Monthly Budget

@Merry888

You asked about buying a car ... Yes a already have that planned aswell lol  so because it Bulgaria I wanted 4 wheel drive capability and a wanted a hybrid with LPG and petrol . So the only vehicles that have that in Bulgaria are Dacia . So I'll buy a Dacia duster brand new but cannot do it until I get my residence card . So in June I'll buy that and park in Sofia long term storage which isn't costly.. costs as low as 300 euro for 6 months. They get it ready for when you arrive .. pick u up at airport aswell..   you can use your company to buy a car but that's only a plan b for me,...   Iv used hire cars since 2005  cheap in the winter  around  150 pounds for a month. But in the summer your looking at about 650 pounds a month .. and if you let them con you into the extra insurance it will be 1000 a month .. they do like to scare you are the hire car company's  I only ever had one accident and I got it repaired before I took it back lol much cheaper .. law of averages says you won't have a accident!

    @Merry888
Well my intention was to retire just after 60 because there's when my company pension pays out.. and it's a final salary one so even after loss of 40% of pension it was gonna be good .. I worked really hard after 2015 as that was when I finally managed to get the ex to finalise the financial settlement.. I did voluntary contributions to my pension so I could get my lump sum back again .. it's tax free to take 25% of your pot in UK.  That's all just gone into long term bonds ..  all government protected.  And pay out monthly interest which will all be compound interested into more bonds.. some will go into a tax fund as it attracts 20% tax.  I'm a great believer in having funds and typically look 5years ahead in the short term and and a life plan spanning my lifetime was always there from my early 20s after I'd had lots of fun and excess in my youth.. yes there are bumps in the road ahead but by nature I'm a optimist with a good sense of realism  so I plan for the best and change the plan when hope is lost.. I find it reduces the stress of life  to adapt as soon as you feel you need to and don't look over my shoulder lol
Anyway  COVID soon took over altered my plan . Bulgaria shut its borders so plan A  stopped in its tracks .. I worked in ,Nuclear power all my life and being on operations on shift  people were dropping like fly's .. so for the next 3 years I just worked every hour god sent ..  managed to go to Portugal on holiday which is lovely.. and finally Bulgaria opened its borders to non residents.. so I finally retired in April  this year but problems  with pension administrator not paying my pension meant plans were delayed due to no pension letter .  Now got my pension and all back paid and the letter so in about 3 weeks time I'll go to ,BG embassy for my D type visa interview
. Then pick it up in April after our ski trip..   10 days later I fly back to Bg without the missus an stay for 2 months to get my  residence card..  my wife can't come because we will use her 90 day allowance for ski trip..
I return home early June and having done some paperwork for my wife ,namely police check document we will go to BG embassy London for her  d type visa for a family member I'd a retired person on a pension .   fly to Bg for  90 days summer hols by the sea return to UK  pick up her visa fly back to Bg to do her residence  card then return back to UK and then fly to Philippines for Xmas with her family and then back to UK for our next ski trip lol
All flights are booked all ready apart from Philippines .. possibly a trip to hakoba valley in Japan for a week's ski trip before we return to UK because it's only 3 hours fly time from Manila.. 
So I retired at 64 .. saved a lot of money and secured my retirement a bit more ..  I have no intention of being expat .. to dodgy and poor returns of savings in BG + not secure .. all my money will stay in UK .. I'll keep a years worth of money in Bulgaria and only transfer when the rates are good .. same with the philippines.  We also have a house there ..  I love ,Bulgaria it's very affordable .. the weather is great .. money goes a long way and let's face it  the older you get the less you spend  and the more you actually enjoy all that you've built in life to get to this point ..  building futures cost a lot  right !  In terms of commitment to your work and money you need to have in place for that future and the life you already live cos you gotta enjoy that to
.  So iv arrived where I wanted to be .  I don't think there's an answer to when you should retire..  it's about when you think you've arrived at that point  and sometimes when situations that arrise allow you to get there.  . But iv had my properties since 2005 & 2007 and enjoyed many holidays short and extended, the beauty of that is that you know what your getting before you make the long term move.
Phil
   

    -@philip Mckay

What do you mean mate, the fund attracts 20% tax?

@mickeyhart

Any fixed rate bond that's not in an ISA attracts the  tax on the interest you make from it .  In my case it's going to be 20% tax because I'll stay under £55000   for my total pension + interest gains from savings and investments so as I get my interest monthly I put away into a tax account so I can pay tax owed to HMRC at the end of the year in a lump sum.. and it's also earning interest as I put it in a limited withdrawal account .. so that can go towards your tax burden aswell

If you go above £55000 a year your gonna pay 40% tax on any interest and investments you have but only above £55000 the tax for under is at 20%

Personally I think pensioners should not have to pay tax at all but I live in hope lol

Health Insurance

@Merry888

I spotted health insurance 103$ per week, that's a LOT!!! (But, of course, very typical in USA.)

Many European expat retirees get state healthcare for free in Bulgaria thanks to the S1 and reciprocal arrangements. Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to USA/Canada.

We are not retired, so we each pay the rate for "unemployed", which is 28 leva per month... or roughly 30 USD monthly for the two of us.

I believe Bulgaria is a bit protective of their public system for non-EU citizens, so you can't immediately register as unemployed, sadly. This is because it's a very good deal (as you can see). If you wait 5 years (and then become permanent residents) they must allow you this option (i.e. worst case is 5 years of private health insurance, as you do now, but it will cost substantially less than USA). If you don't want to wait, you can work here (either as an employee or as self-employed) and get into the social security system immediately (and then later stop working and change status to unemployed).

The public cover mentioned above gets you free (or nearly-free) treatment in public hospitals. Most private hospitals here are affiliated with the public system, and get the appropriate payment from this... and you pay the difference (typically very little). If you're used to USA medical prices, you will find it quite hard to believe how cheap private treatment is in Bulgaria.

Furniture

@Merry888

Turkey (our next door neighbour) is even cheaper than Bulgaria. Many Bulgarians do drive down there and buy stuff. If you have plenty of space in your car, you might enjoy the adventure. Lots of Turkish stuff gets imported officially and is then available in Praktiker or Lidl, which is the easy option. :-)

Quite a lot of Bulgarian companies now have decent websites and online ordering, and it's straightforward as long as you use a browser with automatic translation (Chrome, etc.). They will happily deliver to a village house.

I just ordered a big TV in the Black Friday sales at Technopolis (dot bg). Praktiker (dot bg, or praktis dot bg) is the big DIY store. Emag (dot bg) is the local equivalent of Amazon for all kinds of stuff. Not quite as good as Amazon, but it's good enough, and the shipping is cheap. Furniture (and other household items) available in many stores, but we like IKEA (dot bg), Jysk (dot bg), and Mebeli (dot bg).

@gwynj

Thanks for those sites .. we use IKEA a lot and fing technopolis the cheapest for electricals .. we actually do have a technomarket in samokov  which is very useful.. got a cheap small chest freezer from there at the end of this summer .  End of line I think but always good to get info on internet sites who deliver

    Furniture@Merry888Turkey (our next door neighbour) is even cheaper than Bulgaria. Many Bulgarians do drive down there and buy stuff. If you have plenty of space in your car, you might enjoy the adventure. Lots of Turkish stuff gets imported officially and is then available in Praktiker or Lidl, which is the easy option. :-)Quite a lot of Bulgarian companies now have decent websites and online ordering, and it's straightforward as long as you use a browser with automatic translation (Chrome, etc.). They will happily deliver to a village house.I just ordered a big TV in the Black Friday sales at Technopolis (dot bg). Praktiker (dot bg, or praktis dot bg) is the big DIY store. Emag (dot bg) is the local equivalent of Amazon for all kinds of stuff. Not quite as good as Amazon, but it's good enough, and the shipping is cheap. Furniture (and other household items) available in many stores, but we like IKEA (dot bg), Jysk (dot bg), and Mebeli (dot bg).         -@gwynj




You might get pinched for import duty coming from Turkey? Just saying not too sure but should be. They might have some dual agreement going down.

Gotta admire Turkeys Komshlyk policies to neighbours.

@philip Mckay

Mate Bulgaria has flat 10% tax. You wont pay 20% if you live here.

No I'm a UK  citizen .. will never be an expat .. my investments stay in UK so I pay  UK tax..  only expats move there finances to Bulgaria and are permanent residence pay 10% + all the other things they pay on top .. I certainly would not want my pension being paid abroad either as no control over exchange rates.. I transfer when I get the best rates. I keep a years spend in my BG bank and a further 6 months of spend on my wise visa card in leva ..

You cannot get the the interest in  Bulgaria the banks as they just want to just charge you money not give you much back.  If I can get someback to pay any fees I may incur I'll be thankful for that ..  I basically use the BG bank for cash only

@philip Mckay

Mate youre telling me youre giving away double your hard earned to the tax man! Thought we were  all here to save money lolol Dont we want to save some round here now?

Wise do pound accounts. Change some when you need it.

@mickeyhart

Wise do 39 country's I believe .  Certainly don't want pounds in it .  Pounds are for earning money in UK banks

I suppose if your living on a pension day to day what your saying makes a lot of sense.. but if you have a lot of money in savings and investments the last place you want it is in a BG bank .  And I have a lot of money invested in UK .. once you go expat your UK banks will close you down here .. yes I'm paying double tax but  you have to pay for social care etc on top of that in BG and you don't get tax relief to the tune of  £12570 a year so it's not really double at all.  BG banks interest rates are pitiful and there are no safety nets from there government when they fail ..

No I'll keep mine in UK ..

HI I agree with Phillip Mckay - keep money outside Bulgaria and earn interest.

    @mickeyhart
Wise do 39 country's I believe .  Certainly don't want pounds in it .  Pounds are for earning money in UK banks

I suppose if your living on a pension day to day what your saying makes a lot of sense.. but if you have a lot of money in savings and investments the last place you want it is in a BG bank .  And I have a lot of money invested in UK .. once you go expat your UK banks will close you down here .. yes I'm paying double tax but  you have to pay for social care etc on top of that in BG and you don't get tax relief to the tune of  £12570 a year so it's not really double at all.  BG banks interest rates are pitiful and there are no safety nets from there government when they fail ..
No I'll keep mine in UK ..
   

    -@philip Mcka


Not true mate. Deposits are guaranteed by the Bulgarian Deposit Insurance Fund (BDIF).

@mickeyhart

The Bulgarian Deposit insurance Fund is not Government backed. its backed by the banks which are affiiliated to it. for those who are interested there is a list of which banks in Bulgaria are contributers at the moment. They are not abliged to be and could at any time withdraw there membership. would you be aware?

I did say Government  backed. yes i suppose its a form of insurance but it relies  on Banks only, not the Bulgarian Government.

Its not something i i would rely on with my retirement income especially with such poor returns on your money. 

My money is now locked away in bonds at 5.7 % for the next 3 years Government backed.

I have stopped all high risk investing and will only invest in very low risk ventures. but ill add that risk is risk whether low or high.  Retirement means protecting your income from loss that you dont need to chances with. inflation is a difficult this to manage and  i like all others have to have little protection apart from ensuring that my money is invested wisely and making the max i can get without risk .

As this is a topic that im sure many have thought about but are unsure, are there any actual expats on here that can give facts.

I do have a question

If you are a UK citizen and your tax affairs are being dealt with by the Bulgarian tax office  do you get taxed on your UK pension  as if it was income when its paid to you in Bulgaria.

I just have never been able to satisfy my curiosity on this point.

This post i for all who now live in Bulgaria so they can have a better life and keep more of there money

I just got my 1st bill from British gas  electric only after my electricity supplier went bust

37.5 pence per KW unit + standing charge + 5% vat

OMG! 

And its going up in January i believe, the mind boggles!  thats 84.3 leva per unit at todays money rate .

Im not a celebrity but please get me out of here lol

I don't know much about bonds, but ain't bonds in trouble right now? I thought that when rate r going up, bonds r going down isn't it? By investing long on bonds u r betting that the interest rate will go down eventually and central banks will start printing money again. Where do u see the world economy going? Will we enter a prolonged recession,  a deep deflation or will it be a hyperinflation? I am a believer,that one must diversify his portfolio. I know the next 2 years will be difficult financially,  and I hope there will not be a higher unemployment

@mickeyhart

I am so happy that everything worked out so well for you mate. What will be your estimated monthly budget living in Vratza region?

@gwynj

Thank you for all the names of stores in Bulgaria 🇧🇬.  I found the prices of tvs in technopolis higher that those in USA 🇺🇸, even though they were European made. U said that u aren't retired yet.  Did u come prepared? Did u prep your move to Bulgaria 🇧🇬 in advance? Glad that u traveled a lot beforehand. Do still save for travel adventures now? When will u retire? R u working in Bulgaria right now? R there opportunities for work for people with English, French and Spanish or for professionals like my hubby ( an industrial engineer)?

@Merry888

Haha thank you, in nearly 40, and i havent got the van yet its all in the plan for next year.

@Merry888

Yes, electronics are typically higher priced in Europe, but I don't think the difference is huge. If you think it is, you can order from Amazon.com and get them shipped (direct to Europe, or via a US mail drop), but be aware that non-EU items (e.g. from Amazon in USA, or AliExpress in China) are officially subject to import duties and VAT. I still have my US mail drop (with my bank account and US credit record) after... wow, 23 years away from the States. I rarely order from the US now, the small saving is not typically worth the aggravation.

My tiler/plumber, absolutely loves AliExpress, and he buys all sorts of stuff there (carbon fibre road bikes, tile cutters, plaster and paint sprayers... and now he's hunting for an all-electric truck). He says it's far cheaper than Bulgaria purchases, and most of the good sellers have set up EU warehouses so you don't have to worry about the duties/VAT.

My move to Bulgaria was just down to Brexit (the UK leaving the EU), and I wanted to keep my options open. We only visited for a few days in order to get our residence permits. But we liked Plovdiv so much that we decided we could get a base here and try living here. And then we liked Bulgaria so much we decided to stay. :-) So, no, we did no advance prep... and we bought our properties online via a large agent (Bulgarian Properties) based only on the listing info and the pretty pictures. And checking out the street and local area on Google Maps/Street View (massively helpful). Totally not the way anybody recommends to do things. :-) As I simply chose the cheapest property that was already renovated, and ready to move into, we did spend a lot more up-front. We're just very lucky that it has worked out well, despite our lack of prep and our impulse purchases.

Absolutely, there are plenty of professional opportunities in Bulgaria! But that tends to require some (or a lot of) Bulgarian, and probably living within commutable distance of a big city. Most no-Bulgarian-needed jobs will be based on other languages, and commonly in call centres or teaching. The big downside of a low-cost country is that it's also a low-salary country. I personally taught Mathematics (in a private high school) and English (at a language school). This meant I had to stay in Plovdiv, rather than spend much time in the country. And I spent a long day in downtown Plovdiv, even if I didn't have a very heavy teaching schedule. Worst of all was the pay, about 5 euros per hour (really). It was just too much aggravation for too little reward. I've done a bit of remote teaching, and I can stay in the village with no commuting... and online rates are $20-$40, so a lot more money for a lot less prep/aggravation/travel/dead time. If you can find a way to do some kind of remote working/consulting, that might be far more appealing. It certainly was for me, and I'll never teach in an IRL class again!

@mckayphil

The Deposit Guarantee Scheme is a bit stronger than you say, as membership is obligatory, and the requirements/standards are part of a Europe-wide protection scheme under EU Directives. The amount is 100,000 euros and I'd expect this work just as well in Bulgaria as elsewhere. Of course, over 100k is not protected, and I'd always recommend moving it elsewhere (multiple accounts, or different asset classes such as bonds/cash or property). I was in Cyprus when several of their banks collapsed, and Cyprus was in a VERY bad way back then. Even so, all amounts under 100k were protected (although one bank was forced to do a bail-in and confiscate ALL customer funds over 100k as part of their re-capitalization - some Russians lost millions of euros).

Of course, pensions are income. If you receive pension income, and you're a Bulgarian resident and a Bulgarian tax resident, you would be expected to declare the income and pay the tax on it. And I'd recommend you do so. I think my teaching buddy in Plovdiv has a UK state pension which he receives gross, and another work pension scheme which deducts (UK) tax at source and pays him net. He should be declaring both, and paying BG tax on the one paid gross, and claiming DTA relief on the one paid net (with higher tax already paid in UK). I suspect he doesn't bother.

If you relocated to Bulgaria, you would probably become a Bulgarian tax resident (more than 183 days). Most folks cease to be UK tax residents then, but if, for example, you keep UK property, then you would keep your UK tax resident status AND be a Bulgarian tax resident (dual tax residence, potentially a bit more complicated). If you sell your UK properties, and relinquish UK tax residence, you might have to look at your ISAs, as they are a special tax-free option for UK tax residents only.

@gwynj

Thank youuuu

What is your opinion on prefab or modular homes?

I see they start from 49000 euros...

I would like to thank y'all for your prompt responses, for your amicable support and for the wonderful people that you are. I wish every single one of you a wonderful end of the year, and a healthy, wealthy and adventurous 2024. God bless you all

PS. I will be back after a year to update y'all after our visit to Bulgaria 🇧🇬 💕.

Look forward to hearing how you find things! It's VERY different, which is both wonderful and challenging!

@gwyn

Thanks Gwyn you've now confirmed that what I suspected about tax on pension income of people who expat and become tax residents of BG

I here what your saying about this insurance scheme but because it's not government backed it's  not quite as reliable.. banks go bust and remember 3 banks in UK needing support .  Lioyds. Northern rock and cannot remember the other one could have been HSBC ,??. and from the latest story's about HSBC and it's dealings in China it's just about to take a big hit on unsecured loans..  me trust banks mmm never.. BG banks deffo not.. iv only just managed to get my BG bank unsuspended after 9 months because I wanted to update my passport with my new one..

To be honest the whole conversation was started by a guy on here trying to convince me that I was making a bad choice in not having my   tax affairs transferred here . 

Thanks again for the info on income tax  in BG

@philip Mckay

I hear ya! I certainly wouldn't transfer a huge wodge of cash to Bulgaria (if I had one, of course). :-)

And just because you get Bulgarian residence doesn't mean you have to transfer your whole life and/or all your assets here.

Having said that, we kinda have. :-) We've really enjoyed living in Bulgaria and very happy to have made the move. We've been in Bulgaria for almost 6 years, which is the longest I've lived in one place since I was back in high school doing me O Levels. Given that, I've put some savings into property here (mostly because it seemed safer than a Bulgarian bank account).

I still have a couple of brokerage accounts (not in Bulgaria) where I keep a chunk in shares with 3 small portfolios (UK/Europe/USA).

Under an EU directive, each EU country provides a bank deposit guarantee of €100,000. In the event a bank fails, your national deposit guarantee scheme will refund your savings, up to the limit of €100,000. Savings above the €100,000 could be lost if your bank fails.

@Merry888

Before I answer, just a quick suggestion. You might get more response, and a provoke a more interesting discussion, if you start a new thread about modular homes. Instead of including it in the budget discussion thread. And don't worry, you can start as many threads as you like. It's natural to have lots of questions about a new country, so ask away...

What is your opinion on prefab or modular homes?

I'm not really an expert, and I've never lived in one, which I suppose would be the real test. :-) But...

I have a friend in Plovdiv and he's been importing prefabs from Turkey for many years, very successfully. Per our other discussion that everything's cheaper in Turkey. :-) I saw the first one he put up from the budget range, and it was a bit small and looked very prefab, but it was perfectly fine for 25 grand. I also saw the one that he recently put up for himself in a nice village just outside Plovdiv. This was from a more upscale manufacturer, and it looked very fancy (like a regular stick-built house). I think that cost him more like 120 grand (about 1k per m2), but I think that's all-in, ready to live in.

He's not the only one, there are quite a few suppliers of prefabs in Bulgaria. Some are on the budget end, but there are some that are extremely high spec.

I also, sneakily, built one on my land last year. Very small (24m2, 1 bed). Much more expensive than I expected overall. The basic cabin was 15k, but then I had to dig a septic, connect water and electricity. We had teething troubles too, huge amount of condensation and mould. I think because I was a cheapskate and used 5cm insulated panels... and (silly me) using gas cylinder for heating. Threw out the gas, got electric heaters, and added extractor fans in bathroom and kitchen. And built a separate small shed (same panels) for the washer and dryer, so the water from the clothes was not in the cabin. Also, put some big SIPs over the top (like a new roof) to add insulation to the ceiling, and create a covered terrace. So maybe more like 20k overall. But it seems to be very decent now. But I do wonder whether it would have been better to buy an old caravan on UK Ebay and tow that over. :-)

My village neighbour has also just finished building one. Pretty much just him and one of his farm workers I think, doing a self-build, on-site. Conceptually simple with concrete base, steel frame, standard SIPs for walls/ceilings. But this one's big, I estimate about 240 m2 (on one floor). It looks very nice as he has very big windows in the front, and everything is covered with nice cladding (walls and roof). And it's very eco as he has a borehole with ground heat pump, and a bunch of solar panels and solar hot water on the roof. And definitely much more insulation than I had. I haven't figured out how to invite myself for a tour, and ask how much it cost. Yet. :-)

@Merry888

Mine are fixed rate bonds .. iv locked my money into them now cuz the rates were just about to start dropping .. last year it was only about    2 to 3 %. .  the longer you lock your money in for the less % you get because they become more risky for the banks ..  the UK government are determined to reduce inflation but that takes them time ..   now was my time to lock it in   rates are now dropping!  In fact the 3rd bond changed while I was doing it so I lost .5 of a % and they reduced the term to 18 months for that one but anyway it's locked in

@gwynj

Yes Brexit really has made life harderfor us Brits. But no point in crying over spilt milk..  I came to bg when they were not even in the EU and got to say over 3 leva to the pound was very nice back them .. it has lost some of its rough edges over the years that's for sure .. I remember driving down to Byala in 2006 and there was a horse towing part of a car which had been modified so a horse could be attached .  It had no lights  it was nighttime and it only had the triangle reflectors on the back ... Hire an carts were everywhere back then and very old East European cars like lada. Volgas. Moskovich .& Strabants.  Eek was a pile of poop that was 2 cylinder I believe as was the moskovich also

My  eldest sun said on his 1st trip it was like the wild west lol I had to agree lol

Nearly forgot it was the Wartburg knight that was 2 cylinder not moskovich

Good Day All,

          This has been a very fun and informative post to read. Is it still active? My wife and I are US citizens and my retirement is fast appraching (62... I'm not waiting). We have been living in Czechia fpor the last few years, but it's definately time to go. We will have one SS check, but we should be good at 4200lev (plus I teach English online)? We targeted Varna as we want coastal living, as it seems a little more modern/lively then Burgas (friend prefers Burgas) My main question would be if we as Americans (wife is Russian) would be happy there. I've heard/read horror stories about opening bank accts; drivers license;visas. Any advice or recommedations would be wonderful. Thanks All! Wish you all the best!

@RexTechGuy

There are not many places (especially in Europe) where you can live decently on 2k euros. But Bulgaria's still one of them (the minimum wage is around 500 euros per month, for comparison).

If you've got extra online income, that's a nice bonus. It's great to earn a high foreign salary and pay low local costs. And Bulgaria has very good internet connectivity, even out in the countryside. I'm paying 15 lv/month for Vivacom home fiber (100 mbps).

Bulgaria has (or had) lots of Russians, so I'd say it's not a difficult relocation at all. There are always bureaucratic issues when relocating to a new country, but I don't think anything in Bulgaria is overly challenging.

If you've been in CZ almost 5 years, you should be close to getting Permanent Residence. It might be worth hanging on for this, as it's typically easier to get residence elsewhere in the EU (including Bulgaria) based on already having your PR, rather than starting from scratch.

I think both Burgas and Varna are worth considering for coastal living, but perhaps a couple of smaller places (Pomorie, Sozopol) might also be worth a look. Even though it's not coastal, we've loved being in Plovdiv (Bulgaria's 2nd city, and former European Capital of Culture), and very happy that we chose it. Hand on heart, I can say it's one of my favorite places to live... and we enjoy a quality of life here way beyond anything we could manage in the UK, Germany, or USA.

I'd say a key issue might be how big your secret stash is for buying your Bulgarian property. Bulgarian prices have risen significantly, and apartments in these large cities are in high demand. As a guesstimate, I'd suggest you need 1,000-1,500 euros per m2, maybe even more depending on how central and how fancy you want to be.

In short: ignore the horror stories, and come and take a look. I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised.

@gwynj

You are a wealth of information and are very generous at sharing it. I read all your posts with great attention and interest; very appreciate it and thank you. Please continue your great service to those who are already in BG and those like myself who are even more so considering to move there.

@adardom

Thank you for the kind words, and good luck with your potential move to Bulgaria!

It all depends on what you regard as "essential".  We used to eat out a fair bit, but I've enjoyed cooking since I was a kid and there wasn't much option during Covid.  We haven't gone back to our old Restaurant Ways since, and our wine bill is a lot more reasonable as a result.  My 4x4 runs on LPG, so that saves a packet too.

Our income is rather limited but we still manage to save some every month nonetheless; I've never really quantified it but I'd say that we certainly don't spend anything near 3,000 leva a month, even though prices are appreciably higher every year...and my wife is rather partial to her 18-year old Glenfiddich at around 180 leva a bottle!

That's good to know, Jim and reassures me that we should do okay .

Nice Martenitsa, too!

Just got back from a mini-break in Cyprus, having snagged some cheap flights (Sofia-Larnaca) in a Wizzair sale. And very nice it is too, I highly recommend it. :-)

In anticipation (as driving to the airport), I did my annual service a few weeks early. 100 leva for a city (Plovdiv) mechanic, and I purchased the oil separately online (fully synthetic, 90 leva for 5 litres). Didn't make an appointment, I just rocked up when they opened and they added it into the day's jobs. They changed the oil, and changed 3 filters (oil, air, cabin). The 100 lv was labour and filters. They had it ready for me to collect 3 hours later. I don't know the latest UK prices, but I doubt you can get a simple oil change for that cost.

Cyprus while lovely seemed substantially more expensive than Plovdiv (which is significantly more expensive than a typical Bulgarian village). We had a quick dinner for 2 before driving to the airport, and it was 70 lv. Our morning coffee (for 2) came in at 10 lv at Starbucks, versus 4 at our local Plovdiv place. Grocery shopping also seemed pretty pricey, maybe 150%-200% of our local Kaufland. My buddies there were also complaining bitterly about their electricity bills, which seem to be in the 400-500 euros ballpark... while our Plovdiv apartment occasionally hits 60 euros.