{"id":146983,"date":"2025-05-31T14:17:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-31T14:17:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/146983\/"},"modified":"2025-05-31T14:17:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T14:17:21","slug":"i-moved-my-family-to-spain-our-childcare-costs-went-from-1700-to-170-were-richer-our-house-has-a-massive-pool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/146983\/","title":{"rendered":"I moved my family to Spain & our childcare costs went from \u00a31700 to \u00a3170 \u2013 we\u2019re richer & our house has a massive pool"},"content":{"rendered":"

SITTING on the beach, watching the waves crash against the shore in sunny Spain, Sandra Laurie couldn\u2019t feel more relaxed.<\/p>\n

But the mum-of-two isn\u2019t enjoying a week-long getaway, in fact, she won\u2019t be leaving any time soon having relocated to the Med<\/a> with her family eight years ago.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

Sandra Laurie and husband Warner moved their family from Ireland to Spain eight years agoCredit: Jam Press\/Geir Stint\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

The couple sold their home in County Tipperary for a sunnier climateCredit: Jam Press\"Villa<\/a><\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

They now live in a spacious villa complete with its own poolCredit: Jam Press\/Geir Stint\"Family<\/a><\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

Sandra, husband Warner and their kids Oliver and Abi enjoying life by their family poolCredit: Jam Press\/Geir Stint<\/p>\n

And sangria<\/a> and sunsets aside, Sandra says that the move has left them richer than ever thanks to rock bottom costs overseas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sandra packed her bags along with her husband, Warner, and their two children, Oliver, 12, and nine-year-old Abi in 2017.<\/p>\n

The family had been forking out nearly \u00a31,700 a month on childcare alone while living in their native County Tipperary<\/a>, Ireland, prior to the move.<\/p>\n

The financial strain proved too much, along with a low quality of life, and they decided to up sticks and head for sunnier \u2013 and cheaper \u2013 climes.<\/p>\n

Leaving their jobs and small housing estate home behind, they now live in a large villa with its own swimming pool<\/a> and sea views, just a short walk from the beach \u2013 which they bought in 2022.<\/p>\n

For Sandra, 38, the idea of moving there came after the family visited the area to celebrate her 30th birthday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had met other families already living in the Costa del Sol,<\/a> and their relaxed, outdoor lifestyle with the kids made us realise what we were missing,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were on the plane home when we said, \u2018It\u2019s now or never\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Costa del Sol offered sunshine, family life, and a healthier way of living.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had been there many times over the years on holidays and visiting but something changed on the trip in 2016 \u2013 we really started to assess and evaluate that there had to be a better way of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was fed up of working 14-hour days to get by so I moved to Spain with my family and now we save \u00a31.6k on rent and bills every month <\/p>\n

At the time, Sandra and her husband were spending triple their monthly mortgage costs on childcare alone.<\/p>\n

She says: \u201cDespite good salaries, the cost of living in Ireland made life extremely difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur mortgage<\/a> was only \u20ac600 (\u00a3506) a month, but childcare <\/a>was a staggering \u20ac1,857 (\u00a31,568) per month.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt consumed the majority of our disposable income.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were essentially working to pay for someone else to raise our children.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also had medical expenses, with their son suffering from severe asthma, which led to regular costly GP visits and high prescription costs.<\/p>\n

Sandra adds: \u201cOften we were forced to choose between medication or bills.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were exhausted and had no time as a couple, no family time, and [lived in] a constant cycle of stress.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything had to be budgeted meticulously, this added a lot of stress to our relationship.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe realised something had to change.\u201d<\/p>\n

That something proved to be a dramatic move, with them leaving their jobs \u2013 Sandra working as a contact centre director and Warner working as a sales team leader \u2013 to pursue a real estate business in Spain.<\/p>\n

\"Man<\/a><\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

Warner enjoying the cheap sangria and local cuisineCredit: Jam Press\"View<\/a><\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

Their view from home is a far cry from their Irish homeCredit: Jam Press\"Family<\/a><\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

The couple were being crippled by childcare costs in IrelandCredit: Jam Press\"Family<\/a><\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

But on the Costa Del Sol it comes in at around \u00a370 a month for both childrenCredit: Jam Press\/Geir Stint\"Family<\/a><\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

The couple are thrilled that their children are growing speaking multiple languages tooCredit: Jam Press<\/p>\n

They had just \u20ac50,000 (\u00a342,000) to their name, which was from the sale of their home, which they used to secure rent for their first year abroad.<\/p>\n

But it was entirely worth the financial struggle.<\/p>\n

Sandra said: \u201cThe difference [in our lifestyle] was immediate and drastic.<\/p>\n

\u201cNursery fees can be heavily subsidised or free, primary school is free and it starts at three years of age, and after-school care is heavily subsidised for working parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur childcare costs dropped to around \u20ac200 (\u00a3170) per month.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also noticed a huge difference in daily expenses \u2013 eating out is affordable, a coffee costs \u20ac1-2 versus \u20ac4 in Ireland, and the weather allows for free outdoor activities.<\/p>\n

\n

Spain gave us the opportunity to build a business and a better life<\/p>\n

Sandra Laurie <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe went from living paycheck to paycheck to finally being able to save and enjoy life with our family.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything in Spain is family-centric, so not only did we benefit financially, but we moved to a culture where you socialise with your family, and it\u2019s perfectly normal to see families eating together in restaurants at 9pm and 10pm at night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another huge perk has been getting to see their children grow up \u201chappy, healthy and fluent in multiple languages\u201d.<\/p>\n

Sandra said: \u201cIt\u2019s been incredible [for them].<\/p>\n

\u201cThey spend more time outdoors, participate in sports, and have adjusted beautifully.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lifestyle is slower, safer, and more focused on family.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are open-minded and are used to interacting with multiple cultures because the Costa Del Sol is a cultural melting pot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moving to Spain from UK<\/p>\n

Ditching the gloomy UK weather to live in Spain sounds pretty dreamy – but is it as easy as just booking a flight?<\/p>\n

According to Advance Moves<\/a>, those considering moving to Spain from UK in 2025 ”will need to obtain a visa in order to be able to live in Spain after Brexit”.<\/p>\n

Currently you can only stay in Spain for up to 90 days in any 180 day period, before you have to leave the EU zone. <\/p>\n

You can then return again once the rest of the 180 day period has ended. <\/p>\n

Although this may be okay for living in a holiday home over the colder winter months, anything more permanent will require a visa, experts warned.<\/p>\n

Sandra and Warner established their real estate business in 2018 and started investing in property \u2013 buying, renovating and selling homes \u2013 which eventually allowed them to buy their \u201cdream\u201d home.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cI don\u2019t believe we could have had this level of success in Ireland, due to the higher operating costs and lack of flexibility and support for working parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpain gave us the opportunity to build a business and a better life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sandra now helps coach other people who want to relocate to Spain and enjoy similar successes.<\/p>\n

And, with all the perks they\u2019ve cited from being there, she says they will never move home.<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cWe don\u2019t plan on ever moving back.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpain has adopted us, and it truly feels like home.<\/p>\n

\n

We are grateful every day for the life we have created here and it\u2019s a privilege to enjoy it<\/p>\n

Sandra Laurie <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe slower pace of life, the family-friendly culture, the cost of living, and the better climate \u2013 these are just some of the reasons we plan to stay.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, rising home costs in the UK and Ireland would be a concern, making us really question whether we could afford what we have in Spain in another country \u2013 our own pool, a very large garden, space for guests, and being within walking distance to the beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cLiving abroad, particularly in Spain, has given us something we never had in Ireland: time.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime to enjoy life, raise our kids, build a business, and thrive, not just survive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are grateful every day for the life we have created here and it\u2019s a privilege to enjoy it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIreland will always be in our hearts, but we have found our future here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Couple<\/a><\/p>\n

10<\/p>\n

While the couple will never forget their Irish roots, they regret nothing about their move to the MedCredit: Jam Press\/Geir Stint<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SITTING on the beach, watching the waves crash against the shore in sunny Spain, Sandra Laurie couldn\u2019t feel…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":146984,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[1389,487,2000,299,3445,678,209,441,104,213],"class_list":{"0":"post-146983","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-children-parenting-and-family-life","9":"tag-cost-of-living","10":"tag-eu","11":"tag-europe","12":"tag-fab-exclusive","13":"tag-ireland","14":"tag-longtail","15":"tag-section-fabulousreal-life","16":"tag-spain","17":"tag-sun-club"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114602878421634815","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}