disgruntled policeman Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Hi, my wife and i would like to move to France (either the midi-pyrenees/languedoc roussillon or limousin regions) in about a years time with our baby who will be 1 years old then. We have just started our Rosseta stone course and hope we will be speaking the language well by then. I have been employed as a policeman for the last 9 years and dont really have any other skills or usefull qualifications. My wife works as a sales advisor in a small quality jewelry shop. We are both around the forty mark so we will have to find employment or set up a business of our own. Does anyone out there have any ideas what an ex police officer could do in France, or are there any useful websites with franchises/businesess for sale you could let me know about. We do not own a house so we would have to be earning enough to pay rent or hopefully get a mortgage in due course. Or hey, if anyone can just give me a job,,,, even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmill Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Sorry - but have you started planning your budget? Have you got at least some money to live for a while, buy a business? Have you started looking at houses or flats to rent - and noting their costs? You might find yourself living in the middle of nowhere or a grotty flat in an unpleasant suburb of some town. Please be aware too that the cost of living in France can be very expensive - without considering poor exchange rates and low interest rates. Have you noted that more ex-pats are returning to the UK than settling in France?Will your French be good enough to sell your products or services to French people? You must accept that French people will tend to buy from French businesses - and that there might not be enough ex-pats in your area to keep you in business.I dare say you could get a job as a security guard on a building site.But good luck anyway - hope it won't end in tears.Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 One course of action is to rent a house in France for as long a period as you are able to manage. Rents from Sept to May are not expensive. That way, you can have a trial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 A couple of threads for you to read:http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1698148/ShowPost.aspxhttp://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1475745/ShowPost.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkkent Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 You may also find this thread of interest, particularly the opening post. http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1761579/ShowPost.aspxYou call yourself "disgruntled policeman." Why are you disgruntled? Does this mean that you are trying to escape from some state of dissatisfaction? Why do you think that France can provide a solution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polly Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 OK, let's ignore France... suppose you moved to anywhere different (Mid-Wales, Scotland, Norfolk, Cornwall) because you are fed up with police work : what do you think you could do to earn a living?Now ask yourself if you can do that in a foreign language (you will NOT be fluent within a year on any UK based course, sorry)Then ask yourself how much money you need to live on with one child (maybe 2? think ahead)Have you ever been self employed? Do you know how to run a business?Buy yourself a subscription to French Property News magazine & get some back issues, there's loads of advice there & well worth the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 France is the perfect place...for retirees (i.e. those with an independent source of income). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobchumbly Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 I get sick of reading smarmy posts from people who think they know better then everyboby else, with nothing positive to say about life in France (even though thay have chosen to live here). I have lived in France for 5 years now. I am very happy and do not take anything for granted. I also am a 40 something with young children, but I would not change my life here to return to England. I feel quality of life is far more important than money, especially for my children. It is certainlly difficult financially living here (as in England) and I would warn you how difficult it is to find employment, especially if you can't speak fluent French and in the current environment. Getting a mortgage is impossible without employment so just be aware you will need a large pot of savings to get yourself established here. However I would never say to anybody don't try it. You are staring out from the same position as the rest of us and I wish you good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 [quote user="sobchumbly"]I get sick of reading smarmy posts from people who think they know better then everyboby else, with nothing positive to say about life in France (even though thay have chosen to live here). [/quote]That's a great 'first post' sobchumbly, welcome to the forum, you'll fit right in, I'm sure ................[Www]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 I think the above posts are realistic and not smarmy. From what he has said, the OP has no job opportunities in his current employment, no obviously transferable skills, cannot speak french and yet is considering uprooting his young family on what appears a whim because he is fed up with his job. The salutary remarks above should, if nothing else, make the OP think again before he throws cautions (and a few other things) to the wind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nectarine Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 just a thought .... is there some kind of Retired Police Officers' association website or network? If so then the poster could put something on there and get opinions and views from police officers who are living in France (and we have met plenty. France seems to be full of retired police officers and retired teachers!!). Anyway, if the original poster could source some information from his own profession then he might get some useful leads or contacts in France ... worth a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Quote Nectarine "France seems to be full of retired police officers and retired teachers!!."That's because they are probably on good pensions !!France is a wonderful place to live but it is no longer as cheap as it was when we moved over here 11 years ago. The cost of living has risen - food, electricity, house rates, water, insurance etc etc.Finding work in France is not easy as you get older - and if you don't speak French, almost impossible. We see a lot of people here who are literally scratching a living cleaning and scrubbing for others, which is one thing when you are younger.....However, there is seasonal work which can be useful for picking up the language, gets you into the health system and also earns you a bit of money.Far from being "smarmy", a lot of what people write about the difficulties of living in France (or anywhere else for that matter) come from personal experiences. It is really a question of reading as much as possible about France, about people's experiences and then making a judgement. Renting a property is certainly a good start rather than committing to buying if your future is uncertain.Good luck with whatever you decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suze01 Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Your wife (or indeed you) could register as a childminder in your own home. Not everyone's cup of tea but it will give you a steady income albeit a small one! I've been an Assistante Maternelle for over five years now and I have more demands than I have places available, it's certainly a job in demand (and sometimes demanding) throughout France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plod Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 I thought about replying to this when I saw it but then considered that this person, as represented, probably doesn't exist, nobody could be that naive. The fact that they have posted on 19th and not since suggests it is not a genuine post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony F Dordogne Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Relatively short time in the job so must have done something before that, may have some skills but sounds like just another disgruntled copper looking for a way out. I'd stay where I was and try to improve things if I were him, far too easy to think of France as a quick and easy win when we all know, no matter what our income stream, it's not quite like that all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turnip Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 better to make the most of your career as a rozzer then retire young (50 to 55) then move to France. The Pension will suffice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeinfrance Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Have you thoguht about property management? with the right skills you could find a lcoation that gives you access to those with second homes that need management and then think about your ability to do this for a living.http://www.lbvfranchise.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Welcome to the forum sobchumbly, nice introductory post [;-)]Can you help me though, I'm struggling to find the smarmy posts you refer to [8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panda Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I have found it quite surprising the number of brits who have moved over to France without considering pension. There are lots of parents with young children in the Charente for example who are scraping by with gites or other just enough to survive income. How will they manage later when they did not make enough contributions to the UK and as they are not fully employed in France will not make the required payments to have a French pension. Do they really not consider this as an issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Alas, Panda, not everyone is as clear- and far-sighted as you!I do meet many here who suffer from "short-termism" and I hesitate to remind them of future consequences because I know that I would only be accused of being a killjoy.BTW, hope you and yours are enjoying life back in the UK.[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprogster Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Panda, the same consideration can be applied to those individuals who take early retirement in their early fifties, without any proper understanding as to the amount of capital you need to set aside to offset the effects of inflation over a further thirty year life expectancy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panda Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Yes indeed. I guess it could be quite ironic that those who chose to get out of the rat race for a quiet life in france could still be working into their 80's.I have to say I didn't think about the consquence of retirement as a major factor when considering moving to France but the thought soon occured and it was something that was a factor in my decision to move back to the UK although I had made some propety investments the current state of the property market makes you think thrice about relying on that for the future.Thanks for the good wishes S17, all is well so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yavanna Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 This one can be useful:http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1698148/ShowPost.aspxPost edited by a moderator, any advertising without permission will be removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgruntled policeman Posted August 1, 2009 Author Share Posted August 1, 2009 Thanks to all of those who made positive suggestions. I think there are to many people out there who are part time pschologists and think they can second guess peoples motives. As i said in my original post, 'we would like to move to France', but if the situation is not spot on i will stay put until i retire. i may be disgruntled (especially after seeing my crew mate go home with two black eyes and six stitches in his face last night) but i am not stupid. Cheers[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 [quote user="disgruntled policeman"]Thanks to all of those who made positive suggestions. I think there are to many people out there who are part time pschologists and think they can second guess peoples motives. As i said in my original post, 'we would like to move to France', but if the situation is not spot on i will stay put until i retire. i may be disgruntled (especially after seeing my crew mate go home with two black eyes and six stitches in his face last night) but i am not stupid. Cheers[:)][/quote]What on earth did your mate say for you to inflict such terrible injuries upon them?I wonder why you could not get a proper job?Perhaps you would get on better in the police if you joined the Masons ask your Chief Constable how to join. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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