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.

Creating a Budget When You Don’t Know Your Expenses

September 14, 2017January 19, 2018Melissa

Creating a Budget

Creating a budget can be very overwhelming – especially when you’ve just moved and you don’t know what your expenses will be. I’ve definitely been there. When I arrived in Spain in 2015, I came with $2000 as my starter budget, but without a plan in place, I blew through over half of it before receiving my first paycheck. If I could do it again, what would I do differently? This is what I recommend for incoming auxiliares de conversacion.

I would begin by creating a budget using the 50/20/30 Rule. Here’s how it breaks down:

50% of your income goes to cover your NEEDS – Things like rent, food, electricity, transportation, internet, etc. These are the absolute basics you will pay for every month.
20% of your income goes to SAVINGS – You may need to buy a plane ticket at the end of the year. Or, if you’re staying in Spain over the summer, you’ll need a summer fund for when other opportunities dry up.
30% of your income can go to WANTS – things that you could do without in a pinch, but make life more enjoyable: eating out, drinks, travel, new clothes, etc. These things are likely the reason you are here.

Creating a Budget with the Auxiliar Income

So how would it look for an auxiliar creating a budget based on this plan?

Travel Road Trip Map Direction Exploration Planning Concept

Planning a Road Trip

July 26, 2017January 19, 2018Melissa

There’s just something romantic about the idea of a road trip. From watching American classics like Thelma and Louise, to reading books like On the Road by Jack Kerouac, the inspiration is everywhere.

But, believe it or not, I have never actually been on a road trip in America. Although I would love to step back in time on Route 66, road trips in America are often very long and very expensive.

Traveling in Spain

In Spain, on the other hand, you’ve got a variety of cities and landscapes all within a relatively small country. The entire country is slightly smaller than Texas, after all.

What to do when you're too bored to bother

Surviving the Summer Slump

July 19, 2017September 5, 2017Melissa

Diagnosing the Summer Slump

Ever since I was old enough to be in school, I’ve looked forward to that glorious time of year when the last bell rings and I’m finally free. Now, as a teacher, I feel the same yearly excitement. The freedom to kick back and do absolutely nothing has arrived.

But then something inevitably happens partway through the summer. That something is called the Summer Slump. According to Urban Dictionary, the Summer Slump is “A period during summer in which a person performs inefficiently due to the excessive amount of free time on there hands.”

The truth is, an abundance of free time can become overwhelming. Maybe there’s nothing you specifically have to do, so you don’t feel bad bingeing on your favorite television programs. That’s fine. I feed my addiction through ORORO TV (Note: if you subscribe through my link, you and I will both receive a discount). But when you come up for air, you often find yourself feeling disoriented, and maybe even a little unmotivated to do anything about it.

When you find yourself slipping into the Slump, and you’re so bored that you can’t even bother to do anything about it, it’s good to have a plan in place to pull you back out. Here’s my plan:

Finding an Apartment in Spain after arrival

Apartments in Spain: After Arrival

June 26, 2017September 7, 2018Melissa

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.

Love Where You Live

June 19, 2017June 9, 2018Melissa

Do you love where you live? A lot of people don’t, and that is why they travel. They’re trying to find whatever is missing back home. Unfortunately, what is missing isn’t always external. I am now a huge proponent of slow travel, but I haven’t always been. I’ve still got these big goals to see the world, and a scratch off map that sits beside my bed, but I’m no longer in a hurry. Because I love where I live.

see the world: love where you live — OK, maybe not THAT big.

One of the first travel goals I set for myself when I decided to move to Spain was to visit every province in the country. There are 50. To date, I have seen 18, but don’t let me fool you. I had a head start. You see, when I studied abroad in Santander in 2009, I had already crammed 7 of them into a 2 month period. The other 11 have been over a year and a half. Which visits do you think have been more meaningful?

What Is Your Time Worth?

June 14, 2017June 9, 2018Melissa

Time is Money. This is a well-known concept that many of us have heard throughout our lives. But what does it mean?

For me, it draws up the image of someone tapping their foot, looking at their watch, and sighing impatiently. It implies the need to hurry up. Or maybe someone gives it to you as an excuse as to why they don’t have time to spend with you, thus enforcing that they can’t slow down. Time is MONEY, after all.

But wait. Slow down. I promise, you’ve got time for this. What if we’ve been misinterpreting this age-old proverb all along? What if instead of thinking that time is MONEY, we start to realize that TIME is money. This changes everything.