Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

kenshaz

Perhaps it is good to see both sides of the coin and be aware of the realities,a wonderful idyllic picture is often painted.The poster is not the usual Brit abroad,they are fluent Spanish speakers and they have given us a different perception.Some see a half empty glass,others half full .I feel that it is important for those who have not experienced living in another culture to take heed,and not be carried on the band wagon of a wonderful life ,yes that is achievable ,but keep your eyes open.

seven-day-weekend

Yes Kenshaz, I agree that we should see both sides, but the poster posted SUCH a negative picture that I felt I had to put the other side.

I too have seen people come here and have to go back because they are broke. But that is usually because they have not thought about what they are going to live on when they come here, and under-estimate how much they are going to spend (even though the cost of living is lower for most things).

I've seen people sell up in the UK, buy a house that is too big for them here (and therefore more expensive than it need have been) and then attempt to live on capital for the ten years until they get their pension. Their money dries up after three years and their only option is to 'trade down' or return to the UK(where they can't afford to buy a house any longer).

Or other people come speaking no Spanish and expect to walk into a well-paid job.

It's bad planning really. Although it is cheap to live here, you can't live on fresh air.

kenshaz

seven-day-weekend wrote:

Yes Kenshaz, I agree, that we should see both sides, but the poster posted SUCH a negative picture that I felt I had to put the other side.

I too have seen people come here and have to go back because they are broke. But that is usually because they have not thought about what they are going to live on when they come here, and under-estimate how much they are going to spend (even though the cost of living is lower for most things).

I've seen people sell up in the UK, buy a house that is too big for them here (and therefore more expensive than it need have been) and then attempt to live on capital for the ten years until they get their pension. Their money dries up after three years and their only option is to 'trade down' or return to the UK(where they can't afford to buy a house any longer).

Or other people come speaking no Spanish and expect to walk into a well-paid job.

It's bad planning really. Although it is cheap to live here, you can't live on fresh air.

I agree ,think it through,make realistic plans,then treat it like an adventure,no problems just solutions.We are talking about how different individuals deal with different situations,an analogy is when you invest money ,what is your position on the chart of exposure to risk.If you are the type that would only keep their savings in a building society ,stay at home.I believe in a balanced portfolio,but I also have a sense of adventure.
Some test the water,other's jump straight in,both have success stories and disappointments,my conclusion is that it is down to the individual and their adaptability to embrace a culture that is no better or worse than their own ,just different.

gunnyandbob

seven-day-weekend wrote:

I can't agree with most of what you wrote. The cost of living here is MUCH cheaper than in the UK; the Spanish builders have done great work on our house at a fraction of the cost of a British one; I personally know nothing about the schools but a young woman who lives in the village is delighted with the Spanish school; my husband saw a specialist a WEEK after seeing the Doctor and the hospitals are excellent; we live here on £7.5k a year income;our gas shower is like a really hot power shower; our electric is much cheaper.

We live in a village house, I think if you live in a British enclave you do quite often get ripped off.....by other Brits. The Spanish have done nothing but make us welcome.

Or perhaps it depends where in Spain you live, we are in Granada province inland in the mountains.

I agree with seven day w/e, it depends on where you are Spain.We got a wireless internet connection installed free of charge, Evaband do a promotion
from time to time. This gave us a tel. no. (effectively a landline ) and the internet for 45 Euros a month. Download Skype and you have a good system.

kenshaz

gunnyandbob wrote:

I agree with seven day w/e, it depends on where you are Spain.We got a wireless internet connection installed free of charge, Evaband do a promotion
from time to time. This gave us a tel. no. (effectively a landline ) and the internet for 45 Euros a month. Download Skype and you have a good system.

That is very expensive

seven-day-weekend

kenshaz wrote:

That is very expensive

Yes it is....we pay 22 euros for dial-up. It's one of the things that is more expensive than the UK.

Having said that, our village is higher than the summit of Snowdon and the Spaniards here are only just getting used to having a telephone.....

It's the price you pay for tranquillity.

fatnan

Hi All!
I´ve been reading this thread with interest, as I also live in rural Spain, in Murcia, for the greater part of the year. My OH and myself started off 3 years ago buying a smallish apartment on the Costa Blanca, in an area with no high rises and lots of space. Just over a year later we decided to move inland, as the urbanisation had become massive and was growing bigger by the week!
We sold the apartment and invested our savings in a much bigger place with a bit of land, which we can use to grow our own fruit and veg etc.
I think we have the best of both worlds here. Although we are really in the middle of nowhere, we have some English people living close by, as well as Spanish. It is not a village as such, just a cluster of houses surrounded by mountains. We have yet to spend our first winter in this house, but we did spend 2 winters on the coast, where it could indeed be very cold at times. We are well prepared, though because we have a huge wood burning stove in the lounge and, touch wood, lots of free wood to burn on it. I bake my own bread and cakes and have become very accomplished at making something from nothing, as the shops are a good car ride away. Not everyone´s cup of tea, I agree, but I cannot explain how wonderful it is to enjoy the peace and quiet, to hear the birds singing, and to actually see the stars because there is no street lighting.
On the other hand, we still love to go back to the UK to see friends and family and stock up on HP sauce and baked beans!!!

droopsnout

If your local shops include an Aldi, they stock baked beans! (Well, the French Aldis do - in jars).

I agree entirely about peace and quiet, and the trade-offs. We are five miles from our nearest mini-market, 16 miles from proper shops and 30 miles from a largish town. But the countryside is to die for and the peace is wonderful, broken mainly in June and autumn by the combined harvesters trundling up and down.

For us, Spain is too hot in the summer and fequently too cold in the winter, and too brown all year round in some places. So we are happy to be here in SW France, where it is green nearly all year. We are well off the normal tourist trail and our local markets are genuine, with little or no tourist rubbish. Everyone has their own preferences, of course - thank goodness!

Also agree about the failure of so many people to plan ahead. Some folks must suffer from terminal optimism. It is a real tragedy to see people invest lots of money, a few years of their lives and their children's education in an ill thought out move to a foreign country. As we live within commuting distance of Toulouse (one hour) we have seen Brits move here with the assumption that because the husband speaks English he will get a job with Airbus. This is total nonsense. It is almost impossible for a foreigner to gain full-time paid employment here (I say "here" - in a very rural location with no industries other than agriculture)

House prices here are cheaper than the UK, and so are local taxes. Little else is. Yet TV would have us believe that French markets are wonderful for both quality (mainly true) and price (mainly untrue).

UK television has for some years painted an over-rosy picture of buying and moving abroad. It is not plain sailing for anybody. Leaving family and friends is difficult, and the challenges of dealing with problems which may be tricky even in your mother tongue should not be underestimated. Unless your children are quite young, a move shouldn't even be contemplated, as the linguistic disruption plays havoc with their education. Do it early enough, and only good will come of it.

seven-day-weekend

[QUOTE=droopsnout
For us, Spain is too hot in the summer and fequently too cold in the winter, and too brown all year round in some places. So we are happy to be here in SW France, where it is green nearly all year. i[/QUOTE]

Yes, I agree....our mountain retreat is beautiful, the people are great and have made us really welcome.....BUT....

...it is too hot in July and August and we miss green grass and rivers with water in them. (Did you know the only true desert in Europe is in southern Spain, Almeria Province, at Tabernas? It's where Clint Eastwood made his Westerns).

We are vaguely planning a move to northern Spain (Asturias) so that we can have green grass and proper rivers. However, with that you have to have the rainfall....

You pays your money and you takes your choice. Thee is always a trade-off.

wearside_2

seven-day-weekend wrote:

Thanks for that interesting insight into a non-EU country, PB.

I would have thought more people would join this discussion, there must be LOADS of expat MS's out there!

I am semi retired and at the present time we are in our second home in Florida. No, not the Orlando area as we find that too touristy and tacky and totally non American. We live in a small town 40 miles from Tampa and an hour from the Gulf Coast. We chose this town as it is off the tourist track and we feel part of the local community. There are supermarkets and a large Wal-Mart within a 10 minute drive and lots of wonderful restaurants. The cinema costs $5 and shows all the new films when they are released. Casino Royale opened last night.

Our home is a manufactured one built in a factory and shipped to this "Over 55 Community" in two halves on two lorries. It is 1120 sq ft in area. We have open plan living and dining area with the kitchen off, three bedrooms, one of which is on-suite with a corner bath, seperate shower and his and her sinks. There is also a 12 ft square Florida room that when we bought the home 2 years ago just ha screens around. We have had proper windows, blinds and a carpet put in.

I am 56 and my wife 51, she is the youngest in the community, the oldest residents are in their 90's. Some Americans live here all the time others come for the winter from the north and are called Snowbirds like the Canadians who come for the winter. We cannot stay longer than 6 months due to the Visa rules even though we could fully support ourselves. This also applies to the Canadians who can only be out of Canada for a similar period due to their tax laws and health insurance. Even if we could live here full time we would not do so as we like our home in England too much. We obviously like America and the good weather over the winter and are happy that in the future we can spend 6 months here. At the present time we are here for 3 months then its back to work to save up for the next trip.

The "Over 55 Communities" are all over America but in Florida they are much cheaper than in California or Arizona! On our community we have a clubhouse, swimming pool that is empty in the mornings except for us, as all the other residents think that temperatures in the 70's is cold! We have started to play shuffleboard with the other residents. We were surprised that the old folk cheat!!! A house similar to ours costs about $70,000 after which there is monthly rental for the land and electricity, water (metered), telephone, garden maintenance (except for when we are here). These average out over a year at around $400 per month. The community is safe as there is a gate that is closed overnight and can only be opened by using a zapper or combination code. All the residents smile and wave when we cycle, drive or walk past them. We know our neighbours well and are having Thankgiving Lunch next week with one. We walk each evening and look up and see the stars.

Obviously the cost is expensive compared to the time we spend in here in Florida but we think it will work out for us in the future. Our grown up children have come over for holidays and obviously chiped in with the bills. I have a car here as it is cheaper than long term rental. car insurance is horrific for non Florida Licence holders. Mine is $1200 over 6 mnths compared to £155 at home for 12. When I am not here the car is parked in the drive.

If you want to know more let me know what and I will try to explain!