In part 1 , part
2 and part 3 of our
5 part series on relocating to Spain, we recommended obtaining a
Spanish National Insurance Number & a Spanish residence
card; we also touched on health insurance and the ownership
of property. We also discussed learning some conversational
Spanish, acclimating to the "mellow" lifestyle and car ownership
& driving and setting about becoming more "Spanish".
In this edition we discuss things to help survive financially in
Spain.
Living in Spain for an ex-patriot can be a rewarding experience
when you are financially secure. But many people try to settle in
Spain without that financial security and come in for a rude awakening.
The southern coast of Spain with its warm climate and abundance
of sunny days throughout the year make it a magnet for northern
European and especially English ex patriots wanting to escape the
cold, wet winters of their own countries. Many retire to Spain having
already purchased the home they intend to live the rest of their
lives in and have few if any financial burdens, often with secure
pensions and a cosy nest egg in the bank to see them through any
eventuality.
But a large proportion of ex patriots who are well below retirement
age, especially the English, come to southern Spain expecting to
soak up the sun and drink Sangria by the pool all day without giving
a second thought to exactly how they will finance this adventure.
Here are some of the pitfalls to watch out for when reality comes
knocking on the door.
The first inklings of financial insecurity start to hit home a
few short months after arriving on the sunny south coast of Spain.
This is when the unexpectedly high rental on the apartment of your
choice has drained your bank account rather more quickly than you'd
planned for. That, coupled with all the nights eating out in nice
restaurants and drinking all those expensive alcoholic drinks, will
have soon taken its toll on the ex patriot's financial situation.
Action will need to be taken soon to avoid an early flight back
to the wind, rain and drizzle of old England.
This is when another shock to the system occurs. Upon reading the
local English language newspapers with what initially seem extensive
classified job vacancy ads, the harsh truth soon becomes evident.
Most job vacancies on the Costa Del Sol targeting native English
speaking ex patriots either involve real estate or timeshare sales.
A lot of the advertised jobs are for telemarketers.
Telemarketers are despised by everyone who is not a telemarketer.
Timeshare sales people are loathed by everyone.
Real estate sales people don't fare much better. The worst
of all these jobs is that if you're not totally ruthless, you
will find yourself working long hours for nothing. That's because
sales people generally work on a commission only basis, so if they
don't make any sales, they don't get paid.
In the telemarketing sector it gets worse. There are many underhand
and some downright illegal so-called companies operating on the
Costa Del Sol which employ English speaking ex patriot telemarketers
to trick English speaking timeshare owners into believing that the
company wants to buy their timeshare ownership, when in reality
they just want to sell them a holiday membership deal that ends
up costing them thousands more. Often, the telemarketers are themselves
then ripped off by the company which fails to pay them their commissions
due.
It is an on-going humourless joke amongst English telesales staff
that every day they go to the office each day wondering if the company
will still be there.
So despite these being the most commonly offered job opportunities
for native English speakers in Southern Spain, they are also the
most unstable financially. Should you be qualified in a trade, you
would stand a better chance of obtaining more secure employment,
especially in the still booming building industry. But wages in
Spain are amongst the lowest in Europe and ex patriot Britons get
a shock when they apply for local jobs only to find that they are
often offered less than half of the amount they would normally expect
to earn in the UK.
In addition to the low wages, if you don't speak Spanish,
the job opportunities open to you are extremely limited, which is
why so many ex patriot Brits find themselves working in the harsh
world of telemarketing, timeshare and real estate. When they don't
make the grade, they are often disheartened and soon return to Britain
bemoaning their rotten luck.
So the best advice to give to would-be ex patriots planning to
live in southern Spain would be to ensure you have a healthy bank
balance before you leave home. Have a solid qualification in a trade
that you know you will find work in. Be able to speak at least some
Spanish with the intention to lean more once you arrive. And finally,
be aware that there are many companies that are not what they appear
to be. So be prepared to research them before you agree to anything.
It is well to bear in mind that Spain is a country where, at least
in terms of employers, there are wolves in the woods, sharks in
the waters and snakes in the grass! These tips will hopefully give
you at least a fighting chance of surviving financially in Spain.-
Terry Didcott
