HELP Adivce Urgently Needed

[DH1875]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the great advice. Like I said to Jo we are not daft and realize that work is going to be the difficulty.
We have the back up plan in place if it all goes wrong in the first six months but having the plan in place makes me worry that it could be to easy to back out when things get hard.

To be honest with you and you probably wont all agree but we think that if we both find work for €600 euros a month each then we could easily do it. We aren't coming out there to make money and have a wild time, and are quite well aware that even if things work out we will lose most of our savings but we are young enough to start again here if need be.
We are looking to send the children to state school so we wont have to worry about the cost of a private school.
Also we didn't think we would be intitled to any benefit in Spain so it is not something we have looked into so if anyone has any info.

You are all stars.

[chris(madrid)]

Originally Posted by DH1875

To be honest with you and you probably wont all agree but we think that if we both find work for €600 euros a month each then we could easily do it.

I think (depending on what accomdation you find) you'd be better to aim for a total of 2000/month as a sensible minimum.

[SteveHall]

I think 1200 would be very tight.

I have said this sooooooooooooooooo many times. People forget there will be extras that nobody could have forseen.

Examples: I locked myself out of the car 150 euro taxi fare
The locksmith for the apartment 85 euros
I had a laptop stolen - 900 euros replacement
Friends came unexpectedly - they expected tours of Málaga, Granada, Marbella, meals out etc - 1,000 euros I had not budgeted for that week?
How about emergency medical expenses, the fair comes to town, kids need school books/uniform @ 300 euros each per annum (you pay here!) etc?
One of you ends up in hospital - 100 euros per day/week etc transport to viist. Car blows up - x hundred euros. a couple of police fines for parking or because it's Monday, electricity packs up and you have to buy a couple of gas heaters etc.

What about the month only one of you has work? That's another 600 you have to find.

Have you left meat on the bone for these TYPE of eventualities? For four people to even survive on 1200 seems very tight




Good Luck

[DH1875]

Hi Steve,

Of course 1200 would be tight but if we stay long term we would hopefully be making more than that and, that is what our savings are for. Like I said before we are well aware that we will lose them, even if things work out.
Although we are looking for work we will have enough to get by for at least a few months easy.

To be honest I am quite a hard guy and family and freinds know that if they turned up at my door looking for a free holiday they would be told were to go. If they want to go anywhere then they can pay for it themselves.
The school we have enquired about does not have a uniform and is only a three minute walk away.
As for the car situation, we are not going to buy a car over there until we know for sure that we are staying. Not even sure if we need one as everything we will need is within walking distance and again if we really need to get anywhere we can hire for the day (don't worry we have already budgeted for it).

Would the E111 not cover us for most emerginces for a couple of months?

Cheers.

Originally Posted by SteveHall

I think 1200 would be very tight.

I have said this sooooooooooooooooo many times. People forget there will be extras that nobody could have forseen.

Examples: I locked myself out of the car 150 euro taxi fare
The locksmith for the apartment 85 euros
I had a laptop stolen - 900 euros replacement
Friends came unexpectedly - they expected tours of Málaga, Granada, Marbella, meals out etc - 1,000 euros I had not budgeted for that week?
How about emergency medical expenses, the fair comes to town, kids need school books/uniform @ 300 euros each per annum (you pay here!) etc?
One of you ends up in hospital - 100 euros per day/week etc transport to viist. Car blows up - x hundred euros. a couple of police fines for parking or because it's Monday, electricity packs up and you have to buy a couple of gas heaters etc.

What about the month only one of you has work? That's another 600 you have to find.

Have you left meat on the bone for these TYPE of eventualities? For four people to even survive on 1200 seems very tight




Good Luck

[SteveHall]

Looks like you have thought things through - the examples I were giving were just that - "examples". There could be a million and one neither of us could even think of.

Living without a car ? Tough with 4 of you ...I have done it for 3 years and struggle to think I'd ever want one again. I am sure a LOT of expats could improve their finances massively without a car but it does seem it's the absolute last thing most will let go of.

Good Luck - happy to meet up when you make it over here. Keep practicar, practicar, practicar, repitir, repitir, repitir
Sounds like you have the right atttitude.

[chris(madrid)]

Originally Posted by DH1875

Would the E111 not cover us for most emerginces for a couple of months?

AFAIK - The E111 is only a hols thing. As soon as you're registerred as resident here I believe it loses its validity.

Problem is you have a very finate time period to register in (if) and it's ambigous your intention is to reside here - iirc reading here 30 days. Where's Stavinsky when you need him?

I cant imagine living where I am without a car (plus a backup) - I admire your resolve.

[SteveHall]

..but you have chose to live in el culo del campo. I am a city boy and still think that milk comes from Eroski and coffee beans from Mercadona

[chris(madrid)]

Originally Posted by SteveHall

..but you have chose to live in el culo del campo. I am a city boy and still think that milk comes from Eroski and coffee beans from Mercadona

Silly boy - Milk comes from Mercadona and coffee from LIDL. I thought everybody knew that. Even for those of us out here surrounded by Osos, Lobos y Jabaliés. And they're 10 road miles away.

But was hit by the OUTSTANDING news at the weekend that we're to get a Mercadona in our village. Could ALMOST walk there then. Might require a slight dietry adjustment.

I have lived in a city. Madrid. It was enough to cure me of ever attempting it again, for life.

[SteveHall]

¿Hay osos? Pues......

Mercadona is not the end of civilisation as we know it but

Carrefour is in my language "The ¨C¨word"

[chris(madrid)]

Originally Posted by SteveHall

Carrefour is in my language "The ¨C¨word"

Yup cant remember the last time we went - but was almost certainly for about 10packs of their cheapest dog-chews - which our doggies seem to rate WAY above anything fancy.