# Stay or go.....



## leedsutdgem (Jun 3, 2010)

Posts on this forum get me thinking at times about where we are going to be in 5,10,15 years down the line. My situation is he following:

N. Irish married to an unemployed spanish waiter no prospects of a permanent job - who does? (works only summer months and weekends)
2 children under 5
I have an Indefinido contract and quite a well paid job
Mortgage 
Husbands ayuda runs out in 17 months

With the way things are going here in spain i keep wondering if we should stay put or head back. 

What would you do?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Wow Gem, I thought you were settled and here for the long term. I think in your situation, you should stay. Your kids are Spanish and you have your life there. N. Ireland probably isnt much better is it???? What does your husband think???

Jo xxx


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## leedsutdgem (Jun 3, 2010)

jojo said:


> Wow Gem, I thought you were settled and here for the long term. I think in your situation, you should stay. Your kids are Spanish and you have your life there. N. Ireland probably isnt much better is it???? What does your husband think???
> 
> Jo xxx


I am jo and dont get me wrong we love it here, but reading things on here and also the spanish news gets me down. Need to think about the childrens future too and if we were going to make the move we need to do it when theyre young. He would go if it meant he had work all year round. I always said we would rather be skint and be here than back in belfast with good jobs- that view is changing now.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

leedsutdgem said:


> I am jo and dont get me wrong we love it here, but reading things on here and also the spanish news gets me down. Need to think about the childrens future too and if we were going to make the move we need to do it when theyre young. He would go if it meant he had work all year round. I always said we would rather be skint and be here than back in belfast with good jobs- that view is changing now.


Yeah, but skint and in the UK???? grim, the weather, the miserable people, the news here is as bad - think about all those things that people are trying to escape from here. I know that there is better welfare, dole etc, but thats no reason to move back and what about your mortgage - you'd have to sell up????? His family??? I guess you cousl rent your spanish house out, altho wont that count against you getting any financial help in the UK??? 

Oh, sorry, I dont mean to sound so negative. In the end, you have to do whats best for you and the family. If your kids were older it would be different. But Spain in 10+ years time will maybe have picked up????

Jo xxx


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## leedsutdgem (Jun 3, 2010)

jojo said:


> Yeah, but skint and in the UK???? grim, the weather, the miserable people, the news here is as bad - think about all those things that people are trying to escape from here. I know that there is better welfare, dole etc, but thats no reason to move back and what about your mortgage - you'd have to sell up????? His family??? I guess you cousl rent your spanish house out, altho wont that count against you getting any financial help in the UK???
> 
> Oh, sorry, I dont mean to sound so negative. In the end, you have to do whats best for you and the family. If your kids were older it would be different. But Spain in 10+ years time will maybe have picked up????
> 
> Jo xxx


I wouldnt be going back to go on benefits. Id have to go back to a job. Or id study and do my pgce for a year and become a pe teacher which is what i was going to do before i met oh. 

I have to laugh jo- could this be the first stay in spain advice lol. Cant believe though how many people are wanting to come and start a life here. My oh is one of 5 and 4 of them are unemployed. They each have a degree and his sister a masters- still no job.


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

Like Spain , I think Ireland is in a really bad way - though just like Spain there isn't much about it on the news for us to really know. 

Maybe you should do what we tell folk going in the other direction to do and research more on he situation in Ireland. Could be out of the frying pan into the fire?? If employment isn't much better what would be the point of moving given all the other factors - your kids, etc which Jo has already mentioned.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17364104


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

brocher said:


> Like Spain , I think Ireland is in a really bad way - though just like Spain there isn't much about it on the news for us to really know.
> 
> Maybe you should do what we tell folk going in the other direction to do and research more on he situation in Ireland. Could be out of the frying pan into the fire?? If employment isn't much better what would be the point of moving given all the other factors - your kids, etc which Jo has already mentioned.
> 
> BBC News - Unemployment down but number on benefits up


I think you'd have to look at the employment aspect as you already know about life there, and especially for your partner. Would he be able to get work there? Does he speak enough English?
If he's got a degree he was obviously not thinking about being a waiter initially, so what's his degree in?
I wish you'd posted on other threads about life/ unemployment/ economy in Spain about the 5 degrees and a masters and one job between them. It must be tough living with that.


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

jojo said:


> Yeah, but skint and in the UK???? grim, the weather, the miserable people, the news here is as bad - think about all those things that people are trying to escape from here. I know that there is better welfare, dole etc, but thats no reason to move back and what about your mortgage - you'd have to sell up????? His family??? I guess you cousl rent your spanish house out, altho wont that count against you getting any financial help in the UK???
> 
> Oh, sorry, I dont mean to sound so negative. In the end, you have to do whats best for you and the family. If your kids were older it would be different. But Spain in 10+ years time will maybe have picked up????
> 
> Jo xxx


....and guess who the most miserable person in the UK is?


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## leedsutdgem (Jun 3, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I think you'd have to look at the employment aspect as you already know about life there, and especially for your partner. Would he be able to get work there? Does he speak enough English?
> If he's got a degree he was obviously not thinking about being a waiter initially, so what's his degree in?
> I wish you'd posted on other threads about life/ unemployment/ economy in Spain about the 5 degrees and a masters and one job between them. It must be tough living with that.


Degree in history. Started work in the hotel his father worked in for 40 odd years was on good money and forgot about the degree.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

brocher said:


> ....and guess who the most miserable person in the UK is?


um........... let me think lol!!!

Seriously tho. I think as things are at the moment, moving and changing isnt a good idea, either way. In a crisis, we need to stay at home, where there is a security, be that Spain or the UK

Jo xxx


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I hope its ok Gem, I've quoted this thread on this one http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...ain/112461-need-advice-please.html#post788059 If you want me to remove it PM me

Jo xxx


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

You have a permenant job , hubby has 17 months to go before his paro stops. I'd wait it out & see personally. If you are getting by at the moment I'd stick it out as the situation is all up in the air at the moment & until things settle down there is no knowing which countries could suddenly find themselves deep in it ! Just my dos centimos.


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## leedsutdgem (Jun 3, 2010)

jojo said:


> I hope its ok Gem, I've quoted this thread on this one http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/112461-need-advice-please.html#post788059 If you want me to remove it PM me
> 
> Jo xxx


No problem Jo x


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

*Gem*, do you, as a family, visit Ireland very often?
I ask, not because I know the country. I don't. But because you can only get to know what the country is like by living there for some time.
But I'm guessing that is not possible for you as you are working full time and your children are in school in Spain.

As to doing your PGCE, I don't know the situation in Ireland, but wonder whether the same applies as in the UK - you will not get a grant to study and will be expected to pay your University fees.
So, you would either have to work full time and study part time, if you can find a part time PGCE course, or have enough in savings to allow you to study full time for a year.

Again, I don't know about Ireland, but I do know that there are very few permanent teaching jobs in the UK right now. I have friends with their PGCE who have been working as supply teachers for a long time, so it isn't easy getting established as a teacher.
And, as Brocher says, could your plans to move to Ireland be a case of out of the frying pan into the fire??

Your husband has a History degree.
I'm sorry, but it wont count for much. There are unemployed history graduates all over the EU doing work (if they are lucky) which has nothing at all to do with their degree. Sadly, nowadays getting work on the back of a degree is very much a case of who you know, and (I'm guessing again) your husband wont have any helpful contacts for this in Ireland.

I do understand your concerns for your children's future prospects, but I also wonder whether their prospects will be much better in Ireland than in Spain.

If I were you, what I would be thinking about are the _prospects elsewhere_ - not Spain or Ireland, but somewhere where there are more work opportunities.
Some on here have already mentioned Germany, others further afield like Australia or NZ.
I have no idea what the real prospects are in these countries, or what qualifications would be necessary to settle there, but that's what I would be looking at, if only to see whether this would be a possibility.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

leedsutdgem said:


> I wouldnt be going back to go on benefits. Id have to go back to a job. Or id study and do my pgce for a year and become a pe teacher which is what i was going to do before i met oh.
> 
> I have to laugh jo- could this be the first stay in spain advice lol. Cant believe though how many people are wanting to come and start a life here. My oh is one of 5 and 4 of them are unemployed. They each have a degree and his sister a masters- still no job.


I think that if I were in your situation I would very reluctantly go back to the UK.
Your idea of getting your PGCE and teaching will ensure you get a secure, comparatively well-paid job. Unlike many wannabe immigrants you are actively considering your children's future and not disregarding them because you want a suntan...

With luck and savings you could be enjoying a retirement in Spain when that time comes...All is not lost.


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## leedsutdgem (Jun 3, 2010)

Solwriter said:


> Gem, do you, as a family, visit Ireland very often?
> I ask, not because I know the country. I don't. But because you can only get to know what the country is like by living there for some time.
> But I'm guessing that is not possible for you as you are working full time and your children are in school in Spain.
> 
> ...


Im originally from belfast (so uk) and been here 11 years now. I lived there until i was 18 then moved to leeds for uni for 3 years then straight to spain so i do know what its like there.
Where would i even begin asking about work prospects in oz or nz?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

leedsutdgem said:


> Im originally from belfast (so uk) and been here 11 years now. I lived there until i was 18 then moved to leeds for uni for 3 years then straight to spain so i do know what its like there.
> *Where would i even begin asking about work prospects in oz or nz?*


Australia Expat Forum for Expats Living in Australia - Expat Forum For Expats, For Moving Overseas And For Jobs Abroad


New Zealand Expat Forum for Expats Living in New Zealand - Expat Forum For Expats, For Moving Overseas And For Jobs Abroad


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

leedsutdgem said:


> Im originally from belfast (so uk) and been here 11 years now. I lived there until i was 18 then moved to leeds for uni for 3 years then straight to spain so i do know what its like there.
> Where would i even begin asking about work prospects in oz or nz?


The entry requirements for Canada, Australia and New Zealand seem to be based entirely on what skills are in short supply in those countries.

The UK Government is still running tv ads aimed at recruiting teachers. There are many new schemes in operation for training teachers, the PGCE route is not the only one.

It might be worthwhile contacting the DfE.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

The reason I suggested waiting is you don't want an 'out the frying pan into the fire' situation. If , & i don't think it will, the euro collapses ,who will be the worst affected ? Oh yes, the UK. They will have the most debt of any eu country due to the banks exposure to the euro. personally I don't think it is worth the risk at present when waiting another year would see what the outcome will be. It has definitely got to be sorted out within the next few months & you could use this time to investigate what other countries might be suitable in the meantime. the children will still be under 6.


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