Looking for a job: Joiner - Page 3

Really wow I do need to check this.

Thank you ever so much.

I can only go on our experience but in terms of healthcare (and mostly every other way) we couldn’t be happier here.

My meds were €58 a month in Ireland and I'm now down to €18 a month. Two of them cost just €2.50 here. I’m happy to ask the cost of your meds in our local Pharmacy if you wanted to PM me the name/strength.

We’re not working in Spain so had to get private health insurance in our first year here but it was still less than we were paying for Private Health Insurance in Ireland (which you do need to have there to get any decent care). Private cover here didn’t cover pre-existing conditions as mentioned but we certainly got our monies worth.

We switched in to paying into public health system recently (where it is fine to have pre-existing conditions) and still cheaper than private health insurance in Ireland. Even with it in Ireland you still have to pay to see a GP (€70 for my last visit), €100 to get seen in A&E, €115 to get bloods tested. I had an overnight procedure in Dublin before left, on Private health insurance and still had to pay a €500 excess fee!🤯

All free here when paying into public health.

We got our first GP appointment in Alicante city just two days after registering with them. Bloods done in 5 days and results a few days later. My brother who lives in UK, had problems swallowing when last visiting us but took him 7 days on return, to get through to his GP on the 8am ring around. Finally got to see someone 3 weeks after return and was later diagnosed with throat cancer. Treatment been fairly good since but a nightmare to begin with.

So… Couldn’t praise healthcare more in Spain but again, just our experience. 

And I love Ireland to bits, just not a fan of its healthcare...🤔Or its winters...

Hi Simon,

Just to clarify, when you say you switched to "public healthcare" after your first year of PHI, I assume you're talking about the "Convenio Especial"?  At a cost of €60 per person, per month, it's typically better value for money than PHI because, as you say, it covers pre-existing conditions, although neither PHI nor the CE cover the cost of prescriptions.  

It's also worth noting that at age 65, the monthly cost of the CE increases to €157 per person, per month, although that generally only affects foreigners for a year or two: at State Retirement age, we can apply for an S1 from our country of origin  which covers the ongoing cost of Spanish State healthcare and subsidised prescription costs for those on low to medium income.

Kind regards, 

Kim

Hey Kim,

Yes, the card says Asistencia SNS. Convenio Especial and costs €60 a month each. Sure my 65th will come round before I know it so thanks for the reminder on the S1😊

Cheers,

Simon

Hi  Simon 

You  posted  a  very  interesting  response  that  interests  me  greatly. I  am  thinking  about  relocation   to Torrevieja. BUT  very  unsure  about  Health care  and  Medication  costs  and  it  availability   for  my  requirements. 

I will  be  on  State  pension  in  a  few months.  I  have  a  few Health issues  that  are  under  control  but need  monitoring   through  out  the  year. 

Where would  I  start  to enquire  and get off  on  the  right foot.  Would I  need Private health insurance.  Would  I need to  take out  Residence  first. I  have  purchased some of  my Medication  while  in  Torrevieja  without  prescription. It  is  double  what I  pay  in  Wexford.  Medication  costs  are now  capped  at  80 euros  a month  also  overnight   charges  in Hospital  is  abolished.  My  GP in Dublin  costs  55 a  visit.  Blood  test are  45  euros 💶  as had them.done  recently. 

If  I PM  my  Medication  could  you see total cost  if  you  don't  mind 

Thanks 😇  in advance 

Hey, sounds like you're happy with your health costs in Dublin and your definitely getting better GP rates than me there...

I'd start a new thread for advice for you, if you do consider making the move 😉 

Well good luck to both of you...you will need it!  Plenty of jobs but for peanuts...life is not as cheap as you might be led to believe and everything is taxed...no exempt rates....even pay taxes on lotto wins...and savings...

Wife as a massage therapist is likely to get some horrid surprises...massage in Spain isn't generally to ease sore backs and sprains...!!!Plenty genuine people doing similar with a bit of the other on the side.....

Joiner husband..just the same Spain doesn't pay very well and little chance of skipping on the iva for cash in hand...believe me this a true handicap for price of work...always jobbing people for little jobs again at low rate....if you are trying to make it a go then make sure you have a great portfolio of jobs to show off with...be prompt with job calls and work...mañana is exactly that in Spain, workman calls and knocks stuff around then disappears for a few weeks...

too many painters and decorators and ladies with beauty salons, nails ...most unqualified...anything to earn moneyVillamartin is a bit close to Torrevieja and you will suffer for summer work...tourists and heat...This area of Spain is not the area to work in if you want to make a living....

Hi Anna,

Thank you for your post.

We looking for work yes, but it doesn't have to be what we are trained in either, we will be happy with bar work, retail work, anything really. We are both very hands and hard working, so it's just the part of finding the job. 

Thank you for all you help though aswell.we are looking at aloynof areas as well as villamartin 

Anita

well I am in CAMPOVERDE and many of the small eating places have paper signs in windows for part-time, the trouble is that about a third of business dropped off in Covid and many places for sale..new owners put a lot of effort in but can only just be making a living wage....these are table waiting and kitchen jobs, if you are lucky and get a table waiting job maybe tips as well.

about three or four new businesses setting up...one a butcher offering British cuts, pastries pies etc got all his business ready and could not open for some legal problems, but as you might know Spanish butchery is quite different to UK completely different cuts.....

plenty of shops around for UK groceries when they arrive at grossly inflated prices irregularly because of Brexit

As you are Irish and hence EU could you import meat from UK, make pies, pasties etc..there was enormous interest in British butchery when this shop was announced....even if you  used EU meat its the butchery that is different...that shop has been re finished as a pub...not doing so well.. but plenty of small retail units around.. No idea of where you can find out anything about that ..sorry...

There is a "British " butchers shop outskirts of Torrevieja and its useless...Campoverde at least is 85% British or English speakers....

You remember the fish vans going around places in the UK selling from the back of vans...fish aplenty here but not decent meat...

Clothes, when Primark stuff is only a couple of euros is hopeless, every other shop is a shoe shop but people only wear sandals and trainers ,second hand clothes nearly all end up going for a few euros each...I haven't been to any non-food markets or boot sales around here but there are some , you would need little things to sell especially to tourists ...furniture places do not keep stock in even DFS had to get out...

One area you could look in is San Miguel de Las Salinas...the village is very popular with part-time British but especially the Spanish, its very buoyant there but you will have to hoof it around the back streets to find work..big nice eating places well hidden away ..even though local properties look a bit tatty...one drawback is that it is very hilly! not for me but I know several residents there are very happy as local community has one of everything...big local Mercadona...coffee shop there was closed as no workers when I went last week ( maybe insufficient customers) New big Ford car centre, and on main road to Torrevieja 6miles with frequent bus service on main road. Other problem is there, and here, is siesta hours..horrid to work split hours during a day.

It sounds pessimistic but maybe Ireland is a better bet..especially as you grow older...Spain social services do not really exist..In my village there is only a school hour to and from bus service, no rail and few taxis (will take you to airport but not interested in few miles local work) The upside is that we have limited outsiders and just about self sufficient and we did really well in covid times and if Putin drops his nasty bombs not likely to be anywhere near trouble.