HOW TO BE A SMART EXPAT WIFE

Basically an expat is a person who is voluntarily absent from his residence or home country. There could be many reasons behind it. Maybe your spouse might have gotten a new job abroad and you may feel the need to cement family ties. From afar it is usually viewed by many as a luxurious lifestyle that is admirable. The flights, hotels are what most wives wish. The move could be from a developed country to developed country: developed country to developing country. Developing country to developed country and developing country to developing country. Some of the developed countries are Canada Unites States of America, United Kingdom and developing countries include Haiti, Bolivia, Botswana just to mention but a few.

One factor that an expat wife should be well conversant with is the need to know a little bit about the host country before they set foot there. Challenges will emerge. To begin with there is the issue of language barrier. For instance a Russian who migrates to France may find it hard speak French, a Spanish to speak Buganda and so on. Culture shock should be factored in. For example the cuisine. There is nothing universally accepted as edible and traditions  meals are different world over. For instance the Chinese eat dogs, the Japanese have kangaroo sashimi which is kangaroo meat eaten raw while sliced thinly, mollejas with is the thymus gland of a calf taken as food in Argentina and so forth. Dress codes also vary. Amongst the Koreans we have jeogori chima, paji.

With the advent of the internet virtually anything is possible. There are expat communities that assist new expartriate families. This could help those who find it hard to make new friends in their host country. They provide a lot of social networking .There also thousands of ebooks that are sold online that can get anyone who is stiuck on track. For instance in the category of finances you can get information on how to make money as an Expat Wife example is the Home business for expat wives available at www.HomebusinessFor ExpatWives.com or on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BXBES0  learn how to reduce your tax liability legally, whether it is appropriate to bank offshore or onshore, avoiding annuity buying while saving for retirement, choosing the best interest rates.


It is important to equip yourself with some tips before proceeding for the move. Firstly you should be psychologically prepared for a culture shock  since it is going to be a new terrain, secondly,  you should know that this is not just geographical move but a mind shift from your comfort zone.  Thirdly be sure that you have some resources in cash for emergency or unexpected expenses as a cash point might not be readily available like in your home country.

Be open minded and flexible see your move as an adventure so that you can adjust quickly to your new home

Do your research on the country, their custom, traditions, tourist sites, educational system in case you have young children, the medical facilities available and if possible buy off the shelf drugs like flu tablets, pain relievers and if your host country is in the tropics find out about malaria drugs.

Follow these tips as an expat wife and you will be able able to settle into your new home and host country very fast.

Article by Bibi Apampa, a Wealth Coach and  Business Mentor who specializes in helping people create multiple streams of Income. Visit her website for Business Mentoring at  www.HomeBusinessForExpatWives.com