Still Drinking Spanish Wine

December 12, 2022December 12, 2022Melissa

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?

Pre-Departure Pantry Challenge

May 1, 2022May 1, 2022Melissa

Nearly 5 years ago, I wrote about building up your pantry on a budget. Now that I’m leaving Spain in just 4-5 weeks, it’s time to do the opposite. Care to join me in a pantry challenge? Let’s use everything up!

Although I’ve moved within Spain several times, this will be my first international move since I arrived in 2015. With each previous move, I left food behind with local friends, since pantry food was the last thing on my mind, and I never planned for it.

Adiós, España

April 27, 2022April 28, 2022Melissa

Coming to Spain as a language assistant back in September of 2015 will forever be one of the best decisions of my life. Since then, I’ve gained residency through pareja de hecho, worked as an ESL teacher, and then as a Director of Studies. I’ve improved my language skills, seen a lot of Spain, and even started a family. Despite all of this, there are some positive changes on the horizon for me, and it’s time to move forward.

On June 6, 2022, I will start my first day as a Consular Fellow for the US State Department. Although getting here was a long process, which I started in July of 2020, the 40 days I have left in Spain feel so short. I have so much to prepare before moving to DC for training, but need to remember to slow down and enjoy the time I still have left here.

I intend to keep this website going with great budgeting and travel tips, as well as life in Spain posts by guest contributers. However, I will now be posting about my Consular Fellows experience as well. If you are only intrested in reading about exeperiences from Spain or from Consular Fellows, you can filter posts by category.

I think the Consular Fellow program is a perfect transition for former language assistants. All of my experience in the classroom was even credited as qualifying experience as a part of my salary determination. My advice for people who might like to take this same path, especially now that the Ministry’s Language Assistant program has a 5 year limit, is to use your time here wisely. Learn Spanish. Gain good experience for your resume. And enjoy Spain.

How to Budget for a Year Abroad

January 15, 2020January 16, 2020Melissa

“Budgeting isn’t about limiting yourself — it’s about making the things that excite you possible.” The Financial Diet

Why Budget for a Year?

Moving abroad to teach English is a huge step, whether you plan to go for one year or to put down roots. How much money to take with you will depend on where you’re going, but a good rule of thumb is to save up at least 3 times your expected monthly income. Equally important is planning the whole budget for a year abroad. Download my free budget template and follow along.

A Low-Tech First Class

September 26, 2019September 26, 2019Melissa

Many language teachers already know how important it is to have interactive lessons that get students involved from the first class, such as this example. But what can you do in a Low-Tech Classroom? Today we have the honor of a guest post from Raven, a former Language Assistant in Caceres, Spain, who will address the important topic of the low-tech first class.

5 Resources for Learning Spanish

July 3, 2018Melissa

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

Learning Spanish is a popular goal for many people who move to Spain to teach English. Living in Spanish will absolutely make learning Spanish a lot easier. But what if you want to start learning before you go? Here are 5 great resources for getting a head start on learning Spanish before you move abroad. Keep reading to the end to learn my easy method for remembering lots of vocabulary. This method is not only useful for you while you’re learning Spanish, but you can also teach it to your students for better results in English.

Learning Spanish from Home

There is a lot of material for learning Spanish available online for free. You just need to know how to find it. A good place to start is by assessing your current level. If you’ve never studied Spanish before, you will be a beginner, or an A1 on the common European Framework. It’s a good idea to become familiar with this framework, not only for learning Spanish, but also for helping assess your students’ English level. You can get an assessment grid for yourself in English and for your students in Spanish.

3 Ways to Earn Extra Income in Spain

January 20, 2018January 22, 2018Melissa

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.

Chosing a community in spain - airports in spain

Airports in Spain by Autonomous Community

December 10, 2017January 19, 2018Melissa

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.