Re: Age
 

Why do you take at face value someone having one pension left over for luxuries yet disbelieve another from the UK. Everyone knows who has lived in both countries recently that it is more or less like for like. The only way you would find Spain cheaper is if you are one of those who drink in bars/pubs daily and smokes.

Anyway agoreira must be super rich he runs a car too:rolleyes:

The OP wasn't asking about prices it's off topic. He asked were they too old.

Answer...No but don't buy at your age, rent.

Re: Age
 

Sorry can't agree. Apart from energy which is probably around the same, most essential things eg rent, public transport, food etc are cheaper in Spain. Never mind council tax...

Non-essential things? Some cheaper eg drinks and tobacco. Some eg books and newspapers a little dearer.
EDIT: For older and/or ill people it may be worth looking into the cost of prescription drugs. We've been told on here that some cost quite alot of money, depending on drug.

Re: Age
 

And it's a new one! But only the one, but a quick look out my window reveals most of my very average neighbours have two or three cars, and they definitely wouldn't regards themselves as rich. Megmet told us about her husbands pensions, plural, the same as I have, so it seemed odd that with at least three pensions, one left over for luxuries, that they could live comfortably in Spain but not in UK.
Like you, I don't find eating out/drinking in Spain any cheaper than UK, (unless you want a €3 MDD) there are so many fantastic deals in pubs/restaurants/hotels etc available.

Re: Age
 

I agree with you. And on the subject of eating out - some of the other posters experiences seem to be bit unreal.
Disregarding menu del dias in Spain, and taking into account 'deals' in the UK, I still say that Spain is quite a bit cheaper.

Re: Age
 

Hi fifer1952,

My husband and I are also in Fife and completed on our Spanish property only last week. My husband is 63 and, like your wife, would never consider either leaving Scotland or even buying a small apartment somewhere nice and warm - up until last Jan (2013). We have friends inland from Malaga who gave up their life in Scotland and moved permanently to Spain about 5 years ago and we have access to a timeshare in Mijas Costa so I booked up a week in January. We met up with our friends, I had an estate agent lined up to show us some houses and off we went. It rained and blew on us all week, and my husband was making lots of discouraging noises, right up until the day we were due to fly out. Our flight was late afternoon so we spent the day visiting some of the other timeshare hotels that are in the same chain as ours, but actually further up the coast. The sun came out, it was around 22 degrees and hubby got his bald head burned. That day changed his whole outlook - especially when we arrived back to -8 and a howling gale in Edinburgh.

Since that time all our holidays and a couple of long weekends have been taken up house hunting - first inland from Malaga area but then more recently inland from Alicante. Over that period my husband has gone from being adamantly against moving out of Scotland to desperate to purchase his home in the sun. I can hardly believe the transformation.

I gather from your original post (I haven't bother to read through all the pages since) that you have a caravan in Perthshire which gives you somewhere to go to regroup for a while should things go a bit pear-shaped for you in Spain. We are keeping a small flat on in Fife but we have a son in his twenties who is going to have to have somewhere to live when his parents fly the nest :D The plan is he'll live in it and we'll have a room in it for visits - at least in the near term.

Because we've gone inland we've managed to find a property that gives us the option to keep a small place in Fife and yet have a lovely home in Murcia. It's still early days for us, obviously, but I would say just go for it. If you can, why wouldn't you? So many people tell me how they would love to do the same as us and yet there's nothing stopping them but themselves and the fear of stepping out into the unknown.

Keep us posted, whichever way you jump.

Best wishes and good luck!

Re: Age
 

for most drink is essential, especially when it is a bit of a trek to the shops, you need to "get some in". Whisky like VAT69 or Grants is around €9 a bottle, 1L abt €13. Dia do a nice little 33cl tinnie of 8% beer at 45c.
can't comment abt "the weed" as I have never smoked.

Local Spanish newspaper here Ideal is €1.20 daily, whilst many sellers have the regular English newspapers but at ridiculous prices like €3.50 a day. The times is abt €4, printed in Madrid, no offers or magazines and they won't accept my subscription tokens :frown:
As to books, haven't bought one for 2 years - never thought Kindle would convert me, but I am a regular and buy at least one a week for sitting on the patio with a drink in the sun (when we get it).

As a UK pensioner I get my prescription drugs at 20% of their "book" price. OK it isn't free as it would be back home but it works out to around €2.50 per month.
And being registered with the Central Salud they sent me a reminder that I can take advantage of their free flu injection programme. Haven't had a cold all winter...

local bus into the city is €1.85 each way, which is 35k by car each way.
city buses are 80c for the first journey and reducing the more you use each day, if you get back on less than 20mins after the first trip then the next one is free.
And we have the Tram to look forward in the next decade or so.:blink:

Re: Age
 

what you aren't being told is that a Menu del Dia can be had starting at €3.50 although the regular price would be around €8-€10 per head.
You are guaranteed not to need an evening meal

Re: Age
 

I knew it was going to turn into a pissing contest, could feel it in my bones:rofl:
Cherry picking what it costs you for prescriptions etc.
Never seen Grants at €9 years ago. You could get that cheap never heard of brand for 9 though.

Re: Age
 

Well at least it's moved on from the entirely fact-free stage.

I think this lady is on this thread.... http://youtu.be/VEhu--jtr9Y

Re: Age
 

Indeed considering there printed in Spain & usually on a lesser grade of paper, the only thing I can think is the volume is not enough, but then so many free ones about. It is a rip off, another one.

Re: Age
 

You mean that you have to pay EVEN MORE to read the DM, it is true what they say ,there is one born every minute.

Re: Age
 

No you got that wrong Jacky, I have two pensions left over for the finer things in life.
I still say that would not be the case if we were living in the UK with it's (in my experience) much higher costs. And for the record, I don't drink every day and I don't smoke either.
That said we didn't move here for the low cost, we moved for the lifestyle which is very much superior here.

Re: Age
 

Expats arriving in Spain at or near official retirement age are likely to have built up a sufficient pension income to live comfortably in what used to be a much cheaper country. I think it still is much cheaper.

They will have made Spain their choice not because of cheapness, but for many other reasons too - not least the tolerant Spanish population who have been bombarded with some weird people from all over the world and still manage a smile when yet another Martian comes along.

One Spanish barmaid confided in me recently that she dreaded the arrival of summer when expats change into short shorts which look disgusting on men and women beyond a certain age. I'm going to stay in long trousers for a bit longer.

Re: Age
 

If seeing customers wear shorts is the worse thing in that barmaid's life, then she really hasn't much to complain about! Having said that, I do cringe when certain men, the chubby ones, walk about bare-chested (or have their shirts open to the waist.

Re: Age
 

I think some expats don't own a pair of trousers, have seen some in them on cold December days.

Re: Age
 

I still stand by the fact it's not cheaper in Spain at least in Andalucia. There is more to life than menu del dia and a bottle of whiskey :lol: anyway I can't make up my mind what to choose on the menu...grey chicken, yellow fish or spaghetti Bol with scarcely any Bol. Then the deserts, which one, Apple, strawberry or raspberry yogurt..the choice is amazing:rofl:

A few things that are more expensive in Spain without thinking hard.

Cars and Car insurance
Car parts
White goods
Garden tools/equipment
House insurance
Broadband
Furniture
White goods
Income tax

If it's so good why does every Brit owned house seem to be on sale. About two thirds of properties are se vende in a lot of pueblos.....and why does 20,000+ Brits want to leave, many of them because of financial difficulties:confused:

Re: Age
 

If we're talking about costs (and you attempt to change the subject by referring to Brit houses) then surely the essential costs are a lot cheaper than the UK eg rent, council tax, public transport and basic foodstuffs eg rice, fruit and veg. Energy costs are probably similar, depending on size of property.
Talking about garden tools is about as relevant as talking about guitar lessons... :rofl:

Re: Age
 

Most Brits in Spain do have gardens Stevie never read their posts:unsure: also garden products such as fertilisers are more expensive. Reminds me...so is garden furniture.

Not changing the subject....why are they all selling up, many through financial difficulties if it's as cheap as claimed.

Re: Age
 

Sorry I find that hard to believe - unless you can back that statement up
Many Brits live in rented flats - they don't all have villas.
Certainly out of the many thousands of Brits who live in Madrid and Barcelona, very few will have a garden.
Which is not to say that a good number may well do. And the figure could be tens of thousands But it's not "Most Brits in Spain" and the cost of garden equipment cannot be described as an "essential" part of a cost of living. Nothing to stop neighbours sharing or buying second-hand either.

Re: Age
 

Try having a 1000sm2 garden without a law mower and there are thousands of Brit homes with this in Andalucia. Of course you don't know the place. There are more Brits in houses than apartments in Andalucia.

Just because you don't own cars and other things doesn't mean they aren't essential to the average person.

Re: Age
 

Hard to believe but there´s a guy near me and I´ve never seen him in long trousers! :o Similarly, our postie is always in shorts, they must be mad or hard, maybe a bit of both. :rofl: Even the girl postie only ever seems to wear a polo shirt, they must be selected for being tough. :confused:

Re: Age
 

I have noticed that about postal workers, wonder why:confused:

Re: Age
 

You said "Most Brits in spain" without having a clue as to the overall number.
Now it could be there IS a majority who own homes as opposed to living in flats or apartments, but please admit you don't know. I'm not even sure any of us do know.....

Re: Age
 

They are always on the move, I give them that, even have one that runs around between houses. They´ll probably have to run a bit faster now after privatisation! ;) That´s probably the only privatisation that I didn´t buy into, too much scaling back!

Re: Age
 

I remember (cos it was only last weekend :sneaky:) the BH saying that the bags of potting compost were at least a third the price of similar products in the UK

and even if you don't have a garden in the British suburbs style and live in a flat or terraced house you still need a number of gardening items for the flowers that you grow on your terrace and around the house.
And considering the range and number of garden furniture sets that are available from AKI/Brico et al and are selling like hot cakes then there are a large number of expats in this area (which will upset DD) - although we all know they are being bought by Spaniards suffering from The Crisis, for their main and weekend homes.
:rofl:

Re: Age
 

The cost of living in Spain is mainly reliant on the exchange rate and the type of pension or pensions you have, will they keep up with inflation? Will savings required to live keep up with inflation?

If you do decide to buy choose something a resident would buy and also a non-resident would buy, so when it ever comes to sell you have twice as many potential buyers.....low maintenance and service fees, even better no service fees, something you can lock up safely and leave, so land and pool maintenance that requires care and upkeep would not be wise. A nice roof terrace with a few pots is ideal, either near the sea or one of the delightful village municipal pools where you can lay all day for a couple of euro, many have nice grass areas and palm trees and have life guards.

Booked a hire car last month 36 euros for 10 days, sure full tank leave empty at slightly over the retail cost, but the car was almost brand new and popping here and there could easily leave empty no problem.

Re: Age
 

Prove your figures Jacky !!
having visited a large number of properties for sale in Granada and Almeria provinces only 3 were owned by Brits, the rest all by Spaniards.
the majority of Brits returning home seem to be for medical reasons of one of the other of the couple. In one case it was to provide family support to the granddaughter who required 24 hour care which they were unable to get on the good old NHS.

I for one have made my long term commitment to Spain.

Re: Age
 

I would like to point out the word "seems" as if every Brit owned house is on sale.:D I couldn't say for your areas but certainly so on the CDS and inland. Take a look at agents websites eg. viva search tells you how many properties they have on sale in each pueblo, the numbers are sometimes as high as two-thirds of the housing stock, and you can tell by the photos most of them are British owned.

Re: Age
 

"I still stand by the fact it's not cheaper "

Good to see that Jacky chooses to stand by the facts while the rest of you stand by the fiction, presumably. That is, if that facts are, in fact, facts, and not, in fact, fiction.

Jacky... as you know the facts there's no need to throw in comments about 20,000+ [pensioners] being broke in Spain while the figure is at least as many in Britain.

I'm off the read the facts in the Daily Mail, at a bus stop in Yorkshire.

Re: Age
 

*sighs*

Now Jacky, you have to stop doing this. Based on one of your facts, I was about to click "buy" on the Ford.co.uk website. Just in case, I checked the price for the exact same car on Ford.es. Jacky, it's cheaper. You said cars were more expensive in Spain. They're not. Well, today, a Ford Fiesta ST isn't. And that, Jacky, is a fact.

Re: Age
 

I don't think she did!
Not sure about Spain, never bought a car there, but have bought loads in UK, and never paid the asking price yet. My last new car a few months came with a £3K discount that I negotiated, plus 3 years free servicing. Nobody pays the asking price in UK, or they are mad if they do.

Re: Age
 

Yes she did!

It may have changed, as I've not driven for a while, but isn't car fuel cheaper in Spain?

Re: Age
 

"A few things that are more expensive in Spain without thinking hard.
Cars and Car insurance"

She did say that. And it's wrong.

Re: Age
 

The figure is actually 40,000 to 50.000 in financial difficulties in Spain. 20,000+ plus was just the figure for Andalucia...don't blame me I am the messenger. Remember the link was from the Olive Press. Tell me how can a couple on basic pension in the UK be broke on £210 per week with pension credit top ups., no council tax, no rent if they don't own. you only have to look around to see UK pensioners are more prosperous.

Re: Age
 

It wasn't last year although diesel fuel is cheaper in Spain.

Re: Age
 

"Not sure about Spain, never bought a car there, but have bought loads in UK, and never paid the asking price yet. My last new car a few months came with a £3K discount that I negotiated, plus 3 years free servicing. Nobody pays the asking price in UK, or they are mad if they do."

And they'd be mad to in Spain as well. I think it would be reasonable to assume that there's bargaining that can be done in both countries. But the fact is, on that particular car today, the starting point would be lower in Spain than it is in the UK.

Look, I'm just making that point that these sweeping statements aren't helpful. Dressing up loose opinion as fact is even less helpful.

And BTW, next time I am haggling for a car will you come with me :-)

Re: Age
 

Not wrong. My friend in the UK and I in Spain had identical cars. she paid £200 less than I...stop making it up as you go along. (Most) Cars are cheaper in the UK...who buys a fiesta anyway:lol:

Re: Age
 

Not a sweeping statement, from experience. You just can't hack it that anything even a screwdriver can be cheaper :rofl:

Re: Age
 

The article said 20,000 of them in Andalucia and that covered about 5% of the total. The larger number you are now giving covers the other regions too, but is still about 5%. You might find that 5% would say the same in the UK. Age UK would say so but they would be one source and you'd need more to be sure.

I would expect that some pensioners in just about every country find themselves in financial difficulty. Just as some people of working age do.

Re: Age
 

When did you leave Spain?

Rosemary