How has the life style of you expats that still live in spain changed since the recession ? and for what reasons ? & are you still happy there

No change for us except we are sad to see so many Spanish people struggling for work.

We still absolutely love living where we have chosen because the people are wonderful.

Rosemary

I don't think my lifestyle has changed at all since the recession hit. We moved to Spain in November 2006. Having given up work 8 years before any pensions became payable (in my OH's case), except for a very small local authority pension for him, and 10 years before in my case, we knew that we would have to live within our means for that time, which we have done. We left our funds in sterling and yes, the exchange rate dropped sharply as did interest rates on our savings. However, our estimates of how much we would need to live on were very conservative and we haven't found it difficult to manage.

Yes, I am still happy here. However, it is obvious that very many of my Spanish neighbours have been badly affected and that does bother me, a lot. So many people without work, queues outside the charity food bank. I really don't know how they manage, a lot of extended families must be surviving solely on the grandparents' pensions.

Even in an expat area, or maybe even because of it, it's impossible not to be affected by the obvious poverty and unhappiness around you. It's everywhere, and dole queues and hospital waiting lists are getting longer.

I've stopped washing my car and dress down when I go out. Inevitably, muggings and burglaries have gone up and drug use among young people is worse than ever.

Businesses are closing at a frightening rate and only charity shops seem to buck the trend. The smaller bank branches mainly serving urbanisations have long been closed.

House prices are half of what they were as little as a year ago, and are still not selling.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Well most of the English that were close have left

No change here. I havent seen the obvious poverty and unhappiness that HBG mentions around here. Some restaurants have closed ... but then again some have opened.

Hola

I have been here since April 2003; yes my life style has changed over the years and yes the recession has made me grateful for my life. I HAVE seen the poverty; my next door neighbours kids got one present at Christmas because there was no money - and they didn't get a birthday present.

I am currently in England and it is cold, dull and gray so yes I like living in Spain. Nowhere is without it's faults so if the real question you're asking is whether you would still move here - the answer has to be yes as my pensions go further, and I like the lifestyle here especially tapas as a more healthy and better way to eat

Davexf

I think a lot depends on where you live, the same as anywhere else in the world, I suppose.

I live in a busy city with 150,000 inhabitants, mostly Spanish but with 20,000 expat Brits on the outskirts, where I am too.

The main employers are in the fishing, salt production and the construction industry, mainly the latter, and it has died a thousand deaths over the past four years. The building has stopped and the building workers are now unemployed, many thousands of them.

It's had a knock-on effect on most other businesses, especially bars and restaurant premises, of which there were many.

I have a feeling that without the expat money things would be even worse.

I cannot retire until next year. I visit my house as often as possible which is at least 4 times a year. I have noticed many shops closing with the "pound" shops being the only ones to buck the trend. The quality of tapas has also gone down, because they have not increased the prices. It is times like these that you realise that the UK system of unemployment benefit ,although open to abuse, really helps those who are unfortunate enough to lose their jobs. Spain is really suffering especially in Andalucia, as ever the more affluent areas ( Catalunya ) just like the south east of the UK, always seems to suffer less than the rest of the country. Still everything taken into consideration I still can't wait to get there permanently.
Pete

Even Benidorm is feeling the pinch, rooms available now €35 all inclusive

http://www.abc.es/20120311/alicante/...-20120311.html

Not bad, and I believe that price includes someone to provide a bit of "horizontal refreshment"

It beggars belief that a hotel can provide decent food and service at that rate, not to mention alcohol! There was a bit on local TV. 5* hotel all-inclusive inc. flights in turkey for £310. The hotel looked ok too, not my style but large clean pools and decent rooms. Something has to give surely

The article quotes the local bars complaining of no customers, they are all drinking and eating in the all inclusive hotels or Brit bars. The hotel owners though says these deal have kept them afloat through the crisis. Personally if they paid me €35 a night you wouldn't get me in Benidorm!!

The very posh Aracena Park Hotel is offering rooms from 35 euros and meals from 15. Really beautiful place as well. We used to go there to eat occasionally when we had money but haven't been since the recession started. Presumably it's my Euro they're missing!

Much the same here, out in the sticks a little bit.

The handful of Spanish neighbours seem as cheerful as always and the Valencian weekend visitors much the same.

Life carries on as normal in the nearby pueblo with little obvious change in the bars,restaurants and businesses.

Possibly the only noticable difference there is the peace and quiet due to lack of further development, though this is now changing for a short while with the Fallas season in full swing, but once again no apparent change in that respect either.

Life goes on as normal here and long may it continue.