(Is) Everything is terrible and getting worse? #costoflivingcrisis #frugal #learning #prepper

Are these the worst economic conditions we've ever had? Or was it worse before? Can we learn from the past?

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*

[CarolFox-utfg]

In 1970s my friends lived in sheds at the back of their parents’ houses. They nested them, they looked cute and they saved and bought land and self built a home. I offered the same to my son. His comment was “no way” it was beneath him. If you choose to pay rent of $600 to $800 per week, how can you ever save for your own home. Impossible. And my children tell me we had it easy. We paid off a mortgage at 18% and a bridging loan at 24%. The good old days. now we are old, debt free and
So grateful!

[stephaniet]

I live in the US and many of us are struggling. We consider ourselves lucky as we have a house (mortgage almost paid off) and we live frugally in the country. A few days ago my neighbor was complaining about her electric bill that ws $700 this month due to running the AC all day and night. She asked me what my bill was and I told her $90. She looked shocked and asked me how we get our utilities so low. I told her that we don't use AC, only fans and we use a dehumidifier in the basement that is on a timer. She was aghast and said "I would never live without AC, you are crazy!" I just shook my head and said, I'd rather sweat a little and take a cold shower and save my money". Life is truly about choices. Thanks Jane and Mike. This was a great video!

[lindaash]

I am currently living in a vehicle (by choice) because I refuse to pay the amount of rent that landlords are asking. I have a 16 year old daughter who is living 8 hours away from me with some friends of mine, I have just agreed to take on one of her friends who has become homeless and living in a shelter, I have applied for around 50 rentals in the last 2 weeks, started a new job on Monday this week, it's the middle of winter here in Australia, I have no heating and yes it's cold in the camper but everyday when I get out of bed at 4am and freeze, I smile and thank the Lord that I still have my life, I'm still able to do things, I can still help those less fortunate than me and give them something to smile about. People need to value the right things in life instead of judging their success by how much they have or by any other means that can easily be stripped away from them at any moment in time.

[nancykaufman]

We bought our first house in 1983, our mortgage rate was 13.5%, we had two little ones, I spent 100.00 a month on groceries and we wore our jackets in the house instead of turning up the heat. Our favorite escape was to take the kids to a state park close to the house and let them play on the beach at the lake. We went to the Library every two weeks, had no cable TV, never ate out and bought all of our clothes at yard sales. It wasn’t easy, some times we barely scraped by. Even with that, I loved our life and look back on that as the best time in our lives ❤

[KarenJamieson-op]

“Something you take for granted someone else is praying for” (quoted from another channel I watch).
Gratitude brings perspective.

[lynnhensley]

People in the USA need to appreciate what we have. And we need to hold on to our democracy. Thanks to all the other countries around the world who are supporting us.
Thanks for all your videos, Jane and Mike and the doggies! ❤❤❤❤ 🐶🐶🐶

[martiansmarigolds]

This is so true, I survive by being frugal. My parents survived by being frugal. People need to stop pretending buying a home was easy and it was all sunshine and rainbows. Its nonsense. 1970's were really rough to grow up in but we were happy. Well fed with a roof over our head. My parents struggled to make that happen. We cooked all our meals, cookies were never from a box ever. Pantry was feed when we could with basics. We simply never had take out at all, ever. I had to take over the food shopping and cooking of meals at 14 due to my mothers illness. I had a fraction of the money other families had and still had to make it work for a family of six. I learned a lot from my parents . I would not change those difficult time for anything, so many valuable lessons learned that have shaped my life. The value of a good sale and a pantry. I have friends many younger and older than me who refuse to change the way they live now. They do take out almost daily while going deeper in debt. "Its just a muffin" "I needed it" Its a sort of fiscal blindness. Talking to people sharing tips I hit a wall. How you handle hard times is a reflection on who you are. Theres no room for lazy in bad times, it can always get worse and you need to be prepared.

[jessieelliott]

Many of us are riding on the shoulders of those who came before us. For me (living in a developed and comparitively wealthy country) it is sobering to spare a thought for those who toughed it out before us and have built up infrastructure and health and safety policies and procedures. After a recent trip to a developing nation i came home so thankful for the fresh air, the clean water on tap and enforced building safety codes.

[YvonneOakes]

This is one of the most profound videos that you have posted. We have subjectively had a cr*p couple of weeks both financially and on an emotional level BUT we have all of the good things you talked about and more. It’s good sometimes to have a reality check, and to be thankful for what we do have.

[dianamcnaught]

Frugality and saving money needs to be done consistently over a long period of time to see the benefits. I think nowadays we are so used to getting instant gratification, no one wants to wait for anything

[michelehagerman]

Great video, Jane! I’m an older Gen X (just a few years younger than you). What irks me the most about the younger generation is their attitude about work. They’re too precious about it. I know people who will turn out good jobs, with a 15-30 minute commute, because they’re not allowed to work from home. Yet, they complain they don’t have enough money to make their bills. They are being too picky. Sometimes you just have to suck it up for a while to get ahead or stabilize your situation. These are single people. I grew up in the US Great Lakes area and still live in the region. I have never been afraid to work. I had mostly paid off my one debt recently and had a small emergency fund. But then my 6 year old car had too many problems that couldn’t be figured out or were more than the car was worth to fix. I bought a new car that I’m thrilled with and it’s safer and more fuel efficient to drive. Yes, I have a payment, but I’ll be paying it off ASAP. I was hoping to drive the old car longer to save up more, but that’s life! We live so much better than the wealthiest people have throughout history. Air conditioning! Lighting you don’t have to worry about burning your home down with (candles, etc). There are labor laws and safety regulations that didn’t exist a century ago.

[lindadorman]

People need to get over this doomsday outlook. Every generation has its challenges. Our role is to make the best of it, and try to improve. My parents sacrificed a lot to raise 4 children and put us through university. The best lesson they taught us is to be grateful for what we have, work hard and respect others. I choose joy over fear, peace over chaos, and love over hate. The world is what we make it. If everything is terrible, look in the mirror. It's not up to anyone else to make you happy.

[Crochetlady-lo]

I remember in 1976 when my dad lost his long time job at a full service gas station ( I was 13 and my sister was 10)…. It would be 10 years before my dad found the city job he retired from ( he was 41 at the time, with a wife and two kids, and a mortgage)… my mom worked though so between that and many jobs in between, they managed!

Also my husband and I lived in a studio apartment for 2.5 years with zero amenities, then a small condo, before we purchased our forever home in November.

Worked hard and sacrificed much and are so grateful for our home in this wonderful neighborhood 3 miles from the beach.

Ty for your videos always.

Hi from US/SC💕😊🏝️🌎

[aliliveswellonless]

I have 3 dear friends who constantly say to me they want to retire early (like me) as their job is making them physically and mentally ill. But when I show them how I've done it they say they don't want to do it. I downsized from a spacious 4 bedroom detached house in an area I loved and moved to a smaller 2 bed semi on the edge of town. I also bought a flat to rent to a family member (who can't get on the housing market) so I have a little extra income. I live on a teeny tiny teacher's pension and I think I actually live really well. And my 3 dear friends comment that I am living well but they can't/won't even consider changing anything so they can retire early too.

[seekingtheminimumlevel]

You are spot on! It's all about our attitudes, and I've always said that comparison is the thief of joy. Challenges change over time, but there are always challenges. Some people take the approach of challenge accepted and some have an excuse for every possible solution. Some see the glass half full and others see it half empty.

All my children have taken mission trips to third world countries and say people their ages (20s and 30s) all need to do likewise to gain perspective on just how good those who live in a first world country have it. Yes, as you said, there are those in first world countries who suffer as well, but those I and my adult children encounter complaining are not truly suffering.

Just this week I watched another YouTube video about how those who spend money on certain discretionary purchases, mostly involving eating out, could easily save $13, 000 US dollars per year by DIYing their own meals. I felt very validated in my frugal choices because we never eat out and don't miss it. Whenever I'm obliged to participate in a work-sponsored (work pays) meal out, I am usually disappointed in the quality of the food. Plus, I have to avoid foods with artificial ingredients or have adverse health reactions.


Love your videos. Please keep inspiring and motivating us.

[yvettenj]

Me and my friend were just talking the other day about how blessed we are to have the things we have and that we should be grateful instead of always bellyaching about how bad things are. It could really be worse if we were homeless and hungry.

[carlienvandernet]

You are absolutely right. I live on disability money so I’m not rich at all but I’m happy with the life that I can live. When I was in a lot of debt I was very stressed and depressed but after learning to live with the money I got I paid off my debts and now I can just feel free again. Yes there are days that I do live on some bread with fried eggs or some pasta with a little bit of meat or lettuce with some tomatoes (I only eat once a day by choice), but I just love the fact that I can eat and save money and buy a book if I want to or go out to the theater. These things are all luxury already 😊.

[katherinerichardson]

Since my husband and I both had parents that grew up during the Depression in the U.S., we unconsciously took on the frugal habits they had to do to live. It came as second nature to us to reuse, recycle and redo items. We never thought about what we did as unusual until a couple that we knew expressed how "weird" we did things. Looking back at those early days of our marriage, I do not regret the actions we took to buy 2 houses, many cars, good used furniture and a number of other ways we purchased items. Today, we do not have any debt of any kind, and we are more conscience about how we travel, shop and eat. You have to have a mind set that "things do not make you a success" in life.

[nodramaplease]

Thank you, Jane. As always, I appreciate your positive attitude! My mother tells of when she was young and how exciting it was when her family got electricity, a telephone and indoor plumbing. We often fail to appreciate all these things that make life easier and more pleasant. Today, being frugal gives me peace of mind. I don't mind taking many of the measures you discuss because I don't have to worry about how we will pay the bills.

[jacd]

Some people often take the « Victim » mode route - so it’s no wonder they are not looking forward only backward. It’s their choice and they could change if they so choose. I love your positive attitude Jane & Mike……..so down to earth and above all DOABLE. ❤