basque country

Spanish wine and olives

Still Drinking Spanish Wine

Melissa

A lot has changed since leaving Spain in May of 2022.

The end of an era. I came to Spain in 2015 with a couple grand in my (virtual) pocket, and by the time I was leaving, partner and toddler in tow, I had about the same. Did I make zero progress? Absolutely not. What used to support one was now supporting three. And the experience of living in Spain for nearly 7 years was priceless.

I really love the time that I spent as a language assistant in Andalucia and the Basque Country. Those two years reinforced how to budget and be frugal. The 4 years I spent at a language academy in Caceres, Extremadura taught me about self study and advancement. And finally, the year as a Director of Studies in a small town in Andalucia allowed me to thrive professionally in an environment that was also great for my then two year old daughter.

One of the hardest things about readjusting to life in the US after living abroad for so long is the sticker shock. I once wrote about spending $80 a month on groceries. In Arlington, VA, I found myself spending that in one shopping trip.

So how do you overcome such a shock when you repatriate? One trick is to convert prices into percentages. If you find that the bottle of Spanish wine you’ve grown accustomed to is now 3 times what you used to pay for it in Spain, is it still a good deal? It is if you’re earning 3 times the salary. Through this perspective, that bottle of Spanish wine was actually cheaper for me than it was when I bought it in Spain.

It’s easy to get carried away with spending when you start earning more. A lot of people fall victim to the Diderot Effect, where one nice new thing leads you to replacing your other things to match the higher quality. It often makes financial sense to buy higher quality products, as they are likely to last longer. But it’s important not to replace things before their time just to feel the high from upgrading.

I bought new shoes for work for 3 times what I would have been willing to spend in Spain. But the replacement was necessary, and a quality shoe will last a lot more miles. At the same time, I still have the same hiking shoe that I bought in 2017. I don’t plan to buy new hiking shoes just because my work shoes are a nicer quality.

This is one of the ways I stay frugal with a higher income. What are some of yours?

3 Ways to Earn Extra Income in Spain

3 Ways to Earn Extra Income in Spain

Melissa

This post contains affiliate links, which support this blog at no additional cost to the reader.

Finding ways to earn extra income is not a new concept to most people, from the Millennial “side hustle” to Dave Ramsey inspired “Dave Jobs,” every generation has its own methods for creating new sources of income. This isn’t any different for the auxiliar de conversacion. Here are 3 tried and true methods for earning a bit of extra money while teaching abroad, and one bonus way to start earning extra income before you even move abroad.

 

THE SIDE HUSTLE

According to CNN Money, 44 million Americans have a side job. Many people need these jobs just to keep up with their regular bills. One benefit of teaching English in Spain, is that you can avoid such inflated bills, since the cost of living is so much lower than many of our cities back home. As an auxiliar, you shouldn’t NEED extra income just to get by, but it can really help improve your travel opportunities. Extra income can also be used to pay down debt back home.

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Chosing a community in spain - airports in spain

Airports in Spain by Autonomous Community

Melissa

It’s that time of year again. The holidays? Yes. But rather than a white Christmas, I’m dreaming of airports in Spain. Why? Because it’s time to start thinking about renewal as an auxiliar de conversacion. Or maybe next year will be your first year, and you’re not quite sure how to choose a region.

Since the application period will open just after the holiday season, it’s a good idea to start planning where you’d like to go now. Maybe you want to go to where the auxiliar income is the highest compared to the local residents. This is a great plan for living your day-to-day life in Spain, but what about our international adventure seeking readers?

For those of you who want to see as much as possible in a relatively short amount of time, it may be a good idea to make your regional choices based on which communities have the best access to airports.

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Starter Kitchen

Stocking your Starter Kitchen on a Budget

Melissa

Last week, when I posted about how to budget when you don’t know your expenses, a reader asked me how I get my grocery costs so low.  I was able to maintain a 65 euro a month grocery budget for a year in Vitoria-Gasteiz of the Spanish Basque Country. Part of this was due to cost sharing with my partner. However, even when I shopped on my own in Huelva, Andalusia, I still averaged a budget of about 80 euros a month. How? The key here is in having a well stocked kitchen. Let’s build your starter kitchen.

What is a Starter Kitchen?

Cooking at home is one of the best ways to save money when you’re on a tight budget. But what do you do when you’re starting from scratch? Let’s say you’ve just moved to a new city. Your starter kitchen is all of the food products you will need to buy to have a functioning kitchen. Before we dive deeper into building your starter kitchen, let’s take a look at what some of my frequent purchases are and what they cost.

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salaries in spain

Average Income in Spain

Melissa

Average Income: Why it Matters

Updated on December 7, 2020

Average income

The average income of a population is often overlooked when people prepare to teach abroad. We usually want to know how much we can make, and that information isn’t difficult to find. According to Go Overseas, the average income for an English teacher in Spain is between 700 and 1800 euros. As an auxiliar de conversacion, you know that your income will be between 700 and 1000 euros a month, depending on where you’re assigned to teach.

What may be more important than your actual salary, however,  is how it compares to the average salary where you will live. This will determine how comfortably you will live compared to other people in your city on your auxilar income alone.

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Planning Your First Class: Teaching English Abroad

Planning Your First Class: Teaching English Abroad

Melissa

First Class Anxiety

The first class. A lot of people, when moving abroad to teach English, get really excited about their new location. You might dream of all of the day trips and weekend travel that you’ll be able to do. But what makes a lot of new teachers nervous is thinking about that first class. What will the school be like? What will they expect from me? And the kids? Rest assured, these feelings are normal.

 

first class esl
Your brain on anxiety.

There is no one answer to all of these questions. Each school, administration, and group of students will be different. When you get there, you will be able to start answering these questions as you figure out your role in the classroom. But until then, what do you do?

Start planning your first class. You can do this without knowing much about your school, because the first class will be about you. What you will need to know about your school, is the age range. From there, you can create something adaptable to each level.

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Finding an Apartment in Spain after arrival

Apartments in Spain: After Arrival

Melissa

Finding an Apartment in Spain

This is Part 2 of Finding an Apartment in Spain. See Part 1 – Apartments in Spain: Before Arrival.

When You Arrive

Hopefully by the time you arrive to Spain, you will have already eliminated the places that either aren’t right for you, or are misleading. This will save you a lot of time. If you will be living in a large city like Madrid, you will need to have quite a few options on your list, because finding an apartment in the fall can be difficult. If you are in a smaller city, a smaller list will suffice. The quicker you can find an apartment, the less money you will have to spend on hostels or Airbnb.

By one week before I moved to Spain, I had narrowed down my search to just a handful of apartments. I made appointments with the girls who were currently living in them via WhatsApp. Talking to your potential roommates in advance is a good way to know if you’ll be a good fit, and save you from having to move out later. I ended up renting the first apartment I saw in Huelva, and I canceled my other appointments. The only reason I did this is because I was sure. I knew I would be happy living in that apartment, with those roommates, and at that price. Here are a few things you should look for to make sure the apartment is right for you.

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Apartment Hunting in Spain: Before Arrival

Apartment Hunting in Spain: Before Arrival

Melissa

Finding an Apartment in Spain

Before Arrival

Because your apartment will be your largest living expense in Spain, it is important that you start researching apartments from home. Ideally, your apartment shouldn’t cost any more than 25-35% of your budget, but in some places this may be difficult and you might have to go as high as 40%. There are definitely ways to increase your income with side hustles while living in Spain, but I don’t recommend including them in your core budget items, because they aren’t guaranteed income. I recommend checking out Numbeo to find out the average for apartments in your city.

Average Apartment Cost

Let’s look at mine, in Vitoria-Gasteiz:

apartment cost averages vitoria
Average Housing Costs in Vitoria-Gasteiz

You’ll see that the average rent per month for a one-bedroom in the city center is about 600 euros, or 85.7% of your auxiliar budget. This won’t work for anyone except for a couple. If you’re both auxiliares, and making 1400 euros total, it would be 42.9% of your budget. This is doable, but still high, and I would only consider it if your utilities are included.

A one-bedroom outside of the city center is 450 euros on average, or 64.3% of your income. This is also too high for a single person on an auxiliar budget. As a couple, you can get it down to 32.1% This is a good percentage, and is what my partner and I pay.

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