Living on 1000.euros

From my enquiries with the OU - if you a Uk citizen but a Spanish resident (i.e. have residence docs. or live here for 3 months etc.) you are treated as an overseas student and at the time of my enquiry (about 6 months ago) you are therefore required to pay full fees, There was no subsidy however low your income. It is probably worth checking again though as rules change all the time.

 And if you can provide a UK address for registration - you pay UK fees.  I think that the overseas charges have not gone up, but they were higher anyway.   

Just found the email I recevieved from the OU when I made enquiries a few months back

"To pay the UK fee price you have to be normally resident in the UK, under no immigration controls and been living in the UK for three years prior to, and including, the course start date. If you do not meet these requirements then you would need to pay the international fee. The UK fee is based on a criteria of residency, not registered address or nationality. As such there is no financial support available for overseas students."

From this reply it would seem that having a UK address would not be sufficien to meet the residence criteria??

Camposol, you know if you live here it is much cheape here.  If you don't you are just another whinging Brit.

Blue 5147, To each their own.  It wasn't my idea to live amongst a mostly English crowd as I am Scottish, but the commuity spirit is fabulous and people have so many friends.  People denegrate Camposol without ever living here on a full time basis and seeing what goes on.  You can, if you want, be doing community things 20 hours a day.  Fabulous place and a fabulous part of Spain.

Do they count joint income at the OU? If not I could get my wife to do the course on the loan!!

Seems a bit cheeky though.

Otherwise I have just looked up the price of the intermediate Spanish diploma - £2500.00 !!!

Camposol

Fabulous place and a fabulous part of Spain.

We want to visit next weekend - is the bridge fixed?

Everybody has differing reasons for coming to Spain. The only common reason is the climate. I have friends and a distant relative on Camposol. Those of them there permanantly all love it. But it would not do for me. I feel that the developer got too greedy after building sector A.

In both places where I have had property in Spain I have been surrounded by expats. But this is not the 'real' spain for some and they are looked down on. I would not dare to repeat the way Camposol is pronounced by some in the Puerto (de Mazarron).

However we are talking of living on 1000E. When the supermarket at Camposol was first opened it was run by the same people as a supermarket in Totana and the prices were definitely cheaper in Totana. I know it is run by a different mob now (Consum?). I hope they still do not take you for a ride.

This message was last edited by tteedd on 07/10/2012.

This message was last edited by tteedd on 07/10/2012.

OK, this is a bit off topic but my curiosity is getting the better of me after reading this thread......

I'm getting the feeling that Campasol is a huge development of properties built with the Brits (and other foreigners) in mind and it is now, largely, inhabited as such.  Am I right?  As someone that wants to spend the winter months in Spain, is this a place to avoid if I want to integrate/converse with some local Spaniards?  I find tteedd's comments a little worrying....ie; I would not dare to repeat the way Campasol is pronounced by some in the Puerto (de Mazarron). Is this just by way of amusement in the same way as we all like to mispronounce names that lend themselves to a bit of fun, or is it something more than that?  Do the locals, perhaps, see Campasol as some kind of foreigners ghetto?  I ask in ignorance, by the way.  I have never visited Campasol but I have seen it advertised on the net as a place with many, cheap rentals on offer.

TTeedd, come in on the El Pareton road RM315 and sectors C and D are signposted.  They are also building another temporary road on D and another permanent road on C. The Gota Fria has affeceted many parts of Spain and we were lucky in Camposol that we only had a bridge damaged.  At least there was no loss of life.  Consum is a good store with cheap prices and a good selection.  It's funny what people that don't live in Camposol, say and think about it.  You won't hear a resident criticising it apart from the odd whinger who would not be happy anywhere.  the problem is not where people live, but their own lives.

When first looking to buy in Spain we were advised to

have a look at several areas up the east coast as we could

 buy twice the size property for the same money. If you are happy

with council type estate Camposol may fit the requirement.

However, if you want the best areas you have to pay the price.

We bought just inland  off the south coast. Sorry if this statement

offends you but thats how we see it. 

 I am sorry - and we looked at Camposol and thought it was too big for us but ok if that was what you wanted - but Sector C and D for me just about sums it up!!!!      Phase one and two are bad enough for signposting, but sector makes it sound like a concentration camp!!

It's CAMPOSOL, not Campasol!

I agree with tteedd-It would have been better if he had stopped at A and B, the builder was too greedy, and the council are also to blame with letting him get away with it, and not checking up on his activities. I'm sure many on Camposol would say "if i knew then what I know now..." However they had no choice but to get on with it. Yes there is a good community spirit in general, but also expats living under the radar  and others give the place a bad name, with their illegal cars, keeping it quiet from the DWP etc.

Consum is an expensive supermarket, better to use Lidls, Mercadona-even Dia is not that cheap.

Some say everything is cheaper in Spain- of course that's not true, and other things have to be take,n into account-if you visit your relatives in UK twice a year (  transport to airport, flight, money spent in UK etc)  any savings you make on council tax will be wiped out. It makes a difference if you have a car, if you live close to a town, have funeral ins, pay for security, eat out a lot . smoke, drink. Just because I don't agree that its cheaper to live here does not make me a whinging Brit! i am a realist. One thing that is cheaper is income tax-shame more don't pay it out here!

I just called up Google maps to look and see if I can see the route mentioned from El Pareton and find 'Camposol' called 'Todosol'!

I like that. Now you need names for the sectors - Azlea, Todosol - Begonia, Todosol - Camelia, Todosol - .................. etc?

This message was last edited by tteedd on 08/10/2012.

You pays you're money, you get more property here wiith a chance of better investment opportunities with Paramount and Corvera and you takes your chance.  I am leaving this thread, because it is becoming boring and repetitive.  Thank you and bueanas tardes.

Hello Maddiemack, we had the same idea when we came to Spain, we wanted to live with the Spanish not hundreds of English etc.  ASpanish friend of ours who was born in the area of Mazzaron went back there recently to visit a long lost school friend, she was in tears when she return!  she said it wasn't Spanish anymore no body understood her in the shops, mostly English, and the fowl language of the youngsters frightened her.  Her old school friend was only visiting her parents but said she wouldn't come again as it was 'an English Ghetto' a bit like Pakistani's or Indian's in England.   Whatever anyone tells you from that area, if you want to live the English way with clubs and pubs then that area is for you, if you want to live the Spanish way then go inland.  The Spanish way of life is very laid back, slow and healthy, they are very helpful and love it when you speak Spanish to them. Murcia is one of the better places to live and at times depending on what sort of house you want, quite cheap.

Hi Yes I agree... i think its hideous that these Urbanations alienate the indiginous people.. If you want to move to another country - learn the language, and try to fit in... My sister in law works in the council in San Fulgencio.. and as i understand it the council head (mayor) is Scottish... but has not got much in the way of Spanish language skills, he hires an interpreter to deal with the Spanish.. costing the council more money...  Im Scottish but find that preposterous!!

I live in a small village near Novelda where you really do live with the Spanish... but more Valencian.. If you want the real expierience thats how you do it.... its tough but well worth it, the thought of living in these urbanisations makes me want to throw up... and incidentally Scottish and Welsh and N Irish people live in these Urbanasations as well as what seems to be the preferred term 'English'... so make a point of using British please, then its clear..

Blue5147-"fowl" language did you visit a chicken farm? Spanish way of life healthy? er, no it's a myth-sickly artificial cream cakes, fast food, smoking. Have you seen  the increase in obese children and pot bellied Dads. Laid back, slow - have you seen them behind the wheel of a car?

 British people can not talk about anyone else, not even Americans in terms of obesity.  The Spanish still have a way to go to catch us up - but it is sad that they are even trying!!  

I think we can still talk in general terms about national traits or trends, and I think we can still say that the diet of the Med is healthier than the UK diet, in spite of artificial cream (which I have to say we have here in the UK as well - and I don't think fresh cream pretends to be a healthy choice!!).    Where we are in Spain, the fast food places are aimed at the Brits, but certainly there are fast food places in Madrid which seem to do well - but so what?   They have not squeezed out the traditional cuisine, which is still readily available in spite of years of British occupation.    

 getting back on the thread, 

If 60% of Spain's working population earns less than 1000 euros a month, I think it is possible, JUST!

Hi Mac,

60% less than 1000E - interesting stat & I'm sure its substantiated !!

Had not appreciated average earnings were  that low !

Harry