One of our financial goals in 2011 is to save a ‘first six months in Portugal fund’.  We set the amount for this goal at £6k, which should be enough cash to cover the initial cost of renting an apartment for 6 months (including deposit and any fees).

Well despite our good intentions we didn’t add any extra money to this account in September or October, choosing instead to send the money to our mortgage debt.  We have however added £700+ this month to bring the balance up to £5,000.  £1k short of goal for the year but a good start for when we eventually move to Portugal.

As the months have gone by in 2011 there’s been a definite shift in our focus towards paying down the mortgage vs. saving and it’s probably going to continue for the foreseeable future…….the mortgage free dream still feels a long way off but it is possible if we keep the momentum going.

Moving Abroad Fund – Progress #3 is a post from: Move to Portugal

Good morning!  Do you have plans today? I have to work for a few hours and then this evening we have family visiting.  Its going to be a pretty quiet weekend on the whole, but exactly how I like it….especially as it looks like it might be the last one until the end of November.  Our months often go like this, lots of quiet, followed by lots of plans. It’s funny how it works out.

Anyway onto the links and our front door, which you can see in the picture above.

Our front door is pretty old and here it is newly painted.  The paint job is great but the old coloured glass is not looking so good.  From the inside it’s beautiful, outside not so much.  However we’re turning the house into a rental so we can’t justify having the glass professionally cleaned, or even replaced…it has to be an improvement we would complete if this was ‘our house’.

Links:

• Paula at Afford Anything shares her own house story with What a 2,000 Year Old Roman Taught Me about Renting
• Krantcents asks: Are You Obsessed with Goals? (Yes!?)
• EE Musings shares her Rough Stab at a 7 Year Plan
• Ermine a Simple Living in Suffolk shares his numbers with How much do Mr and Mrs Ermine need to live on?
• And lastly Saving For Travel shares her Five Year Plan

Saturday Reading (22nd October 2011) is a post from: Move to Portugal

(Lisbon Design Museum – Life List goal completed)

Good morning!  We’re back from Lisbon and as always after a holiday I feel fired up and ready to go.  Our goals are at the forefront of our minds this morning and we can’t wait to continue taking small steps towards our ultimate goal of moving to the country that we love.

One of the steps is to keep working towards financial freedom, and for us that begins with mortgage freedom.  We want that mortgage debt gone.  With the current economic climate we can’t see ourselves buying in Portugal for a long time, so it makes sense to keep paying down our UK mortgage until eventually it’s gone and we own our home.

But we need to keep a balance.  We have to balance out being frugal with living our life.  So even though we’re stepping up the mortgage overpayments next year, we’re still going to travel and finish the house.  Finally!

Ok today which is all about cleaning and getting my son packed for university.  I can’t quite get used to having 3 adult children, which I have now.  I wonder how it happened.  And how it happened so quickly. Anyway my son leaving means we’ll be changing our budget again. All good as I love playing with spreadsheets

Have a great day!

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Saturday Miscellany is a post from: Move to Portugal

Tuesday we left Lisbon to spend the day in Cascais – Taking the coast line train from Cais De Sodre (4.40 Euros)

Wednesday we took a tram hill top tour – 18.00 Euros (25% discount if you’ve bought Santa Justa lift tickets).  The journey took about 100 minutes and takes you to areas you would perhaps miss on foot.  A great eye opener to how big the city is.  And beautiful.  The view from the top (you can hop off the tram) is wonderful.

The view from Parque Eduardo Vii looking down onto Marques Do Pombal Square.

We’re having fun, but these hills…..!!!

Lisbon – Cascais, Hill Tram Tours and Walking! is a post from: Move to Portugal

This is one of my favourite buildings in Lisbon and one which contains apartments totally out of our price range – although I can dream!  I hope to go back and take a better picture because this one doesn’t do it justice….from across the street the colour is beautiful.

When I think about location I’m in two minds.  One part of me wants to be close to the sea, the other in the city.  Living on the coastline around  Lisbon would probably satisfy both ‘wants’, but this is a very expensive area and we will have to compromise on some things, perhaps a lot of things.

So the question is (and this is a question everyone has to ask when moving, whether it’s in your own country or abroad – unless of course you win the lottery) how much are we willing to compromise?

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Location, Location, Location is a post from: Move to Portugal