noworriesmate

It all comes down to personal preference and of course, financial situation. Some people like to buy a new car or new watch regularly, some smoke, some like designer clothes etc etc. For me, I have three things I plan for with my finances - Flying business class on long haul flights is one of them. like Verystomy, I fly emirates regularly and love their service. I live in Aus but all my flights start in the UK (i.e. when I go back to the UK in June I will use the return leg of my previous flight) therefore I get my flights for around 3,200 quid rather than 7,500 dollars. The frequent flyer points mean I upgrade my wife when she flies back, the extra baggage means I can always take the presents or buy extra clothes in the Uk etc etc, the chauffeur service saves me around $200 in total. The sleep I get is priceless to me. I fully understand that some people will look at these reasons for my extravagance and think it isn't with it but my guess is that I would think the same of some of their spending habits. So in short if you have the money and you want to try it then go for your life!! Daniel

It might help to say where you are and the price. NWM

:yes::wink:

It depends what visa you are on (i.e. if you are a permanent resident) - but even if you do there are a number of things you can claim for. NWM

My guess is that it means that after this date you can no longer submit an application, however their systems haven't yet been updated to show that you have already submitted one - my advice is to sit tight NWM

I think the OP is asking about keeping his UK license for use when he is in the UK (or should he move back at some point) and not for using when in Australia. At first I thought about this issue and contemplated having my in-laws address being on the uK licence however I didn't end up bothering. I have kept the old licence however and should the need arise I will re-activate it - apparently the license number is permanent so I should be fine. NWM

Polite answers only please :wink: NWM

I have no idea - all I saw was someone expressing a bit of happiness for how things had worked out for them and then being shot down in a rather personal way for their attitude. Not everyone has an axe to grind, but sometimes those that do frighten others off from expressing themselves. Personally I don't care whether people are happy in Aus or in the UK - I just struggle with anyone who posts simply to try to take the joy out of someone else's life. NWM

in fairness I think people could see it - they were just put off by the rather personal wrapping you dressed it in. NWM

Emirates and Singapore consistently take the top two places in quality of their services for international travel. I am a frequent flyer with emirates for eight years and have never had a bad experience. I have no hesitancy in recommending them to anyone and since Dubai airport has finished it's upgrade/extension it is a great airport now too. Over the past couple of years I have been fortunate to fly business class, so that does make a difference but my kids have been flying economy a lot recently and reckon it's still amongst the best out there. NWM

bump

Yes but it will cost you to do so NWM

I would think so - our boys have had a couple of semesters where they have only studied part time instead of full because they were getting stressed but they will both get their degrees soon - one of them will have done it in four instead of three years and the other in four and a half. I study part time and work part time and so does my wife. It seems to us that both the uni's and employers are far more flexible over here to a students needs. NWM

Both my boys are working full time and studying full time and paying their own uni fees. They stay here rent free etc but one of them has not only paid for all their uni fees but also is getting a house a house built and getting married in the new year. The other one is paying their own way but spending the rest on 'life'. Honestly it's quite possible for kids to work and study in Aus, most employers are happy to work work the hours out to suit. NWM

Not for us fortunately - only one of us is studying a subject supported by the commonwealth - the rest of us are already paying $13,000 - $14,000 per year FTE. NWM

No they can't i'm afraid - at least until they are citizens!! All four of us are studying at present and we know this to our cost!! NWM

sounds right if you have PR but not if you have to pay international rates NWM

I am not sure you need to fill out a new form but you do need to notify HMRC of the change NWM

Firstly - check the agreement you have with your agent. In our one the landlord would have to pay us a few months fees to cut us out. Secondly - it's great while everything is working OK, but what if the tenant loses their job or there is an insurance claim or another issue arises. Thirdly - the laws are changing rapidly regarding property management, how will you keep up to date with these? There are some good insurance policies which will cover you for some of this but my suggestion would be that if you are unhappy with your agent then change agents - don't do without one. Also make sure they are ARLA registered - this will give you a level of assurance and they will be accountable should things go wrong. NWM

Bumping for you :smile:

Yup I would recommend Alan too - He is qualified in both the UK and Aus, having offices and staff in both. NWM

In my experience insurance companies tend to see what they can get away with in their first offer but if you persist and keep on writing, complaining, objecting and getting their face then an increased settlement is far cheaper for them then the cost of keeping the file open and engaging with you - you may not get the $1000 but certainly I think you should be expecting to get $500 minimum and quite likely more depending how stubborn you can be! NWM

Great article on this after the country's population went above 23 million this week http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22213218 What is the average aussie going to look like in the future as the country tries to forge stronger ties with nations nearby rather than the colonial past? NWM

Yes I did that too - I got the removal guys to call my fishing gear 'sporting equipment' NWM

Absolutely - just remember to declare them. I had about 50 shells and coral I collected off the beach plus a few bigger shells I has bought, I declared them but the customs officer just sent me through the green channel (probably due to the 2 planes from China that landed at the same time). NWM