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Guardian article


Aly

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[quote user="Aly"]Anyone seen this article abt French cost of living?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/09/british-expats-france-supermarket-deliveries

[/quote]

Old news mate, and considering todays Euro/pound rate I think lots of the must have sausages, baked beans and mushy peas brigade , will be cancelling their orders. Seriously it's another France bashing exercise by the British press, remember this paper changed sides for the last election so as to be part of the coalition. [:D]

Read very carefully the end of the article, a statement like that could mean anything.

"Prices have been compared where possible for a like-for-like product. Prices may vary"

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Interesting article. France hasn't been a cheap place to live for years and years, but I'm still surprised by those who doggedly stick to their British diet. White sliced and ready meals - yum yum.

I'm completely baffled by NickP's comment about the Guardian. What's 'switching sides' in the general election got to do with it? By my reckoning, it was one of seven of the British nationals that switched (five from Labour to Tory; two from Labour to Lib Dem). It just looks like he dislikes that paper and sees conspiracy and lies in everything it publishes - even articles about UK expats buying their food by mail order from Asda!

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Read very carefully the end of the article, a statement like that could mean anything.

"Prices have been compared where possible for a like-for-like product. Prices may vary"

What is there to baffled about? My comment was to enhance my scepticism about their article which was not only weeks old but factually dubious.  So to use your logic, I take it you read the Guardian and believe everything it prints?  [:P]

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[quote user="JandM"]

Interesting article. France hasn't been a cheap place to live for years and years, but I'm still surprised by those who doggedly stick to their British diet. White sliced and ready meals - yum yum.

[/quote]

Excuse me but there are loads of ready meals in the French supermarkets. "plats cuisinee" never mind the ubiquitous pizza. White sliced bread is essential for toast. Toastiligne is an acceptable make. All other French sliced bread I have tried is sweet. Nearly as bad as American sliced bread.

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I must have missed something here. The article seems to be saying that because British food is cheaper, owing mainly to the exchange rate, there is a trend growing among UK expats in France to directly import food from across the Channel, and that this has led to more work for the companies that specialise in that business. That's probably true, isn't it?  Where's the France bashing?

Just about about every price comparison list will carry a health warning, as prices (and exchange rates) vary from day to day. I don't think we should read anything more into it than that. 

To me it seemed like a fairly innocuous lifestyle piece, so I couldn't see why it should arouse such a negative reaction. The only explanation I could think of was that NickP might be a Guardian hater - there are so many. Apologies if that's untrue. For myself, I read most of the papers each day and, of course, I believe every word they print! As for the article being weeks old, wasn't it published just last Wednesday?

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No, you haven't missed anything. It's just that some people have an irrational dislike of certain newspapers, and a need to moan, particularly if they can find anything that suggests there might be something that shows Britain in a favourable light compared with France. The article might be recent, but the delivery services, its subject, have been around for several months. I have even heard of French people ordering from English stores to cut costs and increase choice, so it's not just the usual story of people being unable to exist without Marmite and Heinz beans.

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No it's not a case of moaning Will, it's just that on a forum that has lots of members you are going to get  diverse opinions. You are right that the subject first came out last year, but then the pound was almost at parity with the Euro, so then the subject had some substance, but now the rate is around 1.20 I just don't see any benefit in paying delivery charges for food from the UK. Also do you really believe it is cheaper to buy French wine in the UK and get it delivered to France, that you can't get curries and taco's in France and that you would order Baguettes and croissants from England. I don't think so? [Www]
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I wasn't getting at you Nick about moaning, but in my opinion the constant whingeing is the least attractive trait of expatriate communities in general, even in France. And many of us tend to think of a fiver as being around 8€ worth - then get a reality check. And since you bring the subjects up...

Not all of the British in France comply with the early-retired stereotype, some of us have full time work and are very busy during the day, and it's not always possible to shop during rural French shop hours - no 24-hour Tesco here, not even lunchtime opening. So if ordering some of the items with a big saving, it makes sense to order other stuff just for convenience. Anybody who orders cheap French wine elsewhere for delivery to France may be daft, but I often take New Zealand wine from England to France - quality is up there with Sancerre but prices are lower. I don't think I'd buy croissants anywhere else but France, but much of the fresh bread in France goes stale after about half a day, so I can see a good case for Sainsbury's part-baked baguettes. Can't say that I have seen tacos outside the annual 'exotic foods' festivals, and unless you have an Asian supermarket or English-run épicerie nearby the only curries with any degree of authenticity are mail order ones anyway.

If you're happy with what you can buy in France, and when, then you obviously have little interest in these services, and that's as valid an opinion as any other. But when the French make use of deliveries from England, it does at least point to the fact that the French retail trade needs a few Mary Portas type characters to take it into the 20th century [;-)]

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Will, The Coopers Creek Marlborough Sauvignon is certainly worth importing to France and my French  neighbour who is a wine buff of the highest order is always very happy when I offer him Wolf Blass and Canadian Cheddar. When we travel over to France as we do about 6 times a year, we always do some shopping and fill the boot with things we cant get in the Loir et Cher, yes including some Salisbury's part baked baguettes, for emergency  because we forget the shops are closed for two hours, Beans and tinned spaghetti for the Grandchildren when they honour us with their presence., and for madame next door Harveys Bristol cream, mint sauce and horseradish sauce. So yes of course there are lots of things well worth bringing over, but to do our weekly shopping and get it delivered at a plus cost of 15/25% I don't think so. This article or versions of it have been going round for ages , and I just feel that the Guardian is guilty of "lazy" journalism, especially now the rate is 1.20. Having said that I heartily agree with you about the French retail trade and it's attitude, but unfortunately I don't think we will see it join the 20th century. cheers mate [B]
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Yes, they run wild in the woods here, we hear their mating calls at dusk, ochayethenoo, ochayethenoo, getyferyerbassa, getyferyerbassa, never seen one though but it's believed locally that trufflels are actually fossilised Haggis turds [:D]

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[quote user="AnOther"]Yes, they run wild in the woods here, we hear their mating calls at dusk, ochayethenoo, ochayethenoo, getyferyerbassa, getyferyerbassa, never seen one though but it's believed locally that trufflels are actually fossilised Haggis turds [:D]

[/quote]

Aye, it's  "a braw  bricht  moonlicht  nicht  the nicht  "

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We use the delivery services regularly for paints etc.  This week we had a delivery of three tins of floor varnish and saved over £100.  I continue to be shocked at the prices in France compared with the UK (even at the current £1.00 : €1.20 rate).  I estimate that French prices are approximately double the UK price for equivalent goods (for some things: eco light bulbs, washing / dishwasher powders / tablets etc) more so.  Most meat, fruit and veg are nearly double - e.g  canteloupe melon £1.47 Asda €2.50 Carrefour etc.  I just paid €11 for some (very scraggy looking) veal pieces.  I could buy a whole leg of lamb plus trimmings in the UK.  Anyone who says France is cheap is kidding themselves...maybe they are one of those 'we told everyone how wonderfully inexpensive living in France was so we can't possibly admit things may not be so rosy...types.'

If proof were needed our (french) neighbours are now shopping at Tesco and having it delivered.

Mrs R51

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Richard51 wrote:            I just paid €11 for some (very scraggy looking) veal pieces.  I could buy a whole leg of lamb plus trimmings in the UK.  Anyone who says France is cheap is kidding themselves...maybe they are one of those 'we told everyone how wonderfully inexpensive living in France was so we can't possibly admit things may not be so rosy...types.'

Nobody held you down and made you buy a scraggy pieces of veal, that's your choice. Nobody on this thread is saying France is cheap, the discussion is the newspaper article inferring" it's cheaper to get your shopping delivered to France from England". The consensus seems to be it's worth importing certain products. My opinion is bring in what is worth bringing in, but weekly shopping, no way!

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Not joining the argument - but

Yesterday went to chemist to buy cleansing/wetting solution for contact lenses.   Price out here - 15.95 Euros.  In UK - identical item, identical size - £5. 25 - thats a HUGE difference.

So that's yet another item family in UK will be posting out to me - it still works out cheaper !!!

France IS horribly expensive for most things - and the quality of most items - food or electrical or furniture - isn't as good as in the UK.    I'm seriously thinking of putting in a big 'shipping' order for 2 or 3 times a year. 

Chessie

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[quote user="NickP"]

Richard51 wrote:            I just paid €11 for some (very scraggy looking) veal pieces.  I could buy a whole leg of lamb plus trimmings in the UK.  Anyone who says France is cheap is kidding themselves...maybe they are one of those 'we told everyone how wonderfully inexpensive living in France was so we can't possibly admit things may not be so rosy...types.'

Nobody held you down and made you buy a scraggy pieces of veal, that's your choice. Nobody on this thread is saying France is cheap, the discussion is the newspaper article inferring" it's cheaper to get your shopping delivered to France from England". The consensus seems to be it's worth importing certain products. My opinion is bring in what is worth bringing in, but weekly shopping, no way!

[/quote]

I was cooking dinner for our French neighbours and they asked me to make pot au feu de veau - so, yes, I did need to buy the veal...and that was the best I could find.  The delivery charges from the UK are ~20% of the value of the goods (or £1 a litre for paints and varnishes).  When you look at the price differentials the delivery charges are defintely worth it.  Not that I would have bread delivered but...a baguette is €2.50 in our local bakery, in comparison,  I just picked up a large, fresh baked loaf in Morrisons for 68p.  The varnish we ordered was £30+ per tin more expensive in France - the delivery charge was £2.50 per tin.  You can make similar comparisons across most products. IMHO, it's a no brainer. 
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Richard, the discussion was about getting food delivered from the UK on a weekly basis. As Bubbles said where the heck do you pay 2.5 Euro for a baguette, if you do they must see you coming. As for your varnish storey, OK paint in France is expensive. So to play your selective charges game, in Surrey; Mercedes charge £120 an hour service charges. Garage Palant (Mercedes) in Vendome charge 55 Euro an hour, and they give me a free courtesy car. I don't spend a lot of my time in France because France is cheap, I spend it here because I like France and the rural life style we enjoy while here.  In fact if I felt like you and more so Chessie, ( France IS horribly expensive for most things - and the quality of most items - food or electrical or furniture - isn't as good as in the UK.) I wouldn't even bother to set foot in France.
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[quote user="NickP"]Richard, the discussion was about getting food delivered from the UK on a weekly basis. As Bubbles said where the heck do you pay 2.5 Euro for a baguette, if you do they must see you coming. As for your varnish storey, OK paint in France is expensive. So to play your selective charges game, in Surrey; Mercedes charge £120 an hour service charges. Garage Palant (Mercedes) in Vendome charge 55 Euro an hour, and they give me a free courtesy car. I don't spend a lot of my time in France because France is cheap, I spend it here because I like France and the rural life style we enjoy while here.  In fact if I felt like you and more so Chessie, ( France IS horribly expensive for most things - and the quality of most items - food or electrical or furniture - isn't as good as in the UK.) I wouldn't even bother to set foot in France.[/quote]

Sorry NickP you can rant all you like - France is expensive - period.  As prices have increased we have elected to spend less and less time there.  (We will spend just 2 weeks there this year and those two weeks are to sort out practical stuff we can't do by 'phone / online.)  We prefer to rent our place out to the holiday makers who don't need to buy paint and turn a blind eye to grocery prices 'cus they are on holiday. 

Mrs R51

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[quote user="misplacedperson"]"the quality of most items - food or electrical or furniture - isn't as

good as in the UK"

Er, what? You're saying that IKEA and Whirlpool deliberately make sub-standard goods for the French market? You might wish to get some help with that sort of paranoia.[8-)]

[/quote]

They are the same product but have you compared prices?  I know a few people who have bought Ikea stuff in the UK and had it delivered because, even with the delivery costs, it works out cheaper then buying in France.

Mrs R51

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Sorry NickP you can rant all you like - France is expensive - period.  As prices have increased we have elected to spend less and less time there.  (We will spend just 2 weeks there this year and those two weeks are to sort out practical stuff we can't do by 'phone / online.)  We prefer to rent our place out to the holiday makers who don't need to buy paint and turn a blind eye to grocery prices 'cus they are on holiday.

  Sorry Richard if you think I'm on a rant, far from it. All I was trying to point out was; that the original question about people having their weekly shopping delivered to France from England was a non starter. You and then someone else  turned it into an everything in France is more expensive thing, Oh an the quality is lower / Come on!   I get the feeling from your attitude that you have issues with your French experience, maybe things didn't work out as you hoped they would? If so thats a shame for you, but there are lots of British people who do spend a lot of time in France, who don't mind or are not worried about French prices and feel that the few extra quid spent on shopping is money well spent for the enjoyment they get from this country. [:)]

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