Germany
Day to Day Living in Germany
Germany related forum posts
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Is it expensive to run a business in Germany?
Hi, As a sole trader, what are the charges like? Can I pay them monthly or are they an annual charge? Thanks.
Total Posts: 2 Last post by Karlnor
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Good country to trade with?
Hi I am looking into trading with different countries but I am not sure about Germany. Does anyone have any experience? Thanks.
Total Posts: 2 Last post by Karlnor
Day-to-day Living
Shopping and groceries
Germans like to shop. As with the UK, you might even say it's a national pastime. This makes finding anything you need relatively easy.
You can find a number of superstores in many city suburbs, and even in some city centres. There are also the hypermarkets such as Real, Kaufland and Globus Handelshof, which offer a wide range of products including groceries, household goods, beverages, pet supplies, clothing, etc. These hypermarkets are housed within shopping centres and often coupled with a few other large specialty stores.
There are also the (in)famous German discount supermarkets, such as Aldi and Lidl, which, as many UK shoppers already know, specialise in groceries, textiles, toys, office supplies. All at 'unbeatable' prices, of course.
Opening times are consistent with the UK.
Social Security
The German social security system can be divided into 5 parts:
- Pension insurance
- Unemployment insurance
- Health insurance
- Care insurance
- Companies accident insurance
The amount of health insurance contribution is dependent on the chosen health insurance company. Also, if the ceiling amounts are met, employees have the option of either being insured with a governmental health insurance company, a private health insurance company, or not being insured at all. If you are insured with a private company, the amount of contribution is dependent on your age, health and familial circumstance.
Crime
Violent crime is rare in Germany, although incidents may occur, especially in high risk areas in large cities, such as train station. Most incidents related to street crime involve unattended objects or pick-pocketing.
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