What do you guys do in Spain?

This is an honest question, I have been visiting Spain since the 1960's and have met all sorts of folk who already had or were attempting to make it their home. I made a friend of a retired Canadian Royal Air Force pilot married to a French countess, he had a good pension, they ran a horse ranch/riding school in the daytime and the best bar in town at night, the late Jack Watson (R.S.M Sandy Young) of The Wild Geese fame used it as his local. I've met all sorts of folk, many that were either running away from something, others that were attempting to find something, I could always earn good money in the UK and never had a scooby doo as to what I could do in Spain to earn a similar living.

When we arrive at Malaga Airport the guy who meets us and escorts us to out 'rent a wreck' hire car is always the same smart South African in his mid thirties, is hanging around an airport with a chalk board in your hand that satisfying?  As the timeshare touts are now just a bad memory the only brits that we meet, other than holiday makers, are working day and night in the service sector, I'm aware of brit members of the medical professions, and wager that there are a fair amount in estate agent offices, but apart from this what do the none retired, none Spanish do to earn money in a country with 25% unemployment?  

At a shade over £47,000 per year would you have to worry to much about anything that made you a similar income.

Not what I asked, we get that now, but everyone isn't living on pension, savings and investments are they? 

 I could always earn good money in the UK and never had a scooby doo as to what I could do in Spain to earn a similar living.

To earn in Spain what you say you earn in the UK according to figures that to my mind are no-where realistic, or even reliable you would have to be possible a Banker or similar. 

At 5000€ a month income you could be a dustman as they get 1000€ a month, tops your income up nicely.  

Madrid the average wage is 36,902€ a year going down to Murcia at 20,226.

As I said why would you need to worry about work?

So if I ask any question about Spain that I don't know the answer of, I am worrying, fair enough. 

There are a lot of "Del boy" types surviving on illegal airport runs, painting houses, Infact anything they can pick up. There are quite a few involved in clandestine activities!

I've met a few of the Del Boys in my time, as a northener I can generally sort out the wheat from the chaff from my own, but cockney accents sets off alarm bells, but having said that I've never appeared in an episode of Coronation Street or Last Of The Summer Wine. 

We get very good Polish plumbers in the UK, our hospitals wouldn't function without folk from other lands and our service industries are virtually brit clear, what I am asking is, other than for pension benefits, what do the brits bring to Spain? 

What do Brits bring to Spain  er. money, car boot sales. Just suggestions.

But having said that, brits on some of the costas keep mobility scooter sales going, the last time that I made the mistake of setting foot in one, the word Disabledthorpe came to mind. 

Our solicitors receptionist is British as is one of our dentists. My nephew (in law) has had 3 x 6 month contracts in Madrid as an IT something or other working for banks (he also has had contracts in USA, Germany and other places). No, he doesn't speak Spanish but is fluent in geek speak. He tells me there are many Brits doing IT work for finance departments and medical centres in Spain. He has been offered several posts there but prefers America for the money but several of his colleagues go over on a regular basis. I also believe there are many nurses (and possibly doctors) from UK working here though not necessarily on the Costas. Looking around,  there are recruitment companies looking for British engineers to work on tunnels, railways and power plant projects.

That's the problem with our perceptions. Most of us live on the Costas because we are retired and have other "experts" living here because of that reason. People who use Brit plumbers, builders, kitchen fitters and so on because they speak the same language. Even the Iceland stores employ Brits because they're the main customer base. We forget that there is a bigger Spain out there and get into the Costa del Bradford/Essex mindset. 

Anyway, as a retired (and very happy resident of Spain) I have spent a very pleasant day on the beach at Alicante watching the swimmers. Not bad for November 24th! And had a lovely meal sat outside a panaderia on the main plaza including some of the best coffee in the world after walking my socks off round El Corte Ingles.

Tomorrow I will revert back to being a typical Brit and go shopping at Primark, Laura Ashley or even Poundland. It's my life and I'll live it how I want to.

Costa del Bradford etc....what a bigot. As for all these engineer jobs, pray do tell. There aren't actually many nurses jobs for Brits because qualified Spanish nurses are finding it difficult to find work. A friend who is a qualified Midwife (Spanish) only  managed to find work in Tenerife. What has your "wonderful coffee"got to do with the topic, grow up pleese!

Well crooksey, you could change your user name Lol

Having said that i know a good number of tradesmen, plumbers, electricians etc who make a very good living here on the costa del Sol. The reason is that they are very good at what they do, i know one plumber that is booked up until the end of April next year. I also know some that weren't good at what they did, or were rip off merchants excpecting to earn what they earnt in the UK, that doesn't happen in Spain and they are all back in the UK now.

In answer to your last question "what do the Brit's bring to Spain" that's easy to answer,  as a fully paid up retiree i bring money.

Costa Blade, you should firstly be able to spell my user name correctly, it always helps when you attempt to play silly buggars. We have covered the retiree money, what else do the brits bring to Spain?

So if I ask any question about Spain that I don't know the answer of, I am worrying, fair enough.

You didn't ask a question you didn't know the answer to, you wanted to know what you could do to make a similar living as you do in the UK ie: £3,950.00 ish a month, close to 5,000€ a month, and as I said to earn that you would have to be a banker, so thats it, if you want the same lifestyle as you have got now in the UK, be a banker in Spain.

Otherwise do as many others do on very much less then you say you have, bring your money to Spain and live the good life, you could always service mobility scooters, that way you might get to understand what it must be like for some folk to have to depend on them.

One job you could do that would make you the money and same life style is to be a money lender...Second thoughts even a Cockney would probably break his arm trying to get a penny out of a Northerners hand.

Baz1946,

As you are well aware, I never asked that question in a generic manner. And as for 'the good life', if you can only live one in Spain then you are very lacking in both imagination and finance, and yes I do have the funds that I claim to have, through hard work and invesments (some good, some not so good).

Also you state that I didn't ask a question that I didn't know the answer to, and then proceeded to answer the question that I never asked. You appear to take my observation of some brits in Spain very personally, well if the cap fits etc; etc.   

Well bully for you, crookesey. Tell me, what name were you posting under on here before this reincarnation? There are others who have been on here boasting about how rich they are, how they can afford to live a life of luxury in different countries and sneer at the untermensch. Your condescending posts seem awfully familiar.

Sorry, what you are doing has been done so many times before. You're a fully fledged wind up merchant who brings absolutely nothing of value to this site and I don't believe a word of what you say.

And pointless putting the bait back on the hook. I've bitten this once which probably gives you a warm glow all over like all internet trolls get when they get the oxygen they deserve. It'll be the last time.

We have far less income than say, a couple of retired head teachers, no I have never posted on this forum before, and you sir or madam are the wind up merchant, have a nice day. 

I suggest that this thread is deleted, I asked a perfectly reasonable question and made a few light hearted observations, only for it and them to classed as lies and wind ups. All forums have the odd baloon head, however I ain't it.

Another thing we bring to Spain crookesey....... is a sense of humour, you might need to develop one before coming to the land of "milk & honey"

The humour was in my posts and misinterpreted by two self appointed aficionados who prefer posting insults and abuse to joining in the banter . Now back on your high horse and galllop through the land of milk and honey, laughing as you go, don't fall off though you could end up with brain damage, but then again.