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Greece: Greek realities - Snobby Homes

Don’t believe all you read in the papers!

Greece is bankrupt! Greece is going back to the drachma! The UK can hardly take a holier than thou approach when its own public borrowing has reached an eye watering 1 trillion pounds – that’s £40,000 for every household in the country. Put another way UK borrowing – just the interest alone - costs £120 million every single day – more than the government spends on defence.

There have been demonstrations in the streets of Athens, but riots happen in London too! In both cities peaceful protest was taken over by publicity seeking anarchists pandering to the media who much prefer the excitement of riots and tear gas, because it makes more interesting news. Bad news is good news. Good news is just boring, which is why we’re fed a constant stream of spin that, in the end, brainwashes us into believing what we’re reading is true. You’ll probably see the same events played out time and time again throughout a summer of discontent when public sector workers all over Britain will be going on strike! Seen in the Greek media it will seem as if anarchy is running rife in the UK!

It’s a fact of life, all countries have to borrow money. While the UK pays loan interest of £120 million per day, it’s fortunate in borrowing at low rates. Unfortunately all the hype directed towards Greece by the money market has sent the cost of government borrowing to unsustainable high rates of interest. Therefore the Greek government has agreed to pass severe austerity measures on the country in order to provide the IMF and EU with the confidence needed to provide loans at a realistic rate of interest.

While tax payers money was used to give life support to the UK banking system to prevent it crashing, Greek banks were more astute and solid, requiring no cash support as their borrowings accounted for no more than 19% of assets – and there is a government fund of 10 billion to top up the banks’ capital if at all needed.

When it comes down to it, both countries are up the creek without a paddle, burdened by levels of public worker employment, far greater than the wealth creating private sector. Consequently public expenditure has to be brought under control. Neither the British nor the Greek man in the street want public services cut, or have to pay higher taxes, or work longer before retiring. You can argue all you like against austerity measures but when push comes to shove where would you prefer to live? Which offers a better quality of life – the UK, or Crete?

Having a better lifestyle is not all about money; that’s just part of the equation, but OK, let’s look at living costs first. Crete offers two large financial savings. There’s no council tax or TV license – and with mild winters you don’t need to budget for heating costs from October through to May. Those savings alone add up to thousands. What’s more, with solar water heating you get boiling hot water – for free – throughout most of the year. Average monthly salaries in the UK are about £2,350, while in Crete it’s only around €1,200 (£1,060) per month, so you can tell, the cost of food in Crete is cheaper than in the UK.

We estimate a couple can live in Crete on £1,000 (€1,130) per month, which includes paying utilities, housekeeping, food bills, running a small car and eating out once or twice a week. And food seems to taste far better, because it’s locally grown and healthier too. In Crete, the local greengrocer only sells what’s in season – unlike the UK where fruit and vegetables are ‘forced’ and shipped in from all over the world - so instead of being available only in June, you can buy bland tasting strawberries all year round!

And then there’s that indefinable – ‘quality of life’. Crete has the lowest crime rate in the EU. In villages people rarely lock their cars or front doors. The weather is wonderful – 320 days of sunshine a year – and there’s no frost, ice or snow in the winters. A walk along the beach in January, under a blue sky and warm sun, does wonders for the soul! Stay in the UK and winters – and life – is all doom and gloom. Cretans are a warm friendly people who take great delight in getting to know new neighbours. Before you know where you are, you’ll be invited to weddings and christenings, village events and family celebrations. There is something intangible about living a slower life, a life governed by the seasons, where you appreciate the kindliness of neighbours, instead of having to rush everywhere, here and there, yet never seeming to get anywhere.

Live in Crete, let the rest of the world pass you by and simply enjoy life. You can afford it! And if all the pessimists are right and in years to come Greece ever does revert back to the drachma, then life in Crete will become even more affordable!

Mike Saunders

Mike is Marketing director of Snobby Homes, www.snobbyhomes.co.uk

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Page 1: Don’t believe all you read in the papers!