Expensive

[idun]

I am finding every day things very expensive in France. IF we lived on mustard, booze and des clopes, then I would probably think it cheaper, but we don't.

Anyone else find it so.

French friends have agreed and assure me that not only are things dear,but customer service is worse than ever! And I didn't even mention that to them.

[PaulT]

Yes, at one time used to take items back to the UK but no longer......OK, still take the wine. This was even when the £ was near 1.45 euros.

[suein56]

[quote user="idun"]I am finding every day things very expensive in France.

Anyone else find it so. [/quote]

Living costs here do seem to have increased quite a lot in the almost 11 years we have been in Brittany. Though saying that, as we return to the UK very rarely, I have no idea whether prices in general have increased there in the same way. La crise did have an effect on prices here when 'normal' life began to resume around the end of 2009, or the beginning of 2010, in that some fell temporarily though most rose after a latent period.

House prices have now stabilised where we are, they were through the roof when we discovered our preferred location in 2005, which is why we rented for 6+ years before taking the plunge and buying.

Sue

[andyh4]

Like Sue I find it hard to make a comparison with the UK, although I note the reports that a number of UK supermarkets are chasing prices down to the Aldi/Lidl levels.

However I have noted that our household spend on "supermarket" items has increased quite a bit since 2008 and more particularly since 2012.

[NickP]

We are in the UK at the moment, I do notice that supermarket prices are slightly lower, but other things are pretty much the same. One thing that is cheaper is electrical goods, I just bought a new computer for our French house and although I tried to buy it in France, it was a £100 cheaper in England. Now, the biggest difference is car park charges, I went to Thiefrow yesterday to pick up my daughter and her partner in Terminal 5. The plane was late so I had to park in short stay, thank dog it was a short stay, £10 for an hour and twenty minutes.

[NormanH]

Supermarket prices tend to be lower for the sort of 'staple' produce popular in the country, and higher for the ones that come from the other.

Compare the price of a tin of baked beans in Asda with one in Carrefour and you see what I mean, and I assume that the opposite might be true for filet of duck breast....[I]

What does seem to be quite unjustified is the price of DIY items espacially paint in France.

[dave21478]

Sick of it.

Sick of it. Sick of it. Sick of it.

My trolley of shopping is rarely under 100 euros now. I get really quite angry in the shop now...since when does a packet of ham cost a fucking fiver?

Just under 5 euros seems to be the new "psychologically acceptable" price point.....have a look and see how much stuff costs 4.75 or similar.

Last shop, I went to Lidl as its supposed to be Supermarket of the Year blah blah blah but I wasnt impressed. Savings were not huge and negated by having to go to Intermarche anyway to buy the stuff Lidle dont sell.

Cars are my hobby....buying, repairing, restoring..... The prices for parts here are just beyond a joke. I can buy "French made" parts for a French car cheaper from the UK including postage than buying locally by a significant margin.

There are a lot of times when I need to buy a tool for example, but dont use it enough to justify paying out for a big brand so I end up with some no-brand sh1te from China that is of such low quality its barely useable.

I get it...im not retarded.... I understand that the cheap version is never going to be as good/powerful/fast/quiet/comfortable/long lasting/whatever as the big name equivelant, but by fucking Christ it should at least WORK. It should be fit for purpose but so much stuff now literally isnt.

Even cheap Chinese sh1t isnt so cheap any more, either.

[alittlebitfrench]

France is a very very expensive country to live in. Houses are cheap but everything else is expensive. It was not like that BEFORE THE FECKING EURO !!!!!!!

Anyone thinking of moving to France should read this thread.

I agree with the daves 's ham bit above. It is ridiculous. 5 euros for 4 crappy slices. It is mad.

I don't shop at lidl because they sell poison.

I shop at M&S in Paris. It is cheaper and better quality. Imagine that.

You can find most other things at comparable prices to be fair.

Dave 21478.....can you change a timing chain on a 1992 Saab 900 classic ?

[NickP]

ALBF wrote

"can you change a timing chain on a 1992 Saab 900 classic ? "

Saab 900 classic is an oxymoron. The only Saab classic was the 96

[alittlebitfrench]

Nicky P wrote "Saab 900 classic is an oxymoron"

skräp

det är den bästa bilen som någonsin gjorts

[Judith]

It's quite often cheaper (and quicker) to buy from Amazon UK (and other UK online suppliers) and pay the postage, than it is to buy from their equivalent french sites.  I recently ordered a new toner cartridge from them, and incl postage still cheaper than Amazon Fr or indeed our local papeterie, where I would have had to go and order it and then go back and collect it.  And it came on the day it said, was put into the post box no problem, and was there when I got back from the market ... no competition really.

[dave21478]

Re Saab timing belt - I could, but I wont. Nothing personal but I have long since stopped doing work for strangers.

[NickP]

Note to Albf, if your trying to be abusive/funny have the courage to do it in English. It's not crap, the only Saab classic was the 96. You think that yours is a classic because someone took your money and told you it was a classic to get you to over pay.

[alittlebitfrench]

Lordy lord Nick P ..... that was Swedish I wrote. Well google translate version of. LOL

Yes, I am a big fan of Saabs and I love the the 96. Is it better the 900 ...who cares.

[alittlebitfrench]

Dave 21478 wrote 'Re Saab timing belt - I could, but I wont. Nothing personal but I have long since stopped doing work for strangers'

No offense taken. It was not a plug apart from zapping into your knowledge.

So, keeping on thread with 'expensive' France. How much can I expect to pay to change the chain (forget parts). The engine has to come out. 12 hours out 12 hours in.

I reckon 1500 euros but I got an awful feeling that my little French friends are going to charge twice more.

[dave21478]

Does the engine ACTUALLY have to come out? A lot of engine out jobs...timing belt on Fiat Coupe or V6 Laguna, Turbo on D3 etc etc....can be done in place with a little knowledge and patience.

If it has to come out I genuinely think you wont find anywhere in France willing to do it unless there is a Saab specialist somewhere.

Very few garages can be bothered with that amount of work and potential for other problems.

If the engine does come out, budget a new clutch while you are there....be silly not to change it at the same time.

[alittlebitfrench]

@ Dave21478

You can link the chain in but to do a good job the engine should come out so it can be done properly.

I happy to replace what is necessary if it means running it for another 10-15 years. The bodywork and the interior is in great condition. It is fab to drive and the kids love it.

You are right, finding someone in France to do it is hard work. It is not in their mindset.

I am not sure it needs replacing. It rattles on start up but goes after 5 minutes. Someone said it could be the oil pressure sensor because they normally rattle constantly if they are failing. I am not mechanically minded so have no idea. For me it is just a noise. Once it has gone I am in heaven.

I will get it sorted one way or the other.

[suein56]

[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]

I don't shop at lidl because they sell poison.

[/quote]

I have a feeling that they might be closed down/prosecuted if they did but there you go you can think what you want.

If you are someone who looks at labels for whatever reason then you might find that Lidl have fewer additives and other chemical ingredients in their products than most other supermarkets.

[quote user="alittlebitfrench"] I shop at M&S in Paris. [/quote]

Lucky you, but we don't all have that choice/opportunity as M&S don't deliver food.

Sue

[Chancer]

I lived on the absolute breadline between 2007 and 2010, people were saying then how expensive food was but I reduced my weekly food bill from €69 to €24 and I ended up eating much better, my conclusion is that people spend as much as they want according to their addictions and that food is not significantly more expensive now than it was then and on basic wholesome foods France was and still is cheaper than the UK, for processed and Junk foods the UK is cheaper and there is a lot more variety which is not a good thing in my book.

 

I am relatively rich now compared to then but I still eat correctly, my weekly shop is more like €45 now but that includes the cleaning materials and consumables include coffee, milk, sugar etc for 4 rental units, still 35% cheaper than 9 years ago.

 

Dave21478, try my rule of never using a shopping trolley, only buy what you can comfortably carry in two bags and you will see your bills plummet and your consumption of unecessary things nose dive as will the amount of rubbish that you throw out, take it to the next step and do your shopping by bike, either with paniers or a bike trailer like I have. You might initially do more than one shop per week, in fact now I do one shop and often 2 other very small ones, I dont have to be concerned about using the car and its all good exercise including the squats to reload your bags because the Lidl check outs are only suitable for trolleys.

[idun]

Hard to do that when family shopping chancer. And I am an economic shopper usually. Ham, yes I have noticed the price. OK I could buy epaule but beurk, I cannot abide the stuff, rather pay more for stuff I enjoy eating and have it less often.

And I could feed me for 23euros a week, even with dear ham!

[alittlebitfrench]

Sue wrote: "Lucky you, but we don't all have that choice/opportunity as M&S don't deliver food"

It might happen one day. There are shops popping up everywhere in Paris as there seems to be a massive demand. I go to there biggest one (although it is not that big) and it is busy.

It is a revolution for me as I have never really experienced a M&S food shop in the UK. But what they do prove is that you can sell quality food in France at quality prices.

Having shopped for so long in French supermarkets we are saving a fortune. And the food is not bland which is a nice change. The chickens for example are bigger, cheaper and they look like a chicken. Even biscuits. A big packet of Borbons cost 1.10 euro and will last a week. A packet of French biscuits with 12 in a packet costs the same and last a day.

I bet if you if M&S opened a shop in Poiters or Limoges it would rake it in with all the expats in the area.

[mint]

I did find food VERY expensive when we first moved here in 2007 but, now, I find the cost reasonable.  I did ask a question about the price of cheese here recently and, as some have pointed out here, the price was not unreasonable.

Where we are, for example, the local cheese is mainly goat and I am pas de fan de chèvre.......yuck, don't even like the smell!  But I find the Cantal entre Deux from Lidl a very good taste and I eat it for breakfast everyday.

Meat, however, remains very expensive but I don't eat a lot of meat and OH eats none of it at all.  Recently, I have taken to eating seeds, nuts and grains which I find keep you feeling full for long periods.  The local Inter now have dispensers for these things and it's really nice to dispense for yourself as much or as little as you need.  The paper bags that you put the things into are a clean and efficient way of getting the produce home and are recyclable after I have used them to take dry fruits and nuts on my walks.

I find cleaning products very cheap and, generally, work well.  However, I am not a fan de ménage either!

White goods are now very competitive and, if I check on both Amazon UK and Amazon France, the prices are sometimes higher in the UK and sometimes higher in France.  If I take into account postage costs, then I will always use the cheaper site.

Like Chancer, I guess I now find prices cheaper because I am not buying the things I used to do (and couldn't live without, ha, ha) and have adapted our diets to eating what is produced locally.  Fresh eggs come from a friend's chickens and some veg from local small producers.

Sometimes I do wish we had a wider choice of foodstuffs in our supermarkets but I am mostly content to search out the best and most value for money things and base meals around those.  I do find that I cook many more meals from scratch than I used to do in the UK, if only because you can't buy ready meals or half-prepared ones that are anything like tasty.

[Chancer]

Whether it is expensive has got to be a function of what you choose to buy, I am saying that (for me) it is cheap in France yet I am constantly amazed by how much the people in front of me pay for a not even laden trolley, €176 in Lidl [:-))] and I could have carried what they had in my bags.

 

Its cheaper for me as a result of my change of diet and that I no longer buy alcohol although that  is certainly cheaper, in the supermarkets at least, I suspect that is a major reason why many come here, in my time I have seen many fall to their own excesses, maybe I would also have in the UK, maybe I am just seeing it through sober eyes now.

 

Looking at what people buy and their general mien and demeanour has become a bit of an obsession to me now, looking at the children then at the adults and seeing in most cases that they have a great advance on their parents and will be in a far worse way when they get to their age.

 

I have to empty the rubbish bags from the rooms, sort out the recycling etc as no-one seems to do it or will just dump everything in the same bin often without a bin liner, its really eye opening, people use my apartments because they can self cater yet the majority live on Macdo's and the filth that comes out of the automatic pizza distributor, the latter is far and away the most successfull restauration in town, its open the hours that people want to eat, there are no stuff to be rude to you, to refuse you entry or to ignore you while they smoke and chat.

 

Seeing what French families and business people eat for breakfast is also a real eye opener, this country will have a serious obesity and diabetic crisis in years to come.

[vette]

Thanks for the laugh Chancer.

Your comment about the Pizza machine is very funny. I am going to use that quote in the bar at the weekend.

As for prices. The starter on my Renault tractor failed. The local chap wanted around 800 euros for a new one.

I found the same part on e-bay Germany for just 180 euros delivered.

When I told my French farmer friend, he looked at me as though I was from a different planet.

The following week his wife asked me to get a new laptop charger from the internet. 30 euros in the shop here, 18 euros off e-bay. I think they have now been converted to the ways of the modern world.

God bless em!