France is getting a bit pricey?

[NickP]

[quote user="woolybanana"]

[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.

[/quote]

Ok I'll edit my quote "France has not got a lot dearer" please read now, St Jaques Des Guerets, Montoire and Vendome have not got spectacularly dearer. Please understand, what affects you in the Vendée does not necessarily affect me.

[woolybanana]

Hmmmm, too many imponderables for me in that NickP!![6]

[mint]

My impression is that many things have got a lot dearer (excluding perhaps houses!)

Mind you, I do believe that the effects have been heightened by the exchange rate and the rubbishy interest rates on sterling savings (if you are lucky or unlucky enough to have some of those!)

[NickP]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Hmmmm, too many imponderables for me in that NickP!![6][/quote]

It 'aint rocket science me old wooly, just because your shopping bill has gone up, doesn't mean mine has. Where I live in France  prices haven't risen dramatically, The rates have gone up 1 Euro a month, the house insurance has gone up 5 Euro a year. My good lady tells me she is not spending huge amounts extra on shopping, what is there to wonder about? Mercedes still charge 55 Euro an hour service charge, fuel is less than it was last year. Our standard of living is still the same as it has always been. My investments are earning less money, my pension is still the same, but  our outgoings are about the same, a little more, not the huge increase some people would have you believe .But if you say yours have risen, where you live fine I believe you. One minute, sorry; I forgot, I apologise, wood  increased in price 2 Euro a Stère, that's blown the budget, another 12 Euro a year. Nothing else for it I had better sell up and head back to the UK. Oh I can't BA and Eurostar are on strike.  Merry Xmas Mate!

[woolybanana]

So, perhaps you meant to say that in your limited experience, and based on the limited range of goods which you purchase during the limited time you are here, and in a very tiny area of Brittany, you and your wife estimate that prices have hardly risen over a limited period of time.

On the otherr hand, I do ask people and keep a close eyes on prices on a day to day basis, year after year, and would say that prices throughout France have risen, in day to day purchases, a minimum of 5%, probably more, and the COL may be about to go up again as the price of oil is about to go up (2.5% today) and there are new taxes coming as well.

[mint]

I was having a bit of a clear out recently and, in the course of chucking out some old paperwork, I was quite shocked to notice that things like house insurance, car insurance, mutuelle premiums have certainly gone up sufficiently to be painful![:(]

[NickP]

[quote user="woolybanana"]

So, perhaps you meant to say that in your limited experience, and based on the limited range of goods which you purchase during the limited time you are here, and in a very tiny area of Brittany, you and your wife estimate that prices have hardly risen over a limited period of time.

On the otherr hand, I do ask people and keep a close eyes on prices on a day to day basis, year after year, and would say that prices throughout France have risen, in day to day purchases, a minimum of 5%, probably more, and the COL may be about to go up again as the price of oil is about to go up (2.5% today) and there are new taxes coming as well.

[/quote]

 Now look 'ere wooly I said what I said, not what you think I meant  to say, and for your information I don't live in Brittany. I have lived here for over 5 years so my perception of goods, services and prices is not limited. As if you say "price rises have gone up 5%" well I think that's reasonable, but not catastrophic. As for oil going up it's still less than it was this time last year.

[Iceni]

Disaster strikes - the price of truffles reached €1 per gram at Lalbenque on Tuesday.

John

[suein56]

[quote user="Iceni"]

Disaster strikes - the price of truffles reached €1 per gram at Lalbenque on Tuesday.

John[/quote]

OMG that's it then; the end for us here in France. We must sell up immediately and head back to the UK. Er no, hang on a mo, we rent our home here and I cannot honestly remember the last time I ate a truffle, possibly it was in 1978, so perhaps we will brave out 'la crise' and stay put? I think so; but what do I know?

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Today, first time ever I've seen a buy one, get one free in a French supermarket.

Buche de Noel, and they had a lot to get rid of!

[Frederick]

Do they have euro shops like the pound shops in the UK ? ..

They have a 99p store in a shopping center near me in the UK.. In fact today I got three Vacuum Sealed Storage Bags 80cm X 60cm as we use a lot of them to pack away pillows and other stuff when not in use . 99p each so you now know where to go for them when you need some for packing away clothes and stuff in your French holiday home .http://www.99pstoresltd.com/

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Frederick"]Do they have euro shops like the pound shops in the UK ? .. [/quote]I found one in Paris but it's a while ago so I can't remember what it was called.  I do remember though that everything was two euros, not one!

[Bugsy]

Frederick,

There is on in Poitiers, opposite the Music shop just outside Cordeliers.

As Coops says though its a 2 euro thing. Good bargains to be had, according to Mrs B, and she is an expert at finding good deals.

[cooperlola]

Oh, and our local Auchan does this every two or three months or so - buys in and flogs loads of odds and s*ds for a euro.  You can't move in the place when these dos are on!

[bubbles]

Mr. Bubbles calls them "catchpennies" - some quaint northern expression apparently.

[Iceni]

[quote user="Iceni"]

Disaster strikes - the price of truffles reached €1 per gram at Lalbenque on Tuesday.

John

[/quote]

Hurrah, we are all saved. Last week the price in Limogne fell to €400-600 per kg.

John

 

[hakunamatata]

Never mind the price of truffles we have just got a 500 euro water bill! We have a small house but the garden is a good size and my only real interest, what do I do cut my throat or buy loads of cactus???? We have just spent a fortune on a drip system for watering - lot of good that did then

[NickP]

[quote user="hakunamatata"]Never mind the price of truffles we have just got a 500 euro water bill! We have a small house but the garden is a good size and my only real interest, what do I do cut my throat or buy loads of cactus???? We have just spent a fortune on a drip system for watering - lot of good that did then[/quote]

Dig yourself  a well. We have one that had been blocked up by a previous owner, I spent all summer unblocking it and lifting rubble and stone blocks out of it and as soon as it was clear, I got the water checked at the local laboratory (50Euro). When I got the OK  I  then filled the grandchildren's swimming pool, 10,000 litres, and spent all this summer, the best one and driest for years, pumping water out of the well and watering the garden, (1 acre)  free, gratis, brilliant.

[hakunamatata]

Wells are a brilliant idea and we have looked into the possibility but both being over 60 we would never recoup the cost, unless we live to be 100, and there is not guarantee that there is water anyway

[5-element]

Unfortunately, digging a well is not allowed anymore in some areas. Like mine. It's been done by too many, and is depleting the water tables.

[crossy67]

I don't think the increase in prices is restricted to France, it seems to be Euro zone wide.  We have been to Italy and Greece as well as France and all seem not cheap when compared to the UK.  At the same time you have to remember how many UK companies go bump leaving huge unpaid debts.  It's easy to be the cheapest and make a loss when it's somebody else's money you are loosing, people who will have no chance of getting their money back once you declare bankruptcy or go into the hands of the receivers, funny how there is always just assets to pay their cut.  This is a sad fact of life here in the UK, prices are unrealistic and often only used to line a few persons pockets before the bump and lots of creditors.

I do find France expensive but I would rather that than UK where you have the likes of Tesco squeezing their supplies to the point of closure.  I confess, I shop in Tesco, I hate my self for doing so but you can't get the choice any where else and with both of us working 6+ days a week trying to make a living out of the £ concious population we don't have much time to shop, clean, visit family, relax etc.

One last thing worth thinking about.  The average UK house costs what? £250k.  You could buy a very comfortable house in France for £100k, that gives you £150k to sit in your bank to help pay the extra cost of living.  SO if your average weekly spend is £100 in the UK and France is even 50% more expensive then that £150k saving would see you though the next 57 years.  Ok, not accurate but does go to prove a point to some extent.

Must be very hard for those living on a pension and not able to work or those who have seen their income cut by 1/3rd.  Or even those that have made the move without allowing a big enough cushion to allow for the unexpected. 

Some things are unavoidable like water bills, taxes and food, I intend to live as cheaply as possible.  We have been told by many people over and over how it's not possible to live on less than £xxx, we managed to survive in the UK on about £12k with a mortgage holiday and eating as normal for a few years when I went back to Uni and Julie lost her job (separate times).  This is one way we are in the position to buy cash in France, we just don't spend money!  We both drive cheap cars, neither of us have expensive tastes or hobbies, maybe this is the key the French have fond, I notice they are not too bothered if their car is 15 years old etc, unlike in the UK where you struggle to see a car under 5 years old and dents are repaired rather than left.

One other thing I forgot to mention.  Asda is the bottom of the shopping social elite here, Aldi and Lidl are full of Poles and Portugese but at least they know how to use a pan and not just oven or deep fry everything.  You have to wonder what the future of the UK is when you watch all the obese parents shopping in Asda with their chunky children all making blines for the frozen ready meals, sweets and pizzas etc.  I had an email about American Wallmanr customers showing photos of them, it was really funny but sadly true.  Even more tragic is they are beginning to look the same over here.  I'll try to post some of the pics up if I can figer out how to, worth a laugh or to act as a warning.

[Pommier]

Here's a website of Walmart customers - love the comments!

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?page_id=9798

[cooperlola]

And if you have 90 minutes or so to spare, watch this:

http://www.walmartmovie.com/

What is it with these Lazarus threads?  Not that this isn't still a pertinant subject in this case of course.