Nowhere is perfect but you can get by in Cyprus

Do British expats think they are the only poor souls who have to tighten their belts and economise a bit? The whole world is having to do the same thing!

Do they not read the English papers? Can they not see what some city centres, schools, hospitals, the streets at night, even some whole communities, and the general economy have come to?

I could not imagine living in London again, as I did for the first 20 years of my life. It’s a different world. People are getting to the point where they’re afraid of opening their mouths in case they offend some ethnic minority, or go out after dark by themselves if they’re women.

Some advice: shop around, buy local, seasonal produce, entertain at home, frequent charity shops, flea markets etc., don’t leave all the lights or fires on, swap clothes, DVDs, books and skills like gardening, DIY, dressmaking, babysitting etc.

I know it’s not perfect here – i.e. the driving, the bureaucracy – but then, nowhere is perfect.
I can live on €7,000-8,000 a year, which includes the odd emergency like the dentist, a blood test, a new car battery: so can you, and enjoy sun and sea for eight or nine months a year!

H. Stylianou,
Limassol