Immigrating to the UK

scud said:
UK Sim - https://www.giffgaff.com
Pay as you go with any credit/debit card.
Unlimited Free calls to uk landlines & mobile, many data options.
Also has very cheap international call rates.
Click to expand...

Nowhere near the same value as offered by others and runs on o2, probably the weakest of the 4 networks. I wouldn't really recommend them for someone wanting lots of data use.
 
Tman* said:
UK SIM - can anyone recommend a good SIM only deal with at least 20gb of data and 1000mins of calling per month? I have no clue what networks are good. Similarly, can someone please post info on getting hooked up to home internet, what do I have to do?
Click to expand...

For internet go to https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/
And pop in the postcode to see what providers you can get in your area.
Generally can't go wrong with BT, Virgin, O2. I've been with all of them and chop and change every few years depending on who is the cheapest.
Whatever you do though stay away from Talk Talk and PlusNet. Horrible customer service.

Not sure if you will struggle on the contract though as you will have zero credit history.
 
Tman* said:
Only packed sentimental stuff, paintings, art, some of our nicer furniture, kitchen stuff, tools, some electronics and clothing. I think its well worth it, considering replacement cost of all these items in the UK.
Click to expand...
I was about to say why, then read this. Good luck on your move. Would if I could. Maybe not to the UK.
 
gregmcc said:
For internet go to https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/
Click to expand...

Good suggestion, I used them in January when I decided it was definitely time to leave Virgin (abysmal customer service and one price increase to many) and ended up on a Vodafone broadband offer. Free install and £20 a month with a £90 prepaid debit card reward. The Vodafone broadband is half the headline speed (up to 67Mbps iirc) of Virgin (110Mbps) but feels far quicker and responsive.
 
Tman* said:
SHOPPING: Ill essentially arrive to a house with only a bed in, and while we wait for the shipping I have an Amazon cart with other essentials, anything from kitchenware, linen office chairs & desks, TV etc. Apart from Ikea, are there any other online shops to consider?

BANKING - https://mybroadband.co.za/forum/threads/opening-a-uk-bank-account.224050/ is Monzo still the preferred UK bank account, can someone perhaps comment on what they would recommend?

I have a Mercantile local account and will make a SWIFT payment ZAR > GBP to take all my funds out of SA.

Can anyone comment on this: https://www.koyoloans.com/blog/loans/personal-loans/build-credit-score-new-immigrants-uk/ and using a company such as this https://www.loqbox.com for building credit? Is it worth it and does it work?

Ill keep my FNB CC for as long as needed until I have access to a UK credit line.
Click to expand...

For your appliances you can check out https://www.argos.co.uk/ also
Bedding we used https://www.wayfair.co.uk/

You can also open a Barclays account with the app when you are there, works like Monzo where they post you the card / pin seperate to activate.
TBH I have used monzo for a while and no problems, I use barclays for my savings

I know of experian and credit karma for checking/building your credit
Register on voting roll asap to help with your credit score

TV license can help for proof of address if you dont have lease etc


Which area are you heading to?
 
Leno said:
Register on voting roll asap to help with your credit score
Click to expand...
Good idea there.

Also on the appliances do a price comparison between all the big players.
www.ao.com
www.currys.co.uk
and of course Amazon but sometimes they are not always the cheapest.

For groceries I highly recommend Lidl. They are cheap as hell and while they don't always stock the brand names you are used seeing they have good alternatives.
 
rh1 said:
I was about to say why, then read this. Good luck on your move. Would if I could. Maybe not to the UK.
Click to expand...
Im seeing the UK as a foot in the door to try a different life. If its not all that, Ill move on elsewhere, EU on my doorstep and all
 
  • Like
Reactions: rh1
Dave said:
Good suggestion, I used them in January when I decided it was definitely time to leave Virgin (abysmal customer service and one price increase to many) and ended up on a Vodafone broadband offer. Free install and £20 a month with a £90 prepaid debit card reward. The Vodafone broadband is half the headline speed (up to 67Mbps iirc) of Virgin (110Mbps) but feels far quicker and responsive.
Click to expand...

Did the same eventually, and got a discount because I was a Vodafone mobile customer. SIM + broadband for £45/month.
 
JayM said:
There is an sneaky (completely legal though!) workaround for British passport holders to still be able to live and work in the EU.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I guess there are, but was asking cause I don’t recall ever seeing what route of entry he had into the UK to begin with.

Saw a random post on a FB group the other day of another Saffer saying he was coming over here permanently on his Portuguese passport and asking if there was anything he should know. The most common response was like “er, sorry buddy, but that’s not possible anymore”.
 
For those already in the UK, how has the massive uplift in inflation been felt? How are people coping?
 
air said:
For those already in the UK, how has the massive uplift in inflation been felt? How are people coping?
Click to expand...

Personally, the household is probably spending an extra 80 odd on stuff .... gas an extra 20 a month, food and mobile the rest. Noticeable but thankfully not making an impact.
 
  • Like
Reactions: air
air said:
For those already in the UK, how has the massive uplift in inflation been felt? How are people coping?
Click to expand...
Depends where you live, I think. My London-based colleagues are feeling it, compounded by more companies asking people to come back to the office, so that extra travel expense comes into play.
I think it's going to get more painful over the next year before things start getting better again.
 
  • Like
Reactions: air
Dave said:
Monzo is probably still the easiest to get, I would say Starling is a better online bank. I've been happy with a "traditional" account with Halifax as well.
Click to expand...
From what I can see Monzo does offer a service where you can send/receive money similar to Venmo in the US?

I've also seen other options such as Wize, but it looks to specialise more in international transfers.

What would be the easiest/safest method of paying someone or receiving money lets say if I go buy a TV on Gumtree or if I sell an old phone on Marketplace? (except for cash)
 
Tman* said:
From what I can see Monzo does offer a service where you can send/receive money similar to Venmo in the US?

I've also seen other options such as Wize, but it looks to specialise more in international transfers.

What would be the easiest/safest method of paying someone or receiving money lets say if I go buy a TV on Gumtree or if I sell an old phone on Marketplace? (except for cash)
Click to expand...
faster payments (bacs). It's pretty much an instant EFT that all the banks support.
No escrow system though...
 
Sinbad said:
faster payments (bacs). It's pretty much an instant EFT that all the banks support.
No escrow system though...
Click to expand...

/gets pedantic with the banker :p

The instant EFT is actually a system called FPS.

gocardless.com

What are Faster Payments? How do they work?

Read our answers to common FAQs such as: what are Faster Payments and the Faster Payments Service, how do they work, and how long do they take?
gocardless.com gocardless.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X