We answer your personal questions. Part 3. #frugalityislife #retirement #frugal #budgeting #france

The last part of our Q&A answering your questions concludes with aspects of our personal life on a budget here in France.

Frugal Queen in France

We are a British couple living in Brittany on a budget.
Frugal recipes, days out, home renovations and day to day making do in France.

We’ll give you hints, tips, advice and an insight into our life in France.

Equipment used
Camera : iPhone
Editing : iMovie on a Mac mini

Music:
YouTube Copyright Free
Epidemic Sound

YouTube Audio Library
Apple iMovie*

[deborahlewis]

I agree with your view on gardening - if you have easy access to all that beautiful healthy produce, at affordable prices, it is not worth the battle. Thank you for sharing so much of your life and what you’ve learned.

[Dutch_Gonneke]

Such an interesting video. So nice to hear about your daily routine.
I took up exercising after a long break. Found my bliss here in a swimming pool where I tried out 'aqua spinning' You throw a bike in the water and start cycling... it is a HIIT training. I had no idea what to expect but I was hooked.. never knew I could actually sweat while in the pool 😅

What I took away from your video is that you made a life that suits the both of you well! I love that 👏

I am doing the same. At 59 accepted that although I worked very hard for many years I haven't managed to reach my goals ( wasn't very money wise).
But after 2 hospitalizations 3 years ago I am 100% counting my blessings. Living in Amsterdam at a top location in affordable social housing. Beautiful residential neighborhood. Next to a river. 12 minutes bike to forest. 10 minutes bike Rijksmuseum.
Working parttime as a caregiver. Decided I need a different more cheerful work environment and just applied at garden center who are asking for extra staff to help during Christmas season. And I am a huge xmas fan and Lemax collector. Fingers crossed I will get hired 🤞

[tbee]

Thank you so much for the glimpse into your daily routine and for answering our pesky questions ❤ It is so enlightening to see how other people live. But I know my life would never be that interesting. Thank you!

[paulasimson]

your puppy greeting a "friend" in the mirror! 🥰

[jennyeagan]

My most recent move has been to a reasonable rent seniors apartment complex. There are many trees, shrubs almost entirely for the pollinators. Butterflies, sometimes bees, and hummingbirds. Really enjoy my mornings sipping on hot tea or chocolate, if I am still enough, I can occasionally see these beautiful critters feeding off the hibiscus bush in my front window. Not much room on the porch patio to try and grow too much of anything. Have a set budget every year to see what I can do.

[Sandra-sp]

Thank you, love your daily schedule, you inspire me to get to exercising, used to do it all time, thanks. This year for my garden has been a pain, rethinking like you. Have a great day Jane Mike Dolly and Mary.

[yellownightjar]

Thx for all your videos as I find them relaxing & informative❤️🐾🐾Love the dogs

[moirasutherland]

My son in law said to my daughter we don’t get presents from your parents her reply was we don’t buy them any either. When our girls started earning I said do not buy us presents spend the money on yourself then you get what you want, her friends were surprised when she bought herself a new watch at Christmas when they had no money and she told them our system.

[lorelei]

Excellent job. Doing the math on a prposed saving venture is not always fully thought out. You do you homework. Subscribed a few months ago and have caught up on back videos. Lts of wonderful content. Thx for sharing your experience

[Aquietlyfrugallife]

I watched all 3 Q&A videos. I find the differences in France and the USA fascinating. You could have your plate full of "side hustles" here! Not that you'd want to but there are more options here for them for sure. I can understand with the climate in your particular location and soil conditions that gardening would be a challenge. I gardened this year for the first time since 2020 purely for mental health reasons with no expectations. I have a challenging climate as it's very hot and dry here for a good portion of the year. Also, it's interesting to hear about how your daily schedule is different from my own. I tend to front load my days because by the evening I'd have no brain power left for language lessons! Thank you for sharing your frugal knowledge with us! Always enjoy your videos.

[tuttsclumpcottage]

Love your bright red and gold scarf. It made your face come alive.

[Sally-wmjh]

One question I would have is do you run out of things to talk about since you both are at home so much? Thanks for giving us a little view into your life. Always interesting to see how other frugal people manage.

[elizaC]

You social security is exactly what I am getting now, after collecting for 6 years with 2 raises. Thank goodness my husband earns abit more, and a very small pension. We budget tightly, but we budget for future needs, health care, insurance, automobile, and an emergency fund. Our gifts 🎁 to each other are wants, that lean into the need category. As far as we are practical people, so we are looking at things that will make our daily existence better/easier. The other thing is we travel abroad as often and for as long each time as possible. We travel frugally. We rent places with kitchens, washing machine and is outside of the main tourist areas to keep costs down. We buy a used travel book on the country that we want to visit, and spend time researching the details. We read about what we want to see or do, then we check transportation in the area and then look at surrounding areas for lodging. We prepare breakfast and evening meals at our accommodations and get local meals for lunch. We visit off season always. We avoid the "in places " completely. We use numerous travel sites, apps to alert us to low fare flights, or discount cruises, to get us to our location to begin our travel plans. I too Jane have had a few rough garden seasons in a row, and I am really looking at changing my raised beds to perennials and just hit the local farmers market and Amish farm stands.

[jeannet]

I agree about The Tightwad Gazette! My copy is falling apart.

[angielay]

Good stuff as always, Jane! I would LOVE to see a before and after of your alls barn when it’s done. ❤

[Crochetlady-lo]

Hi Jane! Your life sounds very relaxing to me and very similar to ours. My husband still works but I am retired. I rarely go in my car, usually once or twice a week for errands and groceries is all. I walk around our beautiful neighborhood, do my gardening at least two hours/day, crochet always!, and enjoy cooking from scratch, as does my husband.

Puppies are so sweet!

Hi from USA/SC.😊💕🏝️

[RhondaLorch]

Your practicality regarding gardening is inspiring Jane. We live in a condo and as a life long gardener I have been determined to grow vegetables in pots on our deck and patio. Four tomato plants this year have yielded about as many fruit, the zucchini was nominally better but the flowers have been spectacular. So next year it will be all for show and I’ll buy the veg at the market. No sense spending $$ for no reward.

[carmenalinaiancu]

Jane, you are such a wise lady. Time is so precious. I love gardening too, i tried growing strawberries, peppers and pumpkins and none survived the vermin in the garden in UK. 😅

[mariarooney]

Thank you. So interesting listening about your lifestyle. ❤️

[lynnestait]

I read Carol Drinkwater's 'The Olive Farm' series about the slow rejuvenation of a run down farm they bought in the South of France. Catching up on your vids as I am, from the beginning, I thought your story would make a great book, but also thought, writing a book takes a lot of time, which you don't seem to have a lot spare as you lead a pretty full life as it is, and also the cost implication of self publishing. For those in the UK, for whom the authors name rings a bell but cant place her, she was the original Helen Herriot from the 1970 series of 'All creatures Great & Small', a must watch for any animal mad little girl back then, and the new series of the last few years is just as well acted. I have thoroughly enjoyed these series of videos as I enjoy all of your videos, thank you both