Do you want to go back to uk??

Do you have a query on how to get things done in Andalucia, where to find things, who to call? Find out by posting and hear about others experiences.
anewlife
Andalucia.com Amigo
Posts: 237
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 1:30 am
Location: Galera

Do you want to go back to uk??

Postby anewlife » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:40 am

Can anyone really afford to move back to UK after living in Spain? Our costs alone would be monthly

1) mortgage £350
2) council tax £90
3) water rates £30
4) car tax £90-£100 yearly (new diesel) don't know proper costs cos hubby always paid it!
5) shopping £40 per week (excluding beer and cigs so you can add approx £50 per week on top!).
6) electric/gas £30-40 depending on how cold it is....
7) plus life insurance etc. etc.

Total approx £700 per month before you start LIVING!!!! Are we mad moving to Spain, but not on the costas????? Give us inland any day!! And not Whitby too expensive ha ha!! And all these costs come from NW England - dread to think what they are in South of England!

User avatar
hillybilly
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 2939
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:53 am
Location: Estepa, Sevilla

Postby hillybilly » Thu Nov 03, 2005 8:42 am

Totally agree re the extortionate costs of some things in the UK. Although not having lived there or even visited for a while I'm a bit out of touch with the real cost of day to day living. OH is there at the moment so no doubt he'll report back in great detail on the cost of a pint and a packets of f a g s.
However isn't it all relative? Salaries and wages are also much higher in the UK than here. I reckon I earn just over one third of what I used to in the UK (although I work FAR fewer hours, by choice). And so if the cost of living is 3 times greater then one can afford that. In theory!
Plus, I used to be able to pick up a half-decent secondhand car for a few hundred quid, no problem. Which is a sore point here at the moment! :evil:

Alan-LaCala
Resident
Posts: 1103
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 8:36 am
Location: La Cala de Mijas

Postby Alan-LaCala » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:16 am

Not been here long enough yet to be 100% sure, but I estimate that living costs here are about one third cheaper than in the UK.

Alan
Remember that everything that Fred Astaire did, Ginger Rogers did too; except she did it backwards and wearing high heels!

User avatar
kevin77
Resident
Posts: 451
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2004 1:45 pm

Postby kevin77 » Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:32 am

Yes, Alan many things are cheaper as you say, but how does your salary compare? You do work in Spain I take it?

poshtotti
Andalucia.com Amigo
Posts: 179
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 11:10 pm
Location: Estepona

Postby poshtotti » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:17 pm

The cost of living in Spain is certainly far cheaper than the UK.
My mortgage & living expenses were in excess of £1800 a month in the UK. Yes, the salary vs. cost of living were more of a level. But in Spain higher car insurance prices, similar fuel costs, the cost of food, eating out, 300 days of sunshine etc means that my quality of life is far better. OK, my standard of living isn't the same, I don't got to the beauticians once a week, don't buy ready meals in Marks & Spencers & I don't spend £100 eating out once a week........but I love my life here.

I even thought for a mad moment that I missed my "old life" in the UK, we moved back after I was offered a great job, 9 weeks later we were back in Spain regretting ever leaving. If nothing else learned, I couldn't & wouldn't live in the UK again, even with a well paid job, working 14 hours a day, road rage, agendas, paperwork, rain, stress, traffic jams, cold weather.....no thanks.

I have been food shopping, put fuel in my car, smoked too much, had a couple of take aways & in 10 days spent a mere €130! - How, I don't know! My supermarket shops exceeded that per week in the UK.

It took me a while to realise the difference between standard of living & quality of life, there is a HUGE difference & that's why I live in Spain.

ospsalison
Tourist
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2004 2:43 pm
Location: Loja

Postby ospsalison » Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:48 pm

Reply - who cares about the cost!.
Here in London today it is blowing a gale is cold and rainy, the tubes all running late, headlines in the papers about sleazy politicians and foiled terror attacks.

Even if spain was more expensive it has to be better!

Hey ho one day I'll make it over full time

back to working to pay my megga mortgage

User avatar
silver
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 2440
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2004 7:44 pm

Postby silver » Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:17 pm

poshtotti
It took me a while to realise the difference between standard of living & quality of life, there is a HUGE difference & that's why I live in Spain
Exactly :)
No muerdes la mano que te da de comer.

Alan-LaCala
Resident
Posts: 1103
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 8:36 am
Location: La Cala de Mijas

Postby Alan-LaCala » Thu Nov 03, 2005 5:15 pm

but how does your salary compare? You do work in Spain I take it?
Thankfully I was able to take early retirement, and hence don't have to work.

Alan
Remember that everything that Fred Astaire did, Ginger Rogers did too; except she did it backwards and wearing high heels!

User avatar
kevin77
Resident
Posts: 451
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2004 1:45 pm

Postby kevin77 » Thu Nov 03, 2005 8:09 pm

I thought so Alan, you get by on your UK pension and possibly profit from a UK property sale like a lot of people. Or from UK savings. Nothing wrong with that, youve earned it.
But if you started from scratch with nothing and had to work, the UK might not look such an unattractive place. Certainly your chances of a job would be much less, if not nil, in Andalucia.

User avatar
Faire d'Income
Resident
Posts: 648
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 4:14 pm

Postby Faire d'Income » Fri Nov 04, 2005 3:55 pm

You've hit the nail in the head there Kevin if given the amount of Spaniards located in the South East is anything to go by. So far I've met a Spanish vet, Spanish colleague and a Spanish plumber all over here so that they can earn decent salaries which are unobtainable in Spain - at least on the same remuneration package.

So for all the Poms out there whingeing about how awful the UK is, just bare in mind the rest of us are quite happy earning a decent living.

User avatar
luffes
Andalucia.com Amigo
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2005 5:20 pm
Location: Manilva

Postby luffes » Fri Nov 04, 2005 4:11 pm

I live in Spain and work in Gibraltar. My salary is the approximately the same as it was before I left the UK.

So basically, UK salary and Spanish quality of life and cost of living :wink:
I'm nobody :( and nobody's perfect. Therefore, I'm perfect :lol:

User avatar
kevin77
Resident
Posts: 451
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2004 1:45 pm

Postby kevin77 » Fri Nov 04, 2005 4:56 pm

And an hour queueing at the border every morning and evening :x
Income tax is higher in Gib than UK (unless you are a millionaire!) but cigs and spirits are considerably cheaper.

User avatar
luffes
Andalucia.com Amigo
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2005 5:20 pm
Location: Manilva

Postby luffes » Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:04 pm

I park in Spain, so I don't have to queue.

I may pay higher income tax, but my net salary is still higher than I would earn in Spain
I'm nobody :( and nobody's perfect. Therefore, I'm perfect :lol:

User avatar
kevin77
Resident
Posts: 451
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2004 1:45 pm

Postby kevin77 » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:08 pm

I park in Spain, so I don't have to queue.
Trouble with that is that the border car parks are targets for vandals/thieves , especially if they think you are a Brit. Remember not to leave a copy of the Sun on the front seat!

User avatar
spanish_lad
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6218
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Alhaurin el Grande since 99, cartama campo since 2022

Postby spanish_lad » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:40 pm

"do u want to go back to the uk"


yes.
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.

User avatar
kevin77
Resident
Posts: 451
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2004 1:45 pm

Postby kevin77 » Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:05 pm

Why do you say that Lad? They tell me that things are so cheap and its a great life (if you are retired with a good pension!)

User avatar
spanish_lad
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6218
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Alhaurin el Grande since 99, cartama campo since 2022

Postby spanish_lad » Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:32 pm

kevin77 wrote:Why do you say that Lad? They tell me that things are so cheap and its a great life (if you are retired with a good pension!)
because i could go back to my 18,500 a year job (plus expenses, miles, fuel, company car...) and not have to scrabble around for 50 euros a week :(

living in spain is propertionate to what you earn. wages are a third of the uk, u only pay out a third of what u would in the uk. its propertionate. it is NOT cheaper. everyone just thinks it is when, like u say, they are on an english pension, it looks like they have alot left over...
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.

User avatar
fearfulfred
Resident
Posts: 483
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:59 pm
Location: Casabermeja/Trois-Rivieres QC

Postby fearfulfred » Sat Nov 05, 2005 1:24 pm

I agree with you Spanish lad ...coming from Canada things are more expensive in Spain than in Canada almost Euro to the Dollar...but the weather is a lot better in winter! And when we compare prices to the UK it is Dollar to Pound..but the wages are proportionate too..problems is where you earn your money. If you earn in the UK and spend in either Spain or Canada you are on a winner!

User avatar
kevin77
Resident
Posts: 451
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2004 1:45 pm

Postby kevin77 » Sat Nov 05, 2005 1:35 pm

problems is where you earn your money. If you earn in the UK and spend in either Spain or Canada you are on a winner!
You have summed it up there Fred. Then why do we have these smug people coming on and telling us that the UK is a disaster, and that they will never set foot there again etc....when they are living off the money generated from the UK, not from Spain.

User avatar
stellastaff
Andalucia.com Amigo
Posts: 233
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: Essex

Postby stellastaff » Sat Nov 05, 2005 4:43 pm

So why, tell me...after finding an extra two dogs, living in a run down house with only half of it having electric, having four school age children, I left all my friends in uk, and still having to pay a mortgage...am I a million times more relaxed here than in the uk?! :D :?
Donna


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot] and 21 guests