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France is getting a bit pricey?


milkeybar kid
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[quote user="Frederick"]"Maybe Lidl in France is different than the UK? It's mainly families on benefits that shop at UK Lidl stores...or Asians stocking up on cheap stuff to sell at their corner shop! It's certainly not somewhere you'd want to linger for any length of time! " to quote Scooby .

The Ferndown Dorset branch is near Golf Links Drive and you need the odd million or two to buy a house there ..Which explains why the local Lidl car park is full of Jags Range Rovers and the like and the owners grey haired they may be are identified in the store by their jewelry .[/quote]

We have shopped here too.

As someone said people don't usually have that much loyalty to a specific supermarket.   And, Lidl sales have increased - much of what  they sell is OK, some excellent.  Some similar in quality to Tesco, Sainsburys etc and a lot cheaper. When shopping you do need to pack your brain cells!

Tegwini

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There does not seem to be so many "deals " on hotel rooms in the big hotel chains in France like the UK ones seem to do all the time .. I have found a Travel Lodge double room for trip I intend to make in February for £9 ........I am yet to see any 10 euro rooms offered in France ...or perhaps I am not looking in the right places ?
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[quote user="Frederick"]There does not seem to be so many "deals " on hotel rooms in the big hotel chains in France like the UK ones seem to do all the time .. I have found a Travel Lodge double room for trip I intend to make in February for £9 ........I am yet to see any 10 euro rooms offered in France ...or perhaps I am not looking in the right places ?[/quote]

Might just be that the French Hotels are not as desperate as the UK ones for custom. I think because France is such a big country, French people often travel large distances to visit friends and relatives, so tend to use hotels more often, specially as lots of "normal"  French houses are not that large. So maybe UK hotels rely more on commercial custom and possibly at the moment because of the crunch; business  is not so good. I have used Travel lodge in the UK when necessary, and yes they do have good deals if you catch them at the right time. Interestingly I've noticed the the Etap/Ibis chain are expanding in England big time, and their basic prices are very competitive. But from my experience apart from Travel lodge not many of the others are offering much discount. Maybe Travel lodge is feeling the competition and looking for cash flow. Last summer I was working near Slough, so looked at staying at the Travel lodge, the price was good; but they don't have a car park, alas the local council  wanted £14 a night, Sunbury on Thames charges £3 car park fee, although the traffic noise from the A316/M3 is free, but so bad you need ear plugs.  Travel lodge in Leeds the car park charge was £12. So Frederick check your car park facility .

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Somebody mentioned Frankie and Bennys to me this weekend; I'd never heard of them till then either. Maybe they don't have a branch near us in UK; maybe we're just lucky! I'm not really into these 'diner' type places, although I know people enjoy them. I find these days if I can't have what I'd call a good meal I'd rather just have an apple and a piece of cheese or even a tin of beans (very gourmet, me!). I can't be bothered pushing food I don't fancy around a plate. It doesn't have to be expensive; although we had the whole 3 courses etc, we ate at a restaurant at Avignon last weekend where they did 2 courses at lunchtime for 11 euros; not cheap, but excellent value for the cooking, service etc. Wish they were nearer to us.  
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[quote user="Frederick"]http://www.frankieandbennys.com/ Another eaterie from the USA. No doubt they will find their way to a little bit of France near you one day ![/quote]

That is a scary thought, between buying my place and moving in I spent a year travelling, when I finally made the big trip I found that MacDo's had appeared less than a mile from me, I felt that the world had ended and still do [:(]

Mind you it is the only place with customers most nights in what resembles a ghost town and is certainly the most successfull eatery.

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[quote user="Chancer"]

Mind you it is the only place with customers most nights in what resembles a ghost town and is certainly the most successfull eatery.

[/quote]Round here at least, I feel this is Buffalo Grill's great plus point - it is always open when you need it.  All the good restaurants only seem to operate at lunchtimes and then excluding Sunday and Monday.  Yes, the food itsn't imaginative but they produce a mean steak and it's there.
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[quote user="milkeybar kid"]For this post can we leave out the exchange rate -simply " do you find the day to day living in the last 12 months has gone up dramatically in France or not"?

Without exception all our visitors this year have said they are shocked how expensive things are in France. Perhaps its because things have gone so cheap in the UK - what do you think?[/quote]

France is the best place to live in Europe, according to a review of seventeen quality of life factors carried out by a leading UK based consumer website.

The study examined a range of variables, such as net income after taxes, the cost of essential goods such as fuel, food and energy, along with lifestyle factors such as hours of sunshine, holiday entitlement, working hours and life expectancy, to provide a picture of the quality of life experienced in each country.

The study shows that money does not buy everything, for the UK has the highest net household income in Europe. At £35,730 it is £10,325 higher than the European average.

 However, people living in the UK also have to contend with a high cost of living

Drawing on official figures from the EU, the study shows that the same basket of goods that costs £134.48 in the UK costs £124 on average in Europe and only £118.76 in France, which enjoys the lowest food prices amongst those countries in the study.

While they earn less, the French also have some of the lowest alcohol, electricity and gas prices.

France is the biggest investor in health, spending 11% of GDP on health, closely followed by Denmark and Germany.

If visitors to France think in pounds sterling, and compare this years spend with previous years, well yes France is getting a bit pricey for them. But not any pricier for the inhabitants  apart from the usual % increases on rates etc..

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[quote user="NickP"]

France is the best place to live in Europe, according to a review of seventeen quality of life factors carried out by a leading UK based consumer website.[/quote]

Which UK-based consumer website is it, could you give a link to it please?

[quote]The study examined a range of variables, such as net income after taxes, the cost of essential goods such as fuel, food and energy, along with lifestyle factors such as hours of sunshine, holiday entitlement, working hours and life expectancy, to provide a picture of the quality of life experienced in each country.

The study shows that money does not buy everything, for the UK has the highest net household income in Europe. At £35,730 it is £10,325 higher than the European average.

 However, people living in the UK also have to contend with a high cost of living

Drawing on official figures from the EU, the study shows that the same basket of goods that costs £134.48 in the UK costs £124 on average in Europe and only £118.76 in France, which enjoys the lowest food prices amongst those countries in the study.
[/quote]

That doesn't tally at all with what I see on French news, or on programmes on this very topic. I cannot quote anything specific right now, but I am very surprised - and suspicious, of that UK-based survey.

[quote]While they earn less, the French also have some of the lowest alcohol, electricity and gas prices.

France is the biggest investor in health, spending 11% of GDP on health, closely followed by Denmark and Germany.
[/quote]

Hopefully someone with facts and links at their fingertips, will  be able to confirm my reaction. But it just doesn't really compute.

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The piece is taken from a French property blog which is published by a UK estate agent based in Deux-Sèvres.  The blog credits the piece to uswitch.com - but the article isn't on uswitch so I'm assuming it's pretty old despite it being cited in an October 2009 blog entry.

Edit:  I have found the original article (here) but it is slightly biased!  It is in PDF which is perhaps why my search of uswitch.com didn't find it. Of all the 17 categories, four are energy giving a greater emphasis on relative fuel cost.  Hours of sunshine are weighted equally with cost of food. Travel costs are based on commuting from Chelmsford in Essex into central London (about the most expensive comparable I can think of - and far more than most people would pay). Annual holidays aren't based on average holidays actually taken but on the statutory minimum.  Net household income is based on one person earning the average wage with their partner on 1/3 of the average wage.  The most distorting factor (for those on this forum) has to be the exchange rate used: 1.34 euros to the £1.  If you correct this for the actual average exchange rate for the year to date then the French shopping basket actually costs over £147 not the £119 cited in the article - making it much more expensive than the UK basket at £134 though I would be interested to see the prices used as even this doesn't accord with our experience.  Given the focus on London for commuting costs I would guess that London prices are also being used for the food basket.

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Everything is very very expensive to me in France. I am also told by French neighbours that things have become very expensive. However, having said that I know the biggest reason for me at least is the crash of the pound. If I could convert the prices to 1.5 or 1.6 like back in the olden days it may be a different matter.

I hate to say it but for our renovations I am buying all I can in England. We cannot afford the prices in France.[:(]

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[quote user="Scooby"]The piece is taken from a French property blog which is published by a UK estate agent based in Deux-Sèvres.  The blog credits the piece to uswitch.com - but the article isn't on uswitch so I'm assuming it's pretty old despite it being cited in an October 2009 blog entry.

Edit:  I have found the original article (here) but it is slightly biased!  Of all the 17 categories, four are energy giving a greater emphasis on relative fuel cost.  Hours of sunshine are weighted equally with cost of food. Travel costs are based on commuting from Chelmsford in Essex into central London (about the most expensive comparable I can think of - and far more than most people would pay). Annual holidays aren't based on average holidays actually taken but on the statutory minimum.  Net household income is based on one person earning the average wage with their partner on 1/3 of the average wage.  The most distorting factor (for those on this forum) has to be the exchange rate used: 1.34 euros to the £1.  If you correct this for the actual average exchange rate for the year to date then the French shopping basket actually costs over £147 not the £119 cited in the article - making it much more expensive than the UK basket at £134 though I would be interested to see the prices used as even this doesn't accord with our experience.  Given the focus on London for commuting costs I would guess that London prices are also being used for the food basket.
[/quote]

Nickp is always so strongly defensive of all things France You would almost think he was an estate agent not wanting any negative comments about anything.[Www]

Being back in the UK now I can honestly compare and can say that you most definately can get a trolley load of food for less in the UK due in part to the always available offers which were not around in France.  The other issue in France is lack of competition, where we liived we had Intermarche or Spar, here I have every major supermarket so they have to keep bringing in offers to get people through the door.

 

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Panda, you could also add the quality of the UK food items being so much better for the average shopper, not just the price. Try getting free-range, bio, pork in a French supermarket at price less than the CMU debt [:-))]. The EUR2/kg stuff on promo is straight out the intensive pig sheds in Brittany, even that stuff is normally about EUR8/kg----no thank you. French agriculture is the biggest user of chemicals in the EU (one of our divisions loves French farmers[:D]. I don't)-------the concept of organic (bio) is slowly arriving.

I am very pleased with my transfer to France, it has let me see my wife's culture, and understand why (sometimes) she thinks they way she does. However, the demands from her about when we can leave are getting LOUD. Switzerland fell through. I think in the new year, I'll have to push for a move, probably to the UK to make her happy. She just loves Britain, and for the first 20odd years of her life dreamt of nothing else, but living there.

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Panda wrote" Nickp is always so strongly defensive of all things France You would

almost think he was an estate agent not wanting any negative comments

about anything"

No Mate, I'm not an estate agent far from it, I just like France and enjoy spending time here in our part of France in our little French cottage. I defend it because I don't understand why Brits who allegedly have properties here, seem to spend a lot time on the France forum, slagging the place off.  Also the fishing in the river at the end of my garden is a bit slow at the minute.  The reason for their moans is that the pound has collapsed against the Euro and they are not as well off as they thought they were. They find this difficult to deal with so they blame France. Yes I agree that in the UK at the moment there are lots of give-away offers, but this is only temporary as the shops are trying to get cash flow. I get the best of both worlds lots of cheap things in the UK and an enjoyable life style in France. But you cannot convince me that my shopping trolley in France has increased in price dramatically, OK there are some % increases but the reality is, France has not got a lot dearer, but  the UK has definitely got cheaper. For how long remains to be seen.

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NickP I'm not 'slagging France off' just making a valid comparison.  We are not really affected by the prices because we don't live in France and we don't spend that much time there either (Although I've spent a few weeks in France over the last year, Mr Scooby and the rest of the family have only spent 10 days in France in the last 16 months).  Nevertheless we feel for those who do have to manage their budget with the current French supermarket prices etc.

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[quote user="NickP"]Panda wrote" Nickp is always so strongly defensive of all things France You would almost think he was an estate agent not wanting any negative comments about anything"

No Mate, I'm not an estate agent far from it, I just like France and enjoy spending time here in our part of France in our little French cottage. I defend it because I don't understand why Brits who allegedly have properties here, seem to spend a lot time on the France forum, slagging the place off.  Also the fishing in the river at the end of my garden is a bit slow at the minute.  The reason for their moans is that the pound has collapsed against the Euro and they are not as well off as they thought they were. They find this difficult to deal with so they blame France. Yes I agree that in the UK at the moment there are lots of give-away offers, but this is only temporary as the shops are trying to get cash flow. I get the best of both worlds lots of cheap things in the UK and an enjoyable life style in France. But you cannot convince me that my shopping trolley in France has increased in price dramatically, OK there are some % increases but the reality is, France has not got a lot dearer, but  the UK has definitely got cheaper. For how long remains to be seen.
[/quote]

Must disagree with this. It has got a lot dearer. What has been happening, I think, is that the French supermarkets have been keeping one item in a range cheap or one item of a particular type and calling it Bien Vu or whatever, but hammering up the prices on other stuff. Certainly inflation in food is far higher than the system will admit.

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I've done a mini straw poll amongst a few native French people and they believe prices are rising.  But then, what do they know?

I'm an inveterate keeper of receipts so I must have a quick comparison with a year ago.  I think that the lowering of prices of electronic goods etc gives one a false sense of what's going on and that many staples are very pricey - but especially meat.  Bread, however, has not gone up much in France whereas in the UK it's a daft price for an inferior (to my tastebuds) product.

I do buy a lot of stuff in the UK at the moment (I even found a company who'll ship my horse feed for next to no carriage charge - excuse the pun) but that is because I'm paid in sterling and, for sure, that's where we gain a lot having UK pensions. 

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