Saturday, September 11, 2010

Payments, the pound and the euro

So I paid the deposit yesterday. The process of paying in euro was quite complicated and made me realise that if we were in the euro zone, things might have been very different... of course, we'd all be bankrupt but at least I'd be able to make transfers more easily!

The deposit is €90 and the outstanding costs are €1,675 (to be paid on the 27th). To transfer euro from my bank incurs a £20 charge for each transfer and to pay by card costs 3.75%. The cheapest way would be to pay the whole lot now and just pay 1 £10 fee. I found out that if I then can't make it for any reason, they will keep a large percentage of the money paid, whereas if I pull out having just paid the deposit, that is all I lose. I don't anticipate not going, but can't risk losing a grand!

In the end, I have paid the deposit on my card and will transfer the rest just before I go (it takes 3 working days to clear). This way I am not incurring too many fees...

So, it's getting very close now. I leave 2 weeks tomorrow! I have been informed that my studio apartment is just 2 minutes from the school (with swimming pool) and 5 minutes from the beach. It will have wi-fi and my own kitchen and bathroom.

I'm being collected from the airport and should be able to get straight into my apartment. I then have a whole day (Sunday) to explore before classes start on the Monday. The weather in Málaga is currently hot (28ish) and sunny. Some storms are predicted over the next couple of weeks, but looks set to be around 27-29 and sunny when I arrive. Lovely! I anticipate spending the Sunday getting brown!

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