Laurie family says they will never return to Ireland after learning -the cheapest amount abroad
A mother who moved her family to Spain says she would never return to Ireland or the United Kingdom, after finding that she could save thousands of pounds in child care and other costs abroad. Sandra Laurie packaged her suitcases along with her husband, Warner, and her two children, Oliver, 12 and nine, Abi, in 2017.
The family had been around € 1,857 per month with child care costs while living in their native county tippery before moving. The financial tension demonstrated too much, along with a low quality of life, and decided to climb sticks and head to the most only and cheaper climates.
Leaving the work and the small housing estate, they now live in a large town with their own pool and sea views, a short distance from the beach, which they bought in 2022.For Sandra, 38, the idea of moving away when the family had visited the area to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
“We had met other families who already lived on the Costa del Sol, and their relaxed lifestyle and the outdoors with the children made us realize what we lacked,” he said. “We were on the plane at home when we said,” Now is or never. “
“The Costa del Sol offered alone, family life and a healthier way of life. We had been many times over the years the holidays and the visit, but something changed in the trip in 2016; we really started to value and evaluate that there should be a better way of life.”
At that time, Sandra and her husband were spending the triple on their monthly mortgage costs only on children’s daycare. She said: “Despite the good salaries, the cost of life in Ireland made it difficult for life. Our mortgage was only € 600 per month, but the child care was € 1,857 per month.
“He consumed most of our available income. We were working essentially to pay someone to raise our children.”
They also had medical expenses, with their son who suffered severe asthma, which meant regular and expensive GP visits and high recipe costs. Sandra added: “We are often forced to choose between medicines and invoices.
“We were exhausted and we had no time as a couple, no family time, and [lived in] a constant cycle of stress. Everything had to be meticulously budgeted, adding a lot of stress to our relationship. We realized that something had to change. “
This turned out to be a dramatic play, leaving the papers, with Sandra working as director of the contacts and Warner working as a leader of the sales team, to pursue a real estate business in Spain.
They only had € 50,000 in their name, which came from the sale of their house in Ireland, which used to rent for the first year abroad. But the financial struggle was worth it.
Sandra said: “The difference [in our lifestyle] He was immediate and drastic. Nursery expenses can be strongly subsidized or free, elementary school is free and starts at the age of three and after -school care is strongly subsidized for working parents.
“Our child care costs dropped up to about € 200 a month. We also observed a big difference in daily expenses: food is affordable, a costs € 1-2 coffee in front of € 4 in Ireland and the weather Allows free outdoor activities.
“We went from Paycheque to Paycheque to save and enjoy life with our family. Everything in Spain is focused on the family, so we not only benefited from financial benefit, but also moved to a culture where you are socialized with your family and it is perfectly normal to see the families who ate together in restaurants at 9pm and 10pm.”
Another great advantage has been to see that their children grow “happy, healthy and fluid in various languages.”
Sandra said, “It’s been amazing [for them]. They spend more time outdoors, participating in sports and tightly adjusted.
“The lifestyle is slower, safe and more family -focused. They have an open mindset and are used to interact with multiple cultures because the Costa del Sol is a cultural fusion.”
Sandra and Warner set up their real estate business in 2018 and started investing in properties: buy, renew and sell houses, which allowed them to buy their “dream” house.
She said, “I don’t think we could have had this level of success in Ireland, due to the highest operational costs and lack of flexibility and support for working parents. Spain gave us the opportunity to build a better business and life.”
Sandra now helps to train other people who want to move to Spain and enjoy similar successes. And, with all the benefits they have quoted from being, he says they will never return home. She added: “We do not plan to return.
“Spain has adopted us and really feels at home. The slowest rhythm, family culture, the cost of life and the best climate, these are just some of the reasons why we plan to stay.
“ In addition, the increase in home costs in the United Kingdom and Ireland would be a worry, making us really asking if we could afford what we have in Spain in another country: our pool, a very large garden, a space for guests and being a short distance from the beach. Living abroad, especially in Spain, has given us something that we never had in Ireland: time.
“It’s time to enjoy life, raise our children, build a business and prosper, not only survive. We thank every day the life we have created here, and it is a privilege to enjoy -Ireland will always be in our heart, but we have found our future here.”