Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

Most folks on this forum have nver seen how badly the "skint Spanish" live.
For one thing they all stay well away from the rough areas.
When I lived in the UK I never saw the terrible innercity slums, where people cannot walk the streets in safety.
This was because we had a good standard of living, and we had no need to be there.
And I am sure most members of this forum did not live in the really deprived areas because people who live there do not usually have the option to locate to another country.
I have never been to the real bad districts in Spain, so I am sure most of the posters on here havent either-
There was a story on the Spanish news today, about some thugs that set fire to a block of flats, just so they could post it on Youtube.
This is the type of place we all avoid like the plague if possible by all nationalities.
This is a different world apart, and not to be confused with the Spanish that have a limited income, who live in a fairly decent place, and can manage with what they have.
Skint here means SKINT as in grinding poverty, and the free bus passes and Town hall Christmas presents for the poor, do not help very much in those circumstances.

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

I have been looking for more detail on this including Spanish sites and cannot find any reference to this - where did you hear this ?

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

http://www.elpais.com/misc/herald/herald.pdf

or

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news..._index_1.shtml

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

Why shouldnt someone move here for financial reasons :) I have no problem with that to be honest, people move here for various reasons but finance is always going to be a big part of it because we aint Spanish and we're starting again in a new country

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

A lot of working and middle class people in the UK have seen their standard of living eroded over the years.

Finance has a big part to play especially as you reach pension age because most have to live on their own investments.
The days of climbing the career ladder have been left behind.

It makes sense to move to a cheaper country (Spain was cheaper) and if there is a good dose of sunshine thrown in, all the better.

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

This is what we are doing now.

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

Spanish pensions are pretty poor. My neighbour who is on a pension receives 360euros a month and pays 160 a month rent for a pretty grotty flat. That leaves 50 euros a week for everything else. They have always come round with food for us and invited us into there home for a meal.
I find this is common with the spanish and I find it very humbling.

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

Spanish state pensions are related to their working salary so some are better off than others but they can get state aid.

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

We've debated 'is it cheaper in Spain' so many times and I don't think it is any more, especially if you rely on sterling to euros !! Your spending power has / is diminishing - if you have been here 3+ years you'll have come to Spain at rates circa 1.46 + which made things seem very cheap then . I personally think my spending power is about a 3rd less than 3.5 years ago (prices up / exchange rate poorer )

As I said in a recent thread I have recently compares bills / cost of living with someone in Yorkshire to here in Costa Blanca and overall in a monthly / yearly there is little difference !!

However it surely depends on your lifestyle and needs - :confused::confused:

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

Im sorry, as usual I totally disagree. I also live in the CB (North)
And as I keep saying, I am sure it depends on the area you live in and how savvy you are.

I have homes in the UK and Spain, spend time in both, and our cost and quality of living is superior here in Spain than it is in the UK. I am always amazed at the amount of money I spend in the UK when I am there

I would probably be able to live in the UK financially now, but I wouldnt be able to do many of the things I do here

As I keep saying, I must live in a bubble up here!

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

I agree, in general Spain is cheaper, but of course it depends on what area of Spain you live in and what area of UK you came from

I find everything almost half the price here in Benalmadena compared to Barcelona. But then Lincoln is at least half the price of everything in London

e.g. in Lincoln you can buy a 3 bed family house in the city for £100k. You can't get anything like that anywhere in Spain (except of in the middle of nowhere).

But then again, it will cost £350k for a one bed flat in central London. For the same price you would get at 2/3 beds in Barcelona and Madrid.

Eating out etc all depends where you like to go, as there are options for all budgets in Uk and Spain.

Where Spain has the advantage is all the outdoor stuff you can do for free because the weather is normally better

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

Exactly.
We came from Warwickshire, near Leamington Spa
A house in a village there with 3 beds is going to cost you upwards of £250,000, here it can cost almost half. Rentals are considerably cheaper also.

We have a place in Birmingham suburbs now though ... I would expect the area to be cheap due to competition etc, but its still cheaper here. My Council tax alone there is over £800, here just a tad over €400. And of course I dont have so much pof the rain and grey cloud over here so I can actually do outdoor things! :D

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

Can you be more specific?

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

If your income is UK based, pension or otherwise, you will be 25 to 30% worse off today from three or four years ago, because of the exchange rate.

If prices, overall, in both countries are the same, you will be 25 to 30% better off if you return to the UK, because of the exchange rate.

A lot of people are hanging on in Spain hoping that the exchange rate will go back up again.

There are, of course, a myriad of other reasons for preferring either country, dictated by each individual’s needs.

For health reasons, I’m much better off in Spain, I’m able to exercise more and eat healthier food, compared with my home in London, there is much less pollution here.

A big personal reason for staying in Spain is that my small home in London has changed completely from what it was 20 years ago. I can’t say it any other way, it is now in the middle of a dangerous slum and I wouldn’t want to go back and live there.

In case anyone wonders why I’ve kept it on, it’s either because I’m stupid, or because it’s right on top of the Olympic Stadium.

Re: Are people on pensions staying?
 

I'd like to know more about this also.
I've not seen very much state aid.