roxy Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I know you will all groan at this post but I'm going to do it anyway, my house is nearly sold and it is a matter of great urgency as the maths add up differently each time I sit down to do them. I wondered if someone could give me a rough idea of what I will need to budget for on a monthly basis, for taxes and just essentials really. I am single so do not need a lot to live on but I cannot get a realistic idea from the books so thought you might help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 If your healthcare is sorted (ie covered by an Eform), then my own feeling is that costs will be very similar to the UK. More for healthcare - top up insurance etc - but less for income tax. Local taxes vary hugely so that much depends on where you're moving to and from (ours are about 30% of what they were in Kent, but others moving from low council tax areas to expenive parts of France have different experiences.) Our power bills are roughly the same, even though we're at home all day, whereas in the UK we were out for 12 hours' plus, because we worked. As far as food etc is concerned, it was roughly the same, but at the moment it's probably a bit more expensive here if your income is from the UK, due to the lousy exchange rates.But it really is a piece of string thing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 More details would help:are you planning to live in a town or in a rural part of the country? are you going to buy or rent? will you have a car?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 According to INSEE, the minimum wage (SMIC) in France is 1,280€ per month, and there are many French families who exist on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I fully agree with the other answers. But our very small rural commune has an average income per household of 754€ per month according to the same official sources that SD quotes (actually likely to have risen slightly since the data were compiled). As to whether that provides a particularly fulfilling lifestyle, or the 'high quality of life' much quoted by British moving overseas, I leave you to judge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Will: that seems remarkably low. Is it possible that the amount is net of tax and other deductions? (Even if it is, it would still be pretty low.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Just to clarify, the SMIC amount quoted of 1,280 euros is the GROSS amount - I'm on the SMIC and my net take-home pay each month (that is after social charges have been deducted) is 1,005 euros (and a few centimes); however last year we didn't pay any income tax, in fact they paid us a couple of hundred euros.Lou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 'But our very small rural commune has an average income per household of 754€ per month 'Our commune has a similarly low average income but that doesn't take into account non monetary income. Many of my neighbours are almost self sufficient in food... veg,fruit, milk, pork, duck, beef, chicken. My next door neighbour even produces about 360 bottles of wine a year. Water for everything but drinking comes free from the village supply. A car is a necessary business expense. My neighbours don't have an affluent lifestyle; far from it and they work very hard. They have few luxuries but they are not at poverty level by any means . Anyone moving from the UK into the village (without the land, experience and family support mechanisms) would find it extremely difficult to survive on an income this low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Will's example of €754 pm: I think there was a thread recently which gave figures for a financial supplement which brings the family income up to about €1300 pm. ie the equivalent of the minimum wage. Whether this could be claimed by immigrants I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 [quote user="Patf"]Will's example of €754 pm: I think there was a thread recently which gave figures for a financial supplement which brings the family income up to about €1300 pm. ie the equivalent of the minimum wage. Whether this could be claimed by immigrants I don't know.[/quote]No, immigrants who are not employed certainly cannot claim benefits, until they have lived here for 5 years on a legal and stable basis (which in effect means that they can prove the minimum income amount for those five years - have declared it legally on their tax returns, and have had full health cover during that period.) I don't know where Roxy comes in this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roxy Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Many thanks for the above answers. I thought you might scoff at my question but once again it has been a helpful forum. I won't need to claim any benefits in France3. I am quite self-sufficient because I am single and I shall be buying and renovating - hopefully. I live on the outskirts of a city at the moment and will be more than happy to live semi-rurally in France. I am a driver. It is because I am used to fending for myself that I am getting a bit stressed about monthly living costs, but I like to know where I stand - perhaps I should not overthink it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tancrède Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Roxy, I am single and keep an accurate record of living expenditure. I have no en-cumbrances or responsibilities whatever, and live in a modest sized house (250m or so) in a tiny mediæval town. At present €320 p.c.m. covers: Taxe d'habitation et foncière; water, town gas, bottled gas, electricity, insurance, chimney sweep, motor insurance (but no other car costs) and broad-band connection. Food, drink and household materials appear by some fluke to be almost exactly the same figure. I do not consider that I live tightly - and frankly I don't - but have to admit to scouring the countryside for walnuts, fungi, crab-apples, wild pears, cormes etc. (Not because I have to, but because it gives me pleasure.) I am astounded by cooperiola's experience that the cost of food is much the same as England. I do not doubt his observation, but give hearty thanks that I live in a more favoured region where I can live richly at a fraction of the GB cost (but I am a countryman and perhaps have different requirements). The only occasion on which I am disagreeably conscious of haemorrhaging money from every orifice is when I am obliged to travel to England and spend any time there. I hope that this is of some use, and wish you good luck. PS the hypertext tools work for the preview, and then do s.f.a. on the actual post. What is the reason for that? And what is wrong with encumbrances?Edited by mod - if you click on the 'design' button rather than HTML (under posting area on left) I think you will find your post looks how you intend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tancrède Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Thank you Moderator, that now looks charming - but despite my best efforts I absolutely cannot find the button to which you refer. More alarmingly, why was 'encumbrances' censored? Has the word acquired some new and disgusting meaning in the English-speaking world which, in my innocent backwater, I am unaware of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob T Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 [quote user="gengulphus"]Roxy, At present €320 p.c.m. covers: Taxe d'habitation et foncière; water, town gas, bottled gas, electricity, insurance, chimney sweep, motor insurance (but no other car costs) and broad-band connection. [/quote]I saw this list and had to tot up what ours was and it came to 179 euro pcm. The difference is that we don't have town gas and motor insurance includes two 1100cc motorbikes as well as the car. I also sweep my own chimney. Our taxes are probably much lower as we don't live in a town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I would back up Cooperlola's observation that everyday essential living costs are, overall, much the same in either England or France. And I spend a lot of time, regularly, living and shopping in each country. In fact, as I can use a choice of large supermarkets there, I would say England is probably slightly cheaper for food etc - the smaller rural shops and markets in France are pretty expensive, though generally good quality. Of course, it's swings and roundabouts, and if you drink a lot of cheap wine and beer then you will definitely benefit from being in France, while most meat is considerably dearer in French supermarkets - though, it could be argued, that is reflected in quality and origin (but there was a recent thread here about tough French meat, so it doesn't necessarily follow). Obviously by taking advantage of special offers (of which it has to be said you get much more generous offers in the likes of Tesco than in Leclerc) things can change greatly. Things like heating costs are more in France, because the type of French house favoured by the British is larger, older and draughtier. Relative costs change, too: electricity used to be noticeable more costly in France but thanks to France's dependence on nuclear energy rather than oil and gas it is now relatively much cheaper.Eating out is often quoted as being much cheaper in France, and it certainly is for a top-quality blow-out meal, but there are plenty of places, even in our expensive southern English town where you can get two reasonable lunches for £10-£12.I find vehicle insurance is less in England - though others note the opposite, it all depends where you, your vehicle, and your location fit into the overall picture, yet maintenance and repairs are less in France (parts seem more expensive but labour is considerably less, in contrast to many other trades where you can easily pay a lot higher hourly rates in France).Local taxes vary according to where you live; ours are about the same in both countries, but that is for a small house in a good position in an expensive town with all facilities near at hand and a large house in a tiny commune with absolutely no facilities. Some French areas seem ridiculously cheap; others, particularly towns, are very dear.The big difference is that there is far more opportunity to spend a lot of money on non-essentials - food and other things - in England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roxy Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 Wow - the replies just get better. It is heartening to think that I might now be on the right track regarding expenses. I thought food might be cheaper here in the UK just because of the supermarket price wars, but I'm expecting to live reasonably self sufficiently in France, I read the thread about tough French meat so perhaps home-grown chicken will be a good option! It has been very helpful reading all the replies and I feel less worried about surviving now. Thanks to you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprogster Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Roxy,A very important factor in comparing prices between the UK and France is the prevailing exchange rate, as with the declining £ France gets more expensive compared to the UK by the day.Therefore, if you are going to be reliant on an income in £, it is important to factor in a margin to allow for further adverse currency movements, as otherwise if you are living on a low income you could face difficulties. In another thread a poster said that they budgeted for a 20% depreciation in the £.Although there are varying opinions as to where the £ is headed, the general consensus is that there is more downside than upside risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Sprogster's right - it's getting scary. When we moved here 3 years or so ago, the exchange rate was hovering around the 1.5 - 1.45 mark, sometimes rather better. I did all my "day to day" living calculations based on 1.3 - to be safe. In the last three years, we have consequently been able to take a couple of holidays (one to the States, one to Canada), because I was so pesimistic with my budgeting. However, now, it's getting perilously close to being about right - so no pricey hols this year! But at least we can afford to eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londoneye Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Actually I totally agree with Will. Having just spent the last three weeks in UK (back for weekend in France now) I actually think the food is cheaper in UK, the special offers are better in the big supermarkets.The frightening thing is how much money you spend in UK each time you leave your house! A coffee here or there, a quick sandwich - get home, try to puzzle out what happened to that £20 note !! But the real difference is that in the UK I am leaving the house every day; here in rural France unless we actually decide to go 'out' or 'shopping' then we don't spend money, because to be honest there just isn't any excuse/reason to go out. No point trotting out to the shops, because you will have forgotten its lunch time and they will all be closed (or Monday, ditto!; or bank holiday, or Sunday!) Even when you do get there they wont really sell much that makes you want to put your hand in your pocket ! Hence, if you live in rural France you will not 'fritter' money in same way as you might in UK. By the way, don't get the wrong idea its lovely to be back in clean streets, no neighbours breathing down neck, walkiing dog etc. After only a week in UK the novelty of being able to go to the shops on a Sunday wore off, and believe it or not I did even get bored with sauntering around Marks & Spencer by end of second week ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londoneye Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Actually I totally agree with Will. Having just spent the last three weeks in UK (back for weekend in France now) I actually think the food is cheaper in UK, the special offers are better in the big supermarkets.The frightening thing is how much money you spend in UK each time you leave your house! A coffee here or there, a quick sandwich - get home, try to puzzle out what happened to that £20 note !! But the real difference is that in the UK I am leaving the house every day; here in rural France unless we actually decide to go 'out' or 'shopping' then we don't spend money, because to be honest there just isn't any excuse/reason to go out. No point trotting out to the shops, because you will have forgotten its lunch time and they will all be closed (or Monday, ditto!; or bank holiday, or Sunday!) Even when you do get there they wont really sell much that makes you want to put your hand in your pocket ! Hence, if you live in rural France you will not 'fritter' money in same way as you might in UK. By the way, don't get the wrong idea its lovely to be back in clean streets, no neighbours breathing down neck, walkiing dog etc. After only a week in UK the novelty of being able to go to the shops on a Sunday wore off, and believe it or not I did even get bored with sauntering around Marks & Spencer by end of second week ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 [quote user="roxy"] I am quite self-sufficient because I am single and I shall be buying and renovating - hopefully. I live on the outskirts of a city at the moment and will be more than happy to live semi-rurally in France. I am a driver. It is because I am used to fending for myself that I am getting a bit stressed about monthly living costs, but I like to know where I stand - perhaps I should not overthink it?[/quote]I'm no expert, but I would also look into the 'driving' and 'renovating' side of living in France: there could be dreadful pitfalls, here!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now