# Money saving ideas for treatment abroad.



## mountainlion (Aug 13, 2006)

This is based on treatment at I.M in Barcelona, but some of it will obviously be appropriate elsewhere.

1/ Get a good rate on your currency exchange. Definitely don't pay the normal tourist rate or you will loose out by a few percent. [look at the difference between tourist and business rates for a currency, to see how much difference there is.] We dealt with 'Crown currency exchange' who we found very helpful and gave us a very good rate [there must be other ones just as good] We phoned them and asked for a price in £s for 10,000 euros. [the more you buy the better the rate you get. Also the further in advance you buy, often the better the rate.] They quote you a price, and arrange a delivery date in advance. We paid by debit card, and the cash was delivered by recorded delivery on the day we requested. Delivery is free and they charge no commision. [We saved about £235.00 on where we had initially intended on getting the money locally]

2/ We paid the clinic in cash and got a 3% discount. [saved us almost 300 euros]
We put the money in a money belt which my husband wore when we travelled. [of course he got searched at the airport and they found this! but it was fine and they didn't question the amount.] On arrival at Barcelona we got a taxi straight to the clinic and paid this money, so we didn't have to take any risks.

3/ We bought all our medication [cyclogest and patches] in Barcelona. This worked out at about 40% of UK cost.
The clinic didn't sell these, so wrote us a prescription which we took to a small chemist near the hotel we stayed in. They looked in horror at this, and said due to the quantity, they couldn't get it in for 2 hours!!! We popped back and picked it up in 2 hours. [quite a large bag, about 1/3 suitcase, as we needed 3 months medication.]

More minor points;
We ate in our hotel room most of the time [food very expensive and not that good in hotel, and also due to need for bed rest post transfer] Husband got sent out and bought plastic plates and cutlery. We used the fridge in room to store food and drinks. We bought lovely raw ham [ps; not really recommended for pregnancy, but it was so good..] warm freshly baked bread, fruit yogurts etc etc, and had the best bagettes ever. Husband loved going to local market to buy this whilst I was having bed rest, and he managed even though he can speak no Spanish!

Get a reasonable hotel, it doesn't have to be very expensive, but make sure it fairly quiet, and comfortable. It worth possibly spending a little of what you have saved on this. In my opinion it doesn't have to be that near, as there isn't much difference between a 5min and 15min taxi ride. Read some of the accomadation recommendations for your clinic on this site.

Hope this helps,
Love Mountainlion [and cub]


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## coconutkym (Dec 9, 2006)

i would also add, use the bus to get from airport to town centre, and use the metro to get to the clinic. both were quick, efficient and clean.

ck


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## Mikeygirl (Feb 28, 2006)

Thanks Mountain Lion,
We are going with the Crown Currency place you mentioned as seem the best service we have found compared to a range of others!
Brightest blessings to you and your little cub
Love Mikeygirl x


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## Polly4 (Jul 27, 2005)

Hi Mountainlion

Wonder if you could tell me how much icsi/ivf was in Barcelona?  Or anywhere else in the world.  Just had a missed miscarriage and found out at 12 week scan following a positive scan at 8 week scan.  This was our 2nd icsi at Barts following 1st (in 05) resulting in miscarriage at 11 +5 and an abandoned cycle in July 06.  This time was short protocol & Icsi was £3k & drugs £1k approx each time.

Devasted as totally unprepared this time after pos scan and looking forward to August baby.  

This was my 5th pregnancy, after 1st mis at 8-10 wks , 2nd no symptoms of pregnancy, periods as usual then shock mis at 12 wks, 3rd mis at 11-12 wks.

Now 39 & feel totally confused as to what next.  Due to go to hospital on Friday for another scan to see if this little angel has passed naturally otherwise the medication route...    

Good luck


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## mountainlion (Aug 13, 2006)

Sorry polly4 to hear your news.
I can't tell you the price of ICSI with IVF, as we went the donor egg route [just under 10,000 euros all told] 
You would be best contacting I.M. for a price. Also Ceram is very good, we would have gone there but for a mistake made with our blood tests in London. [They got my blood group wrong.....!! So went to IM which had no wait for O-ve, only problem is I have since found I'm A+ve! Must write a thread about this and and other blood tests in UK] Ruth is a good contact for Ceram, find her on her subsite here.
Regards, Mountainlion.


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## babycrazy (Mar 17, 2006)

Hi Polly4
Sooo Sorry to hear your sad news, I have had 5 MCs conceived naturaly, not a nice experience, but this must be horrendous for you with having I.V.F
Try asking ? too C.Z clinics, A Dr always answers you enquires/??.
I know at Repromeda & Reprofit, icsi is done on all cycles as a matter of coarse. Have you thought of PGD, 1/2 the price in C.Z to U.K. Rerofit are quoting Eu 2800 (less than £2000) for D.E cycle with drugs for donor. You can get to C.Z easy on Ryannair dirt cheap + book hotel through them at 1/2 price.  I am even going over for my pre ET scans as there only eu 9 compared to £100 each in U.K . I think scans are free at Reprofit  
What are your FH levels like?
Sending you lots of healing thoughts.
Love & light
xx
KAREN


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## roze (Mar 20, 2004)

The main thing for us was to choose a country and clinic with lower prices  ; despite the wonderful clinics and results of Spanish clinics  this did not work for us, so we went to Kiev, which is 1/3 of the price of Spain, and less in respect of IM in Barcelona which seem to charge 10000 euros for a donor tx.  For this price you can have 5 attempts in Kiev ( Isida).  Unfortunately Spanish clinics are now becoming very oversubscribed and putting their prices up accordingly , and waiting lists are increasing.  

good luck,


roze


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## Zoe BB (Jun 9, 2006)

Hi,

I've just returned from having tx in NY - here are my top tips for helping with the cost:

1) Look at the different credit card offers.  E.g. we took out an American Express British Airways credit card.  The clinic we went to accepted this as payment (with no extra charges) plus we got airmiles for every £ spent.  Once you spend over £20k a year, if you buy one air ticket with airmiles you get another one free.  I understand American Express offer a similar deal with Virgin.

2) We found an apartment to sublet via a website called 'Craigslist'.  We did this in NY - which I understand is a common website to use.  But again you may be able to find an apartment for a similar/cheaper price to a hotel.  The fact you can cater yourself will mean you'll save money.

3) Try and stay somewhere with internet access.  We downloaded www.skype.com for free on our laptop.  We also told and family and friends to do the same.  We could then call them via the laptop for free.  If your family/friends don't have internet access you can set up an account using paypal and then call people on a landline for about 1-2p per minute (depending on where you are calling).

4) We bought a US SIM card and put this in our 'unlocked' tri band phone.  It was then much cheaper for receiving calls, sending text messages, making calls etc.  Alternatively, look at buying a pay as you go phone.  I was in NY for 4 weeks so it was worthwhile for me.

5) If you are going to NY - you may have time for some shopping    If you go to the visitor centre at Macys and Bloomingdales with your passport they give you an 11% discount voucher.  The Macys one  has to be renewed each day.  The Bloomingdales one is valid for 1 month - plus you get a free gift if you spend over $100.

6) The Nationwide offer a current account that enables you to take cash out without conversion charges whilst abroad (although you still get the tourist rate of exchange).  I think they also do a credit card which works on a similar principle.  

7) We also bought a calling card that we could use in conjunction with our mobile when out and about.  It meant we were charged a lot less for making calls back to the UK on our mobile.

Hope this helps.

Zoe

/links


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