The last phrase captures it well "if you come here, bring money".The same is true in many countries around the world with a lower cost of living, much easier to spend than to earn. Thats a big driver for working elsewhere and then retiring somewhere like Portugal, but I admire that you don't put your dream (life) on hold. You gotta live happy today, not the distant future
Yup, although because working online is possible these days, it does make it a lot easier to move here before retiring! We live a simple life and build it one brick at a time - that’s all we need :)
Gorgeous place , congratulations We have a gorgeous place at mountain of Marao Alto Douro 800 m of altitude with amazing views We are moving in 4 yrs time from Luxembourg My French husband loves the area, the property is from my family line that goes back almost 200 years as land owners (farmers) The interior of Portugal is going to be the future of the country
I've found that most garden remedies recommended by others are snake oil. Key to managing pests is still rotation, pest- and disease-resistant varieties, timing of planting (to avoid the heavy season of predation), and managing soil cover (in some cases, removing it to reduce slugs or snails, in others, adding it to preserve moisture).
A honest budget, honestly said 👍 I understand your ant frustration, I've tried baking soda, dish soap, crushing them, hot water and they survived everything!!! All that said, it's a lovely life and good on you for giving it a go 🎉🎉
Ants are the Cockroaches of Portugal, nothing kills them 😂 Life is almost always good here but it’s important to not create false illusions! Thanks for watching ❤️
Have you tried Diatomaceous Earth? I had an ant house under a pot, didn't know it till I moved the pot...I sprinkled DE over the ants hill as they were going everywhere and biting. Soon they were no more. Lots of vids about using DE.
Thanks for the cost of living breakdown. For someone who says you don't like finances talk, you sound much more at home with it than me! I'm in Japan and hoping to move to Portugal, so this was really illuminating. The killer costs here are public health insurance, residence tax, gas and electricity. Food prices are shooting up, which is something we're not used to - after 30 years of deflation and flat prices. What I'm doing to cut prices on some staples, that might work in your situation is - bake your own bread, and make your own yoghurt and jam with free/reduced price fruit if you eat a lot of these. I have worked out that I can save 630 Euros a year by baking my own bread, and that's even with expensive flour and yeast here. I also make my own lemon enzyme cleaner which means I use less commercially bought stuff. I'm not sure if any of these would work in your situation, though. Drying persimmons and making plum liquor are also two Japanese habits I've recently picked up - fun and very good. If you don't have your own trees (like I don't), there are likely some older people who would be happy to share their harvest if you pick it for them or with them. In fact, that could be a way forward with a lot of home-grown produce if you get to know your older neighbours. I feel your pain with buying second hand cars and other goods - here, you can great stuff often for free, and online markets are very reliable with few dodgy dealers. I will miss it! Definitely if I were you, I would be eyeing up driving down a load of stuff from Germany. I guess as an EU citizen, you have no problems with doing that at Portuguese customs?
Thank you for your comment! Reading your comment made me miss my time in Japan (especially trying mentioned plum products). You might find that you miss certain foods here as even getting sushi rice and Nori is not easy. We use risotto rice mostly 🫣 In the winter, when we run our wood range all day, we bake our own bread. Our gas oven would cost us more in gas then getting the 0,90€ loaf from the bakers so during the summer, we buy it. We also do a lot of foraging for fruit, nuts, mushrooms and also make acorn flour. That keeps the cost down s lot but is obviously a lot of (very enjoyable) work.
Just another comment about saving money while still eating foods you like. I found a video that explains about making your own (Burmese-style) tofu from any kind of legumes. It won't have the same creamy texture of Chinese-style tofu, but you could find it to be a good workaround to cut your costs by using locally available pulses to make your own. ua-cam.com/video/4aqx69E9T4A/v-deo.html
Another spreadsheet gal here. ☺If you think Portugal is expensive, don't ever try Ireland. ;) 30€ for electricity is a dream; that's the basic connection fee here before any usage. 50€ for Internet. 65€ for a landline because mobile cover is shit (I'm speaking rural West). 60€ to visit a GP. I have my own eggs, milk, meat and cheese (for ~6 months) and food (pretty much all organic though) is still costing me ~260€/month now (even though I bulk buy in a co-op, bake my own bread, eat seasonally and so on) and that's not including the cost of keeping my animals. It's all relative. According to Eurostat (Comparative price levels of consumer goods and services 2022), Germany is at 108.9% of the EU average, Portugal at 89.9 (Ireland at 146.4).
Oh man, I’ve heard Ireland is not off too well in terms of cost of living - I have some friends really struggling with the lack of rent control im Dublin. But this really puts it more into perspective! Ireland was our back up plan 😂
@@oakolive Forget it. 🤣Portugal is mine. There is a joke here that in Italy the politicians at least pretend to be fighting the mafia. In Ireland the politicians ARE the mafia.
Hi. I have just found your channel. I haven't had chance to read through the comments yet so I apologise if I'm repeating what others have already said. Re your ant problem, don't worry, they don't actually eat the plants. They are actually there because there are aphids. The ants harvest the sweet sticky sap the aphids excrete. It's the aphids doing the damage. I know...I have the same problem. You are right, don't give up. As you leave most of the pests (food for for predators), the predators will naturally manage numbers over time. Over here, it is the lady bugs (but their lava are far more veracious) that eat the aphids and the house sparrows. Ants like places that are undisturbed so if you find an ant nest, for now, do uplift it with a fork and allow the birds and other predators access. they will move on. I hope that is helpful. I hope things improve for you soon and yes, I would struggle there too being vegan but even here in the UK, tofu and other vegan items are very expensive unless you go Whole Foods Plant Based. Hubby wants to move to Portugal but I KNOW we couldn't cope with the heat. Your utility bills still are way less expensive than ours so I might yet be won over. 😁
I admire your honesty at least you talk about your experience frankly ,when you watch other channel is always beautiful comfortable dream life,while there are a lot of worries and suffering behind the scene. it takes a lot of guts , will power and serious management of resources to live your dream, i love your style because it is real. thanks for sharing ,till next one take care and have fun
Between a full time job, a child and running a farm, we barely have the time to finish building our house ;) so we do buy quite a few things that we need. We have chickens already, we talk about them in other videos.
I think the Portuguese are just growing their own. Check out azolla for animal feed. I am completely off grid and staying off. I wonder if you have some eucalyptus trees I can buy and if you are near me. I can't find anyone to sell me some for my house.
Great video - I think you are doing a great job budget wise. My wife and I live in a middle-class suburb in America and would love to see those prices. Consider yourselves fortunate. We have an extensive garden which supplies our fruit and vegetables from June-October but we still spend $500-$600 /month at the grocery. That includes shopping at Aldi, Walmart, Local Chains and Asian markets. Basic internet here is $84.00 /month and electric/gas runs about $225 / month all year. My employer subsidizes our health care, but individually the cost is about $800 /month per person, yes, $1600 per month. You can see where this is going. Keep up the good work. We are hoping to re-locate to Portugal in the coming years and will join you at the farmer´s market.
I’ve heard from friends that food and basic expenses (except for car fuel) are more expensive in the US. Keep in mind as well that we have less appliances than most people, no TV, Radio or dryer, so when we actually get a proper fridge, our electric bill will go up as well. And my condolences to these health care costs, I do not envy you there at all 🫣 hope you can fullfill your dreams!
Something to try against ants - it worked for me. Garlic essential oil, a few drops on a sugar lump (wear gloves, and a clothes peg on your nose!) placed near the ant nests. Ants seem to hate the smell and soon decamp elsewhere. Of course, that 'elsewhere' must not be another part of your veg plot...
I actually had a whole minute in the video where I was confused whether or not they’re called ladybirds 😂 cut it out in the end because no one needs to hear that.
Dont' give up. With time you'll grow more of what does well, and the pests may actually get less as beneficials increase..Have you heard about high brics values and plant health being a very good form of pest control ? This is something that could build with time with a fantastic type of soil management called phytoponics, or using the power of plants to produce soil.
Interesting about not being close to Lidl and Aldi. I'm looking to buy and one of my requirements is to be within 30 mins of a Lidl. So pretty much written off from Serta to Costelo Branco! Trying to be close to A13 around Penela or Ansiao seems about right. Both my trips this year I used Aldi and Lidl and interesting difference to them in UK.
Honestly, we’re very happy where we’re living - the lack of an Aldi is the o my downside. We were too focused on having water and forest that we didn’t even think about the kind of supermarkets available. Now I would make it an requirement if we’d buy again
Nice to see you guys doing well, adapting, raising a child and a homestad. Its not easy to us, portuguese, as well. Theres goods and bads in every place. Still a few nice cheap properties, but then... gas, cars, and many other prices are expensive, and, most of all, wages are very low. Thats why so many thousands (milions, more then 10% of the population) portuguese emigrated to germany, france, swizterland, Luxemburg, uk (and americas) over the last 70 years. And also imigration to the cities, and litoral. And thats why you see so many abandon and affordable land everywhere... Hope you are part of a generation of emigrants coming in to make thing better. You are welcome. Local tips: the only way to reduce ants around you ( and there s no garanties it will work) is with granular poison bite...hopeffully they take it to the nests. Most supermakets around (pingo doce, continente, bricomarche, and even aldi and lidl) are mostly the same prices for most things. And they all make "promotions" at discount, and make their own brands cheaper...soo, unless you are very aware of prices, just go to the nearest one, or teh one you like more. Local markets are usually more expensive and not even better quality, and not organic at all. They are just nicer... "Seguranca social" pays close to 100 euros for a small child... Most portuguese deal with lack of goverment support and corruption, by not paying vat (iva) anytime we can (products and services , like constrution....). Its part of negotiations... Buy everything you can on internet, and , if can, load a van from germany...some people live doing business that way. All good to you.
Thank you! And agree on everything! We have a lady on the local market who sells organic produce a bit cheaper than the supermarket, so we do support her :) on the whole I agree though, prices are mostly the same everywhere with a few exceptions for some products. We’ve actually also finally gathered all the paperwork for seguranca social and will see how much we’ll get - I had used an online calculator for the child support and was a bit surprised by the number they gave me.
The main reason for plagues like aphids or white fly, or fungus is excess nitrogen. Nothing will work if you do not balance that excess with potash ( you can use a bit of ashram from your fire). I live in the mountains of Minho, close to the Gerês National Park , where it's humid and not burning hot and I have no problems in my farm. Only problem this year was mediterrenean fruit fly but it was all over the country. Next year, i'll use botles to catch them.
Most Portuguese UA-camrs seem to be in Castelo Branco district which has more water stress. We’re further west and at a higher altitude :) the green comes from the invasive eucalyptus though and is deceiving as to how fertile the ground is here.
I am not sure about your full story but living on one income as a family of three is very difficult in any country. I hope your partner can find job soon, it will make a huge difference! Good luck, you are amazing, hardworking, super smart and beautiful!!!
Being single income is a choice for us :) Zak is working full time (and overtime) with our animals and our land. We couldn’t juggle another job and still get our house built, our land managed and have happy animals :)
I guess there isn't the perfect place, but try to remember why you moved to Portugal. I live in rural Spain the house and land prices are a lot cheaper than the neighbouring region only 20 min away. Here we don't have the same services, we don't have the same supermarkets... but we bought a little slice of paradise for an amazing price.
For us, this is the best place. We're trying to help people get a clear idea of how much things cost so they can make educated choices when moving here.
If all those people from Portugal make more money, the cost of living just goes higher, and the reason you can not get all those very low cost clothes, and other things like used furniture is that so many are poor. It is just the way things good in certain economies.
Pretty cheap compared to US (Maine)....average monthly electric bill is 150 euros (170$)....thats no dryer usage (use washer about 6x a month), use propane for cooking 1/2 of the month, continues usage is only refridgerator,lights at night,firing up the water heater 3x a week for hot water (only wash dishes when we have hot water)...and running our internet 24/7 (usage is typically evenings)....good luck guys
I live in Puerto Rico, food is 300 dollars every time I step in the supermarket, have the highest sales tax (11.5) and the highest cost of electricity in the US, plus the lowest salary of the 50th states. I'm ready for Portugal,what I'm not ready is for cold climate countries. My two cents.
I heard Puerto Rico cost of living is horrid for a little ng time😞. There's very inexpensive land in parts of US,just need a well and septic, growing your own food+ chickens...so there is some hope,i know several people that lived in cars for 2-3 yrs,then bought land, never turning back.....but it is getting scarcer😞
We will be getting an electric water heater soonish so probably that cost will rise for us. But compared to Germany, where we paid 50€ a month, electricity is a lot less here.
Puerto Rico is a great place,weather,people ,beaches etc, I belong to the rebel side, being a bona fide farmer for 20 + years, we grow all kind of vegetables and root crops,also specialty coffee. Labor has become the turning point in looking where to farm and travel my next 20 yrs. Establishing a home stead in portugal is my next chapter. Being on a different financial condition along with experience gives me a positive attitude towards Portugal.
Então somos um país velho, de gente velha que não protesta pelo elevado custo de vida em relação ao salário minimo... Durante a crise de 2010 os banqueiros da europa do norte também não ajudaram muito à mudança😊 Nem tudo funciona como gostariamos.
It seems to be the same as in Bulgaria, utilities including internet are much cheaper than the UK (Although prices have risen following the start of putins war, 2nd hand furniture is expensive even the flat pack stuff, but real wood and quality you do pay for. thanks for sharing.
things have pretty much doubled in price since 2020 in Holland i often buy these glass jars of champignons before 2020 they where 57 cents not they are again ricing in price to 1.09 euro thats basically double the price thats 1 example but there are many like that Germany and Belgium are a little cheaper with some items but other items like cheese its not even worth taking the trip they are gonna jack up the price of gasoline to 2 euro 50 in january so maybe then i will do it so i can get gasoline in Belgium at the same time
I think you have a really relaxing way of filming and explaining yourself on video. Can you guys do a weekly update on your Homestead. One question....in what region are you located? All the best with your YT channel and you familie. Looking foward to another video. 👍😊 All the best. Greetings from The Netherlands
We used to do weekly videos but Jackie is working a full time job that doesn’t leave a lot of time to plan, film and edit a weekly video, since that alone can be a full time job :) right now, we release monthly
Snails snails snails. Cabbages look like lace :P Might move there if I can. So so much cheaper than the UK. Not many places that arent it would seem...
Hey, can you not receive some Duitsland kindergeld for your son ? For the pest,before planting in your garden, you should put 1 or 2 of your chickens in a closed tunnel made from chicken wire. Also, do you not have family that can buy some second hand clothing in germany for kids ?
We will be using the chickens in the garden next spring to prepare the beds :) as for receiving benefits from another country: we left Germany and we’re not residents there so not entitled to such payments (and also don’t want to because I think it’s immoral and just asking for trouble…). We buy some stuff in Germany and our family brings it over for us indeed. Clothing is not much of an issue, we get it for free in community swap shops. It’s furniture, building supplies and tools that are hard to find where we live.
Your health will thank you that you don't live close to an Aldi or Lidl. We only buy toiletries there - but nothing that goes in our bodies. The more you can avoid supermarkets - especially discount supermarkets - the better for your health.
We have a few chickens that live with the sheep. We've lost so many over the years to predators that it's not worth keeping them at scale until we have time to build a safe run for them.
It’s pretty simple, we buy a lot of fresh veg, and per week one pack of tofu, one pack of Seitan. Other proteins are lentils and beans which we buy dried. Greek yoghurt, cheese, a six pack of unsweetened soy milk, cream, cornflakes, oats, crackers and a lot of dried fruit, dark chocolate and nuts for snacking. And we do buy canned tomato sauce and pasta for simple meals :) it’s honestly not that special, our bread comes with the bread delivery three times a week and is about 1€ per loaf.
Honest and very humbling, much food for thought for me as I am researching about pt as a place to live, like New Zealand, cost of living is getting out of control....speaking of NZ, did I spot a kiwi tattoo and a little kiwi twang in your voice??
I’m some areas here it’s definitely slower than in others. If you love to urban centres like Lisbon or Porto you will find skyrocketing rents and housing prices (though not as bad as Auckland). If you could get an NZ salary/pension then you’ll be more than fine here. I lived in Otago and on Waiheke Island for 8 months a few years ago :)
Wow cool, like Bulgaria or somewhere? I've Just now been talking to my sister who is going to do the Camino de Santiago in April and we are going to meet in Porto sometime in May/June, Im so super excited cos its been 23 years since I was in Europe. Claudia listen...I don't recommend NZ as a place to live, it is super expensive and so far behind the times, Go Portugal !
We’ve addressed property taxes in another video. It’s about 25€ a year. Our house insurance is 100€ / year and car insurance and medical was addressed in the video. Car insurance depends on the type of car you own.
Thanks for the reply. Here in California my two largest expenses do not include food, but rather property taxes and insurance (i.e., auto, homeowner, liability) which together amount to approximately $15,000 to $18,000 per year. Those figures don't include health insurance which is another $8,000 to $9,000 per year for a family of three.@@oakolive
Hello there. I've just subscribed. I'm wondering if the weekly market produce is cheaper than Aldis'? I always dream of shopping in markets but they end up being more expensive these days. Is that the case in Portugal too?
I find a lot of vegetables are cheaper and we’re supporting our local farmers this way. We have a lady that sells organic-ish produce at a reasonable price. And I can choose the quantity I need so nothing goes bad. In the End, it’s not much cheaper than the supermarket though
About 40,000 for our place. At the peak of our savings in Germany, we were putting one thousand euros per month in the bank. It took us a while to get to that level of savings, but in four years, we were able to pay for the place and finance most of our first year living here. The price of land has gone up substantially in Portugal but there are other areas in Europe with affordable land/houses. So it's still possible to make it work.
Well since you are working here you should get for sure over 100 euros. We got it now finally fir our toddler. But he Was born here. Maybe that makes a difference?
@@sweetheaven5527 I don’t think it’s about birth, but we’re actually going today to fill out the paperwork :) I really dread bureaucracy so I’ve been pushing it ahead of me for months lol
Can you give me an idea where exactly you are that temps are only 30? Others I know who live near Figueiro dos vinhos in the mountains said their temps have been in the upper 30s. One reason why PT may not fight is because those btw ages 25 -55 have left the country to work outside of Portugal. The ones who stayed are their parents and nothing they've been able to do has been able to change things. My hope with the amount of foreigners moving there...is that you all get involved in politics and make change happen there. I was in PT 30+ yrs ago and ppl then were saying "se deus quiser"....if god wants it to happen. I have read on many fb grps that the govt is run by neoposism (and companies too). The richest families run the govt and they make laws so that nobody else prospers....like to ensure they stay rich and nobody else does. Have you joined the DIY Portugal -no adverts fb grp? (No adverts is for not selling bldg materials, but they are a resource for how to do stuff, source materials, etc.) I hope the foreigners can make change in the politics there and make it more affordable for everyone.
We’re also in central portugal, just this summer has been an outlier. We’ve had maybe 10 days where it was 35°C or more, the rest has been really pleasant :) in terms of the political situation, it really is quite a lot of corruption and nepotism here, which you unfortunately get used to it. We are in that FB group but there’s not a lot in our area and I don’t think it’s worth it driving 3+ hours unless it’s an exceptionally good deal :)
@@oakolive central Portugal spans from Coimbra to Castelo Branco...so that is my question and confusion. I'm not asking you to divulge the name of the city you live in, just the next larger area to you. I'm in my mid 50's and have found that I can't deal with hot and humid temps anymore. My body just can't deal with it. I understand climate change is making the summers hotter everywhere and might possibly be extending the warmer seasons...hard to tell when you live near the Great Lakes in US...sometimes you can have your garden into November and other times you'll have a hard frost in Sept. I have also lived in the Pacific Northwest of US where you'd get 9 months of rain as your winter. I have not however dealt with mountain ranges and how weather changes when mountains are involved. Try looking up that topic online..very difficult. Majority of ppl with YT channels say they are in Central Portugal and that temps were high 39/40. I would end spending my time indoors which happens nowadays in my own country. One usually has several reasons for moving...one of mine is be in a place where I can be more physically active...walking trails in mountains, parks, to the city, etc...Many want to live in walkable city to ensure they keep active...but they tend to heat magnets. Anyway, that is reason for my question...trying to find the 'not so hot' location...if it exists. I had read that in some areas of Portugal, farmers actually had two properties...one higher up the mountain for the summer and one at the base of the mountain for the winter. I can't imagine having two complete houses in two areas....but they would move the livestock as well. Activities they had were completely seasonal...so in some cases having two properties makes it easier...nowadays people move clothing depending on season...unless they have closet space for all clothing. There is a Brazilian couple who have a channel who recorded going to different places....one interesting place that they portrayed but also I've read about....where ppl in the village share the responsibility of moving the herds for grazing everyday. A narrow street, a car, surrounded by goats twice a day. Apparently a different type of 'rush hour'. Someone lamented in the comments how the 80 yr old woman was still shepherding the goats in the rotation. I said that woman can probably do more than most 80 yr old women because ppl become more sedentary in older age. The couple didn't interview the older woman but everyone assumed she was poor and had to do the work....it could be part of routine that actually is very good for her in practice. (I was reading about a city of Tondela having exercise classes for their elderly to attempt to keep them active, not sedentary and to keep them from being isolated...to help keep their health up. ( Funny thing for me was seeing the people in yoga pants....because in year 2000, the mother of a former Portuguese boyfriend came to visit in the US...just getting her to wear shorts was a struggle. She was only wearing black as the tradition goes for the widows. But she did have black pants and wasn't confined to a dress. It was quite warm in the summer and just getting her to wear the shorts was an ordeal. It wasn't appropriate, she said, for her to wear shorts at her age. Trying to tell her, she was in a different place, nobody would know she was wearing shorts, there's no judgement, no scandal, etc. In fact, you'd draw more attention to yourself being dressed in black in summer...if that was the concern. I know that Portuguese in the 1980s to sometime in 2000...were very clothing conscious and there were strict dress codes appropriate for the house, the street, the store, school, work, etc. US had this too to some extent but everything got more relaxed as the years go by. ) Tondela being located near Viseu....in the more rural areas...generally speaking rural areas are usually the last to change. Thus seeing the yoga pants reminded me that the ppl have changed in some regard. So either you are doing group exercise class or you are taking your flock/herd of sheep/goats, cows to other pastures around the mountain...both keeps people fit. To full fill the social aspects, the herder should have all the senior citizens in neighboring areas go with the herd around the mountains. That might be a hard tradition to insert into the public consciousness.
@@oakolive The DIY fb grp do not gather together, they just share information for foreigners. I did see two bulk grocery stores...one in Tondela and one in Viseu. They showed up when I was searching a map for something and the suggestion was to look up grocery stores in the area...for curiosity sake, I clicked and was very surprised to see the number of grocery type stores in and around Tondela/Viseu and further south Oliveira de Hospital. There was even an Indian grocery store that appeared which made me wonder if there was a large Indian population. I looked up all the Aldi locations on the map as you suggested...one thing you might have thought of previous to choosing your location....looked like they largely stayed closer to the ocean side of the country...though there was one in Viseu, Oliveira de Hospital. Probably the more populated areas in the cities "no interior". You might suggest to the company (contact us) that there are lots of ppl in your area who drive for hours to the Aldi x times per month....it would really stretch your budget if they could put a location closer to you. Probably won't work..but worth a shot. One burning question I have wondered about the foreigners with YT channels in PT....I assume you have to pay income tax on the YT income...but I wondered how YT knew to inform the govts of the incomes ...since some ppl created their channel in home country, moved to different country...usually the country gets an accounting of what was paid to each employee. Or does PT rely on YT to inform the govt of the location they are located in? PT's definition of remote worker is where the work is being done, not where the salary is coming ...which may be different than other countries. I was looking for remote work from Portugal that I could do in US...but all companies required you to be in country or part of EU. Many foreigners attempting to apply for remote jobs in US but stay in their country...had same problem. Apparently each company with an employee/contract worker has to pay taxes to the other country and this is limiting some ppl. But I just wondered how it worked with YT. BTW: there is a fb grp Tax Benefits of living in Portugal. They are well versed on UK, Canada, and US. Lots of free information on the company's website. They also tend to answer basic questions about different platforms to be within the tax system....they of course recommend having your taxes done if you are from those three countries because PT doesnt recognize many of the business systems of those countries. But searching basic topic information is educational. I share the info with ppl who watch your channel as well who may benefit from that grp. Some ppl with YT vids share work days to help ppl get stuff done that otherwise might take ages. Some have little ones so shared child care while ppl work. Reminded me of my mom's generation of farming in US...building barns, sharing equipment to do harvesting, planting, etc. In many situations, carbon footprint might be lower if more ppl would have communal spirit. US ppl are too independent and capitalist ...everyone has to buy their own...for that to work but I wish it could be done in some areas.
good you moved off veganism - actually good benefits are low there. Have you seen Zombieland yet? (its about Germany) That shows what mass immigration and benefits does to a country.
I actually enjoyed it and felt very good on that diet. I’m lactose intolerant so halfway there already ;) But the products I used to supplement dairy are too expensive here.
@@oakolive the almond groves in Portugal are a good example of how damaging (at least that substitute is.) I’ve seen them spray glyphosate on the weeds for example - even though Idanha Nova is supposed to be a bio zone. In California alone 5 billion bees die in 3 months to pollinate the trees. What I’ve seen is that the alternatives overall cause even more suffering and environmental harm. It’s not the mainstream narrative though, so, as usual, that info is never in your face.
please do not compare Germany to Portugal like a giant and a dwarf Germany a high industry nation with a a much better economy which is unfair to compare to the country you are presently living a solution if the country does not meet your standards of living you always can leave
Hey, in no way am I belittling Portugal. This is our home. I think there is something very wrong with the food system though if you pay more for very basic products that are commonly subsidised by the EU (wheat, dairy). Prices in Germany don’t always represent the reality of how much it costs to produce food but even if you look at neighbouring Spain, they pay less on a lot of the same products.
@@oakolive we also can pay for some food and non food products far less than in Spain it is a monopoly game by E.U and governments and we the people suffer but I am sure we have also positive points but not all are negatives
Hey, in the summer they were roaming completely free in our valley and lounged in the shade all day. They were in the pen only overnight and in the morning, where it is heavily shaded by an oak tree. They are protected from rain when it rains because we put up an extra wall. By the way, sheep are outside in all kinds of weather in most countries on earth ;) You see only a tiny slice of our life here.
The last phrase captures it well "if you come here, bring money".The same is true in many countries around the world with a lower cost of living, much easier to spend than to earn. Thats a big driver for working elsewhere and then retiring somewhere like Portugal, but I admire that you don't put your dream (life) on hold. You gotta live happy today, not the distant future
Yup, although because working online is possible these days, it does make it a lot easier to move here before retiring! We live a simple life and build it one brick at a time - that’s all we need :)
Gorgeous place , congratulations
We have a gorgeous place at mountain of Marao Alto Douro 800 m of altitude with amazing views
We are moving in 4 yrs time from Luxembourg
My French husband loves the area, the property is from my family line that goes back almost 200 years as land owners (farmers)
The interior of Portugal is going to be the future of the country
I've found that most garden remedies recommended by others are snake oil. Key to managing pests is still rotation, pest- and disease-resistant varieties, timing of planting (to avoid the heavy season of predation), and managing soil cover (in some cases, removing it to reduce slugs or snails, in others, adding it to preserve moisture).
A honest budget, honestly said 👍
I understand your ant frustration, I've tried baking soda, dish soap, crushing them, hot water and they survived everything!!!
All that said, it's a lovely life and good on you for giving it a go 🎉🎉
Ants are the Cockroaches of Portugal, nothing kills them 😂 Life is almost always good here but it’s important to not create false illusions! Thanks for watching ❤️
they actually say flies are worse known here as the daughters of protistutes🤣🤣 @@oakolive
Have you tried Diatomaceous Earth? I had an ant house under a pot, didn't know it till I moved the pot...I sprinkled DE over the ants hill as they were going everywhere and biting. Soon they were no more. Lots of vids about using DE.
I really admire how you guys live your lives with such a simplicity. 🙌
Thanks for the cost of living breakdown. For someone who says you don't like finances talk, you sound much more at home with it than me!
I'm in Japan and hoping to move to Portugal, so this was really illuminating. The killer costs here are public health insurance, residence tax, gas and electricity. Food prices are shooting up, which is something we're not used to - after 30 years of deflation and flat prices.
What I'm doing to cut prices on some staples, that might work in your situation is - bake your own bread, and make your own yoghurt and jam with free/reduced price fruit if you eat a lot of these. I have worked out that I can save 630 Euros a year by baking my own bread, and that's even with expensive flour and yeast here. I also make my own lemon enzyme cleaner which means I use less commercially bought stuff. I'm not sure if any of these would work in your situation, though. Drying persimmons and making plum liquor are also two Japanese habits I've recently picked up - fun and very good. If you don't have your own trees (like I don't), there are likely some older people who would be happy to share their harvest if you pick it for them or with them. In fact, that could be a way forward with a lot of home-grown produce if you get to know your older neighbours.
I feel your pain with buying second hand cars and other goods - here, you can great stuff often for free, and online markets are very reliable with few dodgy dealers. I will miss it! Definitely if I were you, I would be eyeing up driving down a load of stuff from Germany. I guess as an EU citizen, you have no problems with doing that at Portuguese customs?
Thank you for your comment! Reading your comment made me miss my time in Japan (especially trying mentioned plum products). You might find that you miss certain foods here as even getting sushi rice and Nori is not easy. We use risotto rice mostly 🫣
In the winter, when we run our wood range all day, we bake our own bread. Our gas oven would cost us more in gas then getting the 0,90€ loaf from the bakers so during the summer, we buy it. We also do a lot of foraging for fruit, nuts, mushrooms and also make acorn flour. That keeps the cost down s lot but is obviously a lot of (very enjoyable) work.
Just another comment about saving money while still eating foods you like. I found a video that explains about making your own (Burmese-style) tofu from any kind of legumes. It won't have the same creamy texture of Chinese-style tofu, but you could find it to be a good workaround to cut your costs by using locally available pulses to make your own.
ua-cam.com/video/4aqx69E9T4A/v-deo.html
Another spreadsheet gal here. ☺If you think Portugal is expensive, don't ever try Ireland. ;) 30€ for electricity is a dream; that's the basic connection fee here before any usage. 50€ for Internet. 65€ for a landline because mobile cover is shit (I'm speaking rural West). 60€ to visit a GP. I have my own eggs, milk, meat and cheese (for ~6 months) and food (pretty much all organic though) is still costing me ~260€/month now (even though I bulk buy in a co-op, bake my own bread, eat seasonally and so on) and that's not including the cost of keeping my animals. It's all relative. According to Eurostat (Comparative price levels of consumer goods and services 2022), Germany is at 108.9% of the EU average, Portugal at 89.9 (Ireland at 146.4).
Oh man, I’ve heard Ireland is not off too well in terms of cost of living - I have some friends really struggling with the lack of rent control im Dublin. But this really puts it more into perspective! Ireland was our back up plan 😂
@@oakolive Forget it. 🤣Portugal is mine. There is a joke here that in Italy the politicians at least pretend to be fighting the mafia. In Ireland the politicians ARE the mafia.
Hi. I have just found your channel. I haven't had chance to read through the comments yet so I apologise if I'm repeating what others have already said.
Re your ant problem, don't worry, they don't actually eat the plants. They are actually there because there are aphids. The ants harvest the sweet sticky sap the aphids excrete. It's the aphids doing the damage. I know...I have the same problem. You are right, don't give up. As you leave most of the pests (food for for predators), the predators will naturally manage numbers over time. Over here, it is the lady bugs (but their lava are far more veracious) that eat the aphids and the house sparrows. Ants like places that are undisturbed so if you find an ant nest, for now, do uplift it with a fork and allow the birds and other predators access. they will move on. I hope that is helpful. I hope things improve for you soon and yes, I would struggle there too being vegan but even here in the UK, tofu and other vegan items are very expensive unless you go Whole Foods Plant Based. Hubby wants to move to Portugal but I KNOW we couldn't cope with the heat.
Your utility bills still are way less expensive than ours so I might yet be won over.
😁
Glad for your return! 🤗
A good insecticide make by yourself vinegar detergente and water they (the pests will be destroy in no time)
I will give that a try next year! Thanks!
I admire your honesty at least you talk about your experience frankly ,when you watch other channel is always beautiful comfortable dream life,while there are a lot of worries and suffering behind the scene.
it takes a lot of guts , will power and serious management of resources to live your dream, i love your style because it is real. thanks for sharing ,till next one take care and have fun
We have found dried orange peels helps deter the aphids in our polythene. Not sure how well it will work outdoors but maybe worth a try.
As for eggs, you certainly can and should have chickens for those , If you have trees, you could build a table.
Between a full time job, a child and running a farm, we barely have the time to finish building our house ;) so we do buy quite a few things that we need. We have chickens already, we talk about them in other videos.
I think the Portuguese are just growing their own. Check out azolla for animal feed. I am completely off grid and staying off. I wonder if you have some eucalyptus trees I can buy and if you are near me. I can't find anyone to sell me some for my house.
Great video - I think you are doing a great job budget wise. My wife and I live in a middle-class suburb in America and would love to see those prices. Consider yourselves fortunate. We have an extensive garden which supplies our fruit and vegetables from June-October but we still spend $500-$600 /month at the grocery. That includes shopping at Aldi, Walmart, Local Chains and Asian markets. Basic internet here is $84.00 /month and electric/gas runs about $225 / month all year. My employer subsidizes our health care, but individually the cost is about $800 /month per person, yes, $1600 per month. You can see where this is going. Keep up the good work. We are hoping to re-locate to Portugal in the coming years and will join you at the farmer´s market.
I’ve heard from friends that food and basic expenses (except for car fuel) are more expensive in the US. Keep in mind as well that we have less appliances than most people, no TV, Radio or dryer, so when we actually get a proper fridge, our electric bill will go up as well. And my condolences to these health care costs, I do not envy you there at all 🫣 hope you can fullfill your dreams!
Something to try against ants - it worked for me. Garlic essential oil, a few drops on a sugar lump (wear gloves, and a clothes peg on your nose!) placed near the ant nests. Ants seem to hate the smell and soon decamp elsewhere. Of course, that 'elsewhere' must not be another part of your veg plot...
In the UK Lady Bugs are known as Ladybirds ( so much nicer). You can buy Ladybirds on line , give them a food source they’ll be happy.😊
I actually had a whole minute in the video where I was confused whether or not they’re called ladybirds 😂 cut it out in the end because no one needs to hear that.
Dont' give up. With time you'll grow more of what does well, and the pests may actually get less as beneficials increase..Have you heard about high brics values and plant health being a very good form of pest control ? This is something that could build with time with a fantastic type of soil management called phytoponics, or using the power of plants to produce soil.
I think this is common in Latin countries. I come from Italy and I wasn’t surprised about what you were saying about prices and low minimum wage
Interesting about not being close to Lidl and Aldi. I'm looking to buy and one of my requirements is to be within 30 mins of a Lidl. So pretty much written off from Serta to Costelo Branco! Trying to be close to A13 around Penela or Ansiao seems about right. Both my trips this year I used Aldi and Lidl and interesting difference to them in UK.
Honestly, we’re very happy where we’re living - the lack of an Aldi is the o my downside. We were too focused on having water and forest that we didn’t even think about the kind of supermarkets available. Now I would make it an requirement if we’d buy again
Nice to see you guys doing well, adapting, raising a child and a homestad. Its not easy to us, portuguese, as well. Theres goods and bads in every place. Still a few nice cheap properties, but then... gas, cars, and many other prices are expensive, and, most of all, wages are very low. Thats why so many thousands (milions, more then 10% of the population) portuguese emigrated to germany, france, swizterland, Luxemburg, uk (and americas) over the last 70 years. And also imigration to the cities, and litoral. And thats why you see so many abandon and affordable land everywhere...
Hope you are part of a generation of emigrants coming in to make thing better. You are welcome.
Local tips: the only way to reduce ants around you ( and there s no garanties it will work) is with granular poison bite...hopeffully they take it to the nests.
Most supermakets around (pingo doce, continente, bricomarche, and even aldi and lidl) are mostly the same prices for most things. And they all make "promotions" at discount, and make their own brands cheaper...soo, unless you are very aware of prices, just go to the nearest one, or teh one you like more. Local markets are usually more expensive and not even better quality, and not organic at all. They are just nicer...
"Seguranca social" pays close to 100 euros for a small child...
Most portuguese deal with lack of goverment support and corruption, by not paying vat (iva) anytime we can (products and services , like constrution....). Its part of negotiations...
Buy everything you can on internet, and , if can, load a van from germany...some people live doing business that way.
All good to you.
Thank you! And agree on everything! We have a lady on the local market who sells organic produce a bit cheaper than the supermarket, so we do support her :) on the whole I agree though, prices are mostly the same everywhere with a few exceptions for some products. We’ve actually also finally gathered all the paperwork for seguranca social and will see how much we’ll get - I had used an online calculator for the child support and was a bit surprised by the number they gave me.
thanks for the breakdown on costs. Its a good helpful comprehensive overview 👍
Glad it was helpful!
The main reason for plagues like aphids or white fly, or fungus is excess nitrogen. Nothing will work if you do not balance that excess with potash ( you can use a bit of ashram from your fire).
I live in the mountains of Minho, close to the Gerês National Park , where it's humid and not burning hot and I have no problems in my farm. Only problem this year was mediterrenean fruit fly but it was all over the country. Next year, i'll use botles to catch them.
Interesting! Will read up on that! Since it was the first year, we had added some half-rotted manure into the layers of the beds
I spent a month in a Portuguese base 45 minutes from a Lidl or Aldi. I did move 😊 Ps Newer Intermarchés are actually good!
Running copper wire underground and spaying with apple cider vinegar helps.
That is exactly how kids lean what one can and cannot eat. The result: there are no "fussy" kids.
very detailed. Excellent budgeting.
Great info and insights. What region do you live in ? it looks very green/fertile compared to lots of other YT vids of farms etc
Most Portuguese UA-camrs seem to be in Castelo Branco district which has more water stress. We’re further west and at a higher altitude :) the green comes from the invasive eucalyptus though and is deceiving as to how fertile the ground is here.
@@oakolive thanks for the response. Certainly a lot to consider when considering relocating. Good luck with the farm/channel, subbed.
I am not sure about your full story but living on one income as a family of three is very difficult in any country. I hope your partner can find job soon, it will make a huge difference! Good luck, you are amazing, hardworking, super smart and beautiful!!!
Being single income is a choice for us :) Zak is working full time (and overtime) with our animals and our land. We couldn’t juggle another job and still get our house built, our land managed and have happy animals :)
I guess there isn't the perfect place, but try to remember why you moved to Portugal. I live in rural Spain the house and land prices are a lot cheaper than the neighbouring region only 20 min away. Here we don't have the same services, we don't have the same supermarkets... but we bought a little slice of paradise for an amazing price.
For us, this is the best place. We're trying to help people get a clear idea of how much things cost so they can make educated choices when moving here.
If all those people from Portugal make more money, the cost of living just goes higher, and the reason you can not get all those very low cost clothes, and other things like used furniture is that so many are poor. It is just the way things good in certain economies.
Love your frankness.
Pretty cheap compared to US (Maine)....average monthly electric bill is 150 euros (170$)....thats no dryer usage (use washer about 6x a month), use propane for cooking 1/2 of the month, continues usage is only refridgerator,lights at night,firing up the water heater 3x a week for hot water (only wash dishes when we have hot water)...and running our internet 24/7 (usage is typically evenings)....good luck guys
I live in Puerto Rico, food is 300 dollars every time I step in the supermarket, have the highest sales tax (11.5) and the highest cost of electricity in the US, plus the lowest salary of the 50th states. I'm ready for Portugal,what I'm not ready is for cold climate countries. My two cents.
I heard Puerto Rico cost of living is horrid for a little ng time😞. There's very inexpensive land in parts of US,just need a well and septic, growing your own food+ chickens...so there is some hope,i know several people that lived in cars for 2-3 yrs,then bought land, never turning back.....but it is getting scarcer😞
We will be getting an electric water heater soonish so probably that cost will rise for us. But compared to Germany, where we paid 50€ a month, electricity is a lot less here.
Maybe check out Portugal in winter time, it does get quite uncomfortable here in winter 😅😅
Puerto Rico is a great place,weather,people ,beaches etc, I belong to the rebel side, being a bona fide farmer for 20 + years, we grow all kind of vegetables and root crops,also specialty coffee. Labor has become the turning point in looking where to farm and travel my next 20 yrs. Establishing a home stead in portugal is my next chapter. Being on a different financial condition along with experience gives me a positive attitude towards Portugal.
Então somos um país velho, de gente velha que não protesta pelo elevado custo de vida em relação ao salário minimo... Durante a crise de 2010 os banqueiros da europa do norte também não ajudaram muito à mudança😊
Nem tudo funciona como gostariamos.
Pensava que ia encontrar o paraíso....
Não se entende porque razão se sai de um país civilizado e vêm se viver no interior de um país velho e vendido...
It seems to be the same as in Bulgaria, utilities including internet are much cheaper than the UK (Although prices have risen following the start of putins war, 2nd hand furniture is expensive even the flat pack stuff, but real wood and quality you do pay for. thanks for sharing.
things have pretty much doubled in price since 2020 in Holland
i often buy these glass jars of champignons before 2020 they where 57 cents
not they are again ricing in price to 1.09 euro thats basically double the price
thats 1 example but there are many like that
Germany and Belgium are a little cheaper with some items
but other items like cheese its not even worth taking the trip
they are gonna jack up the price of gasoline to 2 euro 50 in january
so maybe then i will do it so i can get gasoline in Belgium at the same time
Yes, that’s what we see here as well. Or the weight reduces but the price stays the same. Though a lot of products here were expensive to Begin with…
I so agree in the ghosting! Happened to me loads….why? Lazy, scammers, I really don’t know!
The amount of scammers I saw was crazy yeah :D
I think you have a really relaxing way of filming and explaining yourself on video. Can you guys do a weekly update on your Homestead. One question....in what region are you located? All the best with your YT channel and you familie. Looking foward to another video. 👍😊 All the best. Greetings from The Netherlands
We used to do weekly videos but Jackie is working a full time job that doesn’t leave a lot of time to plan, film and edit a weekly video, since that alone can be a full time job :) right now, we release monthly
Snails snails snails. Cabbages look like lace :P Might move there if I can. So so much cheaper than the UK. Not many places that arent it would seem...
12km 33mins ride to my local supermarket. Its a Auchan supermarket so small and basic. Car defo needed 😞
Yeah it’s 16km for us which we cycle with the e-bike because it’s so hilly. Cars are a must
Hey, can you not receive some Duitsland kindergeld for your son ? For the pest,before planting in your garden, you should put 1 or 2 of your chickens in a closed tunnel made from chicken wire. Also, do you not have family that can buy some second hand clothing in germany for kids ?
We will be using the chickens in the garden next spring to prepare the beds :) as for receiving benefits from another country: we left Germany and we’re not residents there so not entitled to such payments (and also don’t want to because I think it’s immoral and just asking for trouble…). We buy some stuff in Germany and our family brings it over for us indeed. Clothing is not much of an issue, we get it for free in community swap shops. It’s furniture, building supplies and tools that are hard to find where we live.
Try diotamaceous earth as an ant control.
Ants don't destroy your crop. Diatomée will destroy the microbiome in your soil
Vielen Dank
300 for groceries is really good, I think we easily spend double that
Oh wow, I thought we spent a lot already 😂 Though once kids really start eating, I think it will go up some more inevitably.
@@oakolive Many of the things we buy have gone up significantly, two years ago 400 was possible for us. Now, not so much
Your health will thank you that you don't live close to an Aldi or Lidl. We only buy toiletries there - but nothing that goes in our bodies. The more you can avoid supermarkets - especially discount supermarkets - the better for your health.
Tofu is easily made yourself. And what about having your own chickens?
We have a few chickens that live with the sheep. We've lost so many over the years to predators that it's not worth keeping them at scale until we have time to build a safe run for them.
Wow, we intrigued to see your shopping list please?
It’s pretty simple, we buy a lot of fresh veg, and per week one pack of tofu, one pack of Seitan. Other proteins are lentils and beans which we buy dried. Greek yoghurt, cheese, a six pack of unsweetened soy milk, cream, cornflakes, oats, crackers and a lot of dried fruit, dark chocolate and nuts for snacking. And we do buy canned tomato sauce and pasta for simple meals :) it’s honestly not that special, our bread comes with the bread delivery three times a week and is about 1€ per loaf.
Brilliant thank you. We 2 and thought we spend little as no luxuries and its over EUR600 a month 😮
Honest and very humbling, much food for thought for me as I am researching about pt as a place to live, like New Zealand, cost of living is getting out of control....speaking of NZ, did I spot a kiwi tattoo and a little kiwi twang in your voice??
I’m some areas here it’s definitely slower than in others. If you love to urban centres like Lisbon or Porto you will find skyrocketing rents and housing prices (though not as bad as Auckland). If you could get an NZ salary/pension then you’ll be more than fine here. I lived in Otago and on Waiheke Island for 8 months a few years ago :)
How funny.. we are considering both PT and NZ as places to move to… we are in CEE Atm
Wow cool, like Bulgaria or somewhere? I've Just now been talking to my sister who is going to do the Camino de Santiago in April and we are going to meet in Porto sometime in May/June, Im so super excited cos its been 23 years since I was in Europe. Claudia listen...I don't recommend NZ as a place to live, it is super expensive and so far behind the times, Go Portugal !
What about property taxes? What about insurance, e.g., auto, homeowner's, medical/health?
We’ve addressed property taxes in another video. It’s about 25€ a year. Our house insurance is 100€ / year and car insurance and medical was addressed in the video. Car insurance depends on the type of car you own.
Thanks for the reply. Here in California my two largest expenses do not include food, but rather property taxes and insurance (i.e., auto, homeowner, liability) which together amount to approximately $15,000 to $18,000 per year. Those figures don't include health insurance which is another $8,000 to $9,000 per year for a family of three.@@oakolive
@@cwcobo yeah that’s why I really appreciate our health services. I pay through my taxes and it’s significantly more affordable this way :)
I use salt to keep ants away.not in the garden but around
Hello there. I've just subscribed. I'm wondering if the weekly market produce is cheaper than Aldis'? I always dream of shopping in markets but they end up being more expensive these days. Is that the case in Portugal too?
I find a lot of vegetables are cheaper and we’re supporting our local farmers this way. We have a lady that sells organic-ish produce at a reasonable price. And I can choose the quantity I need so nothing goes bad. In the End, it’s not much cheaper than the supermarket though
Order ladybugs online for your Afids... They eat Afids and reproduce so next year you will have more...
How much was the land and house?
About 40,000 for our place.
At the peak of our savings in Germany, we were putting one thousand euros per month in the bank. It took us a while to get to that level of savings, but in four years, we were able to pay for the place and finance most of our first year living here.
The price of land has gone up substantially in Portugal but there are other areas in Europe with affordable land/houses. So it's still possible to make it work.
Child support here is around 160 Euro a month
Oh, maybe I misread! I looked at a chart and it said something like 37€ which was a bit sobering
Well since you are working here you should get for sure over 100 euros. We got it now finally fir our toddler. But he Was born here. Maybe that makes a difference?
@@sweetheaven5527 I don’t think it’s about birth, but we’re actually going today to fill out the paperwork :) I really dread bureaucracy so I’ve been pushing it ahead of me for months lol
Are you originally from New Zealand?
No, I’m from Germany :) I did spend some time in NZ though
I find you have to talk rather than text. They don't like texting!
If are German how do you speak English so good?
I've been living abroad for a long time. And I married an English man...
Can you give me an idea where exactly you are that temps are only 30? Others I know who live near Figueiro dos vinhos in the mountains said their temps have been in the upper 30s.
One reason why PT may not fight is because those btw ages 25 -55 have left the country to work outside of Portugal. The ones who stayed are their parents and nothing they've been able to do has been able to change things. My hope with the amount of foreigners moving there...is that you all get involved in politics and make change happen there.
I was in PT 30+ yrs ago and ppl then were saying "se deus quiser"....if god wants it to happen. I have read on many fb grps that the govt is run by neoposism (and companies too). The richest families run the govt and they make laws so that nobody else prospers....like to ensure they stay rich and nobody else does.
Have you joined the DIY Portugal -no adverts fb grp? (No adverts is for not selling bldg materials, but they are a resource for how to do stuff, source materials, etc.) I hope the foreigners can make change in the politics there and make it more affordable for everyone.
We’re also in central portugal, just this summer has been an outlier. We’ve had maybe 10 days where it was 35°C or more, the rest has been really pleasant :) in terms of the political situation, it really is quite a lot of corruption and nepotism here, which you unfortunately get used to it. We are in that FB group but there’s not a lot in our area and I don’t think it’s worth it driving 3+ hours unless it’s an exceptionally good deal :)
@@oakolive central Portugal spans from Coimbra to Castelo Branco...so that is my question and confusion. I'm not asking you to divulge the name of the city you live in, just the next larger area to you. I'm in my mid 50's and have found that I can't deal with hot and humid temps anymore. My body just can't deal with it. I understand climate change is making the summers hotter everywhere and might possibly be extending the warmer seasons...hard to tell when you live near the Great Lakes in US...sometimes you can have your garden into November and other times you'll have a hard frost in Sept. I have also lived in the Pacific Northwest of US where you'd get 9 months of rain as your winter. I have not however dealt with mountain ranges and how weather changes when mountains are involved. Try looking up that topic online..very difficult. Majority of ppl with YT channels say they are in Central Portugal and that temps were high 39/40. I would end spending my time indoors which happens nowadays in my own country. One usually has several reasons for moving...one of mine is be in a place where I can be more physically active...walking trails in mountains, parks, to the city, etc...Many want to live in walkable city to ensure they keep active...but they tend to heat magnets. Anyway, that is reason for my question...trying to find the 'not so hot' location...if it exists. I had read that in some areas of Portugal, farmers actually had two properties...one higher up the mountain for the summer and one at the base of the mountain for the winter. I can't imagine having two complete houses in two areas....but they would move the livestock as well. Activities they had were completely seasonal...so in some cases having two properties makes it easier...nowadays people move clothing depending on season...unless they have closet space for all clothing.
There is a Brazilian couple who have a channel who recorded going to different places....one interesting place that they portrayed but also I've read about....where ppl in the village share the responsibility of moving the herds for grazing everyday. A narrow street, a car, surrounded by goats twice a day. Apparently a different type of 'rush hour'. Someone lamented in the comments how the 80 yr old woman was still shepherding the goats in the rotation. I said that woman can probably do more than most 80 yr old women because ppl become more sedentary in older age. The couple didn't interview the older woman but everyone assumed she was poor and had to do the work....it could be part of routine that actually is very good for her in practice. (I was reading about a city of Tondela having exercise classes for their elderly to attempt to keep them active, not sedentary and to keep them from being isolated...to help keep their health up. ( Funny thing for me was seeing the people in yoga pants....because in year 2000, the mother of a former Portuguese boyfriend came to visit in the US...just getting her to wear shorts was a struggle. She was only wearing black as the tradition goes for the widows. But she did have black pants and wasn't confined to a dress. It was quite warm in the summer and just getting her to wear the shorts was an ordeal. It wasn't appropriate, she said, for her to wear shorts at her age. Trying to tell her, she was in a different place, nobody would know she was wearing shorts, there's no judgement, no scandal, etc. In fact, you'd draw more attention to yourself being dressed in black in summer...if that was the concern. I know that Portuguese in the 1980s to sometime in 2000...were very clothing conscious and there were strict dress codes appropriate for the house, the street, the store, school, work, etc. US had this too to some extent but everything got more relaxed as the years go by. ) Tondela being located near Viseu....in the more rural areas...generally speaking rural areas are usually the last to change. Thus seeing the yoga pants reminded me that the ppl have changed in some regard. So either you are doing group exercise class or you are taking your flock/herd of sheep/goats, cows to other pastures around the mountain...both keeps people fit. To full fill the social aspects, the herder should have all the senior citizens in neighboring areas go with the herd around the mountains. That might be a hard tradition to insert into the public consciousness.
@@oakolive The DIY fb grp do not gather together, they just share information for foreigners.
I did see two bulk grocery stores...one in Tondela and one in Viseu. They showed up when I was searching a map for something and the suggestion was to look up grocery stores in the area...for curiosity sake, I clicked and was very surprised to see the number of grocery type stores in and around Tondela/Viseu and further south Oliveira de Hospital. There was even an Indian grocery store that appeared which made me wonder if there was a large Indian population. I looked up all the Aldi locations on the map as you suggested...one thing you might have thought of previous to choosing your location....looked like they largely stayed closer to the ocean side of the country...though there was one in Viseu, Oliveira de Hospital. Probably the more populated areas in the cities "no interior". You might suggest to the company (contact us) that there are lots of ppl in your area who drive for hours to the Aldi x times per month....it would really stretch your budget if they could put a location closer to you. Probably won't work..but worth a shot.
One burning question I have wondered about the foreigners with YT channels in PT....I assume you have to pay income tax on the YT income...but I wondered how YT knew to inform the govts of the incomes ...since some ppl created their channel in home country, moved to different country...usually the country gets an accounting of what was paid to each employee. Or does PT rely on YT to inform the govt of the location they are located in? PT's definition of remote worker is where the work is being done, not where the salary is coming ...which may be different than other countries. I was looking for remote work from Portugal that I could do in US...but all companies required you to be in country or part of EU. Many foreigners attempting to apply for remote jobs in US but stay in their country...had same problem. Apparently each company with an employee/contract worker has to pay taxes to the other country and this is limiting some ppl. But I just wondered how it worked with YT. BTW: there is a fb grp Tax Benefits of living in Portugal. They are well versed on UK, Canada, and US. Lots of free information on the company's website. They also tend to answer basic questions about different platforms to be within the tax system....they of course recommend having your taxes done if you are from those three countries because PT doesnt recognize many of the business systems of those countries. But searching basic topic information is educational. I share the info with ppl who watch your channel as well who may benefit from that grp. Some ppl with YT vids share work days to help ppl get stuff done that otherwise might take ages. Some have little ones so shared child care while ppl work. Reminded me of my mom's generation of farming in US...building barns, sharing equipment to do harvesting, planting, etc. In many situations, carbon footprint might be lower if more ppl would have communal spirit. US ppl are too independent and capitalist ...everyone has to buy their own...for that to work but I wish it could be done in some areas.
good you moved off veganism - actually good benefits are low there. Have you seen Zombieland yet? (its about Germany) That shows what mass immigration and benefits does to a country.
I actually enjoyed it and felt very good on that diet. I’m lactose intolerant so halfway there already ;) But the products I used to supplement dairy are too expensive here.
@@oakolive the almond groves in Portugal are a good example of how damaging (at least that substitute is.) I’ve seen them spray glyphosate on the weeds for example - even though Idanha Nova is supposed to be a bio zone. In California alone 5 billion bees die in 3 months to pollinate the trees. What I’ve seen is that the alternatives overall cause even more suffering and environmental harm. It’s not the mainstream narrative though, so, as usual, that info is never in your face.
please do not compare Germany to Portugal like a giant and a dwarf Germany a high industry nation with a a much better economy which is unfair to compare to the country you are presently living a solution if the country does not meet your standards of living you always can leave
Hey, in no way am I belittling Portugal. This is our home. I think there is something very wrong with the food system though if you pay more for very basic products that are commonly subsidised by the EU (wheat, dairy). Prices in Germany don’t always represent the reality of how much it costs to produce food but even if you look at neighbouring Spain, they pay less on a lot of the same products.
@@oakolive we also can pay for some food and non food products far less than in Spain it is a monopoly game by E.U and governments and we the people suffer but I am sure we have also positive points but not all are negatives
Easy to solve: go to Spain.
@@joaoportalegre3659 Thank you great answer not too many explanations very clear I love it great way to solve it
Don’t care!
How can you have the animals under that metalic roof with the hot and the rain. You abuse and treat the animals badly. You are not a good person
Hey, in the summer they were roaming completely free in our valley and lounged in the shade all day. They were in the pen only overnight and in the morning, where it is heavily shaded by an oak tree. They are protected from rain when it rains because we put up an extra wall. By the way, sheep are outside in all kinds of weather in most countries on earth ;) You see only a tiny slice of our life here.