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Travel Expenses

Our March 2015 Expenses in France

April 25, 2015 by Dana Zeliff Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

Expenses in France

Another month has come and gone.  We closed out March WAY over budget – $1,000 over budget!

So what happened?

First, we became official French residents.  Part of our final approval involved paying 482€ in taxes (241€ each.)  We also prepaid 10 hours of French lessons in the amount of 197€.  That is only 20€ per hour which is AMAZING!  French lessons are ridiculously expensive in Nice.

We also went over our grocery budget by $300, spent $40 on a taxi getting to the OFII to obtain our residence sticker, bought Derrick a new pair of jeans, and well… you can see how things start to add up quickly.

March 2015 Expenses Chart:

Can’t view the chart? Click HERE

Expenses:

Grocery $1,320.38
Eating Out $450.48
Miscellaneous $1,082.33
Entertainment $13.10
Transportation $128.10
Housing $1,302.85
Health Insurance $499.00
US Car Insurance $97.61
US Storage unit $136.00
Total $5,029.85

Our US expenses are $233.62 total for our US car/umbrella policy and our storage unit for the items we kept for our return to the US.  We also have an international health insurance policy (required for our Visa) that is $500 per month.

The exchange rate is still low at just 1.07€ to the $1.  I prefer to translate all our expenses to USD since our income is in dollars. My goal is to not exceed $4,000 per month.  While other travelers could spend significantly less, this budget allows my family of 4 to live comfortably.

What are your secrets to staying in budget while living abroad?

See more of our monthly expenses here.

Filed Under: France, Living Abroad, Travel Expenses Tagged With: Nice France, Expat in Nice

February 2015 Expenses in France

March 5, 2015 by Dana Zeliff Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

France Expenses February 2015


February in Nice was definitely more expensive than January.  We had our first full month in France, so our grocery budget tripled.  We also spent more on entertainment – visiting the Monaco Aquarium and purchasing tickets for stadium seating at the Nice Carnival.

We left the beautiful port on the 28th of February and are now spending 3 months just down the street from the famous Negresco Hotel. It’s a completely different feel on this side of town, more residential and traditional.  We opted for a taxi (40€) to get us to the next apartment instead of walking with our luggage.  We need to send A LOT of stuff back with my Mom before our big tour of Europe this summer.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: France, Living Abroad, Travel Expenses Tagged With: Expat in Nice

How Much Does It Cost to Live in France? January 2015 Expenses

February 3, 2015 by Dana Zeliff 24 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link & I may have been compensated for my time writing this article.

January 2015 Expenses in France


Moving overseas is terrifying.   Most people don’t think they could ever pick up and live abroad, especially with kids. We are sharing our expenses living in France for a year to help you see that your dream can be a reality. While our expenses may be different from what your family would spend, this is what my family of 4 spends per month in Nice, France. How Much Does It Cost to Live in France? January’s data is a little skewed. We were supposed to arrive in France on 1/6, but we had to push back our trip to 1/22 due to family obligations. We still paid 3 weeks rent, and the exchange rate at time of payment was approximately 1.23€ to the dollar.

View near our apartment
View near our apartment

We are staying in a 2 bedroom apartment along the Port of Nice. We wanted a central location for experiencing the city on foot.  We could have rented cheaper accommodations but the locations weren’t as central.

There are 10 days of food which include many start up necessities such a cleaning products, laundry detergent, olive oil, spices, etc. We also ended up eating out 3 times. Our budget allows for 1 meal out per week, so we blew that one this month.

We also spent 45€ for a taxi ride to the apartment from the airport and experienced a bit of a mishap with the tram that cost us an extra 6€.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: France, Living Abroad, Travel Expenses Tagged With: Expat in Nice

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Welcome!

Hi, I’m Dana. I believe planning a great trip doesn't mean spending endless evenings scrolling through travel forums and getting overwhelmed by all the logistics.

My approach to travel is built on real-world experience. Alongside my husband and our two kids (who are now 19 and 22), I’ve explored 48 countries across 4 continents including a life-changing four years living as expats in France.

Whether you want a custom European trip built from scratch or a seamless cruise vacation, I combine my firsthand travel knowledge with top industry credentials to handle the stress of planning. You just pack your bags and enjoy the journey. Read More…

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