Meet a German reader | Lea
Today, we get to meet a reader who hails from Germany. I don't have much of a travel bug, but I would like to go to Europe one day, and Germany is definitely on the list of countries I want to visit when I am there.
So, I enjoyed getting a peek into a German person's life!
Here's Lea:
1. Tell us a little about yourself
I live by myself in a spacious flat I own together with my dog in downtown Stuttgart, Germany.
I was married and have three grown sons. The eldest is married and lives in Vienna. They have an 18-month-old boy - my first grandchild.
The middle son lives in Stuttgart. He works in IT Business.
The youngest lives in Hamburg and started service in the navy for the next four years beginning on Oct 1st. He will be moving to Wilhelmshaven where he will be based.
My husband and father of the boys passed away April last year.
I consider Stuttgart to be my hometown but I have lived many places though in my life. I was born in 1959 in Ghana, later we moved to Nigeria and when the Biafra war started, my mother packed up and moved with sister and I back to Stuttgart which is her hometown.
My father stayed in Africa because of his job as a journalist.
My schooling took place in Stuttgart and in 1983 I moved to Israel where I met my husband. He was from Paris, France. We became full members of a kibbutz, the boys were born in Israel.
In 1999 we moved to Stuttgart. The boys were then 11, 9, and 5 years old.
We both found jobs, settled down, and bought the apartment I live in. It is fully paid. I am debt-free. I am still holding the same job - two days/week as an accountant.
The building I live in was built in 1883 and still has many original features...door handles, window handles, even some of the glass, hardwood oak flooring, etc. Quite typical in Germany. It is a shared property. Mine is on the third floor.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I think it has been 4 to 5 years now.
3. How did you get interested in frugal living?
As a child I encountered it all - living in tiny flats, nice houses, a house with 36 windows but no glass in them, etc.
Once my parents were housesitters in the German Embassy for 6 months. The deal was for them to live there rent-free (ambassador was on a lengthy leave due to a personal crisis) but they had to make sure all the servants, butler, chauffeur, gardener, cook, etc would keep on working and not forget about their work....my mother always said, that these were the most boring and somehow exhausting 6 months of her life with never ever a moment of privacy.
I remember the meals with always the butler around.
My parents are very adventurous people and it is thanks to my very frugal mother that we survived times when my father had no job as a freelancer or was being jailed for his writing. So being frugal was crucial!
4. What's the why behind your desire to save money?
See 3. With big moves and upheavals in life, I simply had to learn how to manage my income every time I started at zero AND I am passionate about being careful with resources and keeping my environmental footprint as little as possible.
Owning as little as possible and keeping things as simple as possible saves me time and energy and worry and money
5. What's your biggest frugal win?
I never bothered with a driving license and never owned a car. Public transport is very good here and as I live downtown I usually walk. My office is a 12 min walk, train station 10 min, and the walk to the shops and open-air market is 10 minutes.
My city is surrounded by woods, vineyards, and fields where the dog is allowed to be off-leash. I walk like 10 km on a daily basis.
Since my flat is spacious and I have three spare bedrooms I rent out one room to a lodger. Housing is very scarce and expensive in the big cities and even in small towns in Germany.
I never bought anything on credit. Either I can pay for whatever upfront or I wait till I can afford it.
I simply don't care about material things. When I buy I tend to buy high quality and wear things out.
I never had the urge to "keep up with the joneses". Really never.
I am always open to hand-me-downs.
6. What's a dumb money mistake you made?
I smoked for many years. This is probably the most stupid thing I ever did.
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
High quality food - organic, seasonal, locally produced whenever possible. For clothing, furniture, electric appliances and so on, I buy "made in Germany" whenever possible.
I don't mind spending more if I can support a small business that way.
I buy most things in person and almost never do any online shopping.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Jewelry, electronics, and cruises.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
I don't know. I'd donate 10 percent and save the rest for whenever or whatever.
10. Share a frugal tip with other Frugal Girl readers
1. Don't even try "to keep up with the Joneses".
2. Be as generous as possible with your money and time and take every opportunity to help others! This will pay off in the long run! And it makes for a better world.
3. Very strong and tightly knit family ties are important! If one of us is/was in need the family will help out.
11. What's something that's unique about living frugally in Germany?
I never ever in my life worried about health insurance. Every month 7.8 percent of my income is deducted automatically from my salary and by this I am fully covered. I don't even think about it.
All these coupons, reward points on your credit card, buy one get two.....I think it does not exist in Germany - at least I don't know about this.
When using my credit card it is deducted automatically from my bank account at the beginning of the month.
University and actually any kind of training for a profession is completely free in Germany. In fact the training and apprenticeships (usually a 3-year process) - you get paid while doing this. Not a full salary but every year more than the last year.
I think in Germany we are much more inclined to save on electricity and fuel and gas as it seems to be much more expensive here than in America.
__________
Lea, thank you so much for giving us a peek into your life in Germany! I especially love what you said about how being generous and helpful just makes the world a better place.
I'm amazed by the number of places in the world that you have lived; I have lived in one state for my whole life! Is Germany your favorite spot to live, or did you like one of the other places better?
_________
Hello, Lea. I really am enjoying reading these. Have you noticed the common threads? So many of the same ideas appear among this diverse readership. It gives me hope in these divided political times that we DO have common ground.
@Jody S., I agree that these posts and the Frugal Girl blog in general are exceptionally positive. They illustrate that in many ways we are much more alike than different and as individuals it’s not difficult to find commonalities.
@Bee and @Jody S,
Hi Bee, hi Hody!
I totally agree to what both of you are saying.
This blog is a positive place and it is very comforting to see how different people from all over the world can share their views and general outlook on life and learn from each other!
Hi Lea,
what a small world! I grew up outside of Stuttgart (in a small town near Esslingen). Your building is just beautiful.
I chuckled when you mentioned that your credit card bill is automatically deducted from your bank account at the beginning of each month. Thats how my first credit card back in Germany worked, and I didnt realise until I moved to Asia that there's a whole different concept of credit cards where you choose to pay less than your full balance. Until today I wasn't sure if that's how all credit cards worked in Germany, or whether my parents simply never told me I could pay less than the balance to keep me from racking up a balance.
Your sense of fashion is great - love that outfit with the floral blazer in particular.
Thank you for sharing!
@a curious reader,
Hi!
Esslingen I know of course. It is a cute mediaeval town.
Actually just last Saturday I went there und walked the vineyards. The leaves of the different species of grapes turn into their own specific colour in fall. Absolutely beautiful. Harvest was in full swing.
Thank you on the remark to my fashion style. The flowery jacket is actually a hand-me-down from my mother. She will turn 90 in a few weeks and is the fashion crack of the family. I am not so much. I just wear my favorite colours and simply things and styles I like.
With my credit card in Israel I was always asked whether I wanted to pay in installments. I never did. And as I am thinking about it I remember I did get points which I never used....
Here in Germany I have never been asked about installments or rewarded any points
Hi Lea! That's quite the life story. I was particularly interested your mother's reaction to dealing with servants short-term. I read a lot about the history of domesticity, and I've always thought I would hate to have unrelated people in my home all the time. But then, I suppose if a person is born to it and accustomed to it, they don't notice as much. Your mother quite obviously noticed. 🙂
@kristin @ going country,
Hi!
That's exactly what my mother said. You need to grow up with this in order to feel comfortable. She particularly hated breakfasts - every morning the servants (a terrible word), lined up right in front of her (14 with my nanny and our houseboy) and each and everyone wanted to know what the orders of the day were
I have often had this thought while watching Downton Abbey; the lack of privacy would be so frustrating!
Reader Erika, who also had a period of life with household servants, said the same thing: that she appreciates her quiet, private life with her husband now, with no household help. https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/meet-a-frugal-girl-reader-erika/
@Kristen, not just the lack of privacy but also the clash of culture. The difference in social expectations being a class reflection makes it really hard to share your house. I grew up with the full household of personnel in a time where there was a huge sense of entitlement and the master/servants roles where written in stone. I never want to have live-in staff ever again. It is too easy to believe you deserve this life, that it come from hard work and all that. Because we live in a large historical house, we now use a professional maintenance team . Not too much personal interaction, just a job you pay for.
And with outside professionals, you can give them raises or fire them if you wish to! A thing that pains me about those period pieces is that you might be stuck with old family servants for life, and have to hire their relatives, which could be wonderful or terrible. Or if you somehow become an enlightened "master" (horrible word), and you tripled everyone's salaries because you could afford to, the reactions would be horrible-- from the neighboring gentry, from the neighbors' servants, and even from your own people, because that's not how things are done.
Clearly, I have never lived in a house with built-in staff with attitudes like these.
When we went on vacation to Munich a few years ago, we were amazed at all the solar energy on barns out in the country. We figured electricity must be expensive if they put solar on barns!
Germany is a beautiful country and I'm glad I went to visit it.
Lea: I so enjoyed your post. We are kindred spirits in many ways. Your apartment building is beautiful - and so is your dog. Thank you for sharing your fascinating life!
Guten Tag! Your pictures are wonderful. I especially enjoyed seeing your beautiful apartment building.
I think your advice is very good. A little kindness makes the world a better place and makes our lives richer.
What a beautiful interview!
I especially loved all the pictures.
Public transportation is so important.
I love getting a peek into people's lives in so many different places. Thanks for sharing! Your grandson is gorgeous. I agree with your mother, I would hate the lack of privacy in having servants living with me. Funny, as it's something many people dream of!
And as much as I get tired of cooking, I think I would actually miss being able to do some of my own food prep, especially for meals like breakfast and lunch.
Thank you for sharing the German reader. I really enjoyed reading about her life and how she views money and possessions. Hope to hear more from her.
Phyllis Smith
Hi, Lea,
You have lived in some interesting places!
I wish I could say I had never had debt -- that's amazing. You have really learned how to wait for what you want. I like that generosity is also important with you.
I love the windows in your apartment building. Your pictures are really nice. I have to ask, is that a stuffed manatee on your bed?
@JD,
Hi!
Manatee - I had to look that one up. Seekuh in German. Yes indeed it is! It belonged to my youngest son. When he was around 16 or so he decided he was too old for this. So he offered it to me. Otherwise he would have listed it on ebay. It is the perfect neck roll when reading on the bed and the dog also loves to cuddle with it. You have a good eye for details
@Lea, I was also wondering about the stuffed animal on your bed. My 15-year-old daughter loves stuffed animals so I find myself keeping an eye out for them. 🙂
What an interesting life you have had! I have the feeling that you have many more experiences that you could share. Germany is on my bucket list and I enjoyed the mini-tour that you provided for us.
@Lea,
Well, now I know the word for manatee in German! I can imagine that toy makes a great neckroll. Manatees in nature are just long "rolls" that swim very slowly :).
Thanks for the compliment, too.
Hi Lea,
Am sorry for the loss of you husband. Congratulations on your first grandchild. May you be blessed with many more. Thanks for the peek into my paternal grandmother's birthplace. I have been to Germany but just Berlin, Heidelberg and Frankfurt. My dad was born in Frankfurt.
Beautiful photos, interesting life. We are four people in 750 sq ft one bedroom in NYC. I don't think I would mind a bunch of servants in a huge space. Thanks for sharing.
@Anita Isaac,
Hi Anita!
Thank you for mentioning my husband and the blessings for my grandchild.
Heidelberg and Frankfurt are not far from Stuttgart. My aunt lives very close to Berlin and I visit her and my cousins with their families at least once a year.
750 so ft - Internet says that equals about 70 m2 ? That was about the size of our house in Israel - five of us living there.
Lea, I wanted to tell you too that I too am so sorry for the loss of your husband. I wasn't sure how much you wanted to talk about the subject, but my heart did feel for you when I got to that part of your story. Much love to you!
Thank you Kristen! The way "I know you" I figured that much 🙂
He always used to say "La vie est belle" and that's what we all try to remember and appreciate
Hi Lea,
I loved hearing about your life. Thank you so much for sharing.
Loved this!!!
Hi Lea,
Your story & pictures are so interesting! I love that in Germany, well, Europe in general your healthcare is taken care of through a bit of extra taxes. What a difference from the US. I also like that you can use public transportation your entire life & not need to own a vehicle. My sister has lived in Spain for over 20 years & hasn't needed a vehicle there. I actually don't currently own a vehicle either but I live in Anchorage, Ak & it's much more complicated to not have a car.
Your apartment is so beautiful.
I've lived in 7 states in a lot of different parts of the US but would absolutely love to live in Europe. The times I've visited my sister I didn't want to return home. I'd love to see Germany. Life seems so orderly there. Thanks for sharing your life!
@akbj,
Hi!
Wow! 7 different states in the US - that sounds exciting and all the different climates zones you have "covered" probably.
Yes, reliable public transport does make life easier I find
What a fun look into Lea's life. Thanks for sharing! Lea, I'm so sorry about the loss of your husband. I'm sure that's been such an adjustment for you & your family.
You've had such an interesting life. I love to hear how you've managed your finances & organized your life to be easy to manage (living close to work, no car, etc). It's inspiring!
Hello Lea, Thank you so much for sharing about your life. I'm sorry to hear about your husband. I loved seeing your pictures and hearing about all the places you've lived. Your apartment building is gorgeous! I so agree with your philosophy of not trying to keep up with the Joneses. Germany is on my bucket list. We were supposed to visit in 2020, but that trip didn't happen.
Lea, I am so enjoying that your are coming to us from Stuttgart, because that is where my youngest and her family are living currently (he works at the NATO facility, and they live just outside the main entrance) and we will be visiting there next June for 4-6 weeks.
She, my daughter, is loving their life in Stuttgart, particularly it's walk-ability and access to public transportation. She is (shhh!) an awful driver, and I am much relieved that she doesn't need to do much of it while living there!
And a big congratulations on quitting smoking, one of the hardest quits there is. I am curious if cigarettes in Germany are taxed as heavily as they are here in the US? Here it is an incredibly expensive habit, in addition to being unhealthy, and I am curious if that is true in Germany as well (the $$$ part).
@Tamara R,
Hi Tamara,
that is fun to read that there are readers on this blog who have some real idea about Stuttgart! Please do contact me via Kristen when in Stuttgart next year - you will be getting the extra special personal tour of my appartement 😉
I just asked my neighbour: A pack of cigarettes is 7 €. It holds 20 or 21 cigarettes. Most of the cost is taxes.
Does this match prices in the US?
And yes, it was very hard to quit - I actually still do have a craving for a cigarette occasionally specially when I am under stress. Till now I managed to resist the temptation.....
@Lea, I hope you can hang in there and resist the temptation, as I am thinking it's similar to me and sugar, in that I'm pleased when I resist and disappointed when I do not. ☺
Our price for a package of cigarettes ranges by state here, but appears to run as high as $13 a 20-cigarette package in New York, or approx 14.3 euro.
Would love to meet you next June, and treat you to coffee and a pastry, so yes, if Kristen is willing to play conduit, will try and make that happen!
Lea,
Is there an elevator in your building? Was curious because of it's age.
I've been to Germany and it is a beautiful country.
@Elissa Barnett,
Hi Elissa,
no, no elevator. For the time being that's not a problem....even my 90 year old mother has no problems coming up to my place.
I am a little bit worried about my dog though, he is eleven years old and in very good shape and running up the stairs. This will change though one day....
My neighbourhood consists mainly of this kind of buildings. Some of them do have elevators. That's a complicated and very costly business as most of the houses are listed ( mine as well) and major changes need to be made in accordance with the authorities.
We have terrible heatwaves in summer and when we moved in here I wanted to install a split unit airconditioning like I had in Israel. So I called a company and the guy just had a look at the building and said that it looked as it was listed one and I must inquire and get permission from the authorities. Well, that's how I found out about the building being under special protection and I did not get get the permit 🙁
Thank you for this look into your life Lea. I am very sorry for the loss of your husband.
You are quite a traveller and I marvel that you spent time in so many countries and situations. Yet your boys grew up in a "home town". Was that a very conscious choice or did it just happen that way?
On the joint/shared use of an apartment building: how has the maintenance of communal aspects of the building been arranged (fire escapes, sewage, outside painting, roof maintenance etc). Is it by means of an "association of owners" (we have them in NL where I live - and owners will have to subscribe to certain regulations and also vote if they want to make changes to those regulations). Your house is lovely and it sounds like a great town to live in too!
@J,
Hi!
As far as I know it is the law with shared property with 3 units and more to elect a representative who deals with all the aspects you mentioned. It can be one of the owners but we chose a lawyer specialising in this field. That way there is much less fighting among the owners. Yes, we are an association of owners and once a year minimum we all meet under the guidance of the lawyer to discuss and vote and clear all sorts of things. The lawyer also manages the finances and the bank account of the house and with big repairs ( we had balconies renovated, all windows and a new roof etc) he is the one dealing with the workers and companies and finding a good price etc
Luckily every appartement is occupied by an owner so everybody is interested in keeping the house in good shape.
About your question about my sons and "hometown feeling": My eldest might call Vienna now his hometown, to my youngest the principle of being settled is not very appealing for the moment and the middle son might also pack up one day and move some place....
All three have fond memories of their years spent in Israel. My middle son just told me the other day he wished he could offer his children a "free range chicken life" (!) as they had in the kibbutz....alas, even as a millionaire there is no way to offer this kind of childhood he concluded.
My move to Israel was a conscious overnight decision and took only a few weeks to get organized. The move back to Stuttgart took a little bit more of planning but was also a conscious one and with the help of family organized pretty quickly.
@Lea, I like the idea of a free range chicken life! We just put a sign at the entrance to our neighborhood that says something like Free Range Children, please drive carefully. (Also my neighbor's chickens got out, so I guess we had both free range chickens and children.)
Thank you for sharing! I agree with the others - so fun to see all the core similarities of frugal folk, with interesting differences in the backgrounds and scenery.
Thank you for taking the time to share your life with us.
Lea,
I so enjoyed reading about your life in Germany, although I was sorry to hear about your husband. I'm sure that has been difficult and brought unwanted changes to your life. I have always wanted to visit Germany and hope that once this Covid is over, we will be able to do just that. To date, my only experience with Germany has been the Frankfort airport! Although the countryside was beautiful as we flew over.
Interesting about living in the Embassy.... we have a family member who lives in another country and the expats are expected to hire local women to be "house helpers". Our family member has a helper two days a week and was saddened by the "going rate" of pay. However, they were told that if they paid more, it would cause all sorts of problems. So they have found non-monetary ways to do things to help improve their helper's life.
Thanks again for sharing a bit of your life with us!
I enjoyed every part of this post! and the comments so far as well. So often a post here makes me think about something we have in common and that’s surely part of why I enjoy hanging around. Thank you for sharing this Lea.
Hi, Lea. Along with everyone else, I enjoyed this post very much. And I was especially interested in your description of life in Stuttgart, because one of my great-grandfathers came from Stuttgart to the US in the late 19th century. (The family legend was that he was fleeing from one of the Kaiser's military conscriptions, but I have no way of confirming that!)
@A. Marie,
Hi!
It is so fun and surprising to learn that some of the readers here have some connection to Stuttgart! By the way your comments often make me laugh and you seem to have a great sense of humour and a wonderful way of dealing with lifes obstacles and hardships.
Grüsse Lea!
I’ve been to Germany a number of times and enjoyed each visit. This glimpse into your life was such fun and your pup is adorable.
I found the story of privacy vis-à-vis the servants interesting and have a question. You have a lodger in your flat/home. I’ve thought about a lodger myself but have the qualm about privacy in my home. Help us learn how that is different from your family's experience with the embassy servants (other than the amount of people, of course.)
Thanks!
@Erika JS,
Hi Erika!
I am glad to hear that you liked your visits in Germany.
My lodger right now is a young Japanese guy working as a sushi chef in a restaurant. He works very long hours every day with Mondays and Tuesdays off. That's when he sleeps in.... :-). Sometimes I don't see him for days. I don't have any responsibility towards him. He can pack up anytime if he so wishes....
I take my time choosing a lodger and take in only somebody who works regular hours. No homework office in my place for weeks!
Hope this answers your question!
Lea, I enjoyed every word of your interview, and each of your pictures. It sounds like you have a wonderful perspective on life. Your grandson is adorable! Thank you for sharing with us.
Education and job training that’s easy/free to access.. how wonderful—a country that knows that an educated work force is a strength! And health insurance! WOW!
I loved this interview.
I also liked reading about your life, Lea, and seeing your photos. We are the same age and I am a recent widow, too, living alone in a paid-off home with one animal, working part-time. The differences and similarities are very interesting, and I thank you very much; also, thanks to Kristen for coming up with the idea of readers sharing more details to enlighten and help each other.
Hi Kristen!
First of all thank you for featuring the "Meet a Reader" thing. And for featuring me. That was an interesting and fun experience!
About your question whether I had a favorite place....I slept it over and thought hard about it.
My conclusion: there are no places I would prefer. But I would love to again fall in love with the right man and have my family and babies and watch and help them grow and live their own life. So in that respect Israel was the "best" place. It is more about which stage in my life I am in than the circumstances and places. I am very thankful for what I had and have.
In terms of frugality and easy life - Germany certainly is the winner ! Life is so much easier here than in Israel. Much, much cheaper, travelling so very easy, much less dangerous, no yearly military service for men and so on.
Hope this answers your question.
Loved reading about your life!
We live in Engelskirchen outside Cologne. We have lived in Germany for 16 years now.
Thanks for sharing, Lea! I really enjoyed reading your interview. Your building is beautiful!
It was interesting to read the "made in Germany" part because "made in the USA" is a thing here and I've wondered if people in other countries care about buying things that were produced in the country they live in. And I prefer to buy things in person rather than online as well!
Thanks again for sharing with us!
Hi Lea, my stepdaughter's name is Lea, too. In English it means "meadow". It's not very common here. Is it a popular name in Germany? Thanks for sharing your story.
Really enjoyed Lea's writing about life in Germany. I am in Germany on a 21 day trip, visiting my daughter and family. I have been here a week and really like the slower pace. The fresh baked breads are so good. Her family live in Trippstad, her husband is a school teacher in Kaiserslautern. Again, thank you for writing.
Stuttgart is one of my favorite places in the world, my family comes from the area. I spent a lot of time in Germany and Austria when I was young, they were wonderful places to live. I often wish I hadn't left. A life where you have health insurance whether or not you have a job or change your job, and you don't need student loans to go to university and you have paid leave when a baby is born and highly efficient public transportation, etc. ---I truly don't understand why Americans are not demanding these things one finds in a civilized nation like Germany.