Tips for a Cheaper Life in Spain

Selling up everything in the UK and moving out to Spain sounds like many people’s idea of heaven. Perfect weather, lovely people, and the great, laid-back Spanish culture have made it the UK’s top tourist destination, and a favourite location for people looking to move abroad.

Nonetheless, the economic storm clouds are still lying all over Europe, so it’s important to save your money wherever possible. Your first step, as always, should be to get a good deal with currency exchange specialists like Currencies Direct.

Second of all, keep a bank account open in the UK (tempting as it will be to close everything and ship out), if you can do the odd job in the UK and get paid in pounds, or even do a regular job that you can do remotely, you’ll be much better paid after the exchange rate than you would be for a similar job in Spain. Finding remote work is easy enough, but you may have to put in a little bit of effort before you go.

Along a similar line, your native language is your biggest friend, there are loads of opportunities for teachers of English as a foreign language in a formal or even an informal capacity. Whether you actually get a new job, just do a few classes on the side to raise a bit of extra money, or do language exchanges to help you improve your Spanish and make new friends, English teaching is a great advantage.

When you get out there, it’s a good idea to stay off the main tourist routes, as these are always much more expensive. A good tip for saving money is to shop in the local farmer’s markets, you’ll get a better price and the food will be fresher.

Next up, consider investing a little bit in where you’re going to live (if you can). Most Spanish properties don’t have insulation – because, well, they don’t need them – but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t occasionally get cold and the heating comes on (or more often, it gets hot and the air con is required). A little bit of investment now in making sure that your house requires less energy to run will save you a lot in the long run because energy costs are not cheap anywhere in Europe and are only set to rise.

Last of all, if you have a car in the UK, you could drive it down to your new home, but it’s probably a better idea to sell it and buy a new car when you get down there. Your new car will almost certainly cost less than your old one in a like for like basis.

Otherwise, have a great time, and good luck.