Meet a French Reader | F, from Paris
I just love it when international readers write in, offering to participate in this series; it's so much fun to get a glimpse into life in various parts of the world. Today, we're meeting F, a Parisian reader.
Here's F:
1. Tell us a little about yourself
I am a 36-year-old French gal, living in Paris, France. I am happily single and childless by choice - I never saw myself having children, although I adore kids.
I have nephews and nieces, many of my friends have children, and I love them all, but I am just perfectly happily being The Cool Aunt™.
The Cool Aunt sewed an Advent calendar for a friend's child, using 100% repurposed materials
I worked for the same market research company for 10+ years, but was let go in July this year. Since I had been wanting to change jobs for a while, I am taking the opportunity to step down from work and find myself a new career.
Right now I am looking for a consulting firm to start what we could translate as a "skills assessment": a 4-6 months process, during which they help you know yourself better and try and then find the best job for you, based on who you are, your values, your priorities etc. I'm not sure this exists/is widely spread in the US, but in France it's very common. I am quite excited to start this journey!
Other than that, I love traveling, walking/hiking, sewing (especially mending!), DIY/finding cheap solutions to practical problems (like reader Rose, I thank Google and YouTube everyday!), TV shows, fanfiction, and assembling IKEA furniture.
Contrary to the *overwhelming* majority of French people I am not a foodie, and I hate cooking with a burning (ha!) passion. I do have a sweet tooth, especially for sorbet, and I will probably eat any type of dessert you'll throw my way. I like baking cakes, making crepes or anything sweet and uncomplicated.
I am very impressed by the WIS, WWA posts every week!
Beautiful Provence, France
2.How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I believe since 2010; I'm not sure how I ended up here, probably from a Pinterest post. I came for the frugality, but stayed for the positivity and overall good vibe 🙂
I read Kristen's blog everyday, and hers is the only blog I read regularly.
One of my favorite hikes in Canada this fall: Myra Canyon Trestles
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
When I started my job in Paris in 2010, my salary was very low, and I had trouble making ends meet/saving money. Rent was almost half my income at the time, and everyday living costs in Paris are very high, especially when you're young and no one taught you how to be reasonable and how to budget.
I searched for tips and tricks on the internet to help me budget better. I had lived on my own before as a student, but was supported by my parents and didn't feel as much responsibility towards money until I earned my own and didn't depend on them.
The park closest to my apartment, where I do my jogging
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
As you may have guessed I am a very independent person, I choose to live solo, and in order to do that without worrying about money while still living comfortably, I need to be smart financially.
I also realized a few years ago that I didn't really believe anymore in the overspending/ consumer society that we're living in, so I'm trying to buy less overall, waste less, repair more, etc.
Frayed jeans that I mended thanks to a YouTube tutorial
5. What's your best frugal win?
Parisian life is crazy expensive, so my frugal wins lie in the everyday life. I always try to find coupon codes, free alternatives, or simply: not buying the item. I always ask myself 'do I really need this?', and, perhaps more importantly, 'is there room in the apartment to store this?'.
Since I don't have children, Kristen's 'Could this be an heirloom?' philosophy doesn't really apply to my situation, but I rephrased it in my head as 'will this last several years/a lifetime?'.
I love going to the cinema so I have a monthly plan where I pay $25 and can go as many times as I want within the cinema's network. One full price ticket costs $12.50 over here so it's a good deal when you go regularly.
Most recently, renting a car online ahead of my trip to Canada has saved me hundreds of dollars: I spent $900 for my rental, for one month. Most rental agencies offered twice this price, because there was a shortage of rental cars at the time. The trick is to compare websites, only rent from the big agencies (not the budget ones), and try different discount codes and even different websites for the same agency - i.e. their website from Italy, Spain, the UK, the US, France etc.
Just make sure to check the currency, as dollars, euros and British pounds are definitely not the same!
Autumn colors in Revelstoke, British Columbia
6. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
I spent $300 on a pair of shoes. 25 year-old-me was an idiot.
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
Travels and electronics.
I love traveling, and started traveling solo in 2018, when I spent 3 weeks visiting New York City, Chicago, and DC.
In 2019 I spent 3 weeks in California.
The Lone Cypress in Monterey, California
In 2020, because of the pandemic, I stayed in France and spent 3 weeks in Provence, in the southeast of France.
And in September-October 2021, I spent one month in Canada (British Columbia and Alberta).
My trips are not cheap, because I do not compromise on accommodation - no camping or hostels for me! - and no one splits the costs with me. Hotels, car rentals, gas, national parks entry fees, etc. are all on me. I save money on hotels by choosing motels and cheap (but clean 😉) hotels, and on food by eating sandwiches or cheap things.
As I dislike spending for visits, I generally stay away from museums, amusement parks, or expensive touristy attractions. I love hiking and walking in cities, and these are mostly free.
A before pandemic trip to Reunion Island, where my best friend lives
As for electronics, I prefer having a reliable smartphone that takes great photos over a cheap one that doesn't work well. So when my phone or laptop break down, I usually buy the latest models but make them last for years.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Like most of Kristen's readers it seems: beauty products, expensive clothes and jewelry. I do wear expensive perfume, and always have as far as I remember; my dad always included perfume as a Christmas present since we were kids.
I also have a few designer handbags that I received as gifts for milestone birthdays (20th, 25th, 30th)
Sakura in bloom, in a Parisian park
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
Probably a downpayment for an apartment.
I am still renting a very small studio apartment - 240 square feet/22 meters square. My plan for 2020 was to stop renting and finally own a bigger place, but the pandemic and my dad passing away that year delayed this project.
Then I was let go, and there is zero way of obtaining a mortgage in France without a 'permanent contract' job, so this project will probably be postponed until late 2022 or 2023.
If I had to spend the $1000 right now, I would donate half to charity and spend the rest on a getaway weekend, brunch with a friend, and Christmas presents.
Tea with a friend last week, at a Japanese place in Paris
10.Share a frugal tip with other Frugal Girl readers
If you have trouble staying out of debt, I recommend being honest with (but kind to) yourself and really assess where your money is going.
Start a new Excel spreadsheet, open up your past 3 monthly bank statements, and fill in everything that came and went in these 3 months: income, random expenses, groceries, utilities etc. Then divide by three to get a monthly average.
This was a wake-up call for me, helping me identify the money that went down the drain. I used to spend a lot at Amazon or H&M, on unnecessary stuff, but since all purchases were for small amounts I didn't realize how much those added up at the end of the month.
I also unsubscribed from all shopping-related email newsletters: this was a game changer, there is now much less temptation to buy things I don't need!
Just be kind to yourself, everyone makes dumb purchases, and marketers, magazines and Instagram know how to lure you into purchasing stuff you don't need.
Joffre Lakes, British Columbia
Another tip that's both frugal and effective in boosting happiness: a decade ago I started a project where I took two empty jars, and put "good moments" in one jar, and "bad moments" in another jar.
The good times and bad times jars: first edition
I repeated this exercise for a few years, then in 2017, to be more practical, I decided to dedicate a notebook to this purpose, and to only include good moments. I started with "3 good things that happened today", then "at least 3 good things" because 3 wasn't enough, and now it's "at least 5 good things".
A twist to Kristen's Thankful Thursdays, if you will. If you're ever feeling down at some point in your life, I encourage you to try this for a few weeks. It's free, and the results may surprise you.
For example, I learnt that most moments that brought me joy were shared with friends or family. This surprised me because I'm a huge nerd, and one of the most introverted people you'd ever meet! So now I know that when I'm feeling down, I should reach out to a friend or favorite family member and things will get better.
11. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
I think a few other European readers have mentioned this but the health system is very different over here. Just like the German system described by Lea, the French system is based on taxes so it is not free per se, but I never have to worry about a medical bill. I do have out of pocket expenses for non-necessary treatments, but nothing major that would put me in debt.
Same goes for unemployment, I can take around a year and a half off because I have accumulated enough 'unemployment rights' to get benefits for a long time.
People don't really live on credit here, most of us have a mortgage and maybe take a loan to pay for a car, but that's it. We use debit cards (but we call them credit cards, no idea why 😅).
We also have very cheap telecommunications plans. For example, my smartphone plan has unlimited calls, SMS, MMS, and 80go data and costs $17 monthly (not including the smartphone itself).
There's a cool app in France called "Too good to go", where you can buy products and food that didn't sell in time from restaurants, bakeries, delis and supermarkets around you, at a very discounted price. Not all the deals are worth the money, but it will put food on the table.
Another app called "The Fork", allows you to book a table online, with a 30-50% discount most of the time. A great way to try out a place that would have otherwise been out of your price range. If some readers are heading to vacation in France, that's a useful app to have.
It is not very frugal, but I love sending and receiving postcards. This is me sending 40+ custom postcards from Canada, to my friends and family. I usually print a photo collage at Walmart/CVS and write on the back, which I think might be cheaper than postcards, but you have to buy envelopes.
Kristen, thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in this Meet a Reader series!
-F from France
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F, I adore your good times/bad times jars. What a wonderful idea! I also love that you guys have an app that allows people to rescue food that might go to waste.
And since I've been to California several times, my curiosity was piqued by your trip: what all did you visit while you were in CA?
Hi F,
that was nice to read about you and your life in Paris.
Compared to what the American readers write it all sounds so familiar and similar to life in Germany - no worry about healthinsurance or unemployment, obviously enough paid vacation days to be able to do extensive travelling etc. Here in Germany we even have the same app you mentioned!
But I cannot find a blog in German which would be as pleasant und interesting and consistent as the Frugal Girl!
Your description of life sounds so full of energy and positive! And your idea with the two jugs is wonderful!
Keep up your positive attitude. I am sure you have lots more to share in this community and I am looking forward to learning more from you!
@Lea, Thank you for your comment! Your Meet the Reader entry also felt very familiar to me. It is true that we have so many more vacation days than folks in North America. I honestly don't know I would manage with only 2 weeks per year!
The jars idea was not mine initially, I found it on Pinterest, I think a family was filling jars in all year and opening them up at Christmas or Thanksgiving, using this time to reflect on the past year and share a nice moment as a family.
I agree Kristen's blog is very different than others, the positivity, kindness and overall wholesomeness is quite unique!
@F from France, This is a wonderful idea to do as a family! In my journal I have a monthly list of best memories and worst memories. Most of them have to do with my children - I look forward to starting family jars when they are old enough to understand and contribute.
Hi F great to read from you!
In movies, people in Paris always have tiny apartments in buildings with a shared concierge. Is this anywhere near the truth? You did mention that housing is very expensive!
Thank you @J NL! Although every country is different, you could say that relatively, Paris housing is as expensive in France as Manhattan housing is in America.
The apartments are very tiny indeed, as most of them used to be big in the 1900s, but were split in smaller units over time/after the war.
It is true that a lot of buildings have a shared concierge, but not all of them. Mine does, even though I don't live in a 'traditional' and fancy Haussmannian building. Concierges are housed on the ground floor/first floor for free, and take care of cleaning the shared areas/garden if there is one, keeping your packages, giving directions to workers, etc. A bit like a doorman in the US (I think?), but they live in the building. It's awesome, to be honest, and my concierge is a super nice person, always ready to help or chat. Unfortunately this concierge system is progressively disappearing, because it can be quite expensive (tenants pay their salary), and the housing market is critically unbalanced: there is way more demand than available places, so some buildings are letting the concierge go and renting out or selling the concierge's apartment.
Thank you for your questions 🙂
It’s wonderful to meet you! Your interview is filled with great advice. I feel similarly about our consumerist culture.
I used an spreadsheet years ago similar to the one you suggest to track my expenditures. It was eye opening! It helped me to change my spending habits and to make some lifestyle decisions.
I love your photo of the Lone Cypress. I have a painting of this that I purchased at auction. It was a bargain!!! The Monterey Peninsula is beautiful exceptionally so. It is one of my favorite places. I hope you drove through Big Sur. I can’t remember if the PCH was fully repaired in 2019.
Thanks for a look into your life!
Lovely to meet you as well, @Bee!
I'm glad I wasn't the only one to get my budget back on track this way! It seemed so basic, but no one had told me to do this before. Very efficient method, if you're ready to be honest with yourself and make the hard decisions after.
The Lone Cypress and the 17 mile drive were a highlight of my CA trip, so beautiful! I did visit a section of Big Sur, I spent a day there, around Andrew Molera Beach, on the way from Monterey to Santa Barbara. Amazing vibe, very wild, I loved it! The PCH was open, but I think some parts were still closed at the time (I went in September 2019). It's hard to take bad photos of this area, the landscapes are so beautiful!
Thanks for your comments 🙂
I'm a bit envious of your ability to travel. Sadly I don't have the ability to take three weeks off in one stretch (unless it was a once in a lifetime event and got special permission from management.) Of course the actual *act* of traveling (e.g. driving, flying) I really hate.
Reunion Island looks nice. I know I had heard of it before but took a quick look and it does seem very pleasant. I guess it's like New Caledonia in that it's a place that France still owns but people outside of France rarely ever hear of.
I'm trying to think if Mr. FG could take three weeks off if he ever wanted to. Hmm. I think if he saved up enough vacation days, he might be allowed to take them all at once.
Obviously I can do whatever I want, since I work for myself! You can blog from anywhere with an internet connection.
@Kristen, and @Battra92,
It is true that us Europeans have a lot of vacation days compared to North Americans. It's so normal to me that I forgot to mention that! Legally, you get 5 weeks (or 25 days) off if you work full time. But if you work more than the legal hours per week, most companies will compensate these hours in your contract. I used to have the legal 25 days + 12 days for overtime + 2 extra days because I had worked for 10+ years (in that company you received 1 day per 5 years of experience, but this varies). This means 8 weeks total; most of my friends and family have a similar amount of vacation days. This is why in France, most people can take 3 weeks off in the summer.
You get a LOT more if you are a teacher and/or if you work in the public sector. Some companies also reward you better if you stay with them longer, or if you do a lot of overtime.
We also have a bunch of public holidays throughout the year, but contrary to the US, UK, or Canada, when one of these occurs on a weekend, we don't get the Monday off to compensate.
@Battra92, it's funny that you say you hate the actual act of traveling because to me, this is 100% part of the vacation! I am already in vacation mode when I head to the airport, and I really enjoy flying. I can admit though that driving can be very tiring. My recent roadtrip in Canada included a lot of driving (3100+ miles) and by the end I was exhausted!
You are totally right about Reunion Island, it is a former colony, located on the east of Africa, near Madagascar. It used to be a great spot for surfing and ocean related activities, but in the past 10-15 years, the sharks have become a very big problem. It's still a superb place for hiking, the landscapes are gorgeous, with volcanos and rainforests. I'm lucky my best friend lives there because I only have to buy a plane ticket, but otherwise it is very expensive.
Many years ago, I wanted to do a three-week Outward Bound trip. Though I had enough time accrued, when I asked my boss for three weeks, he said NO. I said, "Okay then, I'll give *you* three weeks." Best leave-a-job decision I ever made! The trip was challenging and a blast. I was able to stretch it out to four weeks. Glorious!
BTW, it was supposed to be a New England cycling trip, but after I quit that job, they switched from New England to Nova Scotia. The week I added was to see New England, where I have family, a double bonus.
@Dicey, this seems wild to me to be refused vacation if you had enough time accrued! Over here it can be a bit of a negotiation with your manager if the moment you want to take the vacation has heavy workload or if everyone on the team wants to leave at the same time, but I've never had any real issue. However, in my job, my notice is 3 months, so that's not a move I can make as easily as you 😀 The French system protects the employees, but is also less flexible.
Good for you to have been able to leave for 4 weeks ! That's what I did for my most recent trip and I really saw a difference, that extra week was very nice to have! Awesome to have been able to go to Nova Scotia AND New England! I'm sure you took gorgeous photos!!
I hadn't heard about Outward Bound, but I looked it up and we have similar organizations in France, I've done 2 trips with them and loved both!
Hi F! Ooof, I love Paris. What a beautiful city. I've always wanted to visit Reunion, as well.
As a fellow nerdy introvert, I'm intrigued by your Good Times/Bad Times notebook. Also, compliments on your amazing English.
Hi @Rose,
Lovely to meet another nerdy introvert! I really encourage you to try the good times/bad times notebook or jars, you might be as surprised as I was! The first year I did the jars, at the end of the year I opened every paper and tried to sort the moments into categories... 95% of the good moments were shared with friends or family. The introvert in me was baffled, to say the least. It really helped me shape my life differently, change some habits I had, and see the world differently.
Thank you for complimenting my English, it means a lot!
Hi F! Your paragraph about being a huge nerd and introvert (me too) but learning that being around people you love has the ability to make you feel better struck a chord with me. I didn't have anything as concrete as your lists of good things to tell me that, but it's something I slowly realized over time. I always THINK I want to be by myself when I'm upset, but then I get too into my own head, which is generally not a good place to be.
Also: Thumbs up on that Advent calendar (and the Twix filling it 🙂
Hi @kristin @ going country,
This was such an eye opener for me, I was miles away from realizing the impact human connections had on my mood and well-being! Like you, I enjoy time in my own head up to a certain point. A good conversation or stroll in good company work wonders, though!
Thank you for the compliments on the advent calendar, to be honest some "pockets" were a bit too tight, I had to use a little force 😀 but it worked, and the kid was happy!
Hi Kristen,
Thanks for your questions! About my trip in California, I landed in San Francisco where I spent a week; then I drove down to LA, spending a night in Monterey and another in Santa Barbara. I visited Big Sur and loved the day I hiked there! I spent a few days in LA then spent a few days in Sequoia NP and another few days in Yosemite NP. Then I spent a few days in Lake Tahoe and looped back to SF and flew back home! It was a great trip, I wish I would have taken the time to visit San Diego but one thing that's really different in North America vs Europe is the 'vastness' of these areas, the impression of space and long distances is very different! It would have taken too long to go all the way down to San Diego. I might go there for another trip 🙂
@F from France, San Diego is fantastic! It's one of my favorite cities in CA. Thanks for sharing about your life. I visited Paris is 1999 and am overdue for another trip. I loved the pastries, bread, architecture, and art. Your English is flawless, by the way!
@F from France, The San Diego to LA route is wonderful, but very different from Central California. If you do this trip one day, consider taking the ferry to Catalina Island from Dana Point. It is a great place to hike, kayak and snorkel.
@Beth B., thank you!!
We do make great bread and pastries! It's kind of a curse though, because when we travel we are often disappointed by the bakeries (especially the baguettes/bread), it's hard to find similar ones outside of France!
The Paris architecture and art are really beautiful, I am still amazed by the buildings, when I wander the streets. If you are able to, I can also recommend Italy, they have great art and architecture, and extremely tasty food 🙂
@Bee, thank you for the recommendations! I've saved this in my 'travel tips' list!!
Another great interview. It was fun to read about your life and love the amount of travel you have been able to do.
Kristen,
There is a new program that Giant is piloting at a location in a suburb not too far from us:
Giant Food Partners with Flashfood on Pilot Program to Save Customers Money on Groceries and Reduce Food Waste:
https://giantfood.com/pages/giant-food-partners-with-flashfood-on-pilot-program/?_loopback=1
Ooh, I will check this out. Thank you!
Thank you @K D 🙂 I am grateful that I can travel so much and to such great places!
So great that this food saving concept is coming to the US!
@K D, thank you for this! I also live near-ish to these suburbs.
@K D, I use the Flashfood app in Canada ( and the Too Good To Go (TGTG) app is starting here also)
Flashfood at the Real Canadian Superstore near me is AMAZING.
It costs $5.00 and I always get way more value that this in my box.
Let it work the kinks out. So try when it comes out and if not satisfied try again in a couple of months. Sometimes you get fruit / vegetables close to use by date. Actually most of my items are perfectly good but I can see they have put in new stock and are packaging the older items up.
I look when I want to restock on items like lettuce, you will get all the off season fruit like strawberries , guava, blueberries, mango. Sometimes it can be plenty of potatoes and onions but check a couple of times a week, the good stuff is definitely in them.
I am an early riser and can see that the overnight shift puts the boxes together so frequently I get a good crack at the majority of the boxes as they are uploaded.
@TG, I agree that you need to try Too Good To Go several times and/or at different places before forming an opinion. I haven't used it a lot at supermarkets, because as a flexitarian and lactose-intolerant consumer, I've been given several products I wouldn't eat, but I've had luck sometimes. One deal that I haven't tried is the "breakfast leftovers deal" at hotels, you have to pick it up during the day which wasn't really possible for me while working full time, but now that I'm not working, I might give it a try!
I'm sure everyone thanks you for being the Cool Aunt! I had one growing up and that was such a joy for me (and I'm sure my parents were grateful as well). That's such a good tip about being sure you know where your money is going, especially the small amounts, since those little purchases are so easy to overlook, but add up fast. We find that's especially true for us with cash purchases so we're trying to record those down every time. Thank you for sharing this glimpse into your life, and all the lovely pictures!
@Suz, I totally agree about the small purchases! When you don't earn much, these add up and can put you in debt, which is what happened to me. I am grateful to be living in the age of the internet, with so much information about budgeting and frugal living at our fingertips + such a great community here!
I also had two Cool Aunts growing up!
I have often done a thankfulness notebook but will do a "Three Good Things" notebook for 2022. Thank you for this idea. The world needs more fantastic Aunties. The solo life can be hard but has its perks.
@Nancy, I hope this notebook brings you joy, and a new perspective! It did for me, so much so that I never stopped!
I agree about solo life, for me it's 95% perks and 5% downsides, but it's clearly not for everyone and that's ok!
HI F! I love your gratitude jar / journal idea and I 100% agree that it is a GAME CHANGER! I also think it's great you're able to have the time to really discover what you want to do next for your career. How exciting!
@Julie, I am quite excited as well! Thank you for your comments 🙂
F, it's so nice to meet you!
My cousin lived in France for many years and he told us about how different from the U.S. that some things are in France, one of them being the vacation time available there. His kids learned five languages while living in France; I continue to wish that the U.S. was better at teaching languages. Your English is very good.
Your sewing looks great, and learning how to repair is very frugal! That was a perfect mend on those jeans.
I've said numerous times that I should keep a thankfulness journal. With your inspiration, maybe now I will do it!
Nice to meet you as well @JD, and thank you for your compliments!
Five languages?! I'm very impressed, especially because France is famous for being very bad at teaching languages 😀 We're at the bottom of the list among European countries in this area. I guess it gets easier once your brain knows two, then three, etc, but still, this is very impressive!
The mended jeans are my favorite pair, so I thought I'd try anything I could find to keep them in shape! So far, so good!
I can only encourage you to start your thankfulness journal tonight! I know some people like to wait until the New Year or a special occasion to start a new habit but I found that when I did that, I forgot about it when the moment had come, so better start right away 😉
@F from France,
You are right, I would absolutely forget by New Year's, so I'll start my journal now. I'm glad you brought that up.
F from France, thank you for this fascinating glimpse into your life. Kudos to you on creating a mindful, intentional life for yourself. As an older woman, I am always happy to see a younger person living on their own terms early on in the game of life. Your tips are spot-on for any age. Like you, I try to be The Cool Aunt. You know you've succeeded in making a positive impact on your nieces/nephews when you witness their delight in the moment and in later years when they're reminiscing. Just the greatest feeling. I wish you all the best in crafting your future; I have a feeling you'll choose well!
@MB in MN, Thank you so much for your comments and encouragements!
I have one nephew whose face *lights up* when he sees me for the first time in a while, this is so priceless! They are still a bit young to reminisce but I know their parents sometimes tell me that their kids mentioned a memory they had with me, which is such a great feeling!
I've always been very stubborn, even as a child, but I admit the late twenties were tough for me in terms of society's expectations. It has calmed down now, thankfully. I am glad of the choices I made, I don't think I would be as happy as I am today had I chosen a different path.
The new career is a big unknown, but I can't wait to see where this leads me!
Hi F! Great post. Nice to meet you. Hope you get a bigger apt soon. Sorry about the loss of your dad. NYC museums have free days and pay what you want days. A tip for your next trip here. During college I visited Paris. Loved the Eiffel Tower. Had no idea the Mona Lisa was so small.
@Anita Isaac, thanks for the condolences, and for the tips! That's a great system you have for museums! I love NY, I'm sure I'll come back to visit! I'd also love to spend some time in Boston, I visited in '09 but only spent 3 days there.
In Paris, most museums are free the first Sunday of the month, but they are sooooo crowded that day, it is not worth it to me. I think now that I am unemployed I can access a few museums for free though, I'll have to look into that.
The Eiffel tower is still a joy to look at 12 years after moving to Paris, especially at night, when it sparkles every hour.
The Mona Lisa is overrated is my opinion! There are many more impressive paintings in the Louvre, although I guess it depends on what you look for and what type of art you like 🙂 But like you I was shocked by its size!
F ~ It was so interesting to read about your life and your travels. But the remark that "25 year old me was an idiot." made me LOL. I have told myself this same thing more than once! I knew then, if we ever were fortunate enough to meet IRL, we would be fast friends!
@sfeather, always glad to meet like-minded people! We all make dumb purchases, but buying overpriced shoes when you're not even remotely into fashion was really, really stupid 😀 I learnt a lot from this 'incident' though! I think it was around that time that I decided to look more into frugality - such an absurd expense made a dent in my budget that was hard to ignore!
Nice to meet you.
I too looove to send a receive postcards.
When I was in Paris ( twice) neatly all I ate was DELICIOUS BREAD!!!
@Stephanie, I'm glad to find another postcards lover among readers! It's become quite rare but I really like this tradition!
We do have delicious bread over here 😉 It's hard to find similar quality abroad! I don't buy fresh baguette every day - some people do! - but will indulge over the weekend, along with a good croissant!
@F from France, Thank you for sharing your story with us! I think of Paris with great affection because of the people I traveled there with.
I love sending postcards and can get a lot of news written on the back of the card. I do not know this organization from experience, only that it has been around for a number of years, to exchange postcards from around the world. https://www.postcrossing.com/
@Heidi Louise, thank you for the recommendation! I'd heard about this service years ago but completely forgot about it! I've added it to my favorites. Thanks!!!
Nice to meet you, F. I love your "will it last?" buying philosophy. We see way too many cheaply made products for sale here in the US. I think its gotten worse with covid19. Usually you get better quality secondhand.
I'm in awe of your invisible jeans repair! All the best in your career reset!
Thank you @Elaine N for your comments & well wishes!
I've also noticed the degraded quality of goods over the past few years, especially products that are made of plastic: it seems to me that manufacturers have decided to reduce the thickness of plastic parts, resulting in more flimsy/breakable products.
About the mended jeans, I watched a dozen of YouTube tutorials but finally chose this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJISOrbCsUo . It's well explained and quite easy to do, as long as you have a sewing machine. Ideally you'll need to use matching thread so that the mend is not too visible. I didn't have any denim fabric to reinforce the mend like she does in her video, so I used a scrap of heavy cotton fabric. It's a testament to how good the method is because the gray fabric doesn't show at all!
The good times/bad times is great for folks who like visual cues. I will have to steal that!
@Lindsey, I stole that idea from Pinterest myself 😀 I am a very visual person and this worked really well for me. The benefits were almost immediate: 2 or 3 months after starting, it became clear that only the "good times" jar was filling up - I even had to use a bigger jar than I planned initially!
I think it could be a good activity to do with children or teens as well, especially if some are struggling. I wish I had known about this in middle school and high school!
Hi F,
It's lovely to meet you. Thank you for sharing, you have inspired me to try more things to live well, but frugally.
We have Too Good To Go here in NYC. I haven't tried it yet, but your mention of it intrigued me and I will look into it. My husband and I do like to try new restaurants, but we are also trying to stick to a budget as I am the only one with a steady income right now. Like Paris, it is very expensive to live here but we can't imagine ourselves living anywhere else.
I love what you did with the jeans! It's inspiring to see people doing such things to make their clothing last longer and look good while doing it.
Cheers!
Hi @AnnieH, great to see that TGTG is also available in NY! All the deals are not great, I've had bad surprises sometimes but as reader TG says, it can be a good strategy to try out a few times and see what you like and dislike.
I hope you can also get an American version of "The Fork", it's a great way to try out restaurants, I often get 30% off this way.
I can totally relate to your not wanting to leave NY, I've visited twice and really, really loved it, it felt like home to me! If I do leave Paris, I don't think I'd be living anywhere else in France, but abroad - Canada, US - could be an option for me 🙂
I'm so happy that you visited Alberta and British Columbia! My daughter lives there in Kelowna, with her husband and 6 children. We visited Myra Canyon trestles on one of my visits.
@Darlene McKee, it was my favorite hike I think!! I went on the morning of Canadian Thanksgiving, there were lots of families taking a stroll, it was great! There was snow on the sides of the trail and it was really cold, but the sun was shining, the sky bright blue... great conditions! I was very impressed by the wooden bridges and tracks. Hard to believe they've been here for 100+ years.
I had been wanting to visit this area of Canada for a few years, and I'm very glad I went this fall, everywhere I went was so beautiful. I mostly stayed in BC but went to Jasper NP & Banff NP, which are in Alberta 🙂
It’s so nice to meet you, F! I love Europe and France! I worked as a French teacher here in the US. I majored in French in college, was an exchange student in high school, and studied abroad in Quebec in college. I worked as an assistant director for study abroad in Rouen in college. I took several French lit courses in Rouen and was surprised to read and study just one novel for an entire novel for one semester. We were supposed to read it and reread it several times, very different than how it’s done in the US. I have really fond memories of Paris and Rouen. I lived in the Marais for a month and got to explore and know Paris. I’d love to go back and rent an apartment in Paris for a month or two!
@Susan_SFL, nice to meet a francophile 🙂 The Marais is definitely the best neighborhood in Paris, I'm not surprised you loved it so much!
I stopped taking French classes after high school but we definitely read several books throughout the year in middle school and high school. Maybe in college they go more in depth about the books they have you read though! Sometimes it also depends on the Professor.
I've visited Rouen for a weekend a few years ago, and really liked the vibe as well!
Quebec is also really nice, I spent a semester in Montreal for my Masters degree, and visited Quebec City in winter time and spring time: two very different experiences! I really love the French Canadian accent, so cute <3
Hi F and thanks for sharing these interesting thoughts and experiences! And also, like the other readers from abroad, for having such great skill with the English language.
This was a delight, not least because one of our sons is married to a girl from Paris. They live in Boston and because of the awesome bread and pastries in France, she has scoped out a French-owned bakery there with authentic foods. It’s soo delicious, I ask for that as gifts when they visit us in a different state. Let me know if you would like to have the name for your travel tips notebook for when you get to Boston. Which is a fabulous city to visit, by the way!
Your photos and adventures are super, thanks for sharing. Such great hobbies, too—I would order that adorable Advent calendar if you were on Etsy.
I’m sorry about your Papa, that’s hard. But your gratitude jars and journal will likely multiply enormously as many will follow this great idea. And I can tell that they give you great comfort.
Bisous,
Erika
@Erika JS, Thanky ou so much for your comments, compliments and condolences 🙂
I would LOVE to go back to Boston, I spent 3 days there back in '09 and simply adored it, especially the Harvard campus, Boston Common and the banks along the Charles river, which I remember vividly.
I had actually planned to go back in September 2020 and do a roadtrip in Massachusetts, and maybe a neighboring state, but the borders were closed during the pandemic. I might go in 2022, depending on my job situation at the time and the pandemic. So yes: I would love to know the address of the great bakery there! Thank you so much for your kind message!
What an interesting post; thank you for sharing. Love the jar idea.
I live in Alberta, Canada so it was neat to see the photos and comments about my 'back yard' and I recognized that mailbox immediately. 🙂
I'm also single and love to travel, with most of my trips being solo. If this pandemic ever stabilizes, I plan to get back out there as there is still so much world for me to see.
@Tammy, great to meet a fellow solo traveler!
The part of Alberta that I visited - the Jasper & Banff areas - really lived up to my expectations, everywhere I went I was amazed by the beautiful landscapes!
There are ways to travel right now, some borders are opening up; I was actually on a plane to Canada one week after the borders were reopened 😀 It fit well with my schedule, so I got lucky, but I concede that it is best to book plane tickets and accommodation with a solid cancellation policy in case they close up again.
Which parts of the world have you visited and which were your favorites?
Thanks for your comments!
Hello, I loved reading all your great ideas, seeing your beautiful pictures, and WOW, your sewing skills are amazing. Loved that advent calendar and cannot believe those are the same pair of pants -- many kudos 🙂 I also really appreciate your positive attitude and hope you can let us all know when you figure out your path -- and how great is this service to help you -- something we don't have here. Vive la France, indeed!
Hi @priskill, thank you so much for your kind compliments!
I was also amazed by how the pants mending turned up! This was a 'last-ditch' effort, because I didn't think I would be satisfied with the result, but I was! I thought sharing this particular mend could encourage others to try on similar desperate-looking projects 😀
About sewing I never took classes and learned it all on YouTube, the most important lessons being: don't be too hard on yourself, be patient, and don't look too closely on the end product. If it works, it works, if it doesn't, I tried my best!
F, like you I "stayed here for the positivity and good vibes", and I found them in your answers as well! Thank you for sharing the beautiful nature photos. 🙂
@a curious reader, thank you so much for your message, it means a lot 🙂
I live in BC and it was surprising to see pictures of my province posted by a french gal. They are beautiful images of breathtaking places. Also I use to love getting postcards from friends who travel a lot but no one sends them anymore. So no more living vicariously. I think I'm going to start good/bad times jars with my grandkids. Thanks for the idea.
@Edit Jeremias, you live in such a beautiful province, I couldn't NOT share pictures of my most recent trip! To be honest, before I arrived I thought I would be disappointed, because the pictures on Instagram seemed too good to be true, but every road I drove and every trail I hiked took my breath away!
Regarding the postcards, I display mine in my restroom - always a funny place to hang cool stuff - and once I showed on facebook that all the postcards I received were given a special place and were effectively displayed, my friends started sending me more of them! Sometimes, if a friend goes to a very exotic country, I ask them if they can send me a postcard. Most of them will take the time, even if they never send postcards. They just never thought about it before I brought it up 🙂
I hope the jars bring you and your grandkids as much joy as they did to me!
Thank you for your message 😉
Dear F,
Your mending job on those jeans is amazing!! Way to go!
And yes, I certainly appreciate that my mid-30's self usually makes smarter decisions than my 25-year-old self. Ha! Getting older has its advantages.
Thanks for sharing with us!
Hi @Ruth T, Thanks!! If you ever want to try mending some jeans, here is the tutorial I followed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJISOrbCsUo
I watched around a dozen videos before finding this one and it seems to be the best method for me! You'll need a sewing machine though, doing this by hand is possible, but would take you a lot of time. The key is to find matching thread.
I 100% agree getting older has its advantages 😀 thanks for your comment!
Un plaisir de te rencontrer!!
That is so cool that you visited BC and Alberta this fall! I live in northern BC, but recognize some of the places you visited.
I have been to Paris three times. I had a great time on each visit. I visited in 1986, 2005, and 2017. The first trip was with friends and the other two trips were with my family. My daughter speaks French, so that was very helpful!