Is living in Spain really that bad now???

Norman, I actually, sometimes, can see through the confusion of your very foggy posts, but who has said "the Brits are buying on developments and then turning them into crime ghettos"???  Who has said "so the Brits are the criminals and responsible for the burglaries"???

People merely commented on the fact that British residents in Spain aappear to avoid taxes in many ways and don't legally contribute as they should whilst resident here, into the Spanish system, where they are RESIDENT!!!  Check out what that means, if you don't already!!

This is, yet again, the "..... living in Spain.... " thread!!!!!

No you've misunderstood. The camposol urbanisation is looked on as rich pickings by the usual thieves .Morrocans & East Europeans being the main culprits, due to the fact that a lot are holiday homes, they also know that the people who live their go out to shop, play golf, in the evenings,etc.

Dear All,

thank you both, the elderly often misunderstand, but what you have said surely goes for every open development in the whole country.

It is certainly true of the Casares one where there have been very many break-ins on what was supposed to be a top security closed holiday complex.

we have acquaintances with a holiday house, fully secured, they thought, drove off to the restaurant, thieves broke in stripped the place including the spare set of car keys, went to the restaurant and took the car as well.

so what makes Camposol's site so different??????

Regards

Norman

i lived in playa flamenca costa blanca for 8 years, i have just returned to uk, i almost kissed the tarmac when i landed!! and have loved every day ive been back since,when i first relocated there/with plenty of money after a house sale/ it was great, i just had a waitressing job and my husband done a bit of decorating, all was great living in the sunshine.,,, but after a few years and the money dwindled away it became a living nightmare, playa flamenca can be the most depressing place on earth in the winter when your skint.!    We lost our jobs, and many others as people sold up or shut up or done a runner on their buisness, food prices shot up,It was almost impossible to keep warm in our mediterrean house in winter, we were freezing, spanish homes are built for summer climates!, at one point we were so skint we could hardly afford any food,, in this time my husband fell ill and a visit to the hospital proved very expensive and couldnt get treated.

Now we are back in uk. the food is SO CHEAP, all the supermarkets outprice each other, its heaven just going to asda, after 8 years in spain i got sick of chops, mince, and cooked chickens from the market/ which now cost 7EUR?????!!!!!!!!!! thats almost £7.00!!!!!!!

where i am theres plenty of jobs, and ive just been in hospital for an op on the great nhs. i will never knock uk again, think long and hard before you move to spain, its ok if you have plenty of money but when that disapear it can become a nightmare!

.. 

We have owned our home in Spain for almost 3 years and moved out here permanently last March. We live in an apartment block which is owned predominantly by Brits, but it's in a very Spanish village. We absolutely love our lives here. We can't fault it in any way.

True we don't have to find jobs or earn a living (we're old folks!), but we do appreciate that the Spanish ways are not always the same as we're used to and that it's their country, not ours, so we have to go with the flow. There's nothing that we can't adjust to and accept for what it is.

We are very happy with our lot. The village and it's inhabitants are wonderful people. There's little or no crime that I know of. Everyone seems to be keen to help others out and overall, we feel that we have a better life here than in the UK.

It might differ from other people's opinions, but I felt it was necessary to redress the balance a little.

For me the Spanish health service has been great. I have had a problem with my feet that the Spanish doctors are dealing with. I have had my flu jab and get my usual medication without any problems.

We can only tell is like it is.

Irene & Alan

 OK!

I've had enough and am brining this thread back to reality!!!!

Is living in Spain really that bad now?

Well....

If you read the last two posts it sums it up:

a) If you come prepared and do your homework and/or have enough funds to live from day to day for awhile whilst your long, thought out plans come to fruition and/or are able to adapt and overcome... then no it never was/is!

b) If you were/are living a pipe dream and live under the radar on savings without a plan... then yes it is/was and never will be!

 For us.. it is Plan A and and it has never been easy... but it was, and is worth it!

Why? Because we have a much higher standard of living and taking all bills into consideration, we are much better off here in Spain than we ever were and/or could have been in the UK.

My advise to all that post in this thread is this:

If you have never lived in Spain, then don't comment on what you don't understand and never will until you do so!!!!

EDIT: Cooked Chickens at 7€ each... don't make me laugh... it hurts! Did you ever go to Lidl's or Mercadona before you left... or did you just shop for UK produce in Spanish Markets/Supermarkets that sold such? As 7€ is almost double what we pay right here, right now!

Actually the chicken shops in Peniscola charge 8.50 euros for a cooked chicken as do Carrefour. Morrisons in UK charge £3.50 for the same.

Sorry... off topic I know... but in answer to Poppyseed:

Lidl's 3.99€ bigger and better than Morrison's/Tesco/Asda in the UK.

Mercaconda... 3.79€ to 4.49€... and the same as Lidl's... bigger and better than UK Supermarkets.

I know because we've only lived here for just over a year and we were back in the UK last October/November for 4 weeks and we had family stay with us from 10 Dec '09 until 23rd Jan and they all remarked the same!

There are many Supermarkets out here that cater for the ex-pats... and there prices follow  what the Brits believe... "it's more expensive so it must be better".

As for Butchers... and especially so called 'British' Butchers here in Spain... you always pay through the nose... and yes! they are as expensive as Butchers in the UK! And the so called 'British' butchers out here are more expensive than all of them put together! Just because they call themselves British or English Butchers doesn't mean that the meat comes from the UK either!!!

Of course the price of chickens is relevant !! :)

Peniscola is a very Spanish town, both for residents and holidaymakers. Brits are a tiny % and generally everything caters for the Spanish and very little English spoken anywhere. There are no shops catering for ex-pats at all, unless you count the very small International Foods shelf at Carrefour which has some very strange things on it!. We shop locally and this what the local chicken shops charge, the chickens are smaller but tastier than Morrisons/Tesco/Asda. 

We have found the council tax in Spain is less than the UK but with urbanization fees, rubbish collection fee and charge for recycling bins added the overall annual cost is a lot higher in Spain. We certainly don't find Spain a cheap place to live and it is getting more expensive.

Hi TechNoApe I agree wholeheartedly with you,

and going back to the chicken debate, cooked chickens will be dearer than uncooked.  COOK YOUR OWN.  Except for Iceland who offer a great selection of goods with special offers and good prices I avoid british food shops like the plague.  The meat products in Mercadonna are excellent chickens average 4euros and excellent quality, also fresh mince stewing steak pork lamb etc. I get their semi skimmed milk at 86cents per litre, foot and hand cream 1euro each.  I have a slow cooker we eat losts of stews in the winter and I buy lots of pulses and plenty of fresh veg and fruit which is cheaper than the UK any time of the year. I also shop at Lidyl, love there monday and Thursday bargains.  I don't buy greetings cards I make my own, after picking a card in (in a British shop) with a price tag of 6 euros. We are on th CDS and I am sure it depends where you are as to what is available to you. we also have a cottage in a village in granada that we are very slowly renovating ourselves, and we find when we are there we can spend more on food than we normally do, because the small shops are not cheap and there are only two supermarkets which cater more for the spanish residents. You can't even get an English paper book or magazine to read, so in reality you have to do your research before you make a move.  Also to keep comparing UK to Spain is a mistake otherwise you may as well stay in UK, as TechNoApe said you have to live here to experience it and get into the mindset of the Spanish people. 

Cooked chickens cost 9 euros where I live, which is another example of how expensive Spain has become.  Funny thing is, these places are always busy.

Dear All,

if allowed, might I suggest that the tourist thick areas might bring more competition for shops and generally lower prices.

I suppose the thing to do is to follow the locals even if it is to Gibraltar.

Certainly the exchange rate has made cross channel shopping less worth it.

Techno you are coming across quite irritable, what is getting to you???????????

Regards

Norman

Hi Norman,

with respect I don't  think supermarket prices have anything to do with tourism, it is competition as in any country, if you shop in Supersol you will pay more than you would in Mercadonna or Lidl. Similar if you shopped in the huge supermarket in La Canada shopping centre in Marbella you would not get the same value for money. There are Mercadonna and Lidle stores in predominantely spanish areas also. There is also a chain of stores called OpenCor that are open 24 hours a day and they charge accordingly. 

Regards kathy 

Dear All,

thank you Kathy,

I suppose this old dodderer was thinking of the surprise we found down here in Herne Bay when we first moved down from London donkeys years ago.

There were more shops with more variety packed together, though you had to wait to get served through the chatter and they closed for lunch. In London you could get what you wanted but sometimes had to take the tube or the bus between shops and lunch hour was traditional shopping time. Given the coastal position the catchment area is restricted so I always thought it was the summer influx that accounted for it.

I personally do not often shop for food but do sometimes, in Morrison's I have bought spit roasted chicken, two for a fiver, not very large but excellent flavour. A few weeks later I tried to repeat the experience but ended up with a single somewhat dearer one whose flavour was not as good. I don't think I have done it since, but we always go for the cooked hock when available in Morrison's or Asda, very reliable.

Whether he intended to or not, Techno has endorsed matters, he has told us he has found it difficult in Spain. Since there is no comparison between his circumstances and those of the ordinary Joe, whether a decorator with a waitress or a couple of pensioners, he must recognise that times are hard in Spain and people are not complaining for no reason.

The simple fact is that the skies over Britain will never, ever again, be deafened by the songs of the returning hordes and "Viva Espana". Unless of course Spain drops the euro.

It might be manageable for some but will never again be cheap, even if you live halfway up a mountain as a pioneer.

We are not in a cycle, this is permanent.

My daughter has use of a luxury apartment in La Quinta, CDS, she could use for basic costs, but instead is looking at Tunisia for a family holiday this year.

Well, did I misunderstand, how is Camosol's urbanisation different to the rest????

Answers please.

Regards

Norman

PS our Estapona friend said a long time ago, before the £'s plunge, that to make a small fortune in Spain you need to bring a large one with you.

Hi Norman,

I remember those cooked chickens in Morrisons well and I think you may find that the first time around you bought the barbeque flavoured ones they are so much more delicious.  The hock we used to buy also.

regards Kathy.

Sorry Norman,

I think you are misquoting me:

"Whether he intended to or not, Techno has endorsed matters, he has told us he has found it difficult in Spain. Since there is no comparison between his circumstances and those of the ordinary Joe, whether a decorator with a waitress or a couple of pensioners, he must recognise that times are hard in Spain and people are not complaining for no reason."

I was actually referring to the move to Spain from the UK and also referring to the fact that people seem to think that moving to another country and setting up a new life is easy... it is not! 

If you want a better standard of life, then you have to work hard and research your goals to attain such.

We did and have done so!

I was also referring to the fact that some people just sell up back in the UK, move out here and expect to "live the life of Riley" whilst at the same time having no set plan... unless you win the lottery or were born rich, then that is not going to happen!

We have not found it difficult in Spain, indeed far from it, and as I have always maintained, we are far better off than we ever were and could have been in the UK.

At the same time, I have also always maintained that moving to Spain from the UK, or indeed anywhere else in the world, is not necessarily the right thing for everyone... however it was for us!

There is no doubt that times are harder in Spain than the past, and it is also clear that the economic situation is also hard for many people in the UK too. 

My view (and yes I appreciate that I am probably not qualified to comment as I dont yet live in Spain) is that TechNoApe has made some very valid points in that a life changing decision to move to another country (be it Spain or any other country for that matter) should not be taken lightly, should be researched thoroughly and should be planned very, very, very carefully. Yes, TechNoApe has acknowledged that it has not been easy but also says that for him/her and family that it has been worth it.

My husband and I do not expect  it to be a 'bed of roses' when we finally move to Spain, and we are not wearing 'rose tinted glasses' right now or intend to when we eventually make the move. For us, the time isnt right at the moment, so for the last 2 years we have just travelled across on holidays.

The exchange rate is undeniably painful and we have really noticed the difference in prices of food/other items when comparing the Euro to Sterling. We try not to price compare when we visit, but I suppose its natural for us to do so, and Im curious. Stores like Lidl and Iceland are nevertheless reasonable and we tend to buy our fresh fruit and vegetables from the Spanish markets (which is a challenge as our command of the Spanish language is basic to say the least right now - the lessons are helping though).

Anyways, I digress (ooops). We do not want an English life in Spain and are of the same view as other posters such as TechNoApe and 1962 in that we should get into the mindset of the Spanish people - why on earth move to Spain, with its different cultures and lifestyle if what we want is a 'little Britain'?. 

We have found that the cost of living has increased considerably since we came over 8 years ago, but when we are only paying about 50 euros a month for water and rubbish and what is the equivelant of community tax in the UK, then the increase in the cost of "chickens" is not really a major issue, incidentally we also buy them from Mercadonna at around 4 euros. We also find that the meat in the butchers shop in our village, is exceptional, very good prices and brilliant quality.

A few years ago I had the need for medical attention, admitted we do have a private health care plan, which is much cheaper than in the UK, but the attention I received was second to non. I had several tests of various kinds and the results were available the next day, in some cases the blood test results were sent to me via email within a couple of hours. I found the doctors to be very thorough. On saying that I have also used the state medical service when I broke my ankle and I was dealt with at the hospital, x-rayed and plastered and on my way home within 45 minutes. I have never known a UK emergency unit deal with things that quick. 

TechNoApe - I do agree that it is not easy over here but as I´ve said before it does have its compensations. We also have a better way of life, even though we would not think so if it were in the UK, somehow material things are not so important over here, it is the more laid back, generally stress free lifestyle that is important to us. We drive an older car here, in the UK we had a lovely Daimler, over here we drive an ancient  Jeep, but the Daimler would not get through our village streets and the mountain road would have buggered it anyway, so there was no point in bringing it over. I don´t think that Spain is the place for people that are materialistic, surely peace of mind is priceless and I´m sure you will agree with me on that.

1962 - I know what you mean about birthday cards. Where we are there is nowhere local that we can buy these so we have always made our own for birthdays, anniversary, etc. They have always been very well accepted as they are personal and people know that we have taken the time to do it for them instead of popping in to the paper shop and grabbing the first card we see. We have been inventive and get a sense of achievement when we see the finsihed article. I am sure that Valerie Singleton would be proud of us.

I know that some of you may think that I only have good things to say about living in Spain, of course there are negative things, but I think you have to look at the overall picture and in our case the positives outway the negatives by a long way, so there is no point in harping on about them.

Look at what you have, not at what you might have had if things had been different.

Pat and Wendy,

two good posts, but wendy I had to hold my laptop close so I could read your post what happened?  Pat I too enjoy making the cards and I am always on the lookout for card making paraphenalia I also keep any cards I receive and cut and paste onto my home made cards.  

Ooops again(!) - I shouldnt type whilst wearing my hubby's bi-focals !!! Sorry to all readers for the tiny print (this is only my second post on EOS although Ive been a member for quite a while  and I was whispering!!). I'm an avid card maker so all my card making goodies will be making the journey to Spain when we make the move  ("-"). My family and friends all appreciate them (or perhaps they are just being polite!!) and I really enjoy making them, so if I also save a few euro's in the process, even better.

My man and myself wholeheartedly agree with Pat - peace of mind IS priceless, and the stressful, demanding, fast paced life we currently live is not what we want in the future. We are not materialistic (I admit I have been in the past but somewhere along the way, thank goodness, realised that 'things' dont bring happiness, only short-lived satisfaction and debts to boot!).