perfect compromise

[laswalkirias]

I would be very grateful for opinions of the "regulars" on my plans to have my cake and eat it!
Briefly, my other half is not ready to make the move to Spain for a few years but I can retire early ( 53 years old) and recieve a pension of about £800 a month which is hardly enough to live on but I have been offered regular summer work in uk ( April to September) so I thought that it would be possible to rent in Spain for six months and still be UK citizen for taxes and literally live in Spain from September to March every year until my other half is ready to move over full time.
Winters in Spain and Summers working in uk , is this a great idea or am I heading for a fall?
Am I not "burning my bridges" or will it all blow up in my face!!!
Seems like a good plan
I look forward to any comments
Thankyou

[CHICAB]

Sounds like a plan to me - a very good one too!

Only possible pitfall I can see is if your "other half" gets fed up!

[anyroads]

why not put it off for 2 years say.....

Your pension will have increased by then, and maybe your other half will be ready to move at that time.

anyroads.

[julian]

as Mr. Nike would say........"just do it "........ life´s too short to sit around thinking about when we should do want we want to do now, go for it, sounds perfect

[peteroldracer]

If one of you cannot live in Spain on £800 a month, you either are a very bad money manager and spendaholic, or live pretty high on the hog! Two of us live on around that much, including running a legal taxed car, and we are worried about weight increase, so are probably not starving and only drinking water!

[spanish_lad]

just what i was about to say.. 800 pounds a month? whats that, 1200€ ?? i wish i even HAD 1200€ a month !!!

[Shukran]

Hmmm - six months apart every year doesn't sound like an ideal solution to a perfect relationship to me. Mind you, on second thoughts...!

I see that as the only real obstacle to your plans and it wouldn't suit everybody, BUT if your love of Spain comes before your love of your other half, then go for it.

[Julie]

The way you put your question, answers it already in my mind, anyone who puts themselfs in front of their partner is heading for a fall, but if you want your wife to get a single life and then put you second or even last, then go ahead, theres nothing to loose

[spanish hopes]

Hmmm - six months apart every year doesn't sound like an ideal solution to a perfect relationship to me.

On the contrary, rather than being a solution it seems like the perfect recipe to me.

[alaninspain]

If I was apart from my wife for 6 months I would have my hearing aid checked.

[Alan-LaCala]

I presume you and the other half have talked through the options?

If you are both happy about being apart for 6 months of the year, then you will probably be fine, but who knows.

As for how much you need to live here, well that depends. If you are renting, then your rent is going to take a significant part of your income.

If others are living on 800 GBP a month then it obviously can be done. I don't think we have an extravagant life style, but we could not live on that.

I wonder if they are including everything in their calculation.

Whatever you choose, good luck.

Alan

[Grouser]

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

[redsoxbrit]

......out of sight, out of mind

[spanish_lad]

I don't think we have an extravagant life style, but we could not live on that.

prey tell alan, what do you spend 1200€ a month on?? do you own or rent?

[melandsharon]

We do to, live on that a month

[katy]

I can't believe that people actually live on a budget. What about repairs and renewals. Know its less expensive to live inland but its not drastically different. Its sods law that if you have a set amount something will crop up (like a serious car problem etc) 800 pounds is not enough to live on here, unless you are going to raid your savings for things like insurance and taxes and phone bills etc. What about birthday and xmas presents, holidays, new glasses, dental bills?

[Julie]

800 is probably OK as spends for food etc then mortgages, bills, car expenses etc separate. I tend to spend more with being retired, if i was working id probably spend less, having said that one can always cut the cloth accordingly. I live on the coast, but its not any more expensive than inland i don't think, its a town, but we tend to get Spanish tourist, not British, and all the tapas are still free with the drinks, menu Del dia about 7 to 8 euro. I do think the prices of electric, water, gas etc has risen considerably over the last few years, as has beer and tobacco.

[laswalkirias]

Thankyou for all the replies to my "brainwave", the six months apart from the other half will be no problem as we have been together for 22 years and have separate bedrooms and separate personal lives!!!!
As for taxes and the like I hope to rent and will hopefully not be forced into the Spanish tax dragnet and will hopefully be viewed as a tourist on a long holiday!!!
As for waiting 3 more years in this hole, politely called London, that is definitely not an option. I fly to Malaga at the end of the month for my 5 day fix of Spain and I am definitely suffering withdrawal symptoms ( I try to go to Spain every six weeks ) .
My present job in London entails dealing with very aggressive and rude customers and every-time I fly into Malaga Airport I feel this huge weight lift from my shoulders. The only stress I feel in Spain is my inexcusable lack of basic language skills but I do feel that six months in the country would be an ideal time to devote every waking hour to learn Spanish as I will not be in employment

[katy]

About drinks prices, Moet y chandon varies from 28 to 32 euros here, in Sainsburys its only 15 pounds, soon be transporting drinks the opposite way!

[Shukran]

May I ask a personal question laswalkirias? Are you male or female?