Advice for when you finally get here

You don't sign the back when cashing I think. 

It's not that different, I just googled to make sure I was doing everything correctly.  Plus, it had been several years since I had written a US check, so it was kind of starting from scratch.  And DH never writes cheques so he didn't have any idea either

I would agree with bits and pieces of what everyone has said, so I'm gonna make my reply short and sweet...

There will be good times, there will be rough times, the whole experience is what you make of it.

And as far as cheque writing, its all the same,  except write out pence instead of doing the number over a 100… and when you write the amount in the box put a horizontal line between the amounts for pounds and pence.

[pence] doing the number over a 100…

This is perfectly acceptable... Forty-five pounds and 50/100. I worked in a accounts dept where we batched cheques.

I think your first few months (years) are really what you make them.  I never would have described myself as an independent person back in the States, but here I definitely would say I am.  I don't drive here, and except for a few minor inconveniences, I don't really want to.  Buses aren't that difficult (just remember to put your hand out to get one, kinda like hailing a cab, but not as high) and I've found drivers are perfectly happy to tell you if this bus is going where you want it to and if not what bus you want and where to catch it from, and to tell you when your stop is (my husband says this isn't the case and they simply grunt at him, maybe it's because of the accent or I'm just female and the drivers tend to be male)

The biggest piece of advice is get a mobile phone that has internet and GPS.  Most decent phones here have that as standard and you can get unlimited internet add-ons cheap.  It WILL be used.  Being able to use your google maps when trying to get somewhere (it has bus info) and look up things at the store you can't find will make your life easier.  yes, even after 4 years shopping takes me longer than a normal person, but i do tend to change my mind and still look up substitutes. Looking for corn starch and can't find it?  Grab your phone and Google 'What is corn starch called in the UK?' and voila you have the answer. 

Can't find a bag of chocolate chips that is big enough to make cookies (huuuuge annoyance) chop up a couple of bars of chocolate and make chunk cookies.  Yes, cooking will result in some epic failures, but you just bin it and order take away. 

There will good days and bad days.  The important thing is to think of this as an adventure and make your bad days into learning experiences. Don't be afraid to ask questions, maybe it's where i live, but people are happy to help and I've not been given duff information yet. 

And as far as cheque writing, its all the same,  except write out pence instead of doing the number over a 100… and when you write the amount in the box put a horizontal line between the amounts for pounds and pence.

That's nearly how I wrote checks in the US - except I wrote out 'cents' instead of 'pence'. 

And i work in a bank and have always seen it wrote out.

And i work in a bank and have always seen it wrote out.

When I worked at TV Licensing we batched several thousand cheques a day. We would return them if

The amount in words and the amount in figures did not match, the cheque was not signed, was dated more than 6 months before, was postdated, was written in pencil, if Tippex had been used, wrong payee, stuff like that. If the payee was left blank but the cheque was otherwise OK, and was for the current licence fee, we would write "----TVL----" in the payee line. We had absolutely no problem with people writing fractional amounts /100 for pence.

£121.50 in the figures box or £121--50 or £121:50 even.

One hundred and twenty one pounds and fifty pence
One hundred and twenty one pounds fifty pence
One hundred and twenty one pounds fifty
One hundred and twenty one pounds and 50p
One hundred and twenty one pounds 50p
One hundred and twenty one pounds & 50/100

All fine. The point is that the words unambiguously confirm the figures.

I think the biggest problem I had with cheques was remembering to use my married name in the signature! (Barclay's was peculiar in those days and it was easier to go with the flow and use "his" name) That's why I still sign with both maiden and married names, because I'd start writing my maiden name and then remember I had to use the other. (No hyphens please!)

There will good days and bad days.  The important thing is to think of this as an adventure and make your bad days into learning experiences. Don't be afraid to ask questions, maybe it's where i live, but people are happy to help and I've not been given duff information yet. 

Very well said, Pengi, all of it. I first read this post yesterday, and I will admit at first it had me a bit rattled.

Then I cleared my head and thought it through. My fiance has always been loving, supportive, and patient. He knows I will have to relearn a lot of things, and that he will have to "hold my hand" a lot at first. He's not the kind of guy that would get angry at me for that. He knows I am a strong gal, and I will be fine on my own once I get settled.

And as for me, well, I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a bit nervous. But not so nervous I will be too scared to do things on my own. I fully intend to get bus schedules and venture out on my own, especially while we are unmarried and I'll be unable to work. I'm sure I'll get lost, turned around or confused at some point. And that's when I'll remember what my mama always told me...  "People like to help." I mean, generally, that really is true. Of course, you will run into some sour apples, or people who may turn their nose up at you because you're a "yankee," but all in all, most people feel good helping others.

Not to demean what the OP is saying, and I am sorry that happened to her. But I can control how I view the situation, and though this journey to being a Brit is a bit scary, I'm excited and ready to learn.

I've been here 10 days now and my main problem is boredom. I go out once or twice a week with his Mum, Gran, and Aunty.  But, adult conversation with someone other than family is a struggle.  I'm not used to having this much free time on my hands.  Back in Texas, I worked full-time, went to school full-time, and was so busy that I had to schedule enough time to sleep.  I'm still in school full-time.  But, it feels weird not working too.

I've taken the buses twice now. Not on my own yet.  I do fear getting lost but I guess that's something I will just have to get over.  I do walk to his Mum's on my own which is a major feat without getting hit from traffic.  (Pedestrians apparently don't have the right of way here.)

I unpacked the clothes from my suitcase after 8 days.  I realized it was silly to wash laundry and put them back in my suitcase.  Did that twice before I unpacked.

It just doesn't feel like OUR home yet.  It still feels like his.  I'm hoping that changes when my shipment arrives with all my stuff. 

Steph

I've been here 10 days now and my main problem is boredom. I go out once or twice a week with his Mum, Gran, and Aunty.  But, adult conversation with someone other than family is a struggle.  I'm not used to having this much free time on my hands.  Back in Texas, I worked full-time, went to school full-time, and was so busy that I had to schedule enough time to sleep.  I'm still in school full-time.  But, it feels weird not working too.

I've taken the buses twice now. Not on my own yet.  I do fear getting lost but I guess that's something I will just have to get over.  I do walk to his Mum's on my own which is a major feat without getting hit from traffic.  (Pedestrians apparently don't have the right of way here.)

I unpacked the clothes from my suitcase after 8 days.  I realized it was silly to wash laundry and put them back in my suitcase.  Did that twice before I unpacked.

It just doesn't feel like OUR home yet.  It still feels like his.  I'm hoping that changes when my shipment arrives with all my stuff. 

Steph

I don't have really any advice, but, this is how I felt my first few months here. It did help once my own things came in from the States, esp when I got my knit blanket that my aunt made  for me, and I've had since I was in single digit years. That's when I finally felt like I belonged. It also really helped when I stopped bottling up how I felt and just vented to DH. I'm used to just being strong and independent, and not admitting that there's something wrong with me.

I used to fear getting lost all the time, too. I carried our town's map around with us almost everytime I'd go out on my own. And when I went somewhere totally unfamiliar to me, either I or DH would get on to google and get as much information about the place as we could. Google streetmaps is a god-send, because you can see and make note of different things to look out for (petrol stations, shops, etc) when you're going to a place. I'm bad with maps and stuff, so, seeing different landmarks before hand helps sooo much. I still do it, actually.

When I got here, I thought things would be natural and automatic, and that I'd "get" things straight away. When I didn't, I thought there was something wrong with me. Every one on the forum here, and DH reminded me that it's a whole different country, and even though everyone speaks English here, like in the States, it's still a completely different culture. Still learning every day. It's part of the adventure and the fun.

I've been here 10 days now and my main problem is boredom. I go out once or twice a week with his Mum, Gran, and Aunty.  But, adult conversation with someone other than family is a struggle.  I'm not used to having this much free time on my hands.  Back in Texas, I worked full-time, went to school full-time, and was so busy that I had to schedule enough time to sleep.  I'm still in school full-time.  But, it feels weird not working too.

I've taken the buses twice now. Not on my own yet.  I do fear getting lost but I guess that's something I will just have to get over.  I do walk to his Mum's on my own which is a major feat without getting hit from traffic.  (Pedestrians apparently don't have the right of way here.)

I unpacked the clothes from my suitcase after 8 days.  I realized it was silly to wash laundry and put them back in my suitcase.  Did that twice before I unpacked.

It just doesn't feel like OUR home yet.  It still feels like his.  I'm hoping that changes when my shipment arrives with all my stuff. 

Steph

I felt like this at first, too. I was taking 5 graduate courses my last semester, plus working double shifts as a waitress at a restaurant and don't even get me started on all the homework and essays I had to write. It was an immense load considering I was also packing and having yard sales and trying to see my family and friends when I could and tying up other loose ends, plus planning the small wedding before all of that and of course, hanging around on the webcam with my honey. I was so busy I didn't even watch a single minute of television for probably 8 months. No joke! So when I got here, to this tiny little village from busy Dallas, and no school and no work yet and nothing to do while DH was at work, it was VERY strange for a while. But now I am loving the relaxed pace of life and realising that I am happier than I ever was living in the city and dealing with the traffic and heat and bustle. The silence really does grow on you pretty quickly. One thing I always recommend is to find something to do on your own. I volunteered at our local newspaper and would walk there on Thursday afternoons for tea and biscuits with some lovely retired ladies and help them edit their stories and things like that. It was great fun and I got to meet a few local people. I was kind of sad (but grateful) when I got a full time office job and couldn't do that anymore. It was scary, of course, the day I first walked in there alone and joined in, but if you can manage to do it, you will not only get a UK reference for your CV, but you might make a friend or at least a few acquaintances and just get to know your local area a bit better. Any volunteer work is great, just find something that jives with your interests. I chose the newspaper because I had a background that went well with it. Good luck!

Jewlz-- I really really wanted to volunteer here.  But, my understanding was that volunteer work is still work and that I can't do it until we are married and I have my work permit.  (which will be the end of September). 

Does anyone know differently?  Am I able to do volunteer work on a fiance settlement visa?

Steph

If I recall correctly, no work (paid or unpaid) is allowed while on a fiance/e visa.

So, no.  No volunteering is allowed while on a fiance/e visa.