Take Control of Your Healthcare with a Living Will

The Expat Hustle is back, baby! 🎉 

Happy Sunday, expat family! It’s been a while, and I’ve dearly missed my weekly check-ins with you all. However, the time spent away was not wasted, and we’re back with content that’s actionable, fun, easy to digest, and tackles your biggest frustrations and questions about expat life in Portugal head-on.

So, what can you expect in our revamped newsletter?

• 🏡 Monthly Property Insights: We’ll tackle questions on buying, renting, reselling, investing, and more, in collaboration with the property experts Fresh Properties. The first article will be in your inbox next weekend, so keep an eye out!

• 💶 Monthly Tax Article Get expert insights into taxes, immigration, residency, and everything in between.

• 🏝️ Lifestyle: Covering all things daily life—healthcare, schooling, shopping, and sometimes exclusive discounts and vouchers!

In today’s newsletter you’ll find:

• 🍖 Portuguese Meat Cuts Comparison FREEbie – I’m a bit overdue on this one… (You’ll find the PDF download in the Lifestyle section!)

• 📃 Expert Advice on Living Wills – Don’t miss this invaluable PDF from our amazing friends at Fresh Portugal (link below).

With no further ado, let’s dive in!

📷 Pic of the week

Image location: Aveiro—also known as the “Venice of Portugal” due to its system of canals and boats similar to the Italian city of Venice.

📰 What’s Happening in Portugal This February

👯 Carnival festivities in Portugal are set to begin as early as February 28 in some regions, with vibrant celebrations across the country. The more popular locations for celebrating the carnival include Alcobaça, Almeirim, Nazaré, Sesimbra, Samora Correia, Torres Vedras, Viana do Castelo, Loulé, Ovar, and the islands of the Azores and Madeira. Are you ready to get your party on? Remember to send us your carnival photos!

🍷 Essência do Vinho (“Essence of Wine”), Portugal's premier wine event, takes place in Porto's Palácio da Bolsa from February 20 to 23. Attendees can explore over 4,000 wines from more than 400 producers, participate in premium tastings, and enjoy wine pairings curated by esteemed chefs. Online tickets start at €25 per person. For more information click here.

🏡 Lifestyle: Eat, Pray, Love, and everything in between

On your plate this week: Meat Cuts in Portugal—the Free Downloadable Guide

Coming from South Africa, a country renowned for its meat, I never thought twice about telling the butcher what I wanted. The cuts were always perfect and ready to go. But after living in Portugal for three years, I can tell you, I've gotten it wrong so often that I now miss a good cut and a flavorful bite of meat so much, I'm this close to going vegetarian just to avoid the trauma of buying the wrong type of meat for the dish. (Okay, vent over. Sorry about that! Let’s move on, shall we?)

If you've ever tried recreating a beloved recipe from home in a foreign country, only to be puzzled by the cuts of meat and unsure which is right for your dish, you might find yourself giving your jaw a workout instead of your tummy. Hence, the Comparison Guide was born. In this guide, I’ve scoured the web for info on meat cuts in Portugal and how they compare to some of the other major meat-consuming countries of the world. Although I’m confident you’ll find this resource insightful, I do have a disclaimer I need to share:

In other words, I learned as much as you will while putting this thing together, so it might not be perfect—and I’m open to any input from beef connoisseurs out there regarding anything I might’ve missed.

That said, I hope it helps you navigate the meat scene and get that next recipe tasting like home.

Your download awaits:

🎁 Just For You—Discounts, Vouchers, Offers, and More

This week we unboxed something special for Ziggy, the oldest (in doggy years, at least) member of our family: personalized dog food made right here in Portugal!

Who is Barkyn?

Barkyn is a Porto-based dog food company offering personalized subscription boxes for dogs packed with nutritious food, tasty treats, and even on-demand vet support.

What I love about them:

Barkyn was born out of love. The founder’s dog, Lupi, had a health problem and in his quest to improve Lupi’s well-being, André founded Barkyn, which grew from a humble garage into a company that has already improved the lives of over 100,000 dogs and their families.

How to place your order:

It’s a super simple process that took me under 5 minutes to complete. Use this discount link to get 40% off your first order, and just follow the prompts by filling in your dog’s breed, age, weight, and name.

Our experience so far:

I filled in Ziggy’s details, placed my order for a one-month food supply at €27 (much cheaper than some big-name brands), and the food was delivered to my door in just 2 days. A day later, I received a call from their in-house vet, who asked questions about Ziggy’s health and made suggestions for transitioning her to the new food.

Barkyn also added a sweet touch with some doggy treats as a gift.

Ziggy seems to love her new food, and my daughter enjoys spoiling her with the little treats.

If you’d love to try Barkyn’s personalized food for your dog, use the discount link here to get 40% off your first order!

💰 Money Matters

Setting up a Living Will In Portugal (Because We All Know There Are Only Two Things In Life That Are Guaranteed)

This month, our generous partners at Fresh Portugal have shared invaluable insights into setting up a Living Will in Portugal.

If you’re wondering whether or why you should consider setting up a Living Will, here are some of the key points covered in the PDF download:

Why set up a Living Will in Portugal:

💠 Clarifies Medical Preferences – A living will ensures your medical treatment choices are known and respected in cases of serious illness or incapacity.

💠 Protects Personal Autonomy – It guarantees that your healthcare decisions align with your values, preventing others from making choices you wouldn’t agree with.

💠 Relieves Family Burden – By providing clear instructions, it reduces stress and potential conflict among loved ones during difficult times.

💠 Avoids Unnecessary Medical Interventions – It helps prevent unwanted or futile treatments, prioritizing quality of life over invasive procedures.

💠 Legal Protection for Healthcare Providers – It offers medical professionals clear guidance, ensuring they follow your wishes without legal uncertainty.

💠 Provides Peace of Mind – Knowing your healthcare preferences are documented gives reassurance to both you and your family.

💠 Legal Standing – As a legally recognized document in many regions, a living will ensures your wishes are upheld in medical and legal settings.

The article also covers all major aspects of a Living Will, including the creation process, storage, accessibility, the costs involved, and more. You can find the complete document on Living Wills in the download link below:

With thanks to our collaborators: Olga Neto, Head of Communication at Fresh Portugal, for her valuable insights and contributions to this article.

The tax team at Fresh Portugal is a highly skilled and experienced group, with deep expertise in both domestic and international tax law. Specializing in tax consulting, litigation, and planning, the team focuses on areas such as digital nomad taxation, crypto, and expat tax services. Additionally, the team has a strong background in private client services, tax compliance, delivering comprehensive and innovative solutions.

Email: [email protected]

🗣 Lost in Lingo

I was thrilled to find the incredible video below from The Sounds Of Portuguese on YouTube. It’s the perfect companion to the Beef Cuts Guide earlier in this newsletter, and, according to my daughter, her pronunciation is spot on. So now you can master your meat cuts while sharpening your Portuguese—just in time for your next trip to the butcher!

…And That’s All Folks

Just a final reminder: Portuguese may not be as tricky to learn as you think!

Thanks for reading! 💌

Hustle on!

Angelique🧞‍♀️

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PS: If you don’t send us a cool pic for next week’s Pic of the Week, I might just have to find a random photo to share (and trust me, it won’t be nearly as fun as your awesome shots). So, don’t keep those great photos to yourself! Did you visit an amazing place? Capture a stunning sunset? Or maybe snap a picture of a fantastic meal? Please share it with us! You can email it or post it on our Facebook page.