House running costs

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pirate
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House running costs

Postby pirate » Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:47 pm

Hi,

as you may know my wife and I will be moving into our house around October this year, we would be interested to know roughly how the running costs comper to the Uk household bills.

I appreciate it`s a bit like a how longs a piece of string question but what about the main things roughly how much do you need to live comfortably on?
Last edited by pirate on Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Retro P
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Postby Retro P » Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:44 pm

Pirate, if you own the house and a car my estimate would be 1200/1500 per month is adequate, give or take!
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costs

Postby pirate » Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:46 am

I hope thats euros? :)
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Postby spanish_lad » Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:12 am

we live on alot less. we've 2 cars, 8 cats, 3 dogs and the house. the bills per month and food probably doesn't top 500 - 750 euros depending on the month.

1500 a month would be great, means i could go out more.

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Postby John M » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:08 am

Retro P wrote:my estimate would be 1200/1500 per month is adequate
Hi Pirate, RP's estimate is pretty near the mark if you own your own house. This would include medical insurance, ADSL, Sky TV, one car (perhaps even a couple if you need them), and leave something for holidays, house maintenance etc.

I base my costs on the Costa, up Campo in the hills is cheaper, it depends what you want.....

Best of luck for October :)
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running cost

Postby Heston » Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:46 pm

Hi Pirate

Good luck for October nice area you have bought in dont live too far away. My husband and I live on about 500euros per month inc gas electric food car van two dogs internet phone mobiles..we eat well ( Im no size zero!!!) and have a good social life...dont srimp like we did in the uk if we cant be bothered cooking we eat..cos we can! Could only afford to go out once a week in the UK and we lived in the north! Around you there are good supermarkets and loads of fresh food markets you will soon settle into knowing wheres best to shop for your goodies
x

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Postby katy » Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:56 pm

Well, like to see this budget broken down :!: It is only marginally cheaper to live inland, IBI etc, Mercadona prices are the same in jaén as marbella. Fruit and veg marginally cheaper, I bought 25 kilo of fantasic oranges on Tuesday for only 5 euros, but you can't live on bloody oranges. I do know jaén well and would say on balance it is cheaper to eat out in fuengirola. Two dogs as well, what do you feed them ...dry bread?

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Postby Retro P » Fri Mar 09, 2007 5:15 pm

Heston, 500 euros a month inc bills and petrol, are you sure you're living and not just keeping alive 8)
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cost of living

Postby Heston » Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:32 pm

Yes we do live and live very well...have to disagree I have never eaten in fuengerola for less than 15/20euros per head whilst up here 20euros would get my husband and I a good meal and a few drinks (yes thats for the two)...dont know where you went in Jaen but obviously not where i go.
As for the supermarkets there a differences in prices in Mercadonna etc between the Coast and Inland.

As for the remark about my two dogs i do not feed them breed and take great offense at that I have two pedigree large breed dogs and buy two sacks of dry food from the Mercadonna each month at a cost of 7euros per sack.
I bought inland for many reasons but one being that i didnt want to pay the same prices as I did in England and in my humble opinion thats what happens on the costas.

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Postby katy » Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:38 pm

There is NO difference in Mercadona prices I have checked out of curiosity.

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Postby spanish hopes » Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:39 pm

I own on the coast and can eat an excellent meal in a choice of Spanish Bar/Restaurants, 3 courses plus a glass of wine, Menu del Dia 7 to 8 euros.

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Postby katy » Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:52 pm

Don't tell them Spanish, we'll have all the riff-raff moving in :wink:

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Postby spanish_lad » Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:06 pm

i was gonna say, theres hundreds of buffet places on the coast, theres the most excellent eat all you can "wok" chinese by dunns, you choose the ingredients, they cook it - €13.50 per person. then theres other buffet chinese on the coast road, for under 10€ per person. then if you really want to "intergrate" theres menu del dia avaliable at nearly every spanish resurant for €6 - €8 ...

i think when people say "eat out" they mean a fancy resturant and get all the ala carte top end menu items and a posh bottle of wine...

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prices in spain

Postby Heston » Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:14 pm

Goodness katy I have expressed my opions twice today on two seperate postings and each time you have attacked them and actually misread and interperated things and even been incorrect on your posting re Mercadonna. All I can say is that I am so glad I live inland a good 2.5hours away from Marbella because if the other expats there are like you I know I have made the right choice in my location. ( no offense to the many lovely ex pats in Marbella)

This site is open for people to ask questions and get advice and opinions from other expats not for people to slate others when they find an opinion that differs from theirs..or so i was lead to believe.

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Postby Retro P » Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:48 pm

I'm a natural cynic and the original doubting Thomas, is it possiblew please for Heston and Spanish Lad to list in detail what you actually get for 125 euros per week for two people, I spend about that only on food, what am I doing wrong.

I also have to comment on the various postings regarding Menus del dias, the ones I've tried whilst not actually being pigswill have been really, really crap, I know I'm not a snob but I do have certain standards and in my world you cannot get a three course meal and drinks for 6-8 euros it's not possible unless your drinking vinegar and eating porky fat (as opposed to fatty pork) and eating (guess what) creme catalan.
Hopefully I don't come across as a snob because I was born on a council estate, my I dea of eating out is pretty far removed from a 6-8 euro menu del dia, which perhaps is where the confusion may lie maybe these places are really just workmens lunch places and not actually recognised as restaurants.
on another thread the forum was discussing Casa Juan in La Carihuela, this is my idea of a restaurant and I doubt you would get a starter there for 6-8 euros let alone a menu del dia, hopefully this clarifies the difference between what I consider to be a restaurant and what I don't
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living costs

Postby Heston » Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:10 pm

Retro P

agree some menu el dia are awful they do seem better value for money inland than costas though.
When we eat out in the evening i like you like a good restuarant and too i am not a snob but with a starter and main never more than ten euros per head and thats good food. Also up here everytime you order a drink ( 1euro) you get a tapas which are often little meals in themselves i think this custom is sparse down your way.
Supermarket shopping....60/70euros max per week that includes fresh meats and fruit and veg i would die if i spent what you spend a week but hey each to their own...we do eat eat well though
x

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Postby katy » Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:58 pm

And how many times a week do you eat out on 500 euros a month :?: Add internet costs and essentials like heating (its cold in jaén) and I think you are trying to insult our intelligence. I assure you I am NOT wrong about mercadona prices,

PS ever thought about auditioning for A Place in the Sun?

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cost of living

Postby Heston » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:15 pm

A few times a week we eat out and yes it can get cold but have a log burner and either use my own wood from my olive grove so self sufficent or buy it very cheaply its in abudance up here. My internet cost me 16euros per month for 247 usage check out telefonicas site if again you appear to be accusing me of untruths

Its hard to insult someones intelligent when they obviously have little.

:lol:

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Postby Campo Kenny » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:16 pm

We are going out for a month shorty and will prove you don't need to spen a fortune.I purchase a huge bag of bulls knackers from the local butcher and some past its sell by veg from Coviran in the village :shock: .......I boil it up with some acete and some airline salt we nick off the plane and it keeps me going for four weeks. Cost.......1 euro 70. OH hates it but has bimbo bread toast with a nice lidl peach preserve for her meals.

We lived for easily less than 500 euros for the month last September, in fact I took 220 euros out and came back with 187 :shock: And I bought her a load of birthday presents out of that as well :wink:

Kenny

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Postby katy » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:46 pm

Does anyone remember the Yorkshire guy, Tony Capstick? he did a song similar to this?


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