UK versus Spain

Well we have just done the annual pilgrimage to Blighty and now we are back to start our diet and catch up on sleep.  I am sure we all experience this.  Himself and I only go back to the UK once a year together and its usually pre-Christmas so that we can get everyone into the festive mood and then quietly disappear.

This year we were a bit concerned about the horror stories of weather and cold and snow etc but to be honest it was absolutely perfect.  Standing on the plane waiting to disembark at Exeter Airport I thought I was going to explode with heat - jumper, gilet, coat, scarf and that was just the top half of me!  Get me off here or I am going to spontaneously combust.  They obliged and I got to the bottom of the steps and wanted to go back.  Boy it was cold.  You cant prepare for it you see.  You know its cold because everyone told you so and you watched the weather forecast obsessively but you cant actually feel it until you feel it - if you get my drift!!

Anyway - the furnace like heat of my mother's house soon removed any last feelings of chill and a fabulous week commenced.  We were out every night to a different place for dinner - whether it be family or restaurant  all were yummy and not once were we offered the "low fat option" !!! Hence a quick pre-Christmas lettuce leaf diet for him and I.

On Saturday night we were taken to a special dinner by Derek's son and daughter-in-law to Little Barwick House in Somerset.  This was to celebrate a big birthday for Derek in October. The food was fantastic and I couldn't recommend it highly enough!  The food, staff, company and ambience were just fantastic. Roll on another big birthday!

The whole week was actually a bit of a revelation as one of the reasons we first thought about moving out of the UK was that everyone was so miserable - especially shop-keepers.  Now I think its the opposite.  All the shop assistants were smiling and helpful - particularly if you smiled at them too!  Whereas here I am not sure half the time if I can be bothered to wait whilst the cashiers in Mercadona finish their conversations with each other.  You tend to feel like you are inconveniencing the staff by wanting to pay for your goods!

Of course in the UK they are suddenly mindful of the fact that they do still have jobs and they need to safeguard them.  Here they have always been mindful of that but its not easy to sack anyone here and I don't think not smiling and/or engaging with the person you are serving comes under the list of sackable offences!

I have to heave a sigh of relief though that we left the UK before this latest onslaught of bad weather.  Our local airport in Devon was closed this morning and flights were severely disrupted.  I don't mind the snow if I don't have to do anything like travel.

Here we are going to get rain soon - according to the weather forecast - and I don't like Spain in the rain.  So its a toss up - rain in Spain which can't cope with it or snow in the UK which can't cope with it.  So would I rather live in Spain or UK - the jury is out on that one - ask me in the Spring!

Hmmmm! Well its a good advert for a work at home business anyway - there is always a silver lining!!

Home Based Business Online from your home in Spain!

Imagine how many people moved to Spain with the idea of retiring!  Every year you hear of more and more people leaving the UK and moving not just to Spain but to various European Countries to "get out of the rat race".  But one wonders if its out of the frying pan and into the fire!

At the moment many people who rushed out to Spain over the last 10-15 years with the intention of kicking back, doing a little part-time work and living the dream, are now rushing in the opposite direction because they can't make ends meet here in Spain.

We also moved out here with rose coloured glasses firmly perched on our noses, although it was never my intention to retire but I was intending to find the nice little part-time job to keep me off the streets and stop me from going doolally from boredom.  Some research into the economy of Andalucia would probably have been beneficial as we discovered very soon that Andalucia has a huge unemployment problem and that part-time jobs are fought for and usually won by those speaking Spanish and some by those speaking both Spanish and English.

This is why you find so many of the expat community doing the markets (see previous blog).  There are so many non-Spanish markets out here now selling everything from handmade goods to UK food products and Marks and Spencer clothing!  Some people do the markets to themselves out of the house, meet people and make a bit of pocket money.  But for some this is their only means of support and as the competition for the punters' money is fierce there are more and more people feeling the pinch.

So what other options are there when you are an expat wanting to make a living?  Well there are several MLM opportunities out there such as the Aloe Vera products, Herbal Life and Bioflow - which immediately spring to mind.  However, all of these options also require the franchise owner to "do" the markets to sell their products and market their opportunity.  From my point of view I prefer the "no stocking of products" option available in the Internet Marketing Opportunities.  Mind you I had a couple of go's before I found the opportunity that really got me going.

I am now with an opportunity that not only puts money in my pocket but supports Environmental and Humanitarian projects worldwide.  For me the mission was very important but realistically I had to be able to earn good money too!

So what exactly is Network Marketing?  The simplest explanation is that it is a method of marketing that utilises independent representatives to reach potential customers that a company otherwise would not reach with traditional marketing methods.

Network marketing is definitely an option for people living abroad and needing an income.  There is plenty of money to be made, even in a recession and there is no requirement to learn another language (although I would always advocate learning the language of the country in which you live).

If Network Marketing is route you choose make sure that it fits your requirements, ticks all the boxes and delivers in every way.

If you are interested in more information on the Opportunity that I am with then please contact me!