Will and I are working hard at coming up with a budget, so en route we have created a projected budget with guesses on what things cost to then gauge against what we actually spend. This activity has highlighted our befuddlement with the extra costs and unexpected savings that we've encountered.
First, drinking beer and herbal tea is penny-pincher's dream. Will's beer costs less than a bottle of any other potable liquid you can find. The pictured 20 pack of 1/2 liter bottles was 13 euros. With bottle deposit. While I break the bank with my new found Apfelschorle addiction (apple juice made with mineral water...mmmm....) at 1.50 euro a bottle, it turns out that my midwife can provide me with fresh bags of delightful herbal tea to help me sleep or just wet my whistle, and my medical insurance will pay for that.
Next, there is a tax on everything you enjoy. A television tax. A radio tax. A computer tax. And dog taxes.
But if you have the nerve and a touch of an evil streak, you can make that all up by never paying to ride the subway, ordering a houseful of IKEA furniture and then hijacking the delivery truck, and selling cloth diapers. The subway system here is based on 99% honor code with a 1% of having your ticket randomly checked. There are no turnstiles or the like. I've been riding an average of 3 trains a day for about 2 months and have never been checked. As for IKEA, we discovered that when you order online, you just tell them what you want, pay nothing and in fact give no payment information whatsoever, and then they will show up at any time during a specified week with your items, at which time you are supposed to pay. And then yesterday I emailed a cloth diaper service saying that I'd like to use their company, and today they showed up with hundreds of diapers, a bin, and many other starter accessories, asking only that I come by the store this weekend to sign a contract and that I pay the deposit whenever I get an invoice in the mail.
And of course, the food. You'll pay 7 euros (roughly $10) for a fist-full of pine nuts. Yet you can get a jar of mustard for 39 cents.
This Excel spreadsheet is going to be wild.
I think this says something profound about different value systems. I'm not sure what, but something profound is lurking. I think I'm now inspired to go and have a beer and think about it.
ReplyDeleteSooo true! Beer cheaper than water - unbelievable, isn't it? Stationery supplies are kinda pricy here too... but for some reason I love buying pens and paper here. Just dropped 75 Euros just on pens and paper at a Müller store yesterday. But I'm fully convinced these high-quality goods actually improve my handwriting, so...
ReplyDeleteGerman displays of such goods are just so pretty. I got totally wrapped up in the colorful tupperware. I can for sure see a stationary spree. I've never been in a Mueller.... maybe I should stay out.
ReplyDeleteAbout the spreadsheet, listen to the voice of experience. Put your fun items, lunch with girls, those shoes that pleaded to be taken home--you get my jist--in a column with Will's beer. If you go over you budget, rant and rant about his drinking and how he's forgetting how much he drinks.
ReplyDelete