It is possible to live modestly in Spain provided you do not pay rent or own a car. On the UK State Pension of +/- Euros 550 a month, and living within walking distance of a bus stop and supermarket, and +/- Euros 100 community charges, plus the local NHS. For a retiree food and beverage at home is really cheap, and generally speaking-once your residence is set up, it is possible to manage. If you are missing family-which I don't-and missing UK TV-which I don't, then there is little rational in living in 5 degrees when you can live in 30.

He is very happy with his simple lifestyle, which includes riding his bike practically every day, between 40 and 60 miles.

Thanks John. that is a superb and practical reply indeed-your 79 year old pal (no ifs and maybees). My friend is coming to Sabanillas near Estepona with just that- A State pension of E550 a month (@ 1.15/GBP). I reckon she can live on this (she is 67), with no strong family ties to UK. You friend of course will also have car & scooter insurance to pay and a drop of petrol, but with the actual daily living costs of just eggs-milk-tea/coffe-chicken -fish-rice and the like, if I had to do it-I could do it on half that (I am ex-RAF from the old days). Lived in Kenya-Mauritius- South Africa-Abu Dhabi, and now settle for good in Casares del Mar  (Estepona). I've never seen East Enders, or watched UK football for over 50 years-often I was in places where a TV would have been witchcraft anyway. 

PS   I would just add that my friend has been living in Spain, on the same income,  for just on 20 yrs.

If was on a State pension living in a council house with free health care, free bus pass and all the benefits that can be crow barred from the UK system sun or rain it has got to be the UK. 

The same benefits do not apply to Spain.

Where is the comparison. If you have got to pay your way in Spain then all you have is the sunshine. The state pension will leave you begging for help. But at least you can wait for the help in the sunshine for more days than the UK.

Anton

Anton

                       The state pension will leave you begging for help

Please read my previous post.

For my freind, it is a matter of choice. He prefers ro live in Spain than the UK,  and on his UK pension (which is the basic)  he can afford to make the choice.

I did not add, as of course most will have known,  my friend has free (to him)  health service cover in Spain as the DWP pays around £3,500 p.a. for each of us who get 'free cover' in Spain.

There are different levels of acceptable poverty.

I suppose if one is poor it might as well be in the sun.

Feeg thinks he could survive on half your friends income. Bit like name that tune. It is unfortunate what limited income does to what one and what one is prepared to go without.

Me 30,000 Euros per annum is survival levels. Thinks are not getting any cheaper.

If the sun is not shining the heating is on. If the sun is shining the air con is on.

I do not think Spain is a cheap place to live but if you are not socially active it is a great place to hide.

Anton

30,000 euros per annum survival level?  Ridiculous! Most don't get anywhere near this amount,  live well AND save .

Most don't get anywhere near this level.

I agree. But I did not drag Spain into the European market when the only reason to go there was to lay back and enjoy the sun, sip Sangria and watch the world go by.

Remember the good old days before European capitalism took hold. Just think about that for a minute. That's right what good times they were. Remember the slow pace of life.

The Spanish don't want to be part of Europe they have to put something in and that very thought destroys the Spanish way. The politicians want to be part of Europe because they think  it will be good for the people.

 The good times will never come back. The damage cannot be repaired. Long live Spain. God I hope I never get poor otherwise I will have to go back. Long live the benefits system in the UK.

Anton  

Antonp.

Johnzx,

With all by being.

I envy your friend his contentment. When I told the Samaritans once that is was down to my last 50k they said I quote. Anton there are different levels of poverty and you are not even close. I did not ring them again.

Tamaraessex

I will have to see if there is an anagram there, I am willing to lean. Only time will tell.

Anton

I am on a UK pension living in the UK on a pension with pension credits as I was short some contributions, due to living in various other countries over the years.  I receive £143 per week, all prescriptions free, eye tests free and a whole host of other benefits, £200 DLA a month as I have a back problem.  My rent is mostly paid by my local council in the private sector,  as I have no savings left.   I would never settle in Spain as a pensioner, life is waaaaaaaay too good here in the UK.  I manage to save to visit India once a year for 3 months as my son works for BA and I get reduced flights - I have no complaints at all, why would I?  I have lived in Spain and often visit Spain  with a friend when he goes over, but it's not the Spain I remember from the 70's.  I lived in Villanova nr Sitges  and Barcelona back in the day,  and loved it but wouldn't like to live in Spain now to be perfectly honest.

 Got your decades mixed up a bit, john?  He said the 70s, not 70 years ago.  So if you'd said flared trousers, tank tops and Abba you'd have been more like it.

However, I agree that Spain is not like it was in the 70s.  It is way better with far more choice, availability of goods and no Franco (from the early 70s, of course).

Thanx Baboal, my point.  I realise that nowhere is the same anymore since the 70's but as we are talking about Spain and as I am more familiar with Spain I made that particular comparison.  And to infer I  scrounge off the state is erroneous in the extreme;  I contributed handsomely into our state system earning way over £180,000 pa in IT in the city for many years both here and abroad paying UK taxes and NI which contributed back then to helping our retired people.  Aren't you aware that every younger generation pays for their retired elder  generation?   That's how our system works.   Unfortunately there are more of us old hippies around now, which I do not take the blame for.  I am a Brit and enjoy living in the UK and all that it has to offer with great thanks to the insight of Aneurin Bevan.  My parents did however take part in the war effort but alas I wasn't quite born. 

A touch of sour grapes, but as you say John I am accustomed to a certain lifestyle here in the UK.

 MetGB, I am not attacking anyone or blaming anyone for taking benefits they are entitled too.   But are you sure you really did pay in enough over the years to justify what you seem to be claiming now, having once had a very good income?   I too have a very good income, and a lot of that goes into ensuring that I will not be requiring maximum state benefits when I retire.    Of course you pay to support the welfare state as it stands i.e. you are not paying into your own pot, but so many people seem to think that they have paid into the system what they are taking out.  In most cases this is not the case - even with a very healthy salary (since there are caps on how much NI for example you pay).   I am at a bit of a loss to understand why you did not provide a proper pension for yourself.  That would seem like real poverty to me and a negation of anything achieved in my life - that is my opinion.

Thanx Baboal, my point. I realise that nowhere is the same anymore since the 70's but as we are talking about Spain and as I am more familiar with Spain I made that particular comparison. And to infer I scrounge off the state is erroneous in the extreme; I contributed handsomely into our state system earning way over £180,000 pa in IT in the city for many years both here and abroad paying UK taxes and NI which contributed back then to helping our retired people. Aren't you aware that every younger generation pays for their retired elder generation? That's how our system works. Unfortunately there are more of us old hippies around now, which I do not take the blame for. I am a Brit and enjoy living in the UK and all that it has to offer with great thanks to the insight of Aneurin Bevan. My parents did however take part in the war effort but alas I wasn't quite born.

A touch of sour grapes, but as you say John I am accustomed to a certain lifestyle here in the UK.

Well if you say you are not scrounging then your previous post and this one seems to contradict somewhat and suggest a wee bit of scrounging somewhere. 

Bad back...which cannot be proved by doctors..fact.

£200 a month for this bad back....benefits..fact.

Rent paid for, ( possible another £75-100 per week)..... which seems to suggest private or council rent while having earned  "Way over £180,000 pa in the city) £3,600 per week.. thought that wage would have bought you a tidy little house somewhere nice to use for your retirement.....more benefits..fact.

No savings left, this i have heard many times by the most on benefits? which has to be said otherwise none or low benefits...fact

Only a state pension of £143...(Which in fact is not £143, but £190 per week) with pension credits because you were short on NI contributions, every English person in England can top up their NI if they are short , or failed to pay, and on £3,600 per week i fail to see why you didn't pay the shortfall....fact. 

Everyone pays tax in this country not just for one thing like pensioners in the future, that's just a tiny tiny part of it, and to suggest  "I paid into it so i will take it out"   is what is being said everyday by the many who in fact dont pay into the system, and you for some time, by your own words was one of them.

Well i must go now to do more work.... as i have a million people depending on me.

My tax and NHI went into the same pot in the system (a fact that many people do not realise) and I paid loads of tax as well as NI and I was also paying in for private pensions but Gordon Brown did a wonderful job of destroying all of that dream.  Therefore at the end of the day I was left virtually penniless so I let the system that I supported for over 40 years now support me.  If I were to work out my contributions over 40 years I have certainly paid in more than I could ever take out, of that I am 100% positive.  So for me and perhaps many others (15million pensioners in UK) we are being well looked after in the UK and long may that last.  I would never have the lifestyle I have here in the UK in Spain.  Not to mention the health system, to which I have had to avail of their services on a few occasions. 

 You said you were entitled to benefits because you had a shortfall.  So 40 years?  And they were all at 180K were they?