Monthly Budget

    What's the monthly budget a couple needs per month to live comfortably in Bulgaria 🇧🇬 🤔?
   

    -@Merry888

It very much depends where you want to live, how big a place you need, and if you'll be renting or buying a property.

@janemulberry

We r thinking of buying a property in the villages south of Burgas,  but have no idea of the monthly budget in leva that we will need in order to live comfortably in that region.  Can u be more specific please 🙏 regarding the budget?.  It's just my hubby and I, and we go out once per week to eat in a restaurant. Planning on having a garden and some chickens

Hi all

I have been logging my spend in Bulgaria since 2005 and as of last August 2023 I would say 2000 leva will get you a good living there .. it's hard to just say it's this or that because each month to stock up on different things..  life style.. alcohol.. meals out all take more ...  So in Bulgaria if you like to socialise life will cost more and if your a home bird much cheaper..

The time of year will have significant impact on your budget .. pound exchange rates also..  but the 2000 will cover all ... DIY jobs will up the spend...  But if you save for a rainy day aswell that's good also ..

@Merry888

Welcome to the expat.com forum and good luck with your potential move to Bulgaria!

Cost is important, but Bulgaria is a great little country. I'm very happy with my decision to relocate here.

As @janemulberry says, it kinda "depends" on many issues, including what your idea of "comfortably" is! :-)

But I get that you might not think that's terribly helpful of us. :-)

I will say that Bulgaria is definitely cheaper than the UK (for me) or Canada (for you), and whatever level of income you have, it will go a lot further in Bulgaria. Even with recent property rises, Bulgarian property is MUCH cheaper than comparable UK/Canada properties, which means you can buy a bigger house, or buy a cheaper house and keep more as savings. Helpfully, Bulgarian property-related expenses (property tax, electricity, water) are also substantially less. e.g. Our UK council tax used to be about 1,200 UKP per year, here my property tax might be 100 euros or so.

Groceries (Lidl, Kaufland, Billa, etc.) are not much less than other countries. But fresh produce at your local market, or a nice lunch at a good local restaurant, should be significantly less.

As a benchmark, the Bulgarian legal minimum wage is approximately 500 euros per month, substantially less than the minimum salary in the UK/Canada. And the minimum wage folks would have rent or a mortgage (and probably traveling to work expenses) to take from that.

While obviously there are folks living on minimum wage, I certainly couldn't do it. We probably spend more than that on our monthly groceries alone (for me and the missus).

A full UK state pension, as an example, will be close to 1,000 euros. I'd guess a Canada one is much higher. If a couple had 2 pensions (i.e. 4x minimum wage) that seems more likely to be "comfortably", especially if no rent/mortgage/loans to worry about. 1k-2k is maybe "very frugal" rather than "comfortably". But, again, it's worth comparing: in the UK, pensioners on only state pensions would be at or below the poverty line.

If you're remote workers, you have low taxes, and no travel costs. Even with a measly 20-30 USD per hour, you'd probably be able to chill out for a couple of weeks a month.

There's also a site called numbeo which is quite helpful for doing comparisons between your location in Canada and Burgas in Bulgaria in terms of costs, and the amount needed to keep the same standard of living.

@philip Mckay

Are you including rental in that, or is that on the assumption that someone owns a property outright?

@grumpyoldbird

Hi

Yes assumption no rental costs..

I never rented in BG so really have no idea about it ...   I rent in UK after a very prolonged divorce and financial settlement.  So could not buy anything ..    late divorce is not recommended lol ....

But in the end worth every penny of the settlement    I kept the BG properties    she kept the UK

Great answers already! @Merry888, there are quite a few active members here living in that region, but apart from rent, there's probably not a big variation in prices dependent on location.

Utilities and property tax are likely to be far less costly than Canada, as is eating out. Some groceries like canned and processed foods might be comparable prices, some will be far cheaper, especially if you shop at the markets rather than supermarkets. Depending where you are in Canada, winter heating costs are likely to be significantly less (though the Burgas area did get an unseasonal snowfall a couple of days ago!).

With some hard work it's definitely possible to achieve near food self-sufficiency. I haven't moved yet so can't say what our costs are, but our Bulgarian neighbours probably only spend 20 EUR a week on groceries, because they produce so much of their own food. Most village properties you'd be looking at for sale will already have established fruit trees, and probably at least one nut tree as well.

@philip Mckay

Ty for your answer.  2000 leva...Is that per person or per couple?

@gwynj

Thank you. I found you very knowledgeable on every forum, and I appreciate that. We r presently working in USA 🇺🇸,  but retiring in a year and 3 months. As far as I understood, u r thinking that everything up to 2000 leva per couple, without paying rent will be a frugal living. Right? We don't drink, don't smoke, but eat organic produce only. I hope all of it is organic in Bulgaria 🇧🇬. I couldn't find many expats in the region to talk to. Just one English couple with dogs living in the village of Pismenovo. They're living on 1 pension for more than 10 years now and quite happy. What is the low number where comfortable start from? 2500 leva per couple? I need more numbers, than way of living,  but I guess they're intertwined

@grumpyoldbird

Yes, we got the budget to buy a house up to 120000 leva. The problem is the monthly budget after...Don't wanna live with no money left at the end of the month. I am a very strict with the budget.  But as every other person my hubby and i like to go out for a coffee on Saturdays. He wants to buy a small boat for no more than 10000 leva, and do some fishing. Just wanna have enough leva per day to cover the whole month. We don't know how the local currency looks like even. Dollar is sliding low those days against the lev unfortunately 😕.  It was nearly 1 to 1.85 and now I'd 1 to 1.79. Regarding the ss checks from the USA, when the statement came, there was a line on the bottom of it, that says: every $1000 after year 2034 will be $800  only. And that worries me

@janemulberry

Thank youuuu.  I wish that somebody from the region responded, but I am thankful to y'all here. This forum is the only place for now that I can get some answers. I specifically need a number in order to know, if our ss check (yes one check) will be enough for a comfortable living in Bulgaria 🇧🇬. We thought of moving to Mexico initially,  where lots of Canadians and Americans live,  but the cost of living there skyrocketed recently. Homes start from $250K and up in the region of lake Chapala...And the soil is different for farming. It's dry and no mountains like the Bulgarian mountains. I wonder, if a vacation to any city in Europe is expensive? Just to go on a weekend? But then again, when u got chickens, on how many mini vacations can go? And for how long right?

If you're looking for an affordable place to live and work remotely, Bulgaria should definitely be on your radar.

Although it's not as well-known as some other cheap countries in Europe, it has a lot to offer in terms of cost of living vs quality of life.

Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is one of the most affordable capitals in Europe. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center averages around $400 per month, and basic groceries are very inexpensive.

When I visited Sofia in 2014, I was pleasantly surprised, first by its affordability, and second by how easy it was to get around, with many locals speaking decent English.

Even if you splurge on restaurant meals or nights out, you'll still find your costs much lower than in other European countries – or in the US.

Of course, you can save even more money by living outside of Sofia. Smaller towns and villages are cheaper than the capital, and you'll experience the traditional Bulgarian way of life.

But keep in mind – your options for entertainment and nightlife will be more limited.

Overall, Bulgaria is an excellent choice for those escaping the US and looking to maximize the value of their dollars.

Average monthly rent in Sofia city center: $428.38

Average real estate price (per square foot): $220.58

Three-course meal for 2 at mid-range restaurant: $36.66

@Merry888

Yes, we have the same issue about living on our UK pension, as I'm concerned the UK government may do for retirees to the EU what it's already done to retirees moving to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, which is cut the cost of living increases. Currently the Brexit agreements prevent that, but they've not been entirely reliable in the past on keeping agreements.

Your housing budget should be enough to buy you something nice, especially if you're willing to live a little way inland rather than right on the coast. Have you done any online looking for places? Bulgarian Properties is good for that and will give you an idea what you'll get for your budget (prices there are in EUR).

My guess and what we're working on is that for 2500 leva a month a couple should be able to live comfortably though not luxuriously. Inflation will change that, of course, but may well be compensated for by the increase over time of your home-grown produce as you get your gardens and poultry-keeping established.

@Merry888

Weekends away? This is actually a much easier question than the budget. :-)

Plenty of options, as you have Planes, Trains, and Automobiles... and Bulgaria isn't a big country, not like USA or Canada.

Bulgaria has some lovely locations up in the mountains given that it has 3 or 4 good mountain ranges, and it has some great beachside spots on its Black Sea coast. So you can easily drive to spend time sightseeing in the capital (but Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo and Burgas/Varna worth a stay too), or go to the mountains, or go to the beach. If you don't want to drive, Bulgaria has very inexpensive trains and buses too. We got ourselves a holiday studio in Bansko, the country's top ski/mountain resort. It's a very charming little town, and the Pirin National Park is spectacular. We find it's quite relaxing to drive for a few hours (most recently we had a couple of days in beautiful Veliko Tarnovo), and stay in Bulgaria, without the time/hassle/cost of airports and flying.

Our neighbours are Romania, Turkey, Greece, and Serbia. This is further, but totally doable as a drive. I'd particularly recommend heading down to Greece or Turkey. There is a train to Istanbul too. Only downside is the wait at the border, especially during peak holiday season.

Sofia has plenty of low-cost flights with Ryanair and Wizzair, so you can easily get a short break to another European city. We often fly to Spain (Alicante), Cyprus and the UK. But you get to pretty much anywhere in Europe in a few hours. There are some flights from Burgas/Varna/Plovdiv too, but the main international hub is Sofia, as it's the capital. My last flight was to the UK, on Ryanair, and it was about 100 euros, round trip.

Unfortunately. Burgas to Sofia airport is a bit of a trek... maybe 4 hours or so. But the highway is good, so it's not a hard drive. We're in Plovdiv,  which is an easy 90 minutes drive (and another reason why we like this city). Parking at the airport is very inexpensive for a 3-5 days break, so I always drive and park up. But you can metro line airport-centre, and get a bus/train. (It's easy, and inexpensive, but takes a lot longer.)

I'm trying to recall some airports I've used a lot where the congestion in the airport, and the traffic getting through the city, are ridiculous. London, of course, you can easily spend a couple of hours getting round/through to Heathrow or Gatwick. Paris (CDG), pretty bad. San Franciso (SFO) and the 101, another nightmare. The main highway into Sofia (from Burgas/Plovdiv) is not typically congested... then you hang a right at the city limit, and 20 minutes later you are parked up, waiting for the shuttle bus to the terminal (5 minutes). It's about as easy/quick as it can get.

Separately, I had a Latin America adventure, as I spent many years in Panama, Chile and Argentina. Visited Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia, too. There's some beautiful scenery, and I agree that it's geographically much more convenient for North American retirees. But I don't miss it all. For a variety of reasons (including the wide travel options above), I much prefer Bulgaria.

@Merry888

"Social Security will be there when you retire

The Social Security taxes you pay go into the Social Security Trust Funds that are used to pay

benefits to current beneficiaries. The Social Security Board of Trustees estimates that, based on

current law, the Trust Funds will be able to pay benefits in full and on time until 2034. In 2034, Social

Security would still be able to pay about $800 for every $1,000 in benefits scheduled. Learn more at

www.ssa.gov/people/materials/pdfs/EN-05-10229.pdf

I just googled what you said and I found the above. There is a lot of time til then; the government may found solution.

Just enjoy life today and do not worry- THE PLANET CAN BE HIT BY AN STEROID  between now and then and we all gonna die:)

LIVE HERE AND NOW!!!!

@Merry888

To be honest I'm hoping that Gwyn is being a bit pessimistic about the 2000 lev. I'm hoping that my UK pensions will go a lot further in Bulgaria than they do in France, otherwise I'm in trouble! Your house budget is really good, but it may be a culture shock for you if you've never been anywhere similar. Check out an area before you commit, because as Gwyn said, in the UK its always Location, Location, Location. You can change a house, you can't change a house, you can't change the location. Let us know how you get on.

@grumpyoldbird

100% certain that your UK pension will go significantly further in Bulgaria than France, Spain, UK or anywhere in the EU!

2,000 leva (roughly a full UK state pension) is what I suggested was heading towards "comfortably". It maybe seemed like more was required, as I suggested a couple should have twice this (i.e. 2 pensions, rather than just 1).

We, as a couple, definitely spend 500-600 euros per month at Lidl/Kaufland. But we eat extremely well, and very healthily with lots of fresh produce and virgin olive oil. But for one person, I'd guess, with a bit of care, you might be down at the 500-600 leva mark instead. Whatever you spend in France currently probably won't be far off.

As I mentioned, the minimum wage is around 1,000 leva. And people can, and do, live on this in Bulgaria.

Someone with this income most likely has housing costs and commuting costs and deductions for tax and social security. While an expat retiree most likely buys a house for cash (no rent/mortgage), has no commuting costs (retired, potters in the garden), and minimal deductions (maybe some income tax, free healthcare via S1 without paying social security).

@SimCityAT

Thank you. Sofia is not an option for us, as we lived in the largest cities in the world. Now, we would like to find a small and cozy place, close to a nice beach ⛱️ to retire. Ahtopol is a cute little town, but all the villages near the cities south of Burgas will fit our criteria.

@janemulberry

Thank you Jane for your answer. There will be an election here in the states soon, and a new president in office in January 2025. So, there is a hope that ,there will be a positive (hopefully) change to social security. We r checking for properties on line all the time. I wrote that our budget for the property is in leva but actually we can handle up to all that amount in dollars. I don't know, I wrote leva...sorry,  my mistake. Why aren't u in Bulgaria?

@gwynj

My gosh! U guys r great 👍. Traveling all over Latin America and visiting those cute towns 😍.  Do u speak Spanish? We lived in one of those big Latin cities for 13 years and we loved it. I really like that, u and your wife eat clean and green and don't use other than cold pressed olive oil. We do too. We eat like that too.

I am happy that u own a ski vacation property. We r old for skiing now. Scared that we may brake a bone...lol. Fishing 🎣 and hiking will do. My hubby wants to do some metal detecting as well. Don't know what is required for that in Bulgaria. We would like to have a property other than ours in the city of Burgas to give to let, but that requires a lot of saving on our part right now. We can make it if we stay in the states till full retirement age. But then, there is the question of inflation as well. After a year and 3 months we will retire on 62. Is it too early? How old was u when u retired? Is it worth it to wait for full retirement benefits 🤔? This is the question isn't it? We r in good health btw

@grumpyoldbird

A very good suggestion on your part. Thanks about that. We r planning on going to Bulgaria in September of 2025 for 3 weeks. We will never buy a property online. Will rent a car and go to all the little villages south of Burgas to see the infrastructure. If there is a café, or a post office, or a small super market in that village. If we can find some expats to talk to, that will be great too. Lots of people on the forums said, that to speak with the mayor of the village via translator, but then they also said that mayors can inflate a price of a property in order to make a profit 🤔. Don't know what to think anymore...Some say ,don't use a real estate agency 🤔. How to find a property for sale then? When u r going to retire in Bulgaria 🇧🇬 and on what age, if I may ask? Ty in advance for your answer

@Merry88

me and the missus   and it's based on a month.. the longer you are there the less you spend on certain items just like at home .. when you go for a month you are buying things that last more than a month so my grocery bill will always be higher to start with ..

Oh and always take those things that you cannot get in BG.  Like for Brits it could be brown sauce for your chips and salad cream for salad .  Henderson's relish for your stew.   Im sure you have things from your country that. You use on food that you would miss .. you can always ask us on here if you can get in BG

    @janemulberry
Thank you Jane for your answer. There will be an election here in the states soon, and a new president in office in January 2025. So, there is a hope that ,there will be a positive (hopefully) change to social security. We r checking for properties on line all the time. I wrote that our budget for the property is in leva but actually we can handle up to all that amount in dollars. I don't know, I wrote leva...sorry,  my mistake. Why aren't u in Bulgaria?
   

    -@Merry888

I hope you find a lovely house!

I'm not official retiring age yet and don't have a private pension. Hubby does, but unfortunately he was poorly advised and it's not enough to meet the visa requirements until after we're retirement age. As I don't qualify for any of the other long-term visa requirements, I'll need to wait until I'm 67 to apply. We do already own a house, purchased very inexpensively, and are in the process of renovating it ready to move as soon as we can!

Then we'll sell our small UK house and invest whatever we get for it as well as we can as our back-up income to supplement our state pension and hubby's small pension.

@janemulberry

Good luck to both of you Jane. I wish u and your hubby all the best. It's Thanksgiving in USA 🇺🇸 today and we all have many things to be thankful for, I am sure. Stay healthy guys. Sending u hugs and many blessings

@philip Mckay

Thank you again for your reply. I don't think I will miss anything really regarding food. When u think of Canada 🇨🇦 is always the famous maple 🍁 syrup people r thinking of,  but as I am an insulin resistant,  I don't do sugar at all. Can't eat white flour, or anything done with white flour like the Bulgarian famous baniza or the other breakfast items they got. I have seen many videos about food on Bulgaria 🇧🇬 on YouTube,  and I wonder 🤔 what will I have for breakfast or lunch or dinner while there? It worries me greatly. I eat pancakes made by me here in the USA 🇺🇸. I poor an almond milk with chia and gluten-free oats or quinoa flakes to soak overnight.  Then I add dry prunes on pieces,  walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin spice, an unsweetened apple sauce and 2 egg whites and grill my pancakes on the grill. For lunch is an organic chicken thighs with steamed organic broccoli 🥦 and salad from organic tomatoes 🍅 and organic cucumbers 🥒.  Hazelnuts or low fat yogurt for snack, and a half sweet potato 🥔 for dinner. I drink a decaf black filter coffee ☕️ in the morning too. I basically do a keto, and exercise for an hour every day except on weekends on my treadmill.  I prefer to walk in nature, like the guy in this forum that lives in Plovdiv, or just walk on the beach ⛱️ and do some earthing. My hubby is a health freak too. He takes looots of supplements that we don't know, if we can find in Bulgaria...Can we bring all of those supplements with us? But, if we go back to the food question, as an insulin resistant...I am worried about it, and if everything is available or organic or if it will fit our budget.. We spend $230 every week on food in the states. As the guy from California stated, everything is expensive here. I don't eat fried food at all, and I see lots of fried fish on the menu by the sea. Grilled for me only, low in fat, no white flour

@gwynj

A question regarding household items perhaps 🤔.

We r thinking of bringing everything we own with us, as this will be the last time we will be moving ( I hope). We would like to ship it all in a container,  as everything has a sentimental value for us now. We gathered lots of stuff from around the world.  But our electronic stuff from USA is on 110 V .What should we do? Also regarding cars. What car is reliable to buy in Bulgaria, as cars r different models there. We saw and liked Nissan Navara on the internet, but the models presented r diesel ⛽️ only. My husband wants an automatic model on gas, which can easily be modified just in case. Did u buy a car in Bulgaria 🇧🇬, and did u guys move your household from UK 🇬🇧 to Bulgaria 🇧🇬 🤔? How did u furnished your apartment in the ski resort? Any furniture store in Burgas to suggest 🤔,  so I can see some prices? I think that bulgarians go to Turkey 🇹🇷 to buy cheap stuff too. Is it worth all the trouble?

Getting healthier food shouldn't be too much of an issue. Burgas should have at least one health food store/ organic store. Even the very small town nearest our village has a fruit and vegetable store that also sells a good range of nuts, seeds, gluten-free flours and dairy-free milks.

I do find some of these items more expensive there than in the UK, so when we move we'll be buying in bulk and  making our own. Zoya is an excellent Sofia-based online health food store that delivers all over Bulgaria. Amazon in Germany will also deliver to Bulgaria.

There's no guarantee the produce in supermarkets is organic unless they specifically say, though it may be.

@Merry888

The fresh veg is very nice here and it actually does taste of something .. if  your in a village it's goings to be what's in season ..  frozen is quite awful in BG ..

To be honest we tend to eat  at home. If your by the sea you can easily get fresh seafood ..  in the mountains don't bother .. frozen seafood  is not good ... We live in the mountains in the winter as we love to ski .  And spring summer is spent 300 MTR from the sea.. we like the best of both worlds and there 500 km apart.  But roads are getting quicker all the time here and it takes about 4 hrs drive unless we stop on the motorway for food .. we don't even have to go through Burgas now as a new bypass opened this year . Another 20minutes saved..

Plenty of nuts in small shops here and plenty of variety.  However there not to hot on breakfast cereals .  Mmm you could struggle with your diet..  but they do very nice salads here and often there 10 different types of salads on most restaurants menus.   

The food is very meaty in BG and very seasoned.

I will miss my suit meat puddings , English Northumberland sausages

However I do intend to start to make my own . One thing I learned to do after my divorce was teach myself to cook ... And I do like making cakes which iv just started to do .. my next will be a coconut cake.  I just hope it's as good as my grandma used to make lol ..

I think that to go and live abroad is about adapting what they can supply to what you need ...  Finding the alternatives .. and also BG is modernising fast ..  is that for the better? well that's a matter of opinion  I suppose .. maybe it won't be long before the foods you normally eat will be available somewhere close but probably in a city or large town ..

Good luck with your future hope it will be good for you ..

Iv been planning my escape from UK for the last 44yrs  and now iv retired next year is my escape year and finally get my residence card .  In 6 weeks time we fly to Sofia and then 3 months  in Samokov with lots of skiing in borovets and a trip to Bansko for a couple of weeks ..

Can't wait

@philip Mckay

This was a very informative post . Thank you a lot, and I wish u good luck and everything the best. U seem excited about finally be free...

May I ask how old u will be when u retire? It's a huge discussion these days,if one should retire when is 62 or when is on 67? Or somewhere between? I found in my research that 50% of people are for: why wait and just retire at 62 and the other 50% is like: no way I am going to leave money on the table...

And something else: r u planning on buying a car in Bulgaria 🇧🇬?

@Reni99

Yes, u r right. YOLO. We r in Texas, and I found your data to be precise about everything: electricity, water, insurance, how much you spend on food and health insurance ($200 monthly, ours is $103 weekly dental included). Everything is expensive here, because we buy from Whole foods and organic only. Can not get the food bill less that $225 weekly...Many Calis r coming to Texas ( Austin) to live here. When r u going to retire to Bulgaria 🇧🇬,  and on what age? Do u worry about the social security? We hope that the new president will fix it some how, but as Canadians we do not participate in political or religious events in the country. And because we r here as Canadians on a NAFTA visa, only my hubby is allowed to work, and I am not, which sucks. U must be on the occupation list...So, one US ss check only unfortunately.  We will have a small pension from Canada as well though too.  And the full retirement age in Canada is 65 and not 67, as in USA.  I found it ridiculous, that the ITs from India that r on H1B visa r here to work as well,  but their wives can work too. And us, as Canadians can't not...It isn't right, right? How come, their wives are allowed to work, and wives on a TN holder can not???? But, because they're so many,  and they organized a strike and took a lawyer to represent their whole community, they won the case and the right to work in the states. I have nothing against the people from India of course,  but the work situation ain't right. I hoped ,that Canada will change and renegotiate that for us here, living in the states but no...Sorry for my rant...

I wanted to ask u, if u think that we will have a recession,  a depression or a high inflation next year.  I am listening to all economic news every day, and economists r saying, that the next 2 years will be the worst ever, and even comparing them to the Great Depression of 1929. R u prepared? R u worried?

PS: R u going to ship a container with household items to Bulgaria or buy there everything new? Because we r thinking of shipping it all there to Burgas

@janemulberry.

Thank you Jane

Zoya was an excellent suggestion

You know so much about Bulgaria,  without living there. How come?

I don't know anywhere near as much about Bulgaria as I'll need to, but I will be living there just as soon as I can! We've visited numerous times over the years since our first trip there in 2013.  I wanted to buy somewhere then and there but hubby took a bit more persuading!

I now own a house in the north-east which I'm renovating, and get there as often as I can. I'm having Bulgaria withdrawal symptoms at present. I wasn't able to make my last planned trip in October due to hubby being ill, and now the weather is more wintery and they can't take on any more outdoor work, I have the slowest builders in Bulgaria working on the kitchen and bathroom so need to stay out their way. Because of the layout, the house isn't really livable while they work.

Actually I own two houses in the same village.  I bought a very cheap house online sight unseen before the Brexit deadline so I could get residency under the old rules. My aim was to use the adorable little house, not really suitable as a permanent home for two of us, as a country retreat and have our main home an apartment in town. Then I bought a second not quite so cheap house in the same village from the same online estate agent, with the plan to stay in that one when I was there renovating the other, which I knew was definitely not livable or even realistically campable.

Well, things didn't quite work out as I hoped, thanks to the Covid travel restrictions and then hubby's worsened health. He's finally, two weeks ago, had the surgery he needed to get years ago but couldn't, and is as well as he's ever going to be. Phew! But we missed the window to get residency under the pre-Covid rules and now have to wait until I'm getting my retirement pension. Town apartment prices in Bulgaria have rocketed, and though we could still afford to get one after selling our house here it would leave us with less savings than I feel comfortable with given the unpredictability fo what the UK government might do with our pension.

So the Plan B (or are we up to Plan C or D by now?) is to live in the second, better, village house. It has wonderful neighbours, plenty of space, a convenient location, and even my confirmed townie husband likes it there!

LOL, more than you needed to know! But I adore Bulgaria, love the village, have never felt so welcomed and befriended. There are plenty of challenges, but it will be worth it.

@janemulberry

I wish u all the best Jane and hubby ❤️.  And a speed recovery to your husband.  All we want really is, all of us to be healthy, so we all can make it to our dream destinations. I found all participants here in this forum very helpful and excited for their future. I hate when someone says, that people die with all they dreams 😒. I wish for everyone in this forum and around the world 🌎 to achieve their greatest goals and accomplish their deepest dreams.

Please think positive. U can do it !!! I found our life to be on stages,  and I feel that the next stage is near, and I am glad that it will bring us to Bulgaria 🇧🇬.  We r seeing it thru rose glasses I guess for now. But we r going to jump and let God catch us. May the wind go under your wings and lift u safely to the place your heart ❤️ desires Jane. Please follow your dreams and cheers 🍻 to a new begging to all of us here

    @Merry888
The fresh veg is very nice here and it actually does taste of something .. if  your in a village it's goings to be what's in season ..  frozen is quite awful in BG ..
To be honest we tend to eat  at home. If your by the sea you can easily get fresh seafood ..  in the mountains don't bother .. frozen seafood  is not good ... We live in the mountains in the winter as we love to ski .  And spring summer is spent 300 MTR from the sea.. we like the best of both worlds and there 500 km apart.  But roads are getting quicker all the time here and it takes about 4 hrs drive unless we stop on the motorway for food .. we don't even have to go through Burgas now as a new bypass opened this year . Another 20minutes saved..
Plenty of nuts in small shops here and plenty of variety.  However there not to hot on breakfast cereals .  Mmm you could struggle with your diet..  but they do very nice salads here and often there 10 different types of salads on most restaurants menus.   
The food is very meaty in BG and very seasoned.
I will miss my suit meat puddings , English Northumberland sausages
However I do intend to start to make my own . One thing I learned to do after my divorce was teach myself to cook ... And I do like making cakes which iv just started to do .. my next will be a coconut cake.  I just hope it's as good as my grandma used to make lol ..
I think that to go and live abroad is about adapting what they can supply to what you need ...  Finding the alternatives .. and also BG is modernising fast ..  is that for the better? well that's a matter of opinion  I suppose .. maybe it won't be long before the foods you normally eat will be available somewhere close but probably in a city or large town ..
Good luck with your future hope it will be good for you ..
Iv been planning my escape from UK for the last 44yrs  and now iv retired next year is my escape year and finally get my residence card .  In 6 weeks time we fly to Sofia and then 3 months  in Samokov with lots of skiing in borovets and a trip to Bansko for a couple of weeks ..
Can't wait -@philip Mckay

Winning at life mate

@billythekid007

I like your name here.. A combination of Billy the kid and a 007 agent. I am guessing, that u r still young, and u got many years before u go to Bulgaria. How is the van life treating you? Do u travel a lot? I actually found the post of Mr. Philip quite positive, even though he went though a lot.

@janemulberry

Hi Jane

Make sure your Bulgarian builders are not doing any plastering during the winter or it will fall of eventually.

Back in 2012 I suddenly found out they were doing it Xmas week run up  an then they took there heaters home and the wall they worked on was a block of ice .  I stopped all work after that until the spring ..  served them right!