pjj

hi guys happy new year to all on british expats hope it will be a cracker for us all in 2008 , i thought this would make a interesting post/thread how much money do you need when moving to spain ? as most of us aint got millions in the bank and are not looking to retire just yet but we are looking for a better quality of life , as you read on b/expats there is a lot people going back to the uk because they didnt plan properly and did not take enough funds ie money to fall back on .

GrapeEater

Look over : http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=502424

I think there is something in the FREE BEER section under Spain. But of course your chosen lifestyle, where you decide to live and expectations will influence what kind of money you need.

Maybe bills like water, leccy and rates are a good start?

pjj

thats very true but having read on b/expats before, many people venture to spain with just enough money to rent for a year i think they are mad , i think you need to have a bit of wedge in the bank but i think the true key lies in having no morgage what do you think?

jimmbo

My sister-in-law & oh who have both since returned to the uk said (in 2005) that the min they needed was €600 p/m,they had one private & one state pension as the other was too young to qualify for the state pension. House and car were paid for & eat out twice a week, about 6 trips to the uk p/a.
But it depends on your lifestyle.

Suzanne182

Hi,

This is something I have been trying to work out. Due to an unscrupulous ex-business partner my savings for moving have all but dissapeared. I have been told that it will cost just over £600 to drive from Lincolnshire, channel tunnel through to Jalon with all the road tolls which seems a lot and then rental deposits (if we ever find anywhere). The initial move is a huge lump. Once out there until I sort business side I will have £1000 a month for myself and daughter to live on and pay rent bills etc. Starting to wonder if that will be enough.

On a seperate note. No one seems to want to do a long term let when there are 2 small dogs involved! Anyone know of anything for March in the Jalon area? Please pm if any ideas Thanks.

I have stopped reading the free beer thread as it puts me in a panic as to everything I need to sort out once over there and March seems incredibly close now. It would be interesting to see how everyone else copes.

jjh

Yes, I know you need a bit of a back up. We came out here with OH having a, what we thought a the time, a good teaching job. It went pear shaped and he left so, for a while, we had to live on our savings as I was 'retired', but not old enough to draw the state pension. Thank goodness we don't have a mortgage.

JJ

twyntub

Just keep trying - we had trouble finding a rental that would take our cat + dog and even the kids in some cases!! "No animals or children under the age of seven" Something will turn up... the trick is to find an open-minded agent who won't mind asking the landlord

rugbymatt

Have you tried PM'ing Mitzy?

montgomail

MnM ,also known as Martha, is based in Jalon and may be able to help you. It is worth sending her a PM.

jimmbo

Hi Suzanne,
I,ve had a removal quote for £1650, south coast UK to Denia, volume about 20 cu mt. I can pm u if u want?
j

GrapeEater

You will cope !! The hard work you have already put in has shown you are already coping. Our pre-move was SOOOOOO busy, selling up, storage, boot-sales, packing, admin, jobs.... money, relatives, etc, etc.

At least you have discovered Expats which although sometimes 'raw' also shows you that others are coping.... although not always easily (the move caused a few hard words in our house !!!) but draw on this experience and be cheeky and ask the neighbours / locals for help. After all most Expats have come here with the intention of making new friends and are willing to share knowledge.

I'm convinced that there are 10'000s of moving abroad success stories (all coping) but as usual the doom & gloom seems to get the headlines. Be true, be friendly but expect the unexpected... and you'll make a few errors no doubt but you did that where ever you lived!! .......... it's an adventure Enjoy it!

onlineamiga

I went to spain by myself and had about 5000 euros (3000 quid). That comfortablly gave me about 3 months to find a job. I always went out on the prmise that i was going for 3 months and see how it goes.
Found a job within 8 days and then partied.. lots
Kinda wishing id saved the 3000 euros i had left or whatever (but some of it did go on buying a car) coz i could do with having some spare cash to live for 3 months without a job again hehe. This is because i want a new job now!

scampicat

We have no mortgage or rent to pay, in fact no debt whatsoever and we can live here reasonably comfortably but simply on £750 euros a month. We also do not have to pay for healthcare.

We do have savings too.

We have also kept our house in the UK which is lived in by our son and two of his mates; their rent pays for its running costs and maintenance.

We personally would not have come if we'd have had to have sold up completely.

lee8

You need the same amount as you would in the UK.

Rent is around the same rate as in UK cost of living is very similar overall, smethings can be cheaper others more expensive than the UK.

scampicat

We find the cost of living much cheaper and can live on around a third of what we lived on in the UK (we didn't have a mortgage/rent there either).

Our 'council tax' is 90 euros a year instead of £90 a month.

Our car tax is 79 euros a year instead of £250. Fuel is cheaper.

Buses are cheaper, and so I think are trains.

The bars are much cheaper, so is building work.

I suppose it depends where and how you live.