# Pension



## sun lover

Hello all.
people have mentioned having a comfortable pension to live on in one of the posts, What would you call a comfortable pension??? What would you say the cost of living is now ie electricity cost, water, house tax etc?
I am one of those that are looking at moving to central Portugal and want to be comfortable rather than scrape a living.

Thanks

Sun Lover


----------



## PETERFC

*Reply*



sun lover said:


> Hello all.
> people have mentioned having a comfortable pension to live on in one of the posts, What would you call a comfortable pension??? What would you say the cost of living is now ie electricity cost, water, house tax etc?
> I am one of those that are looking at moving to central Portugal and want to be comfortable rather than scrape a living.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Sun Lover


Hi Sunlover

Below is a link to a similar question some time ago. 

Peter

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/po...ing-portugal/42968-portugal-living-costs.html


----------



## yorkshire lass

I think everyones living expenses are only as high as your life style. A large garden and lots of things growing in it will require a lot of water, so use water barrels and get them full when its raining in the winter time. If you are cold, in the winter, wear warmer clothes, even if the sun is shining, and get a good fire, and forget the central heating. The coldest part of the winter only lasts about six weeks anyway. Most of the year we don't need a fire at all, so overall throughout a year heating is costs can hardly be considered expensive. 

For those who cannot face to give up the clothes dryer, (because you have always had one) should try it, it really isn't that hard to do without it. 

Get yourself a vegetable patch going, and grow your own, most of us come here retired anyway. Its healthier eating, cheaper and offers a healthier life style, and still plenty of time to do other things. 

People come to live here, and go out a lot, but ask yourself, how often did you go out before you came here. The novelty wears off and real life kicks in. 

Money does seem to fly out of the wallet when we first arrive, mainly set up costs, but day to day living is as expensive as you want it to be, and as cheap as you are thrifty, and does not need to impede on quality of life. 

The list is endless, all doable, and leaves money for other things. 

Living on our pensions cannot in any way match the income we had when we were still working, so lifestyle has to change to some degree anyway. It does not matter whether we choose to live here, somewhere else or just stay put, once retired how we live will and does change, and it does not have to be for the worse.


----------



## Silverwizard

Good common sense advice.


----------



## siobhanwf

Was that good "Yorkshire" advice J? But really it is just common sense!!


----------



## John999

How many people are you talking about? You and your espouse, or bringing a kid or mother in law as well? Having a comfortable life depends on your standards. A normal couple, after the hose and the car are bought, can have a comfortable life with something like 2,500 to 3,000 Euros monthly


----------



## siobhanwf

Wow 2500-300 is RICH.
A state registered nurse with a degree and several years of experience brings home under 1000 euros a month. A lorry driver (our neighbour drives a cement lorry) and brings home 5 euros 25 cents an hour.


----------



## John999

siobhanwf said:


> Wow 2500-300 is RICH.
> A state registered nurse with a degree and several years of experience brings home under 1000 euros a month. A lorry driver (our neighbour drives a cement lorry) and brings home 5 euros 25 cents an hour.


Hi siobhannwf
5 Euros 25 cents an hour, you are talking about Portuguese wages. The same driver you talk about in the UK will get between 12 and 16 pounds an hour. If you read my post properly, means a couple. 2 people 2 pensions. If your pension is under 1000 Euros a month, and your husband pension is also under 1000, I feel sorry for you. Let’s face it, it isn’t the man who cost’s the money, it is all the dresses and shoes you girls need every time you go out on a due, all the get together and trips. All the relatives coming over, etc.


----------



## yorkshire lass

hello John, dresses don't cost that much its the men's hobbies and must haves that cost. 
You get your cleaning, your cooking, generally looked after and we make men look good. A few dresses and shoes, cheap at the price, try paying us wages for all we do and then see how much it costs you!!!!! that should get a response.


----------



## siobhanwf

John999 said:


> Hi siobhannwf
> 5 Euros 25 cents an hour, you are talking about Portuguese wages. The same driver you talk about in the UK will get between 12 and 16 pounds an hour. If you read my post properly, means a couple. 2 people 2 pensions. If your pension is under 1000 Euros a month, and your husband pension is also under 1000, I feel sorry for you. Let’s face it, it isn’t the man who cost’s the money, it is all the dresses and shoes you girls need every time you go out on a due, all the get together and trips. All the relatives coming over, etc.


Dear John

Well if my pension was less than1000 euros a month I would not be very happy either. More to the point I would be even unhappier if my husbands pension was. We are both rather lucky to have had more than satisfactory salaries in our working life. So you don't have to feel sorry for us  

As for clothes I have always made my own....and I am not a "shoe person". Have just spent a fortune at the material shop for a dress....all of 6.50!!!

The reason I mention Portuguese wages was to show what a normal couple might earn here monthly. Have a mortgage to pay, feed the family and the gereral other expenses that we all have....running the car, electricty, water etc.


----------



## John999

siobhanwf said:


> Dear John
> 
> Well if my pension was less than1000 euros a month I would not be very happy either. More to the point I would be even unhappier if my husbands pension was. We are both rather lucky to have had more than satisfactory salaries in our working life. So you don't have to feel sorry for us
> 
> As for clothes I have always made my own....and I am not a "shoe person". Have just spent a fortune at the material shop for a dress....all of 6.50!!!
> 
> The reason I mention Portuguese wages was to show what a normal couple might earn here monthly. Have a mortgage to pay, feed the family and the gereral other expenses that we all have....running the car, electricty, water etc.


The question wasn’t about Portuguese wages or pensions or incomes, was it? Unless I got it wrong again, the question was what do you think will be a decent pension to move over and live comfortable. I apologize if I got the question wrong.


----------



## sun lover

Thank you for all your ideas and advice and i do understand the diference between life styles but very sound advice. There will be just 2 of us and looking at settling in central Portugal not the expensive algarve as some of you are from. The €2500/3000 a month seems very high to me as some live on alot less in the UK than that even in London area. Perhaps i should of asked what the avarage monthly cost of electricity (without a pool), food costs, water cost, housing Tax etc would be in central Portugal ?? I know it all depends what electric we would use and when we use it, I am just after some up to date living costs without being sexist and without a expensive hobby.


----------



## Silverwizard

sun lover said:


> Thank you for all your ideas and advice and i do understand the diference between life styles but very sound advice. There will be just 2 of us and looking at settling in central Portugal not the expensive algarve as some of you are from. The €2500/3000 a month seems very high to me as some live on alot less in the UK than that even in London area. Perhaps i should of asked what the avarage monthly cost of electricity (without a pool), food costs, water cost, housing Tax etc would be in central Portugal ?? I know it all depends what electric we would use and when we use it, I am just after some up to date living costs without being sexist and without a expensive hobby.


Hi Sunlover,
Of course you don't have to have a €2500/3000 a month pension to live comfortably in Portugal,very nice if you do of course,but necessary,no.
We live in Marinha Grande on the Silver Coast of Portugal,our bills for a two bed apartment (no mortgage) are roughly as follows ( averaged over the year).
Electricity €60 per month,Water €16,Gas €15 (hot water & hob only),
Tv,phone,Internet package €55,service charges €30,Food €400-€450.
The cost of petrol here is higher than UK by around 12-15p per litre,diesel around the same as UK.
One important thing to bear in mind,in the winter it can get Very Cold here,& typically Portuguese houses are not very well insulated (if at all),
therefore heating costs tend to be on the high side.
Hope the above is of some use to you in making your decision.
Regards.
Mick
The Silverwizard.


----------



## Benny Dorm

My costs are slightly less than Silverwizard's, I use a Vodaphone dongle and Skype which gives me free calls to landlines in Europe for which I pay €29 per month. My water bill averages €8-10 per month and I am exempt from property tax for eight years and even then its only €300-350. Ours is a 4-bed villa and we have oil central heating which this winter cost €280. Our Fiat Uno 30% more expensive than the cost of a similar aged car in the UK, but the road tax is €34 p.a and the insurance is the same as the UK. If you do not have a mortgage and do average mileage, don't play golf and get pissed every night, you can live comfortably on €1000 per month - I do!


----------



## sun lover

thank you for your nice sensible replies very helpfull indeed. it seems very much the same as Greece at the moment.


----------



## Benny Dorm

I have only visited Greece twice as a holidaymaker, so know little of the daily cost of living, however, one thing I can confirm is that the Portuguese are probably the friendliest people on the planet, which was not my experience in Greece. In Portugal help and advice plus vegetables and fruit are frequently offered by our neighbours and nothing expected in return - who needs money!


----------



## stephanie

Benny Dorm said:


> I have only visited Greece twice as a holidaymaker, so know little of the daily cost of living, however, one thing I can confirm is that the Portuguese are probably the friendliest people on the planet, which was not my experience in Greece. In Portugal help and advice plus vegetables and fruit are frequently offered by our neighbours and nothing expected in return - who needs money!


Well said Benny! The Portuguese are indeed fantastic neighbours and couldn't be friendlier or more helpful. Our living expenses are about €1000 for everything as well and we have a little boy who currently eats us out of house and home!

As someone said earlier you just choose your lifestyle acording to your means and being broke in Portugal is a lot nicer than being broke in the UK!


----------



## Mr.Blueskies

sun lover said:


> Hello all.
> people have mentioned having a comfortable pension to live on in one of the posts, What would you call a comfortable pension??? What would you say the cost of living is now ie electricity cost, water, house tax etc?
> I am one of those that are looking at moving to central Portugal and want to be comfortable rather than scrape a living.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Sun Lover


Hi Sun Lover,
The average monthly electric costs (without a pool) should be in
the region of between €80 - €120 per month. Food shopping costs for two should be no more than €80 ish if you eat at home. For average water consumption you should be paying no more than €20 a month. IMI house tax
should cost you nothing and you will get the first eight years tax exempt providing that YOU apply to them in person for this and WITHIN three months of purchasing your house. An estate agent who failed to inform me of this cost me the first two years due to a late application. I have to now far for this year and next year also with six years exemption after that.  So bad and misleading
information costs a lot.

In my experience it is not the weekly living expenses that set you back. The BIG money drains are people coming to visit, who expect to be wined and dined and driven all over at YOUR expense. The airport pick ups and drop offs. The frequent trips back to the uk. A great many still expect to be able to pop back and forth constantly and for all sorts, ie birthdays, weddings, anniversaries etc. This sort of thing will eat a big hole in what u have got. Kids back home looking for hand outs from the bank of mum and dad is another. College fees,
car insurance money etc. Don't get me started ! lol If you don't use the NO word between them all they will have your last rolo.

I agree with what Benny Dorm has said and Stephanie also. Forgot to mention the expat gatherings, trips etc and the free loading house guests from hell !!! Get that lot sorted and you will be absolutely fine.

:eyebrows:


----------



## Mr.Blueskies

Belonging and wanting to fit in costs money ! lol


----------



## PETERFC

*Reply*



Mr.Blueskies said:


> Belonging and wanting to fit in costs money ! lol


What we need is to learn how to say NO and mean IT.

Peter


----------



## Mr.Blueskies

PETERFC said:


> What we need is to learn how to say NO and mean IT.
> 
> Peter




That's correct Peter, the trouble is that when the selfish gits hear the NO word they next try to emotionally blackmail you.


----------



## PETERFC

*Reply*



Mr.Blueskies said:


> That's correct Peter, the trouble is that when the selfish gits hear the NO word they next try to emotionally blackmail you.


Baseball bat?

Peter


----------

