Neptuno

Bully for you-i wouldn't have thought the average pensioner would be able to live that lifestyle and use only half the pension! According to the news, many have to choose whether to heat or eat.You are indeed privileged.

lutonlad

Far from an average pensioner don't ya think. Reminds me of the Harry Enfield brummy sketch 'I am considerably richer than you. Classic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Kum8OUTuk

agoreira

I'd say very much an average pensioner, I have private pensions as do many millions more. I certainly don't apologise for having invested wisely and ensuring my later years would be a tad easier. The grey pound is incredibly important, I'm certainly not alone, there are millions of us. I would argue that as the over 50's account for 76% of the nations financial wealth that makes me very average, in fact well below average. Jump on any plane to Spain, see all the poor pensioners on there, they definitely ain't short of a pound or two. Rich I ain't, but we have enough.

Neptuno

Don't think many "average" pensioners would agree.Even those with private and occupational pensions wouldn't be able to live your lifestyle, and have half left. Many have enough to live on and can afford to eat out occasionally, but I doubt if they are in your category.I wonder what your definition of wealthy is. In my book, you ARE wealthy.

megmet

You're confusing me with cricketman.

jackytoo

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

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.

steviedeluxe

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.

agoreira

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.

lutonlad

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.

MrsMac59

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 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!

Domino

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
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.

Domino

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

jackytoo

I knew it was going to turn into a pissing contest, could feel it in my bones
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.

Horlics

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

andyrich666

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.