Living expenses per month

[spanish_lad]

i was gonna say

[katy]

I have a gas hob, gas central heating, two log fires, no heated pool. some supplementary heat/air con units. My telephone is about the same as Lorraines, 100euros monthly with telefonica. No heated pool but lots of lights around.

[katy]

Oh, do have two bathrooms on electric and one on gas but one bathroom only on when there are guests. Couple of toilets on electric on the taps but rarely used (I think).

[pigs-might-fly]

If anyone cares to PM me, I can give details of an excellently priced pre-fix dial operator (NO I am not an agent for them!). I enjoy a rate for Spanish calls AND calls to the UK of 2.9 centimos + IVA per minute, with no connection charge!

[anewlife]

Yes, I agree with Sioban, you can live on what she pays in this part of Spain. I live in Galera (about half an hour from Baza), today it cost me 10€ for loads of fresh veg, fruit and meat. Last week I shopped at Lidl and bought things like haricot beans, tinned tomatoes, beer, wine, fresh orange juice, butter, yoghurts, flour, eggs, etc. etc. which most things will last for more than a month and it cost me 42€. Fresh goods like bread etc. will obviously be a weekly expense, but it is still a LOT cheaper to live here than on the coast.

It is cheaper to buy a flight to UK to buy English goods like Weetabix and Robinsons R Juice than it is to buy on the coast, and clothes fit better and are cheaper than here (except for boots!!!). Don't care what everyone and the press say about Ryanair - we have NEVER had any problems at all with them.

Our living expenses are (apart from food as explained above) are:

300€ rent per month
72€ electric for 2 months
NO WATER CHARGES (as yet)
NO COUNCIL TAX (as yet)
Definitely NO community charges
School dinners 20€ per month
Gas 11.25€ whenever we run out (we have a calor gas heater and hot water is gas)
Wood (50€ per load) lasting 6 weeks plus
Iberbanda 45€ per month (plus phone when used - approx 6€/month - we don't tend to use it much as we talk thru MSN or SKYPE on computer!)
Vodafone varies from 40-60€ per month depending on usage

When we buy sausages, burgers, kebabs etc. we cook them on the fire like the Spanish do and also cook potatoes - just like a BBQ on a good summers day in YUK! Don't use the oven very much, but never did in YUK - use the slow cooker for that!!!

Drinks and eating out once in a while, but who went to eat and drink out regularly in England?

And yes, we live in a cave.

In YUK we were paying:

Mortgage £450 per month (2 houses but still paying as renting out)
Council tax £94 per month
Water rates £35 per month
Shopping £40 weekly (at least PLUS beer!)
School dinners £15 per week
Petrol ??? very expensive!!
Gas £100 per quarter
Electric £80 per quarter

COMPARE THAT!!!

We are much better off living here than in UK and also better off than living on the coast, as it obviously costs a lot more.

So, Spanish lad, where do you live and what is wrong with living in a cave house???? More economical than a town house, even if you live on the coast!

Oh, and by the way, a 6 pack of Lidl's Pilsner here costs 2.59€ - in the UK it cost £4.59 for the same!!!!

Sioban - will PM you and we can meet up and have a chat!!

Happy living!!
[/code]

[Midnight Rambler]

Yes, I agree with Sioban, you can live on what she pays in this part of Spain. I live in Galera (about half an hour from Baza), today it cost me 10€ for loads of fresh veg, fruit and meat. Last week I shopped at Lidl and bought things like haricot beans, tinned tomatoes, beer, wine, fresh orange juice, butter, yoghurts, flour, eggs, etc. etc. which most things will last for more than a month and it cost me 42€. Fresh goods like bread etc. will obviously be a weekly expense, but it is still a LOT cheaper to live here than on the coast.

It is cheaper to buy a flight to UK to buy English goods like Weetabix and Robinsons R Juice than it is to buy on the coast, and clothes fit better and are cheaper than here (except for boots!!!). Don't care what everyone and the press say about Ryanair - we have NEVER had any problems at all with them.

Our living expenses are (apart from food as explained above) are:

300€ rent per month
72€ electric for 2 months
NO WATER CHARGES (as yet)
NO COUNCIL TAX (as yet)
Definitely NO community charges
School dinners 20€ per month
Gas 11.25€ whenever we run out (we have a calor gas heater and hot water is gas)
Wood (50€ per load) lasting 6 weeks plus
Iberbanda 45€ per month (plus phone when used - approx 6€/month - we don't tend to use it much as we talk thru MSN or SKYPE on computer!)
Vodafone varies from 40-60€ per month depending on usage

When we buy sausages, burgers, kebabs etc. we cook them on the fire like the Spanish do and also cook potatoes - just like a BBQ on a good summers day in YUK! Don't use the oven very much, but never did in YUK - use the slow cooker for that!!!

Drinks and eating out once in a while, but who went to eat and drink out regularly in England?

And yes, we live in a cave.

In YUK we were paying:

Mortgage £450 per month (2 houses but still paying as renting out)
Council tax £94 per month
Water rates £35 per month
Shopping £40 weekly (at least PLUS beer!)
School dinners £15 per week
Petrol ??? very expensive!!
Gas £100 per quarter
Electric £80 per quarter

COMPARE THAT!!!

We are much better off living here than in UK and also better off than living on the coast, as it obviously costs a lot more.

So, Spanish lad, where do you live and what is wrong with living in a cave house???? More economical than a town house, even if you live on the coast!

Oh, and by the way, a 6 pack of Lidl's Pilsner here costs 2.59€ - in the UK it cost £4.59 for the same!!!!

Sioban - will PM you and we can meet up and have a chat!!

Happy living!!
[/code]

Sorry I don't believe it you state "loads of fresh veg friut and meat" for 10 € can you define in quantity what is "loads"

you also try to give the impression that you bought a whole months dry goods for 42€ could you tell me what you do about washing your clothes, wiping your *beep*, cleaning your teeth etc!

[kevin77]

Congratulations, anewlife, you deserve a pat on the back - not only are you living a better life than those miserable wage slaves back in the UK who are no doubt reading your words with envy, but you have established that living in a cave in the mountains is much cheaper than an apartment on the Costa.
But you must need some income, even if you are living as cheaply as you say. Do you have a full time job by any chance?

[anewlife]

midnight rambler

Believe it - are you jealous because we can buy cheaper inland????

Well, fresh veg includes tomatoes, onions, cauli, brocolli, sprouts, carrots, satsumas, mincemeat (beef, not pork), Irish cheddar cheese, leeks, courgettes. When I said I shopped at Lidl for 42€, no I didn't include washing powder etc., but who buys it weekly in the UK? You buy as you need and when I need I buy Ariel from Caprabo fo 5.99€ and my softener costs 1.09€ from Lidl for 4 litres. I don't need either weekly!! So maybe it does cost more, but not EVERY week or EVERY month for that matter! Oh, and I fly to YUK regularly so bring back toothpaste, soap, weetabix etc. Still cheaper than driving to coast to buy it.... Don't knock it until you have experienced it please. And that goes for anyone living on or near the coast.

kevin77, no we don't have full time jobs - are you offering????. Hubby sells caves, does satellite systems, man and van, NIE and residencia (he speaks Spanish), qualified chiropodist and I clean caves - who said there is no money in cleaning!!!??? Also going to rent caves to UK market with UK travel agent, so income from there. We came over with savings and 2 houses that we rent in UK, so please, don't anyone say you can't make it here because you can if you have a bit of money put aside. We don't sit on our a***s waiting for work, we go and look for it and being a small village, work now comes to us.

Don't think we could have done it on the coast, or even Coin or Alhaurin el Grande (where my other half lived 20 years ago). They didn't have snow in Alhaurin 20 years ago so that shows how much it has changed...

Happy living!

[kevin77]

We came over with savings and 2 houses that we rent in UK,

So you shouldnt really talk about YUK as it has set you up in your new life.
OK, maybe if the cave cleaning takes off you may become a millionaire!
By the way, how much does your husband charge for filling out a NIE or residencia form?!! Thats getting to the bottom of the barrel, screwing your own expat community, even the Asylum seekers in UK dont do that.
Happy life!!

[anewlife]

kevin77

It's not the cost of filling the form in, it's the drive to Granada (1 and half hours EACH way), petrol, speaking the lingo and understanding what they want in 'form filling' - it changes every time he goes. So really, it is a day's work. And asylum seekers in UK get everything free as we know anyway. Here, we have learned that knowledge is money - even booking flights for people!!

[olivefarmer]

Kevin77

Thats getting to the bottom of the barrel, screwing your own expat community, even the Asylum seekers in UK dont do that.

I think you will find that they do its called 'people trafficing?!

Olivefarmer

[spanish hopes]

Kevin is just joining in with frank and midnight , the other two stooges to get reactions.
Quite entertaining in a sad sort of way.

[anewlife]

Yes, where hubby worked in UK the govt gave money for cars, housing etc. and even for repairing cars when hubby had to pay for his own car being repaired -and these workers weren't even from the EEC!!!

[kevin77]

It just shows you that 'employment' in Andalucia has another definition. Charging someone for filling in a residencia form? I'm sorry but thats the pits and I wouldn't do that. Is this an associated company to the cave selling business?

[spanish hopes]

Kevin is just joining in with frank and midnight , the other two stooges to get reactions.
Quite entertaining in a sad sort of way.

anewlife, don't bite!!!! or you will be as daft as me, or even worse, AS DAFT AS HIM>

[kevin77]

That last thread has shook me up a bit, I didnt realise that there were Brits out there actually making a living off the backs of their so called friends and countrymen.
If anyone has any difficulty with filling out a residencia form, they are under no circumstances to pay an agency. Repeat never pay an agency or individual! Scan and Email the form to Andalucia.com and it will be filled in free of charge.

[Lorraine - Mijas]

I've just paid a South African guy in Lanzarote, 60€ for 2 fiscal residents certificates

[oliveview01]

I was ´advised´ that I needed to go to a solicitor to get my forms done and the driving licence.... cost me 200€ plus tax! Found out after I didn´t need to go there, partner did his own and went to the police station no problem. The solicitor even advised we needed proof of income, which was wrong too.

[anewlife]

All I can say is 'you pays for what you get'. Why give info for free - we don't give it in YUK

[frank]

All I can say is 'you pays for what you get'. Why give info for free - we don't give it in YUK

We do give it in UK. Maybe not where you came from, but my wife works in a solicitors, and they give free half hour interviews, especially in family division.