Post Comment Love 6th - 8th December 2019

I'm back from the UK after a successful week clearing our family home of all the stuff our tenants have left behind, removing 101+ hooks, screws and nails from walls and damaged items. My friend cleaned the kitchen and downstairs loo and I cleaned the lounge, 1 bedroom and the top floor so all our furniture and the rest of my late fathers collections could be moved into place. The flat in South Wales is now on the rental market and all quotes for repairs, redecorating, gardening and rubbish removal are in place. Locks have been changed, utilities set up and heating on timer and frost setting for the winter.

I'll be back in the UK full time in January with the cat and dog and to give me time to finish sorting the house the furniture isn't arriving until mid June. All the major works will take place while I'm away.

It's lovely being back in Dubai. It's winter here, the sun shines, I can get out and about and most importantly I'm warm and have finally shaken the cough I had last week.

Hope you've all had a good week, look forward to reading this weeks blog posts from you all.

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Top 7 tips to saving money as an expat traveller

If, as an expat,  like me you travel from place to place visiting family and friends, make the most of the hospitality offered.

I travel with suitcase and hand luggage, it’s difficult negotiating public transport. I always feel obliged to bring a gift or pay for a meal to say thank you for the offer for collecting me and letting me stay at their house for a while.

But there are other ways you can repay their hospitality without it costing you a fortune, as to be honest, sometimes a hotel and room service would be cheaper.

1.       Use their toiletries and towels. Seriously lugging extra stuff around isn’t necessary, don’t feel guilty, these people are putting you up because you are their friend

2.       Make sure they take you up on an offer to babysit, or collect child from school, sit with their child and do homework, listen to reading, take over the bedtime routine

3.       Cook the family a meal while you’re there, unless they’re obsessive about their kitchen and
           have fancy fads.

4.       Do the washing up or load and unload the dishwasher after dinner

5.       Hang the washing out, take it in, do the ironing

6.       Tidy up after yourself, use the bathroom after they’ve finished with it

7.       Give your host family some time to themselves, go to your room if you sense tension, go for a
           walk if you’re sleeping on their sofa.

Your host isn’t on holiday but they’ll welcome the break from routine if you just help out a little in some of the ways above.

Can you add anymore tips to the list or are you a host who wishes there was something their visitors did or didn’t do?