Exchange rates are only very loosely connected to quality of life and happiness. Switzerland has always enjoyed a strong currency, but I've never met so many malcontents and whingers as in Geneva. The poorest Philipino/a is generally more cheerful, and what can you buy with the peso?

Chie, Tokyo, Japan

We're lucky. We have a giant expat shop in the north of our country, called Newry. I believe a Mr Paisley just retired from running it and now a nice Mr Robinson has taken over. Their prices have be sashed.

*cough*

Ciaran, Greystones, Wicklow, Ireland

I am in France and the UK. My car boot tells me the exchange rate situation. For 4 years it was full of food and wine going back to the UK. Now its full of Oz wine and UK food going to France. We bought a 6.8 kilo turkey in Waitrose for £22. We saw a 2kilo turkey in France for 22euros. QED.

Jon Frederics, London, UK

At the moment, people are duped by Gordon's 'do anything with your billions to try and reflate the economy.' They won't be so easily fooled when more famous retail chains fail; job losses go beyond 2 million and towards 3 million and repossessions rise. Esp when they know tax rises are coming.

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

I'm an expat and am having a bit of a problem with finances due to falling exchange rates. Cut down on eating out and the luxuries you have got used to. Remember the 40/50s and cut the cloth accordingly. If you didn't budget for a fall in the £, you should not have left the UK.

Graham, Khon Kaen, Thailand

Steven D'hoe, expatriates do not give up their right to vote by leaving the UK. Voting is made more difficult for expatriates, but it is certainly still possible. There are various web campaigns about this running at the moment. It's important that British citizens know their rights.

Helene, Strasbourg, France

JF Canterbury: Going well until you got to 'cheaper than in France, too, ' and then 'often a lot better............'. Ho! Ho! Ho! . Surely notte! Impossible!

Jay Fitzgerald, Brisbane, Australia

Mick "Immigrants" and "ex-pats". Someone who comes to (any) country to live is an Immigrant to that country. People who leave their home countries are Emigrants, and are also called ex-patriats (ex-pats for short) as they live outside (ex) their country (patria) - its the English language.

Peter, London,

"most retailers evidently found it simpler to convert at 1,000 to 1"
Exactly the same thing happened in Spain where the 100 peseta coin was "replaced" by the €1 coin which actually cost 166.386 pesetas. The cup of coffee inflated by 66% overnight.

Richard, Alicante, Spain

I am an Btis ex-pat and I live in Abu Dhabi where the dirham (UAE currency) is pegged to the US dollar. So for this year i have had a 25% pay raise without even trying.
My mortgage in UK looks very small these days.

Geoff Bottomley, Abu Dhabi, UAE

They are feeling the sudden effects of a devalued currency, caused by a devalued Labour party; but the people in Britain will over time, feel these effects in inflation, because we import now so many things. Brown's incompetence knows no bounds.

A Walton, Leicester, England

I find the attitude of some expats astonishing. Why did they move. If its the way of life then join in. In France, where we live, the locals all grow their own food and do not dine out twice a week.

We are accepted more than most of the wealth flashing Brits purely because we live like the French.

Gordon Steadman, Ronsenac, France

Traffic to timesonline would doubtlessly drop off a cliff if expats stopped posting. The weather's lovely, the food's cheap etc, they say. If it's so wonderful why still cling on to Uk culture? You made your choice expats - and good for you - but leave the rest of us to enjoy the UK you so despise.

Tony, heswall, wirral

To those jelous of ex pats far from somehow depriving the U.K. economy by their absence they help the remaining resources go round further. They don't draw in the public services they paid to receive, e.g. NHS Bus passes et c.
Plus they have vacated the rarest resouce of housng.
Heros of the state

Steve Douglas, Wimborne, England

Well I live in Finland with my partner and we could not be happier, we left the Uk 3 & 6 years ago respectively, and would not consider ever going home. We have a nice apartment and are both working and have a fantastic life here.

Jim, Oulu, Finland

It's interesting that people who move from abroad to the UK are labelled "immigrants" by the UK press, yet when UK citizens move abroad for a better quality of life they are given the cosily warm tag of "ex-pat."

Mick, Cork, Ireland

I remember Il Sorpasso, when Mrs.Thatcher was asked about it on Italian TV; "I'm SO glad to hear that" she said "I look forward to Italy taking Britain's place as the second biggest contributer to the Common Market". They must have found an Italian way out of that dilemma

Tom Benford, Kyoto, Japan

Exchange rates come and go. This will pass in due course. Always keep your main income in the currency of your residence! If not, don't forget to save in the good times.

Colin, Shrewsbury,

By leaving the UK you've decided to give up the right to vote & get involved in UK politics in the same way that you are no longer contributing to the UK economy: you take money out of the UK and spend it elsewhere in Euroland. The saying "You can't have your cake & eat it" springs to mind!

Steven D'hoe, Ross-on-Wye, UK

I remember when the £ was around 10DM or around 5 euros.

Anyone waiting for the rebound to these levels will be waiting for a long long time I fear.

I'm an expat but not the slightest bit depressed. Like so many others I live and work here and am not retired.

william rodgers, Paris,

I live very happily in Spain with my Spanish wife (married in England 36 years ago) but savings apart, the pensions come in £ and there is no escape from that. The private pensions have been plundered by Brown and the State pension devalued by false inflation figures. Now, devaluation. Thanks G.B.

Richard, Alicante, Spain

Why are we paying British pensions to people living outside our country ? What a ludicrous situation. This is just throwing money out of our economy. If these people like the country they are in so much they can look to that country for support. There will be no free rides ahead.

Chris, Oxford, England

How many years of good times have these expats enjoyed? While UK residents have lived in smaller houses, with less sunshine and paying more for less, the expats suddenly feel hard done by? Now that the fat years are over, it seems a little precious that they need to tighten their belts.

Jonathan, London,

We live in Italy.next door to Umbria in Marche We also feel lucky even though our dwindling pensions(thank you Brown) have been hit by the exchange rate. We still have strawberries growing in the sunny garden in December. More important we feel free, happy and have a wonderful lively community

c chapman, corridonia, italy

I suppose I don't qualify as an "ex-pat". I left England for Germany in the 1950s. I learned the language, integrated, studied and eventually took on dual nationality. My life's earnings, savings and taxes have been in DM and Euro. The current weak pound leaves me cold.

alan, germany,

Just before the € an average espresso coffee costed 1400 liras. Now it costs 0.80€ (1550 liras). Hardly double. € has greatly helped our economy. Without € this crisis would be much worse. Stop blaming the € for everything!

Giorgia, Italy,

At last! The point that the euro is too strong has hardly been mentioned in the UK press over the last few weeks-well done!
I live in France on a UK pension and,yes,it hurts.
I read the French financial press and there are universal cries for the value of the euro to fall.

Fingers crossed then

John Emsley, Meillac, France

Wait until the Pound equals 10 cents (Euro) the outward flow for holidays stops, the inward flow of touristas booms, our faithful immigrants leg it to the Continent and anything we export has a 90% markdown and Continentals snap up the unsold housing.

Hey Presto! National Debt wiped out.

Michael Murphy, brightlingsea, england

The contradiction in the position of the UK is to have accepted the EU single market but not its obvious concomitant i.e. a single currency. It is a vain attempt to be both inside and outside at the same time. It does not work. It will if the pound reaches parity and the markets keep it there.

JL, Grange,

The thing that grates with us euro-expats (dependent on sterling pensions) is that we can't vote Brown out. An American, Frenchman and just about every other nationality can still vote in their national elections.

Geoffrey Walker, Bordeaux, France

Don't make the assumption that all people leaving Britain have loyally kept their money in the Pound I know many who changed to the Euro when they left Britain.
These people will make a hefty tax free profit if they are insane enough to want to return to that that Greedy Isle.

Lance Thynne, Berlin, Germany

Bring it on. If anything good comes of all this it could be that there will be fewer cringe inducing Brits in Umbria and Tuscany with their "I simply adore Tuscany" refrain. Anyone who based their retirment on the daft assumption that the pound's strength would gaurantee happiness abroad deserves it

Sparky, Castiglione del Lago, Italy

To John Kidd in Oz
I live in the UK and avoid Londonistan like the plague. There are plenty of other places for ex-pat Aussies to congregate. You are attracted to Earls Court like lemmings and I have watched with horror as you are fleeced and your bones picked over. Try living with the true Brits,

John, Durham, UK

We are still happier here than in the UK (Family excepted) weather, lifestyle, traffic or rather lack of and a host of other things. Yes we take the rough with the smooth, tightening ones belt in France is no different than anywhere else.

Jurgen, St Maixent sur Vie, France

I remember all too clearly the day we fell out of the ERM that painful, after which the pound came back strongly, as it will again.
There will be an up side, eventually, there always is.

maggie millington, Brittany, France

It seems to me that it is like a race to the bottom of a hill with the US first, the UK second and Europe third. Everyone has to get there before going up again. The slower one is, the longer it will take to climb up again.

P. Brooks, Palm Bay Florida, USA

If the pound has weakened by one third against the euro then expats should be able to absorb a 33 percent drop in the value of their houses with no problem since they will still be receiving the same number of pounds.

Ian Stuart, Frederick, USA

This is all temporary and not just because there is always movements between currencies. Eurozone is in economic freefall and at least two countries -- rumours are Greece and Ireland -- may leave the euro, and they will do so (as they must) overnight. When that happens, the euro will collapse.

Martyn, London,

The recession on the Continent will be painful but in the UK it will be ghastly. UK manufacturing is in decline with the service sector now dominant. State and private debt is vast. The family silver has been sold with only a few pieces remaining e.g now Aldermaston to the Americans. L 1.50 to 1E ?

Paul, Charlottesville , Virginia,

I agree with Alyssa. You all left the UK when the pound was high. Now the pound is heading south.... Sorry you made the choice. You left the party so don't expect anything but scraps from the bin out the back.

Russ, Melbourne, Australia

Spare a thought for the poor old Aussie traveller who, after a recent collapse in the Oz Dollar, now gets only 48 Euro cents per dollar. We have also fallen 10% against the Pound so already expensive London will outrageously over priced. But we have the compensatory delights of our beaches.

John Kidd, Brisbane, Australia

What strangely reasonable comments this article has generated, compared to the usual rabid ranting. I'm in South America, and the pound to the dollar is the only important exchange rate there. The rate has fallen to ... exactly what it was when I left the UK, in 2005. Nothing more.

Vanessa Carr, Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Peru

As an expat, you have to take exchange rate movements as part of the move. Even though Spain, has suffered, life here is still fabulous. Even today, lunch on the beach for 25 euros for 3. Now that is just not possible in the UK. Lets not mention, great roads, healthservice and family life.UK no thks

rob, Malaga, Spain

There are only about 500,000 UK expats in Europe (about 200k each in France and Spain and 100k elsewhere), There are 62 million people in the UK. Are the majority to be ignored to pander to these expats who left of their own free will? They took a bet, they lost, deal with it and stop whinging

Alyssa A, Southampton, UK

Actually, we Germans don't care at all about Brown and probably most of us don't even know who he is. I doubt British expats over here get much lecturing on fiscal policy simply because the "worst recession since the war" seems to exist only in news media and we wouldn't blame the British anyway.

Matt, Berlin, Germany

The columnist is quite correct. There's nothing set in stone about exchange rates. We have to take the rough with the smooth. My favourite wines are now the same price in UK supermarkets as in Calais, so why bother to go? Eating out in the UK is cheaper than in France, too, and often a lot better.

JF, Canterbury, UK

Thanks. I could do with a bit of cheering up. We live in Hungary, where the pound is in freefall against the forint (the what?). BUT, children greet all adults politely in the street, and at the Trofea Grill you can still get a five-star all-you-can-eat-and-drink meal for £10. Great! Join us..

Proger, Orbottyan, Hungary

Yes. It's a case of see-where-we-are-in-a-couple-of-years with the exchange rate (and economy), I think.

Dan Smith, Rochester, UK