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can we afford to live in spain - Page 6

kev3000gt

Posted: Tue Oct 1, 2019 10:22pm

kev3000gt

Helpful member

Posts: 177

129 helpful points

Location: Vera Playa

Joined: 31 Aug 2017

Posted: Tue Oct 1, 2019 10:22pm

I will second that.

We budget for 1000 Euro a month and after the monthlies are paid we are left with around 750.

We live a good lifestyle on that,eat out 3 times a week,run a car and have various trips out and about..the majority of which are sightseeing,which come with the added bonus of being free. We dont scrimp or do without certain things as we have learnt to avoid the expensive tourist trap bars and bistro's and at the end of the day there is only so many times you can dine out without it becoming mundane.

I have managed to "retire" here at only 47 and have lived here for 3 years now with a pretty good way of life,you can do it if you want it!!

Go for it and dont look back,

Keep the faith,

Kev.

LeeB

Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 3:52am

LeeB

Helpful member

Posts: 135

66 helpful points

Location: Arboleas

Joined: 26 Jun 2019

Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 3:52am

I was particularly amused with the comment about people dying from drink related issues. Would be worth pointing out that they would have occured anywhere on the planet, irrespective of Spain, England, Brexit or any other excuse. Addictive personalities have no respect whatsoever for geography or budget.

There is one irrefutable fact in this entire discussion. Spain is a far, far cheaper place to live in than the UK.

Comparisons:

Council tax at my current home £1700. IBI and Refuse at new house in El Prado (Arboleas) €459

Winter heating Spain 3 tonne of logs €300. UK dual fuel deal £140 per month, EVERY month. Yes, I'm aware that in the summer, I'll be running AC, but only at night, and only in the bedroom. And hot water is heated via solar panels. If you're living in a region which averages 320 days of sunshine a year, why WOULDN'T you install solar?

The other thing worth bearing in mind is this. Which ever car you decide to buy, make sure you get the diesel engined  version. At least 40% more MPG than petrol, and in Spain, cheaper than petrol. Unless you feel the need to drive like Lewis Hamilton, plenty of performance as well, especially if you chose a German car, which are now the best vehicles in fhe world.

Fresh

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2019 12:17am

Fresh

Helpful member

Posts: 317

366 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 28 Apr 2018

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2019 12:17am

I love this discussion. I too want to retire to Mojacar (as soon as I can) but am well paid in the UK and haven’t made adequate pension provision so need to work for a bit longer.  I suspect that there are many people in my position.  Being honest, the sorts of sums that people are talking about are achievable right now. Every day is a balance between “can I afford to retire yet” and “if I work for a bit longer, I’ll have more to retire on”. I doubt that I am alone in this.  The health (risk, I am so far healthy) -v- income debate.  At the moment, my partner and I have decided to spend increasing periods of time in Mojacar, more and more each year, pending retirement,  It is difficult to know when to make the ‘jump’.  This forum is reassuring in that the base income it is suggested we need is low: less reason to put it off.  Thanks for your comments

DeeHenry

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2019 9:28am

DeeHenry

Helpful member

Posts: 198

72 helpful points

Location: Arboleas

Joined: 9 May 2019

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2019 9:28am

My wife and I retired here to Spain when we were 54yrs old, were still here, great lifestyle. Great weather,great church, great health service, we've been here 21 yrs now, can't be bad.

Seron

Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 4:29pm

Posts: 24

12 helpful points

Location: Serón

Joined: 31 Oct 2019

Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 4:29pm

I have had  a place in Seron Spain for many years. I have 5,000 sqm, I have a lot of trees there and if I lived there now I would keep chickens like the owners before, I have some free irrigation water etc. I did live there for one year in my thirties and we bottled tomatoes etc, dried a few other items, grew potatoes, spinach, cucumbers, peppers, garlic and so on. I have around 60 olive trees, similar with almond, cherry trees, plum, apple, my own pool, large garages, nice detached villa / bungalow. I am still in the phase of building up my pension and I have a son at uni for the next 5 or 6 years who is draining my bank balance quite well so I am battling on. I have a place on the coast as well, I do like the coast for the restaurants but I like the peace and quiet of inland more, space etc. We have a dish on the house for broadband, 16 mb, quick enough for netflix. The problem with inland for me is that I am out numbered by the others in my family who prefer the coast so for a couple of weeks use a year it is a bit expensive to have it sitting there.   

I think I could live quite easily with €1,500 a month, but in the year I lived there many years ago I spent £35,000 in a year, purchased a cheap new car, carried out a few improvements etc. I was out in the restaurants a lot, I had a great year I must say but it was not realistic to stay there, my money would not have lasted as I was too young and the kids got a better education back in the UK. Now we have Brexit but I think you can still get a visa if you have enough money per month coming in.   

If I lived there now full time I might think about a wind turbine and solar hot water but they take years to get your money back. Electric is more expensive there than UK, many will spend more on wood etc or gas to keep their houses warm. I have an open fire that heats up radiators via a back boiler but I think I would have similar system but with a pellet burner.  For me in Spain you can spend €90 per month on electric and then €500 on wood in the winter. Council tax is much cheaper, my water is cheap in the country side as I don't have to pay for drainage. It is a good life there but I am staying in the UK for now.   

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DeeHenry

Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 6:06pm

DeeHenry

Helpful member

Posts: 198

72 helpful points

Location: Arboleas

Joined: 9 May 2019

Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 6:06pm

€500 on wood! I purchased €120 in November befor it got chilly,it will last me until March,it never freezes her in Vera, open windows during the day, but occasionally shut I'd windy. Electric, €160 for 2months, dustbins €68 per year, food  for 2 of us €100 per week,inc. wine. Our villa 490 sq mtrs habitable ,I had it built with Insulation,double glazing etc. Cheap to live here, no to licence , no rip offs by garages with the mot for the car, they tell you what's wrong and you get time to fix it.

All in al retired here 21 yrs ago, not rich, just live very well in a lovely safe place.

Dee

ed209

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 9:53pm

Posts: 17

1 helpful points

Location: Albánchez

Joined: 26 Nov 2018

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 9:53pm

hi dee henry could you tell me what arbolaos is like to live in as im looking to move to spain and was looking at that village also albanchez any advice appreciated

Alicia 11

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 4:49pm

Alicia 11

Super helpful member

Posts: 2098

1775 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 30 Sep 2019

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 4:49pm

Arboleas is a quiet place with a coup;e of bars a couple of banks but there is a bowling alley nearby and now a good restaurant as well.  there is also a gym nearby and a public swimming pool for the summer.  You will need a car though to go anywhere as there is no public transport there is a supermarket near the village but the better ones are a drive away in Albox.  We found it too quiet and as we like the seafront it was a 30 minute drive there and back on a daily basis to go for a nice walk.  We now live in Mojacar and beware the illegal properties in Arboleas that are waiting for their paperwork we managed to sell to someone who didn't care about it or we'd have been still stuck there now.

ed209

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 9:46pm

Posts: 17

1 helpful points

Location: Albánchez

Joined: 26 Nov 2018

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 9:46pm

hi alicia thanks for the feedback much appreciated sounds a bit quiet and remote ill have to broaden my search thanks again

Jedlova2019

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 2:44pm

Posts: 5

1 helpful points

Location: Albox

Joined: 25 Jun 2019

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 2:44pm

LeeB wrote on Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:32am:

Hi. I read your question with a lot of interest because my wife and I are in Spain right now. We're based in Vera Playa and are exploring the area for a place to call our new home. We are retiring and but for a few Euros interest from a savings account, our source of income will be our pensions (...

...some state and some private). Thererore your question is highly relevant to us.

Here's what i have discovered so far.

A few months ago, I was pointed in the direction of an article which stated that to live a reasonably comfortable life in southern Spain, you would need around $20,000 US per annum. Thats around €18,000. Having asked a couple of friends who have been living in Spain for 7 years, i was assured that this opinion is reliable.

Moving forward to the present time, as I said, we're here right now and i recalled your question, which I first saw a few days ago. I have been asking that question myself. All I can tell you is that your figure of €1500 per month will work very well.

A very good tip i picked up only yesterday was to avoid shopping in the Spanish equivalents of Sainsbury's or Tesco. I was particularly advised to avoid the Consum chain, who apparently aim all of their prices at "tourists." Stick to the local supermarkets for much better value.

The other tip you should consider carefully is to learn to speak Spanish. Not only will it make your life easier and richer for all the obvious reasons of integrarion into your new home, but it will also mean that when the old lady ahead of you in the queue at the panadaria gets charged €2 for an item, and your asked for €3 for the identical item, you will know, you will ask why, and now its known that you "hablas espanol," it will probably never happen again. It may seem like we're straying off the point of your original question, but it helps to protect your budget.

Bottom line from what I have learned is that you will have a comfortable life on your budget in Spain, but sadly not so in the UK. Hope this long, rambling answer is helpful.

Best wishes. Lee.

What supermarkets are the Spanish equivalents of Tesco and Sainsbury's?

Which are the best Spanish supermarkets?

When we visit , I always love to buy my fruit and vegetables from the small shops which are basically the front of someone's house

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