Danman

Hello people.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
I would be greatly appreciative if you could offer me some advice on my situation, or more precisely my Dad's situation.

My Dad has been living in the U.K for the last 10 years, biding his time until his Military pension comes through.
He has recently got his pension through and is currently celebrating and planning to make the permanent decision to move to Spain.

He speaks a lot of buying a van and traveling across Spain and sleeping in the back of it, looking for odd jobs here and there.

Here are the problems he has, but he is too stubborn to acknowledge:

1. He only has about 5 grand to play with.
2. He is not in the best of health (heart attack 2 years back, and overweightand drinks daily)
3. He does not speak Spanish and he has no job offers over there

I fear he is a bit out of touch with the world and how Spain has probably changed since the last time he lived there in 2008.

So the questions i have are:

• Does this sound familiar to anyone?
• Does anyone know of anyone to do this sort of thing in Spain?
• Is my Dad on some kind of suicide mission?
• And how realistic is it to live on 5k over in Spain?

Catchafire

I am sure your Dad is at a age where his is more focused on his mortality. He is a grow up and it is his life.

You never know, he might end up less stressed, loses weight and drinks less because he has found another purpose in his life.

Adventure before dementia.

BEVS

You don't say what age your Dad is.

Oddly , I have been discussing 'life' with husband of late & the chance of grabbing some adventure before it might be we actually find we cannot for some reason.

I'm in New Zealand so my happy dreams are of buying a bus and travelling the UK and parts of Europe as the mood takes me/us. All on a budget.

I hope we get to do it as a person is a long time old.

Smithy73

Fab replies!

You can never know what somebody else's experience is going to be... Personally I think, people should follow their dreams where ever they can!

Most of us are stuck in a life, unable to change because of some reason or excuse, too afraid to doing anything about a dream or unhappiness.

I saw a programme a couple of weeks back - Bargain loving Brits in the sun. It had a couple who randomly bid on a caravan in a caravan park in Benidorm for £1300 on eBay, without seeing it and won. This couple were desperate for a change and to come to Spain on a tiny budget and they had no idea what to expect with their newly purchased caravan.
Hey its not my idea of an ideal life here... but don't knock it. They were delighted with their purchase.
So whether you believe it is possible or worthwhile, it is possible that you father could come to a place like Benidorm, which is good to expat Brits and make a life for himself here on £5000 + a small pension.

Not perhaps what I would want, but your father should be encouraged to live his dream!

What's your dream?

Danman

I have no doubt that my Dad is doing the right thing and with the right intentions, and he does plan to lose weight, quit drinking etc when in Spain.

Some very inspirational replies, and that is fantastic.

However, my concerns are that he is a 60 year old man, with £5000 IN TOTAL, including the military pension. That isnt including flights and buying a car/van when he is in Spain.

I want to give him some advice and information mostly, on how he can make his budget work, and where is best for him to go, and how and where he can find work.

Because as it is right now, he does not know how to use the internet, he has no internet access, he has no friends in Spain, and he has no idea where to go and what to actually do. But he is still intent on going very soon.

Smithy73

OK, well i just did a two minute internet search along the lines of that TV programme!

This came up - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bailey-Pa...wAAOSwKwBbBnua

On this camp site, suitable for permanent living - Camping Benisol - Benidorm - Alicante

So ask the seller how much a permanent pitch would cost and then check with the campsite!
If this matches what your father might be able to afford on his pension on a monthly basis (the cost of living is much cheaper than the UK) - then offer the seller a quick sale of £3800 and see if he bites!

Happy father - buy him the one way flight if you can afford it and promise to come and see how he is getting on in 6 months

Job done

Smithy73

Actually that caravan is probably not worth more than £4K if he sold it in the UK..

Catchafire

This.....

And this...................

I am 50yrs old and (touch wood) I should be just as capable at the age of 60.

Let me ask you this. What if the shoe was on the other foot? Assuming YOU are single and had little responsibilities and was YOUR plan.

Do you think your Dad would wish you well? Or start to worry and question your decision?

Stop making him out like Mr Magoo. He has lived there before, but you make him sound clueless.

I don't know what answers you are looking for, but I suspect you won't find them here.

Smithy73

Benidorm! very British expat friendly. He will make friends and perhaps find a little part time work. I don't know of any other area that has so many British expats and a good summer season economy and cheap living.

BEVS

Blimey. I'm over 60. I'm done for.

You clearly love and care for your lad of a Dad and that is wonderful to read.

If he's been in the military, had a health scare and lived on this planet for 60 odd years then he certainly does know something of living a life.

Being able to use the internet ain't all that. I can't be bothered with a mobile phone really and people decades younger look at me as if I somehow cannot breathe. Many many people don't bother with the internet. They live each day with their eyes forward , not down at a screen.

He should give it a go. If it isn't what he thought then he can change it all again, penniless or otherwise. After all, you will be there to help him out if needs be eh?

tebo53

I agree with you Smithy.

I gave up absolutely everything to retire out here in Benidorm and never looked back !!

Encourage him to do it. He will meet plenty of expats here who will help him settle.

Steve

Danman

Great, thanks so much for the messages everyone.

I will mention Benidorm to him and the possibility of finidng a caravan on Ebay before going he leaves.

Any other tips/resources? I am going to buy him a decent Spanish phrasebook. And book his flight for as cheap as possible.

Leper

First Thoughts:- €5K to play with; at least it's not €155K or even more. You know what - your dad is hell bent on an adventure across Spain. He's risking little and doing what he wants to do, so let him do it.

Second Thoughts:- Your dad retires and borrows heavily to purchase a home in Spain (or even sells his UK home) - I bet you would think he's on the way out of his mind. But, he didn't do this. You'd be surprised to learn how many contributors here have done this under the guise of "investment" of course.

MikeJ

Go for it. Some Australian friends of my brother did exactly that. They based themselves at his place bought an old campervan but travelled all over Europe leaving the van with my brother when they popped back to Oz for holidays!

allonbys

yes a great idea, Mike here.
been there and done it with all the good memory's to. So 1 year in Alicante and Malaga to so all good fun.
Best to try cheap flat rental for 1 year and i think Benidorm is pricey to. Alicante is cheap and with lots of flats bedsits with lots to see and keep you busy.
The walking all over and sea air will keep him happy but tuff to avoid the cheap beer and vices so good luck.