones and they are fresh and plump, nothing wrong with them at all. In fact the guy threw inan extra 40 grams for free.

Long line waiting to buy strawberries for just over 1,200 per kilo.

Plan on going to the spa this week since the weather is slowly heating up. Not sure how much to enter but somewhere over 3,000 a head. That's going to add up over time.

@anns If you go back to the Uk you might not be able to drive anywhere as it seems the London Mayor is trying to do a "Pay by mile" - also they are are trying to introduce 15 mins cities where you can only go around your area and if you go outside you get fined.  Lots of things happening in Uk at moment and not good.

@anns If you go back to the Uk you might not be able to drive anywhere as it seems the London Mayor is trying to do a "Pay by mile" - also they are are trying to introduce 15 mins cities where you can only go around your area and if you go outside you get fined. Lots of things happening in Uk at moment and not good.
-@jp28ju29

My God this sounds horrible.

Sci-fi cities.

In Vegas they had a large self contained housing center just off the strip. City center.

Everything one needs inside on huge complex, sounds like a nightmare.

That's probably the ,"plan" worldwide sooner or later.

I saw in China out in nowhereland they have huge city centers, flats, stores etc. all built but so far no one is living there.

Like a prison that one puts themselves into .

On a lighter note, the spa price is 4,400 for an adult Mon. thru Thurs. 4,900 on Fri. and weekends.

We got a slight discount for being of age.

Today is the last sale day at Aldi for huge nice avadacods selling for only 249 each.

We purchased them last time they had a sale and we had to return them becuase they all were rotten. Opened one up today and it was perfection.

Going to buy at least 6 or 10 today but keeping my reciept just in case.

@jp28ju29 Maybe via the next elections one can get rid of that mayor and his decisions. Looks like a majority voted for him.

@jp28ju29 Maybe via the next elections one can get rid of that mayor and his decisions. Looks like a majority voted for him.
-@nz7521137

Just like here the majority voted for OV.

No one ever mentions how some voters here in the countryside got a bit of cash for their votes. Think the number mentioned was 10,000 forints per head.

I'm sure in the UK it would take more then that amount but people tend to just follow the crowd and not do their own reashearch about anything.

I think we all are going to see some wild times ahead and not that far off in the future.

Should of invested in beans long ago!!

@Marilyn Tassy Reading about the history of the early 1910s and 1930s I have come to the conclusion that the year prior to the start of a new WW are always a bit messy.

I have been to Austria, Germany and Hungary in the last few days and found supermarket prices pretty high, but Germany likely the lowest. Fuel prices on the other hand were the highest in Germany (it seemed to me). I will be heading back to Portugal soon, hoping that that nothing has changed for the worse.

I can't say much about the prewar years in Hungary.

My husband's family was OK.

His father was raised in a smaller city but they were rather wealthy, he had a fancy car in his youth, a big home he grew up in with servants.

My MIL was young in her early 20's but she owned her own small business on Vaci Utca, a small milk and dairy shop.

She was never afraid to work hard for what she wanted.

They would of been just fine if not for the war.

Post war years they lost just about everything which lead to a divorce when my husband was only 18 mnths old.

My FIL couldn't handle being a regualr working class person. He spent every penny he had on still acting the gent in a social club reading papers and drinking brandy while his wife was working herself to death and supporting her husband and 3 children.

Better off without him hanging on her.

In the US my own parents were sturggling during the 1930's Both were just children at teh time. My father had 2 immigrant parents and was the eldest of 8 children back east.

My mother was raised by her native American( Might of been a black women in part too) grandmother after her mother died. The 1930's in the US were terrible for the working classes.

I think people often forget the US in the 1930's wasn't much better off then in Europe in fact it might of even been worst for many.

My mother had to quit school at age 14 and work full time to support herself, her sister and her granny.

My father was a bit hush-hush about his early life, he got by mostly on his good looks and charm.

He should of gone to Hollywood, it suited him.

I do pray that this messy pricing situation is not leading to a war...

As far as prices in Hungary go, I ran over to Aldi today and picked up 6 large avacados for only 249 each! Might take a good week and a half to ripen but I can wait it out.

@jp28ju29 Maybe via the next elections one can get rid of that mayor and his decisions. Looks like a majority voted for him.
-@nz7521137
Just like here the majority voted for OV.
No one ever mentions how some voters here in the countryside got a bit of cash for their votes. Think the number mentioned was 10,000 forints per head.
I'm sure in the UK it would take more then that amount but people tend to just follow the crowd and not do their own research about anything.
I think we all are going to see some wild times ahead and not that far off in the future.
Should of invested in beans long ago!!
-@Marilyn Tassy

It used to be a sack of potatoes to buy a HU vote. It wouldn't have cost 10K HUF back in the day at the start of OV's reign. We had some posts on it.  The bag of potatoes had the candidate on it.  It was that blatant.   

Maybe that cost 1K HUF for 5kg.  A bag now maybe costs about 2K HUF for washed new potatoes. I suppose that's 10K HUF nowadays would get you 20kg.  It would be potato vote inflation. Makes you wonder how OV candidates can themselves finance vote enabling potatoes.  Buying voter influence through potatoes would cost many millions.

If you wanted to invest in some beans, I could swap some in exchange for your family cow.   How one would deal with the large plant, the giant and the golden goose would be another issue.

@Marilyn Tassy Reading about the history of the early 1910s and 1930s I have come to the conclusion that the year prior to the start of a new WW are always a bit messy.
I have been to Austria, Germany and Hungary in the last few days and found supermarket prices pretty high, but Germany likely the lowest. Fuel prices on the other hand were the highest in Germany (it seemed to me). I will be heading back to Portugal soon, hoping that that nothing has changed for the worse.
-@nz7521137

Fuel is outrageously expensive in Italy where the Fluffy Family are on holiday.

Euro 95 is about EUR 1.77-2.01 a litre. Diesel a bit cheaper. EUR 1.50'ish in Austria and HU looks cheap. I can imagine, any Italian drivers on the border with Austria crossing over regularly to fill up at a NON-autostrada/autopalya/autobahn filling station.  Those are the most expensive.

Supermarkets not that cheap. About the same as Austria but overall probably slightly cheaper than HU.

Fuel is the absolute killer though.

I suppose that's 10K HUF nowadays would get you 20kg.
-@fluffy2560

At Spar today the price for 1 Kg Ujburgonya Piros was 749. Expensive I think, but you might find that normal.

Fuel is outrageously expensive in Italy where the Fluffy Family are on holiday.
-@fluffy2560

On a positive note, the Fluffy Family can still afford a holiday in Italy.

Today I was reminded that I was last in Rome over 44 years ago. So it is about time to have a look.

Also today I wrote to a friend that Hungary (Gyor) remindes me of an ashtray. There a cigarette butts everywhere. Nobody seems to clean those up. Very sad. Still better than the US where you are allowed to steal from supermarkets to a value up to $900 and nobody is allowed to confront you. As the US is a trailblazer for Europe ...

I suppose that's 10K HUF nowadays would get you 20kg.
-@fluffy2560
At Spar today the price for 1 Kg Ujburgonya Piros was 749. Expensive I think, but you might find that normal.
-@nz7521137

I was guessing a bit.  I bought some new potatoes in Tesco perhaps 2 weeks ago and paid about 1800 HUF. I don't think it was more than 2kg.

For some reason I have in my mind it was 250-400 HUF/kg back in the day when OV was first elected on a free potato ticket.

My point is that buying votes is also affected by inflation potatoes or other root vegetables.  I am sure OV can afford it.   

Fuel is outrageously expensive in Italy where the Fluffy Family are on holiday.
-@fluffy2560
On a positive note, the Fluffy Family can still afford a holiday in Italy.
Today I was reminded that I was last in Rome over 44 years ago. So it is about time to have a look.

Also today I wrote to a friend that Hungary (Gyor) remindes me of an ashtray. There a cigarette butts everywhere. Nobody seems to clean those up. Very sad. Still better than the US where you are allowed to steal from supermarkets to a value up to $900 and nobody is allowed to confront you. As the US is a trailblazer for Europe ...
-@nz7521137

Yes, it seems like we can afford it but in mitigation we bought this trip about 8 months ago at a HU travel agent but we paid in EUR when we had some EUR to spend on it. And it's only 8 days, instead of the usual 14 days.  With the exchange rate going the wrong way, we could see the travel agent's thinking of only dealing in EUR.  Something of a one off.   Haven't been on holiday outside of HU for some years due to COVID and other factors.

I have to say that Naples is extremely run down. Public places are actually much better maintained in HU.  It's a surprise to me. But I haven't been to Italy for years and I didn't remember it being as decrepit as now.

@anns If you go back to the Uk you might not be able to drive anywhere as it seems the London Mayor is trying to do a "Pay by mile" - also they are are trying to introduce 15 mins cities where you can only go around your area and if you go outside you get fined. Lots of things happening in Uk at moment and not good.
-@jp28ju29

Yes I'm very lucky because most of the time I do not cook and cater for more than one or two people. I really don't know how large families manage with the increases in food prices.

I really would not enjoy living in the UK full time right now. When I do go I tend to stay in the Midlands and the thing I notice the most is the amount of litter dumped everywhere.

However at the end of our lane in the Hungarian countryside we had a problem with rubbish being dumped at the bus stop. For two summers it felt just like living in a skip and it really got me down. Thankfully the council have solved that problem now.

The restrictions on the freedom to travel seems to be pushed as part of the Globalist agenda.

I have to say that Naples is extremely run down. Public places are actually much better maintained in HU. It's a surprise to me. But I haven't been to Italy for years and I didn't remember it being as decrepit as now.
-@fluffy2560

I remember Naples as being run down 40 years ago. So it is sad that things changed for the worse. However, I remember that Naples and Rome had lots of great historic sites (Pompeji, Forum Romanum, Pantheon, Colusseum, ...) plus the 7 main cathedrals of Rome that were fantastic to visit.

Hungary looks like a big ashtray to me. It seems that every smoker just throws their butts down and nobody is cleaning up after them. That is different in Portugal. I also didn't notice this bad habit (or lack of cleaning) in Austria and Germany.

A bit linked (for Turkey), with my wife I will go to a restaurant in an hour or so (alcohol is not really appreciated, but possible). Than again drinking at home is cheap, restaurants are good (VERY GOOD), not as cheap in the past, but still very (VERY) acceptable.

One might really consider going to a restaurant or have dinner at home (in my view my wife cooks VERY good (sometimes at home (Netflix or DVD) and good lunch/dinner can be great)).

What is good (or bad), expensive restaurants (but the latter for Europeans a laugh. Good quality, good service, nothing to complain.

I have to say that Naples is extremely run down. Public places are actually much better maintained in HU. It's a surprise to me. But I haven't been to Italy for years and I didn't remember it being as decrepit as now.
-@fluffy2560
I remember Naples as being run down 40 years ago. So it is sad that things changed for the worse. However, I remember that Naples and Rome had lots of great historic sites (Pompeji, Forum Romanum, Pantheon, Colusseum, ...) plus the 7 main cathedrals of Rome that were fantastic to visit.

Hungary looks like a big ashtray to me. It seems that every smoker just throws their butts down and nobody is cleaning up after them. That is different in Portugal. I also didn't notice this bad habit (or lack of cleaning) in Austria and Germany.
-@nz7521137

I've been to Rome myself and it's an interesting place.

On the other hand, it seems chewing gum is a problem. That stuff should be banned. I know it's banned in Amsterdam airport.  I noticed the local government workers trying to get it off flagstones in walking areas. They were using an industrial sand blaster.

I suppose cigarettes are cheap in Italy.  Not so much vaping. It's all old school smoking. Only the younger people are vaping and we haven't seen many of them whereas in places like the UK, they are all doing it.

On the other hand, it seems chewing gum is a problem. That stuff should be banned. I know it's banned in Amsterdam airport. I noticed the local government workers trying to get it off flagstones in walking areas.
-@fluffy2560

All of these things (chewing gum, cigarette butts, tagging with a spray can aka graffiti) are annoying, but cannot be prevented in western societies. None of this is a problem in Dubai or Singapore or even Oman, because if one gets caught it has serious - sometimes life changing - consequences. In "the West", if one doesn't have money one can practically do anything that is not punishable by jail time.

On the other hand, it seems chewing gum is a problem. That stuff should be banned. I know it's banned in Amsterdam airport. I noticed the local government workers trying to get it off flagstones in walking areas.
-@fluffy2560
All of these things (chewing gum, cigarette butts, tagging with a spray can aka graffiti) are annoying, but cannot be prevented in western societies. None of this is a problem in Dubai or Singapore or even Oman, because if one gets caught it has serious - sometimes life changing - consequences. In "the West", if one doesn't have money one can practically do anything that is not punishable by jail time.
-@nz7521137

Naples metro is absolutely run down.  95% of the trains are covered in ugly graffiti and falling to bits.  It's all really scruffy and broken and extremely dirty.   It makes Budapest metro look like something out of  sci-fi movie. 

Naples metro is absolutely run down. 95% of the trains are covered in ugly graffiti and falling to bits. It's all really scruffy and broken and extremely dirty.  It makes Budapest metro look like something out of sci-fi movie.
-@fluffy2560

Unfortunately I heard (!) that most Italian larger cities are run down without e.g. proper waste management, but a huge number of people/businesses that try to rip off tourists. That is on eof the reasons why e have avoided those places ans stuck to smaller towns like Lucca or Ravenna or South Tirol.

Unfortunately I heard (!) that most Italian larger cities are run down without e.g. proper waste management, but a huge number of people/businesses that try to rip off tourists. That is on eof the reasons why e have avoided those places ans stuck to smaller towns like Lucca or Ravenna or South Tirol.
-@nz7521137

We haven't seen any rip off attempts but we're always vigilant.   Pickpockets are thought to be a  very serious problem in Italy and other countries like Spain. 

They blame asylum seekers but my experience of being pick pocketed in Hungary is that it was done by large local gangs with international connections.

In Naples and elsewhere it's probably run down due to interference by the mafia in public contracts, especially public maintenance.  That's an easy answer.  But really it's also amazing the ordinary people tolerate living in such a "broken" environment.

But really it's also amazing the ordinary people tolerate living in such a "broken" environment.
-@fluffy2560

I guess like almost everywhere there isn't an alternative to this tolerance. Voting for somebody else did never work. Can you remember that a political party didn't lie to you about what they will do after being elected? The lucky ones are those that have the means to vote with their feet. Which doesn't automatically mean that they won't get out of the frying pan into the fire.

Fuel is outrageously expensive in Italy where the Fluffy Family are on holiday.
-@fluffy2560
On a positive note, the Fluffy Family can still afford a holiday in Italy.
Today I was reminded that I was last in Rome over 44 years ago. So it is about time to have a look.

Also today I wrote to a friend that Hungary (Gyor) remindes me of an ashtray. There a cigarette butts everywhere. Nobody seems to clean those up. Very sad. Still better than the US where you are allowed to steal from supermarkets to a value up to $900 and nobody is allowed to confront you. As the US is a trailblazer for Europe ...
-@nz7521137

Have a blast in Italy.

We visited there during the summer once, my God was it hot.

Just got in from the spa today. Hot here in Hungary.

I drag my husband out early before the place gets really busy.

By noon it was crowded and by 3 it was packed.

The weekends are way to busy for our liking.

The price hike in spa tickets hasn't seemed to put people off from going.

$900. and it's a free for all in the US?

I saw that on the news, I wonder if it really is inforced or not. I am not sure shop workers want to get into it with shoplifters these days.

Back in Ca. in the mid 80's for some strange reason I was in the wrong place at the wrong time twice in a week.

Right in shops near our house which was a decent area of the valley.

I was driiving my son to school. No bus for him since he was going to a private school and it was too far for him to walk there.

As I was driving away to take him, my husband asked me to stop and pick up some cigs for him.

These were his smoking days, dangerous for ones health in more ways then one!

I jumped in to pick up a pack for him while our son waited in the car for me.

I enetered the small market and no one else was in the store. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadowy figure leaving out a back door.

No clerk, no other customers.

I was about to just walk out when they clerk came hopping out from the back room. His mouth, arms,hands and legs were tied up with duct tape. He had a look of panic in his eyes.

I noticed he wasn't injured and my first thought was the shadowy figure I saw. I had left my keys in my car and my son.

Never know if you car will be stolen as a get away car.

I told the poor clerk I would get help but i had to leave right away and call from another location.

I drove across the st. and had them call the police.

I had no intention of hanging around, letting him free and the perp coming back in the store with me there and my son close by.

I took my son to school and went  back the store , the police were there and I told them I was a witness. They never asked me any questions. I bought the cigs and went home. The poor clerk was free, I went over to him and said I was sorry I left him but my son was close by and I had no idea if the perp was armed or not and my son had to be my first concern.

Later that same week, I entered a large supermarket for groceries and was almost knocked down by another perp jumping over the railing with 2 cartons of cigs in his hands.

See, it's true, smoking is dangerous fr your health and well being.

But really it's also amazing the ordinary people tolerate living in such a "broken" environment.
-@fluffy2560
I guess like almost everywhere there isn't an alternative to this tolerance. Voting for somebody else did never work. Can you remember that a political party didn't lie to you about what they will do after being elected? The lucky ones are those that have the means to vote with their feet. Which doesn't automatically mean that they won't get out of the frying pan into the fire.
-@nz7521137

There are a lot of initiatives in the street like information kiosks or dog mess bins.

But the information kiosks are all broken and the dog mess bins look unused.

There are solar powered bus timetables but since the buses are always late or the real timetable on local time, they are useless.

People can always leave if they don't like what's around them. They don't have to stay. Maybe people just don't care.  Some places look poverty stricken.

But like many corrupt places, being elected on fake promises means it's just your turn at the trough.

People can always leave if they don't like what's around them. They don't have to say. Maybe people just don't care. Some places look poverty stricken.
-@fluffy2560

I don't think so. Many people simply cannot leave. The majority wouldn't even know where to go.

I don't think so. Many people simply cannot leave. The majority wouldn't even know where to go.
-@nz7521137

No, but they could leave if they REALLY wanted to or had to.  It's not like forced migration hasn't happened before.  It's what we see every day on our TVs - migrants everywhere.

IDK if the problem is too many migrants coming in at once and either not caring, wanting to do damage on purpose because they want more ,politians not spending funds on what they should or what.

Most peple have no resources to pick up and move. It takes money.

I know in the mid 90's we thought moving from Ca. to NM with doing most of the work ourselves wouldn't cost too much.I have to say it could of cost in the range of $5000 , rented a moving turck which we loaded ourselves, had the co. do the driving though. Cost of first, last rent on a new place, not working while moving and just setting up new utilites etc. Money out the window.

I know when we just a year later packed up and moved to Hawaii, we lost a min. of another $10,000 with shipping everything over, 2 cars being shipped and Island hopping from Honolulu to Hilo. Plus knowing we'd only be in Honoluly for 4 months I didn't bother looking for work.Just lived off our savings. ( cost of shipping and having the dog in quaranteen was another large amount)

Renting a house in Hilo, first and last,setting everything up once again was not cheap.

A year later we moved back again to NM, How stupid we were really to ship everything back gain for the second time!

We moved from Conn. to Ca when I was 4 years old, had professional movers bring our things, silly because my parents changed all the furniture soon afterwards.

I really should of bought stock in a shipping co, not Sea World.

Off to Tesco today, we'll see how much prices have changed in the last week.

We hardly pick up any produce from there these days.

Their prices are too much on too many things lately.

Sometimes it turns into basically a water and cleaning product run.

I know in some cities in the US the roads are in horrible shape. The local gv. are corrupt and not spending funds on what they were elcted to do.

I know Vegas overall has good sts. and many low cost community activites.

It's geared to attract tourists.

The casinos get a tax break by supporting hospitals and community centers etc.

I was thinking it takes a strong /strange sort of person to just pack up and leave everything they know behind. Money or no money.

We ex-pats are a strange group, I bet most of us have friends and or fmaily that thinks we have dropped the ball and checked out.

They are so stuck in the rat race that anyone who breaks out is a bit dangrous.It makes them think that perhaps there is another way.

I know my step-father was seen as a rebel when at age 18 he packed up and left a poor coal mining town in Penn. and went to S. Ca. on his own. He had an uncle ut there in Ca. but no one else.

He never looked back, his 2 younger brothers died in their mid 30's from over drinking which was the local pass time in that go nowhere town.

My husband was a rebel, just had enough and didn't like thinking of his future in Hungary so made his plans and left for the west.

Most people are more afraid of the unknown then living in misery.

Just spent some time in the UK and my rough non-scientific impression is that Tesco, Lidl and Aldi here are about 30 percent higher than in Britain.

To what extent does VAT account for this? Am I correct that most but not all supermarket food in Hungary is taxed at 27 percent while in the UK most but not all supermarket food is zero-rated for VAT?

Just spent some time in the UK and my rough non-scientific impression is that Tesco, Lidl and Aldi here are about 30 percent higher than in Britain.
To what extent does VAT account for this? Am I correct that most but not all supermarket food in Hungary is taxed at 27 percent while in the UK most but not all supermarket food is zero-rated for VAT?
-@zif

I think food is 6% in HU but I might have got that wrong. Most foodstuffs in the UK are 0% as are children's clothes, medicines and books. There are anomalies - a milkshake bought in McDonalds and taken away is 0% (as it's food) but eaten in is taxed at the normal VAT rate as it's part of a service. The famous muesli bar fiasco has been settled - is it a food or a luxury good (like boxes of chocolate)? The answer is it's a food.

I've literally just come back from Italy via Slovenia and Croatia.

Food is considerably cheaper in Italy than in Hungary. 1L of high quality branded olive oil is about 2,200 HUF (or about 6 EUR).

Fuel is very different between Croatia (1.40 EUR/litre for 95) and Italy (1.84 EUR/litre for 95). I didn't notice the price in Slovenia but you could see Italian cars filling up just across the border which says it all.

UK VAT rates 2022/23

There are 3 different rates of VAT in the United Kingdom: standard rate, reduced rate and zero-rate.

Rate                    %                    Applicable to

Standard            20%            Most goods and services

Reduced            5%                Children's car seats, fuel and power for domestic use,                        

Zero                    0%                Books and newspapers, children's clothes and shoes,

Standard rate

Applicable to the majority of goods and services, the standard rate of VAT in the UK is charged at 20%.

Reduced rate

Children’s car seats; certain social housing; some social services; electricity, natural gas and district heating supplies (for domestic use only); some energy-saving domestic installations and goods; LPG and heating oil (for domestic use only); some renovation and repairs of private dwellings; some medical equipment for disabled persons.

Zero-rate

Some social housing; printed books (excluding e-books); newspapers and periodicals; renovations to private housing; collections of domestic refuse; household water supplies; basic foodstuffs (excluding highly processed or pre-cooked food); some take away food; cut flowers and plants for food production; prescribed pharmaceutical products; certain medical supplies for disabled persons; domestic passenger transport; children’s clothing and footwear; children’s diapers; live animals destined for human consumption; seed supplies; supply of animal feed; supplies of residential caravans and houseboats; construction of residential buildings (excludes conversion of non-residential into dwellings); some supplies of new buildings; sewerage services; motor cycle and bicycle helmets; commercial ship and aircraft stores; intra-community and international passenger transport; some gold ingots, bars and coins.

Hot takeaway food and drink that meets certain tests set out below is standard-rated(or temporarily reduced rated). Cold takeaway food and drink is zero-rated, as long as it’s not of a type that’s always standard-rated (such as potato crisps, sweets and some beverages including bottled water). Hot takeaway drinks are standard-rated (or temporarily reduced rated as long as they are non-alcoholic).

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/catering-takeaway-food-and-vat-notice-7091