Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

lessonlearned

Seven-day-weekend & missile - Many thanks for your tips and info, they will come in really handy.

Missile - we have a medical centre just a few minutes walking distance from our apartment, also a new dentist's surgery opposite so hopefully we should be ok there.

Seve Day - With regard to the IB info etc really big thanks. I'm still new to all this (hoping that eventually my OH will make a complete recovery - but without being gloomy - I'm afraid we just don't know yet).

All I know is that it is such a complicated rigmarole to just navigate "the system" and of course, at a time when I'm worried and anxious and could do without the added levels of stress.

Rant over.

Our plan is to winter in Spain and keep a small property here in the UK for summer. I reallise that this is not the most cost efficient way of living (the upkeep of two properties) but we both have elderly parents who need us and although our boys have partially flown the nest the youngest hasn't finished uni yet and still needs a stable home to come back to from time to time. I really couldn't pull the rug from under him just yet!!

I'm also a bit concerned that the summer months in Spain might be a bit too much. I love the winters there (much better than the UK ones but 40centigrade is a bit much for me).

Anyway thanks again for all your kind help.

seven-day-weekend

We still our our house in the Uk too. Our son lives in it with a friend and another lodger, so the bedrooms are all full and when we go we have to 'live' in the sitting room and sleep on an airbed on the floor!

We would not have come here full-time if we'd had to sell up in the UK. For one thing, it is our son's home, for another, it's good to have a bolt-hole if everything goes belly-up. We'd never be able to afford to get into the UK housing market again!

We can't afford to live for very long in the UK at the moment, but when my State Pension kicks in we'd like to spend some time in Spain, some time in the UK (will still need one lodger though) and some time travelling.

What I said about the E121 and E106 will probably not apply unless you are resident in Spain, ( I don't know the medical rules for non-residents) but if you're still classed as resident in the UK you can access the NHS.

missile

Non resident in Spain (or indeed anywhere else in EU) should carry an EHIC card. These give you access to free medical care anywhere in EU - see https://www.nhs24.com and https://www.dh.gov.uk/travellers.

I would suggest you find out the location of the nearest 24 hour emergency medical centre and emergency telephone numbers.

missile

I would like to share yesterdays drama for your entertainment.

We went on a bus trip to Cartegena. As I get older I think I have Alt, Altz, Altzh, Alltzh... well OK I got a bad memory. So I gave my keys to my wife. So now we have both sets of house and car keys in her handbag and guess what, she leaves her handbag in a cafe. Hardly surprising with all the other bags she has picked up during a hard days shopping.

Realising this on the way home we ask our friendly bus driver to let us off so we can get a taxi back. He phones the Police and asks them to go to the cafe. They phone back to tell us they have the bag - what a relief!

Fortunately our neighbour has a spare set of house keys, but as we have no car keys. I have to journey down on my bike - no fun in last nights torrential rain.

I find the Police station and explain (in my best spanish) that I am here to collect my wife's handbag. "No, this is Police Municipal you need Police Local senor". So armed with directions I head off and after I find the correct office, I get the handbag - the policeman even helps me to fill in the form. Then comes out to admire my bike and ensure I take the correct road home.

Police in Spain are your friend, do not be afraid to ask them. They may look intimidating, but I find they are far more helpful than those in the UK.

seven-day-weekend

An exciting time milssile!

TraceyJ_2

Thanks for all the useful info in here. We're thinking of moving to Spain in approx 5 years so just starting to plan a little and make initial enquiries.

Just wondering if anyone on here works in Spain. My husband will be 55 when we plan to move and I will be 40, he will probably be able to take his pension early but I think I will need to do some kind of part-time work to keep myself occupied. I'm going to start learning Spanish soon (already have a degree in French so hopefully the language learning won't be too much of a problem) - just wondered what level I should aim to get to if I was going to be looking for work.

We'd eventually like to buy somewhere where we could have a good social life as here we're too tired after work to think about going out very often so plan to make up for it!

Has anyone returned to the UK because they didn't like it in Spain? That was our original worry but having watched hours and hours of overseas property programmes (maybe biased?) we haven't heard one person say they don't like it over there!

Thanks for any advice you can give

missile

Well it is not all rosy. For everyone I know who likes Spain I know two who don't. Most find it difficult to find a job and unless you have a particular skill? A lack of proficiency in spanish will seriously limit your employment opportunities. Do your research, be prepared to work hard. There are so many Brits chasing get rich quick jobs.

It may be cruel but my honest advice is, if you think it will be easy stay at home.

seven-day-weekend

Hi there Tracey.

I know several people who have returned, mainly through lack of money.

Many older people come here and live on capital, intending it to last the 10-15 years before they can draw the State Pension. Nearly everyone I know who has done this has run out of money after five years, and have either had to scrat around doing menial jobs for other expats, trade down their house, or go back to the UK (where they can no longer afford to buy a house). So don't fall into that trap!

Getting a job depends where you live, but I would say that you will not get one (other than cleaning houses for other expats) unless you are pretty good in Spanish. So it's good that you are learning it. Don't expect to walk into a job (especially a well-paid one - be prepared to accept minimum wage).

It's also good that your husband will have his pension as this is a guaranteed source of income.

Do your planning. Know what you are going to live on and where it is going to come from. Keep up your State pension contributions in the UK if you are not working in Spain.

Be prepared to mix with your Spanish neighbours and don't grumble that it's not 'like England'. Accept their customs even if you don't agree with them (i.e. don't get into arguments about Franco, bullfighting, bureaucracy or Gibraltar!).

Ideally, keep a place in the UK as a bolt-hole in case it all goes pear-shaped.

I have not known anyone leave because they don't like it, it is usually due to lack of money imho.

Do your planning well, and you should be OK.

Good luck!

missile

Sorry if my comments were a bit negative. There are many who make the move and have a wonderful life in Spain. You have 5 years to plan how you can join them. I suggest your plan should include what do I like about my current life and what would I like to change. Then you can plan how you will achieve your ambitions.

It is stressful moving home and moving to a foreign country can be daunting. I have lived and worked in a few countries and feel at home here but I still miss family and friends "back home". Life is a journey, for some it can be a hard road, for some it is a mystery tour, some get stuck in a rut, but for me it is an adventure and I am glad I made the effort to explore Spain.

gemini_john

There is a myth that the over 60s receive £200 winter fuel payment. Not true... When I received my first payment on attaining the age of 65 in 2000 I, like everyone attaining the age of 65, after April 2000, had my Marriage Tax Allowance taken from me by our 'Generous Government'...

The knock-on effect of losing my Marriage Allowance caused my Income Tax to increase 'annually' more that I received in Winter Fuel Payment.In effect I have received NO WINTER FUEL PAYMENT.Has anyone who attained 65 after April 2000?