You are living quite well in comparison to many, many Americans!🥺

In Ireland there is free public transport for old age pensioners (nationwide - buses, surburban trains and mainline trains).

@FrugalQueeninFrance

4 ай бұрын

That's super Mary

Hi Jane, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the cost of eating out in your area is so reasonable compared to the U S . Especially since the French in general serve high quality foods.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

We’ve started noticing restaurant boards out side and many have three course lunches for under 20€ or even less

@reklovjj

Жыл бұрын

Food quality (not supermarkets prepackaged) are so much better and healthier than in the US.

Thank you Jane for this video. California is very expensive. Thank you for your frugal ideas that have helped me with my budget. You are a blessing in my life.

This was very informative and interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Moving to central Brittany soon, it’s good to know what to expect. Thank you. 🙂

Thank you for the video!

Thank you for sharing your frugal ideas and habits with us! I am making refried bean, cheese, and sopa ( a Mexican tomato sauce / rice dish) burritos today and made enough for a quick reheatable lunch for you he next week!

We found this really interesting Jane! Our living costs appear similar to France. We have very happy memories of holidays in France eating some wonderful meals for a fraction of the price in the UK! Thank you for sharing this video.

The price of your fuel/gasoline conversion for the US is expensive at $6.46 a gallon. As your previous blogger @jonna borosky stated most Americans are having a hard time with gas at $4.50, now going to $5.00 or more depending on where you live. But it sounds like you and Mike are doing quite well with budgeting very wisely and frugally. I manage to not spend much only bc of my Social Security Disability money so I have to be frugal Lol 😀.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Yvette, we do our best with what we have

Very interesting!

Our budget for a few items, family of 4 whose usage/expense is below average in all areas for family size. Electric 2,400 per year, another grand for natural gas heat, 240 a month for sewer and water, billed separate, food is around 600$ in our household. Medical insurance is 1100, not including dental. Internet is 80, cell phone 35. I love seeing your budget breakdown. I don't know why, but I have always found personal finance so intriguing. Great video as always! You have given me new ideas to lower some of my bills. :)

@margokerby1533

Жыл бұрын

Where do you live?

This was great information! I live in Northern NJ and it was really interesting to hear what you pay each month/year for everything. Thank you very much for sharing.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

This was an excellent video on your average costs in France. Our food costs are about the same. Our household costs are more because we hire some work to be done. Our health costs in the US are much higher. You had mentioned in earlier videos about the reasonable costs of entertainment in your area. We spend about the same on car fuel per month as you do, even with running two vehicles. We are less rural than you so stores and such are much closer. I will be interested in how much France raises costs as the current situations continue. Thank you.

Thanks for the information and breakdown. Your tax system seems fairer in many ways than in the US.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your feedback

Your videos are my favorites to watch.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much

Hello Jane and Micheal, Thank You for this video on living costs in your region of France. It was interesting to compare , taxes of all sorts or insurances and even food and gas in your area. Some things were much less expensive definitely like your cell phones and pkgs. Our basic cell pkg for 2 phones is $44/ month . Taxes are a fact of life and We all complain about them, but it doesn’t change the bottom dollar that must be paid. Our current gas price is $2.09/ litre, $2.58 for diseal fuel which is an all time record high. We are hoping for some relief soon for our gas prices but that may be very doubtful. Our runaway food prices are feeling more than a little scary but we face what we have too. Banannas have become a real treat at $2.69 per lb, and oranges at the cheapest groceteria are now. $5.97 for bag of 9 small juice oranges. I feel like a queen on days that we have a small orange squeezed very thoroughly for breakfast. It is what it is and I’m grateful we have the resources to afford the things we do. Have a lovely day today, both of you.

Thanks for the update. Some of the prices seem about the same but house cost are so much higher in Western Washington. I live in a smaller town where costs our less. I would guess that the median price for a 3 bedroom house is around 380 thousand on up But in the Seattle area it's closer to 1 million+ at least in Bellevue where I'm from. Insurance is a bit higher. Food prices are up, especially meat.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing

Very informative and interesting to compare expenses. Cost of living in UK very scary now but I have a great mobile package for my bought phone. Ample data for me, unlimited calls and texts, £6.55 per month.

Hi Jane, I'm just across the Channel in Cornwall and, it would seem that in some areas you gain, and in others you loose when you live in France! I must admit that cost of meals out would be tempting to me, if I lived where you do! To cope with rising prices here ( I'm on a fixed income) I have cut out the occasional treat of a coffee out. A shame as I used to like the people watching. But for that £3-4 I can make at least 2 meals, so it has to go. I now ensure I have water and a small pack of biscuits with me at all times. Very interesting to read comments from elsewhere in the world and to realise that all countries have their issues. Thank you.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Lynn. I think in many ways France is more expensive than the UK, we pay upfront for some health care and claim back from our government and private insurance which means we have to keep money aside, just in case. But water, and council tax are cheaper. Food is more but houses are cheaper…..in the countryside. Cities are the same, really expensive for a decent flat. Cars are the same to buy as is fuel.

I spent $150 a week on Groceries here in Daly City, California total $600 a month.

OMG, it is so much cheaper than in the NY suburbs, good for you!

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

some things seem more expensive or equal to uk but the biggest difference is housing and property taxes..you get so much more there for your money..oh and hello mary :)

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Our biggest cost, housing is cheaper. It makes a difference if people can afford a home

@kerstinkiel5314

2 жыл бұрын

@@FrugalQueeninFrance the cost of housing is the main factor to living an affordable life... i'm so jealous of your beautiful house with all that land x

Very interesting to hear the costs for the various living expenses in France. I wish mobile phone costs in the UK were that low!

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much for watching

@kerstinkiel5314

2 жыл бұрын

i get vodaphone for £8 a month on a sim only

@sarahmacrae8277

2 жыл бұрын

Lebara £5 for unlimited texts minutes and GB data

@somersetgirl125

2 жыл бұрын

Checkout Giffgaff. Lots of plans no contract. Very good prices. Uses the O2 network.

Good information about what expenses we could be looking at when we move to France the end of the year. We were wondering how and which country do you pay taxes when getting income from outside of France? In our case it will be the US. Do you pay in both countries? It seems complicated. Could you share your experiences in a mid week money talk perhaps? Greetings from the USA:)

I tried shopping in my local Lidl last week but I noticed the prices were the same , and in some cases higher than Tesco. Plus Tesco has the “ points” programme so for me, it’s better to shop at Tesco. Over the last 3 weeks the price of a pack of butter has gone up by 25p which is a massive increase and that’s just 1 item. It’s frightening how fast prices are rising. On a plus note my car insurance has gone down by £100 for the year. Xx

Okay now I'm moving there if I can really get French restaurant meals with wine for that price!

Very interesting, I imagine food costs have gone up considerably since you made this video. One thing that interests me is that I notice a lot of rural properties have septic tanks which I guess have to be emptied every so often. Could you say how often they are emptied and the costs involved. Also if you are not connected to mains water where does it come from!? Thank you!!

@FrugalQueeninFrance

5 ай бұрын

You don't empty it very often , no idea how much

Hi Jane. I love your channel and encouragement! I am intrigued by your sofa that appears to be covered in a quilt. Did you make the quilt and do the upholstery?

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

I’m a quilter

@annetterobinson5308

2 жыл бұрын

@@FrugalQueeninFrance Did you upholstery your sofa? If so, I'd love to have you show it on your video.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

@@annetterobinson5308 I threw a quilt over the sofa

Dear Jane, I was so thrilled to find you” in France”, and so thrilled to have just found out how to comment! Yes, it’s Technowally 👵

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Welcome and thanks for watching

Hi Jane and Mike. Very interesting. Seems like some costs are higher, whilst some are lower than in North West UK where I live. Eating out sounds very reasonable. Whilst browsing a while back, I did notice that there were considerable sized properties on the market, in rural areas such as Brittany, at low prices. After having worked full-time for 46 years, I have recently opted out of the rat race, slightly earlier and have not regretted it one bit. With a little thought, it is possible to live well and spend less. Keep on enjoying the good life and thanks again for sharing this video.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching

Hello Jane and Mike, we just subscribed and are enjoying watching your adventures. I was curious about the 22% social fee, is that also on foreign pensions? Any ideas how that would work, how we would pay that? Really wonderful advice. Thanks so much.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

Жыл бұрын

I’m not a pensions advice specialist, google will answer your question

Sounds like your car insurance is very reasonable compared to where I live in Ontario, Canada

So much cheaper than living in Australia that's for sure.

I use a wood stove for heat, I feel bad for people that have to use heating oil.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

It’s so hard for them, I have no idea where they are finding the extra money

👍👍👍

Many things are much less expensive than in the Midwest U.S. where I live which is one of the lower cost area of the country in which to live. I do live in the largest city in my state so housing and property taxes are much higher here than in more rural areas as it is where you live. I am disabled and collect social security disability after working for 35 years. I also received my primary health insurance from Medicare which typically does not kick in until you are a full retirement age but when you are disabled you must take it as your insurance unless you have a spouse that has access to another health plan. Medicare is about $190 a month and my supplement plan is $390 a month and my drug plan is 35 per month. The supplemental insurance to covers the 20% Medicare doesn't pay and the drug plan covers many generic meds I take but unfortunately I still end up paying about $350 a month out of pocket for prescriptions after paying all of my insurance premiums. That is my biggest cost overall. My home is paid for fortunately and I receive an exemption for my property taxes because I am disabled and have a lower income. My homeowners insurance is about $1,000 per year and it seems to go up every year quite significantly and my car insurance is approximately $90 per month I lump all of my food, personal care items, cleaning products and pet care into one category in my budget. I try to keep it to $450-500/month. More of that was for my then 3 small dogs, one of whom needed a special diet and daily medication but I just lost her yesterday so I expect that costs will go down a bit as I will only need to buy one dog food and I have plenty of extra heartworm medicine since I had bought it ahead for all three dogs. I eat out very infrequently and I do not drink alcohol because of all of the medications that I take it is not recommended. I was never a big drinker anyway so it's not a big deal to me and that's just something that can be quite costly in your vydget if you like to partake. My utilities are on a budget billing plan where I pay the average amount per month. Being in the city I am on city sewer and water and I also pay for my heating which is by natural gas and it is all managed through one company. That bill is $136 per month. My electricity bill is $78 per month. I live in a climate that has four seasons so I use the furnace probably 6 to 7 months of the year depending upon how the weather is doing that year and some of those months I may use it very little just enough to keep the chill out of the house. I also have a gas fireplace that is not vented outside so it is extremely fuel efficient. It is in my living room which is the main room where I spend my time and I use that as my main heating source in the winter and I believe that saves me a fair amount as it is more efficient than my furnace. It gets very warm and humid here in the summer so I must run the air conditioner from May through slSeptember/October depending upon how the weather is in any given year. Right now I have windows open as it is nice and cool because we've been getting thunderstorms overnight but it already has been humid at some times and has been temperatures in the 90s Fahrenheit so I have already had to use the air conditioner a little bit this year. If I had to pay taxes on my home they would be around $3,600 per year. In the state I live in you pay tax on not only the value of the land but also your home. Some other states don't do it that way in the only property tax you pay is on the value of the land which can make it much more affordable. My car is 14 years old and paid for. It has extremely low miles on it as when I was working I only drove a mile each way to work so I expect it will keep me going for quite a few more years. Things that I am home most of the time I think I buy a tank of gas every 4 months or so but gas in my area is right around $3.90 per gallon which is much lower than many areas of the US and of course definitely much lower than Europe. I'm a little curious with you being pensioners and that being the primary source of your income with the 22% tax you pay for your health insurance and others benefits do you have to pay 22% of your pension amount or just your other income? You're fortunate being in a rural area where you have your own septic and don't have to pay for that but I'm sure there is maintenance related to that. It is great that you also have all that wood available to you on your property for heating your home. I'm sure your fireplace in your living room keeps your home nice and toasty and if you're cooking in the kitchen you're able to keep that area warm with the stove as well as the heat spreading from the fireplace. And with heat rising I'm sure that keeps your bedrooms upstairs warm at night. I'm curious how cold does it get in your area of France in the winter? Where I live in the midwest it can get easily below zero but most of the time during the day it is in the twenties Fahrenheit so it is still plenty cold especially if the wind gets to howling. Thank you so much for sharing all of your numbers Jane. It is been quite informative.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Our UK pensions are taxed in the UK, we pay social charges of 22% on our KZread income

@lizp.9513

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry for your loss Rosemary 😘

@rosemarydoran9907

2 жыл бұрын

@@lizp.9513 Thank you. I miss her but fortunately still have two other dachshunds to keep me company.

Hi Can you tell how much this would be American dollars? Thanks much

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

One euro = $1.06

I pay $115 USD for my cell phone and internet. My electric averages about $200/month. Propane is about $3.50 a gallon now and averages about $400 per tank. Your costs are a lot!!! cheaper.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

They certainly are .

Food, Fuel and Electricity have increased about the same as in France. It is housing affordability that is out of control nationally. Rental costs have increased by 100% in the last 2 years, so now an average 3 bedroom house is $750 per week at the minimum. With 0.4% availability in some areas. The purchase price of housing is ridiculous. In my area houses which were under $500,000 2 years ago are now selling for between $1.5 to $2 million.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

House prices are also totally unaffordable in France in some areas, as are rents. Especially in cities where there are jobs

The average cost of a home in Canada just hit $816,000. That is 604,000 euro. It’s becoming completely out of reach for our younger generation and is hitting a crisis point in our most populated areas.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

That’s crazy

@sheenathomson2367

2 жыл бұрын

That is similar here in Australia the average house price in our larger cities is creeping up to 1 million Aus dollars just getting harder and harder for for young people to get into the housing market

@tracylib70

2 жыл бұрын

I live in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada and my neighbour just put their 1000sq with garage and ok yard up for 850,000. Their house is exactly like mine but I have updated mine considerable since I bought 4 years ago. I paid 390,000 and have put 150,000 in upgrades. It had original everything from 1950’s so it needed doing.

@ayela562

2 жыл бұрын

@@tracylib70 I live in Niagara too. Bought for 330k in 2019 and could sell for 600k now. It’s crazy .

@dawnmorandin541

2 жыл бұрын

Bought a duplex in chatham, Ontario for $190,000 6 years ago, now worth over $450,000, the average 3 bedroom house here is $380,000, the main reason the younger generation can't buy is that they want too much house too soon, not willing to start small and work your way up like their parents had to back in the 70s.

The community I live in Indiana has a fixed water/sewage bill at $110 per month and our property taxes just doubled for 2023.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

The community? Is it a gated community with charges or the whole neighborhood?

It looks like you’ve increased your food budget? We’ve increased ours by about 20% and have cut out eating out to compensate. Tbh we only went to a restaurant for family birthdays before but it’s become ridiculously expensive!The last family birthday we all pitched in and did something special at home. It’s something we intend to continue.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

We’ve had to increase our budget and buy less with the increased budget.

All the different taxes mount up to quite a bit of money.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for your feedback

I don't know the conversion between euros and U.S. dollars, but it sounds like you pay unimaginably less than I do! If we lose our jobs, to keep the same insurance before the next job, the cost is astronomical. It's called cobra. Ten years ago, it was $1800 a month for a single person. Don't know what it is now, but it'll be higher. The only thing I'm surprised about is how much more your gasoline is. Some people in the U.S. are really struggling over the recent increases in gasoline up to $4.50 a gallon. That's about double what it was last year. I know,historically, Americans have had low gas prices compared to Europe...but, as this has come upon us rapidly, most people's budgets are not structured to handle that doubling of gasoline prices. Very interesting topic. Thanks for sharing, Jane.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

@jeanwhite2705

2 жыл бұрын

We live in eastern Canada and our gasoline price went to $2.09 CDN per litre. It takes 3.78 litres to make an American gallon so that means we are paying $7.24 CDN $ for a gallon . That translates to $5.65 for a US gallon. It hurts the budget and means we think carefully about how we use our economical car.

@tiddlywinks456

2 жыл бұрын

$1 = €0.95 so very similar at the moment.

Your cell phone price was really low compared to me. Plus your health care is a fraction on the US.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Health care is good here too

I have always thoughy thay France is much cheaper than our state in the U.S. but overall, the cost is about the same in total. We pay more for some things but less for some things. We live in a very low cost state though. 95 percent of the U.S. has higher costs than we do.

👍🌹

I’m surprised you are able to know your water bill for the whole year, ours berries buy used by month

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Our water consumption is the same each month. Why does your vary? More people? We don’t really change our habits month to month. Also, I was sharing our retrospective expenses

@joycegonzales4994

2 жыл бұрын

They read the water meter monthly here. Since we also have a well for the yard, not for drinking, it’s not a Hugh expense, but it does vary. Some places here have Hugh water bills. New Mexico

Can I afford to live in France as a Single Person if my pension is $1,200 a month?

@FrugalQueeninFrance

9 ай бұрын

Watch our budgeting video this coming Wednesday, also check the French government immigration website for details of how much you need to

Hi Jane, what is the population of your village? Thanks!

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

About 800

I wish you would clarify some things.. like when you say "we spend $100 per week for food"... is that for two people, three people, 4 people?... would very much help if you clarify

@kazlee9213

2 жыл бұрын

She states its her and her husband

@impish22

2 жыл бұрын

@@kazlee9213 maybe I missed that.. but to clarify it again when she is stating the food cost for "us" would be helpful and not makes viewers have to search for it throughout the video. But mostly, did a very good job with interesting facts...

@alexvlachoulis1409

2 жыл бұрын

Jane says it is for herself, husband and two small pet dogs.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, as I stated, it’s me, my husband and two dogs. Thanks for watching

@kerryjames4026

2 жыл бұрын

Here in Australia being on pension I have free health care and dental care I pay 25 per cent of my income in government rent $70 per month electricity 40$ per month cell phone cost of food is high though

Lots of taxes in France sweety xx

We pay about 2,3euros per liter of petrol.. am driving to France to hoard petrol 😆

@FrugalQueeninFrance

2 жыл бұрын

Wow where do you live?

Actually... I'm surprised that it's very much like the US cost of living... hmmmm interesting

@lindadourte8263

2 жыл бұрын

Hi J Marie, Jane's costs are not at all similar to mine. I live in So. Cal., and her costs are far below mine. Our property taxes are much higher, housing costs are massively higher (and my house is much smaller), food costs can be similar, car insurance is per person not per car and is higher, medical insurance is ridiculously high and doesn't cover everything, phone and internet charges are above theirs. I know there are some areas of the US that are less expensive, but we live in a very big and diverse country. Where do you live in the US? Hope you have a wonderful day!

@impish22

2 жыл бұрын

@@lindadourte8263 Right... California and a couple of the other places like New York City, etc. are certainly much higher.. but so would Paris France be, I assume.. so she is comparing to more rural I think and I live in a reasonably priced area in Michigan which might be comparable so.. I was surprised to see it was pretty close for me

@lindadourte8263

2 жыл бұрын

@@impish22 My son lives in Michigan! And you are right costs in Paris or any other big city in France are much higher. I am looking to move to Lower Normandy near Brittany and the housing market is so much less than the market around Paris.

who the hel can retire in their mid 50's now days

@FrugalQueeninFrance

5 ай бұрын

People who are set and mortgage free and who have paid into an occupational pension and get a monthly income

@szabolcstrucz2220

5 ай бұрын

@FrugalQueeninFrance well that was the pricilage of the boomer generation. Ours have no choice but to work until our early 70s.

@FrugalQueeninFrance

5 ай бұрын

@@szabolcstrucz2220 I'm not a boomer and my children in their 30s have occupational pensions that they can take early at 57, with 25% as a lump sum tax free

France is too expensive

@FrugalQueeninFrance

5 ай бұрын

Those of us living here would agree

And now I have cell phone plan envy🥲