There will be a variety of reasons why people from all over the world choose to relocate their family to Spain and buying a home in the Costs Blanca. The lifestyle is healthy and generally affordable, social provisions and schools are good but, nonetheless it is still necessary to plan and budget your finances, particularly when visitors arrive and want to eat out or the school holidays are upon us, and the children want things to do.
There is so much fresh and seasonal food available in this part of Spain and the best way to shop for the most reasonably priced ingredients is at the weekly markets and for household goods there are Mercadona, Lidl and Aldi offering competitive prices for your groceries.
Many will offer happy hours and lunchtime inclusive menus, some will also offer a set priced menu in the evening, try to take advantage of these, they will allow you to savour the delicious local cuisine without spending a fortune. This is particularly useful when friends and family visit your home in the Costa Blanca and, being on holiday, want to eat out more frequently than you would usually do.
The Costa Blanca is blessed! The coastline is beautiful with beaches, coves and clear seawater. In addition, there is a backdrop of mountains and valleys to be explored. A family walk in the countryside can be great fun, help the children to identify the plants, birds and animals they might spot en-route. Perhaps take a leisurely bike ride, there are several paths to be explored. Enjoy time at the beach, for the smaller children there are plenty of sandy beaches just waiting for sandcastles to be built. Three are also smaller rocky beaches where it can be fun to take a fishing net and bucket, rock pooling can be very interesting for the children who like to see what creatures they can find. Once they have enjoyed identifying them and perhaps taking pictures their finds can be returned to the sea to enjoy their Mediterranean life and preserve the wonderful eco-system we have in the Costa Blanca.
Throughout the summer and over the Christmas period, Costa Blanca towns come to life with Fiestas where there is live music, dancing, concerts, community paellas, firework displays, and Fiesta sponsored bars with reasonable prices. Many children’s activities like facepainting and fancy-dress competitions are organised during these Fiestas, and they are often free or very inexpensive. Participation also helps you and your family meet new people in the town where you have purchased a villa in Spain and integrate with your new neighbours.
There are plenty of Theme Parks available for family days out in the Costa Blanca but, entrance fees can mount up – some will offer discounts online and off-season. However, also keep your eyes open for discount vouchers often available from local tourist information offices, by check-outs in shops and to cut out from local free papers. These can offer great discounts and if you then pack your own lunch and drinks the whole family can enjoy the treat of a great day out without it costing too much. If you are thinking about having more than one day out during the school holidays consider a season pass offered by some parks, this can be a good cost-effective option.
There are lovely shady parks in most towns and children’s play areas in squares and on beaches, take a picnic and just enjoy being outdoors playing a few ball games and relaxing under the trees.
It may be that the villa you buy in the Costa Blanca is just large enough for your own family but, nonetheless, other relatives and friends would love to visit you. The good news is that providing they plan their holiday early there are lots of very reasonably price tourist accommodation and camp sites available. However, things do book up well in advance, so it is advisable to select their accommodation early in order not to miss out. The properties with accommodation remaining available nearer to departure dates are usually more expensive and may not be so conveniently located for those family get togethers.
Living in Spain can be affordable, possibly more so than your country of origin. Learning some Spanish can provide you with even more possibilities to embrace the local way of life and immerse your family in the local culture. You may have chosen to buying a home in the Costa Blanca to improve your lifestyle and this is a dream that can come true because of the beauty, charm and warmth of the people here which might cost nothing but is priceless!!!