Unexpected bills

[Teamedup]

The post about how high prices are had me thinking about what we have had to spend on things that we hadn't expected to within the last 15 months.

 

New washing machine     400 euros,  the other one was only 5 years old and was expensive, I had really expected it to last longer, see us out.

 

New Dish washer      600 euros, the other one should have perhaps lasted a little longer, I had expected it too, a sore subject.

 

New exhaust for my little car and two new tyres, can't remember how much and the courroire thingy went too, so we've spent about 600 euros on that.

 

600 euros on the main car, new exhaust and two new tyres, sorry three new tyres so add another 80-90 euros onto that.

 

Dog needed an operation, just over 500 euros.

 

TV went last night, we have a smaller one which we're using, I have no idea how much tv 's are these days.

 

Also needed a new blender, got that cheap but still something else to buy, 30 euros

 

New hoover 120euros.

 

There isn't one thing on the list I could have done without. All unexpected really and that is about 5000 euros that we forked out. Is it a wonder that I have trouble saving anything.

[Tumbo]

Surely all of those costs would have still applied if you were living in the UK. Does moving to France make things wear out quicker??

[SaligoBay]

No, but French goods wear out much quicker, they have built-in obsolescence down to a fine art!  I'm on my second washing machine here already, and second oven. 

[Teamedup]

I find 'good' quality white goods expensive here too. And as I said I expected mine to last longer.

 

Just more expense to be taken into the equation.

[Miki]

You two think you are having it tough.... we are on our 4th home

Seriously though, the parpaing crepied boxes they build around here, I simply cannot see them being here in 50 years. The "rust" (I expect Val or one of the builders on here can tell us what that is) stains the outside, the places look 100 years old after 10 years and to think, the French take the Michael out of the way they build in spain.

Oh and we are on our 5th washing machine, the TV blew up after 25 months (yes a month out of guarantee) all 3 cars have cassette players with a tape jammed in them, the dustbin men crushed our bin, we have waited donkey's years for a milkman or/and a newsboy to call to save us driving to the shops........

We had thought of saving money but gave the idea up .......

[Lori]

I agree white goods here are FAR more expensive than in the States.  And, I too, have found that just after the guarantee ends, so does the product (in too many cases).

My French neighbor (runs an Auberge) told me that after several attempts at buying "high end" white goods and watching them fall apart just at guarantee end, she has begun buying cheap stuff and expecting to throw it out after a few years.  Sad but true.

As far as unexpected expenses go - you are so right.  When it rains it pours.

In the past 3 months:

Car repairs       400 euros

Dog surgery/vaccines       375 euros

repair dishwasher        75 euros

will have to repair a robinet in the kitchen - who knows what that will be

Replace toilet flusing mechanism / with labor 130 euros

Fix a short in the pool electrical system - 75 euros (lucky I thought it would be more).

When they all come around the same time and unexpectedly so, they hurt.

 

[Val_2]

The electromenager people now openly admit that they only expect domestic items to last on average of four years. I still use a 28year old tumble drier that belonged to my late MIL and we have two UK television sets that still work and are 20 years old. I am already on my 3rd cooker/oven in 16 years, second washing machine and second freezer here. I've now decided we only buy the very best we can and economise elsewhere to pay for it as I get sick of shoddy goods whatever they are. Bought a small hammer drill from a cheap brico place recently so it could be thrown away after the job finished, didn't last two hours,changed it twice more since then and each time it only lasted a couple of hours,they didn't even flinch, the same with a toilet seat in oak - you should have seen the man's face when I fetched it out of a dustbin bag and put it on the counter,he soon sorted me out with another and rightly so after only six weeks of use.

[zeb]

Can't really see the point of this topic.

Surely if you have cars, washing machines, pets etc you expect to pay out for tyres, brushes, vets occasionally whether you are in France, Germany, or Outer Mongolia. That's life!

[le bouffon]

Zeb,let poster have her moan,what was it for a dish washer 600euro well what is wrong with washing up in the sink,so thats 600E that could be saved.Tyres on our last car got all four 160E,washing machine paid less than 200E with a two year warranty(extra year not to much more).Depends on ones life style.

[Teamedup]

This is the encore is it?

 

I'm not moaning. For once in our life these things haven't been a big deal. But they have happened, they were extras we didn't expect to fork out for.

Wash up? Well I save water with a dish washer. I had a few months of washing up by hand and I know how much water I was using then and it was a lot. Also sometimes I simply cannot wash up for medical reasons which is my business and not yours .

 

Haven't you just found though that cheap tyres don't last if you have to do a few miles. We have and I'm not terribly keen on false economies.

[le bouffon]

Sorry if you can not wash up,and if it is true well yes you would need one.Tyres well with the french side roads leaving something to be desired,the tracking usually gets knocked out and that causes one side of the tyre to wear quicker,many times we have had to have the things changed with nearly all the tread on one part of the tyre,ok you can have the wheels tracked but it is easier to buy a less well known brand.What about the washing machine oops been told that or rather reminded that I do not know how to use it so should stop posting

[Opalienne]

I bought a Unic Line (Trois Suisses own brand) washing machine 15 years ago for just over 1000FF (about €150) .   It gets used four or five times a week and it is still going........

[Iceni]

According to the 'eco warriors' you use far less water buy fully filling a dishwasher and then running it than doing the washing by hand.

As as aside, I have a very large water butt by the patio and instead of throwing non greasy water down the sink I throw it into that for watering flowers as we have a total ban on watering the garden with potable water. In three days I have almost filed it.

Back to the main thread - someone posted and asked if it was cheaper or dearer to live in France or the UK - I pointed out that there is not much in it but you need a good 'pot' to get you through the unexpected. Well €5000 is a bit of a pot and we recently had the bougie go on John's white van, the wind take the door - in the wrong direction, my mist wagon needed 2 rather wide tyres (not my fault, they delivered the thing many years ago with these strange wide tyres and we have been stuck with them ever since). There is ALWAYS something unexpected, you just have to be prepared for it.

Perhaps we should start looking for ancient washing machines etc - might be a good investment.

[Debra]

.

[titch]

I think your all unlucky!!  Haven't had to pay out for anything you've paid for in years, only a new washing machine this year which was 275 euros to replace a previous one of 12 years old!!   Needless to say I'm 'touching wood'!!

[opas]

I too tried to rack my brains when this subject came up...we had a new fridge a couple of months ago , but wern`t too put out as that one had come with our house purchase...then yesterday I bent into a cuboard for the Iron and hey presto put my back out!! So unexpected bill for the doctors...not been to one in years and first time here in France, and all the drugs that I could have paid for on ordinance would have paid for someone to come in and do my ironing for a month

Mrs O

[Polremy]

well, i was only saying yesterday that our washing machine cant last much longer. we've had it 18 years!!!

on the other hand, i think i have had at least 10 irons since we first married.

cant recommend Darty highly enough for anything electrical. always deliver free, set the thing up, take away the old one and all the packaging - and with a smile. but then, maybe that's only our brance (perpignan)