Rain, clouds, and cool temps describes our “summer” weather much of the time, and we have long, dark, snowy, icy winters. We live in Alaska. It’s difficult for us older folks, but the thing that keeps us here - besides the fact that this has been our home for fifty years - is that it is far from the madding crowd.
I moved to Texas to "be warm," and even though the summers can be a challenge, I have never regretted moving south. I love it. Best wishes to you on your journey.
I am enjoying your Question and Answer videos! You and Mike are wise beyond your years! I really love your videos! They inspire my own frugality! Last night I made my first cheese from some milk on the verge of going off! It was easy and frugal and came together quickly.
Thanks for your insight. My parents took 15 years to update the insulation, wiring, heating, windows, etc in their house as time and money allowed while Dad also worked out of town during 6 years of this period. I think y'all are making great progress and I know you have a plan for it all
Thank you for answering my question. I am looking forward to our retirement in 3 years and to lower cost of living but it will still not be cheap as we plan to live in a city and in the center. I hope we can still afford it by then, our biggest cost will be buying an apartment but we will not have a car, no U.S. health insurance, no U.S. home taxes, all of which cost us thousands if we stay here.
Interesting. Sounds like you have a good plan there. 😃 Also, I think your basement room is ideal as it is. Many people lack storage areas which can be a problem. Thank you for sharing. 🤗
Good that you and your husband agree on the temperature issue. I’m a sit in the fridge all day type stuck in a warm climate with my needs it to be 29 degrees to be comfortable husband 😂. We’re planning a trip to France in winter 2025 and I can’t wait to be in real winter weather for a while.
We moved to Phoenix, Arizona to prepare for our retirement (we did retire 2 months ago). All I requested was a place in the sun with NO SNOW! We lived in snow all of our lives and I had enough :). We did consider a move to Portland, Oregon but like you - I did not want to live in rain for 6+ months a year. Give me sunshine! I enjoy your videos & the home you have created.
Yes priorities,, I left my mud room until the end of other renovations in my house ( cause I was dragging all kinds of stuff in/out of porch) Glad I did I used up all my left over paint and moldings to finish it ,, looks good , just have my freezer and tool cabinet out there . Great video 😊
It’s impressive what you’ve accomplished! I remember the first vlogs and the initial state of “things.” You’ve both worked hard and obviously enjoy it. Well done!🐇
Isn't it interesting the things that 🤔 folks are thinking about how they would approach your style of living. I have been repeatedly told by family members(my kids no better), that we could live so much simpler, and not have to work so hard. Yet we don't see it that way at all. We see the opportunities that our choices have given us. We would go stir crazy 😜 🤪 in an association (where others dictate the rules, like what color you can paint your home, or what tree's you can plant, or even if you can have a vegetable garden, and you pay them a hefty amount monthly for the privilege). Nope give me my low cost of living on 30 acres of wooded land, but with convenience of being 30 minutes to most needs, and an hour from anything you could possibly want. 😊 We can't sit and watch the grass grow in a condo, we are happy to have a task waiting for us daily, and the pleasure of accomplishment when its done.
another SAD sufferer here with Reynauds disease - bleeding loathe the cold & wet weather. I have to wrap up to visit the supermarket even in the Summer as the aircon is so cold its sets it off. Im the same dont warm up until temperature at least in the very late 20's. Once we've retired fully, and my elderly parents are no longer with us (we are their main carers), we intend to spend most of the Winter in Southern France/Spain/Portugal in our motorhome, but when we are there I want to look into he possibility of permanently retiring to the sun. I am lucky in that my husband enjoys the warmth as much as me
Most delightful video Jane and Mike. You are both so upbeat and optimistic. If you move south would you not be afraid of those terrifying forest fires and water shortages. ?
Hi Jane! The often 7 months of grey dreary snowy sleeting and windy weather in Chicago 9 years ago and have never looked back. Very depressing! Sweet puppies and love their beds. Hi from South Carolina!😊💕🏝️
OMG! I hear you Jane re: weather and climate. We have very similar weather to Brittany. And, I also have SAD ! This is one of the main reasons we are looking to retire to the Dordogne / Aquitaine area. I use a lumi-lamp and take a vitamin D every morning but they barely scratch the surface. Retirement is around 4 years away and every day I look forward to feeling like I’m wrapped up in a warm blanket ☀️
Congratulations one making your current property your home 🏠 😊. Try Australia 🇦🇺 for hot 🥵 summers, like 45 cel but I am just commenting not complaining. Same as Oz building and safety regulations have to met before you can lease/rent. And you require space for yourselves and the doggies 🐶 Thank you Jane and Mike for another good video 👍🇦🇺
Very good one. Can't watch on time lately. I agree on the points you said. So you will keep this big house without selling it and after some time will buy another one more south,if I understood the plan for now correctly. Why would you like to keep this property,to leave it for your children one day,or other idea? Thanks in advance. I hope you still have sun currently to enjoy. It's important for the mood and well being.
Hi Jane, you mentioned your basement and that it doesn't comply to housing regulations. We have a sous sol; can you telll me what height restrictions are in place please, as we wish to convert it into an apartment. Many thanks.
@@FrugalQueeninFrance what about La drome Provençal is that as pricey? Took cooking classes in that area about 20 years ago. Was a lovely area. Near nyons I think
@@FrugalQueeninFrance thx. It had looked more modest back then the cooking school was in a gitecin the middle of nowhere. Lovely however. Wherever you go I am sure it will be very lovely also!
We live in North Carolina, USA. We have 4 different seasons. Summer can be hot 90+ and humid and winters cold in the teens with some snow or ice. But the mountains are 3 or 4 hours west and the beaches are the same going east. I would not want to live anywhere else. The cost of living is average for us, I guess. Thanks for your video. ❤❤❤
Does the 20% long term savings include money put aside for small projects, money for new car, etc or is that an additional %? if so, what is the total % saved for everything! I have been working on frugality and just trying to have a better grasp if understanding.......I do enjoy the things you and Mike share, thank you 😊 💜
@beverlyanntaylor9652 small projects within one year have sinking funds, search for our budgeting videos and you can see everything we save. Future car has its own long term savings fund,
Online information says your duty-free purchases are for individuals, you each get the full amount. But they are not to be combined. So a married couple does get double the amount for one person but you can't buy, for instance, one big thing that costs more than one person's duty free allowance and combine your allowances to bring it in duty free. Apparently the way you travel -- plane or boat, train or car -- makes a difference in how much your duty-free allowance is. You can get your computer's search engine to look into current details. Interesting -- it sounded as though you can't bring dairy products into France from England, not even milk chocolate.
I live south of Nantes between poitiers and limoges and it has not stopped raining and been cold all summer here too 😢😢😢 B and B doesn't pay with 1 room, my friend had a gite alongside her VA business and after cotisations and extra taxes and extra utilities it just wasn't worth it. You read all the people deciding to move to France opening b and b's and gites and I cringe sometimes, been here nearly 11 years and the number of English that have come over to do that and gone after 18 months cos they can't survive is massive, and that was living in my old village which is a UNESCO world heritage site with 6 restaurants and bars, supermarkets, multiple bakers etc so you'd think it would be a big money earner, but its just pocket money when you start paying all those bills.
@@FrugalQueeninFrance i don't blame you, sometimes its not worth the hard work, youd probably be left with €10 a night, if that, on a €50 room, somethings are just unrealistic in rural France.
Hi, do you have a video about your move to France? I'm in the uk and hope to move to an EU country in retirement for better weather and lifestyle. Great video, as always! ❤
No, best way to find out visa arrangements Is go to the immigration website for each country: German government immigration, France government immigration. They tell you everything you need to know. We moved pre Brexit so just packed our bags and moved.
You're lucky that your future projects aren't blatently stating you in the face every day. I shouldn't have tore up my old flooring because I'll be looking at it for another year (debt first then save for new flooring). I am learning to delay gratification through watching your chanel. I COULD put the flooring on my line of credit but I won't. The money has to be in the bank!
@@FrugalQueeninFrance Gotcha. It’s just that I remembered when I first started watching you about 2 yrs ago as you were cooking something you briefly mentioned you didn’t want to say what other job you had bc people could be very judgmental.
Hi Jane and Mike. Interesting. Sounds like a good plan you have there. 😃 I think your basement room is ideal as it is. Many people haven't got enough storage space which can be a problem. Thanks for sharing. 🤗
Rain, clouds, and cool temps describes our “summer” weather much of the time, and we have long, dark, snowy, icy winters. We live in Alaska. It’s difficult for us older folks, but the thing that keeps us here - besides the fact that this has been our home for fifty years - is that it is far from the madding crowd.
I suffer from SAD, the dark gloomy skies don’t do me any good
I agree, you encourage me to live a simple frugal life, keep doing what you love. ❤
Love that!
It looks, to me, like you are doing exactly what you want and are happy doing it. What a great example! What an encouragement you are!
Thank you for your kindness
I moved to Texas to "be warm," and even though the summers can be a challenge, I have never regretted moving south. I love it. Best wishes to you on your journey.
Sounds great!
I am enjoying your Question and Answer videos! You and Mike are wise beyond your years! I really love your videos! They inspire my own frugality! Last night I made my first cheese from some milk on the verge of going off! It was easy and frugal and came together quickly.
Glad you like them!
I love having a plan and preparing and staying on plan! I makes life easier
Thanks so much
Thanks for your insight. My parents took 15 years to update the insulation, wiring, heating, windows, etc in their house as time and money allowed while Dad also worked out of town during 6 years of this period. I think y'all are making great progress and I know you have a plan for it all
Thanks so much
Not a question. I think your house and grounds are lovely.
Oh thank you!
Thank you for answering my question. I am looking forward to our retirement in 3 years and to lower cost of living but it will still not be cheap as we plan to live in a city and in the center. I hope we can still afford it by then, our biggest cost will be buying an apartment but we will not have a car, no U.S. health insurance, no U.S. home taxes, all of which cost us thousands if we stay here.
You’re welcome
Interesting. Sounds like you have a good plan there. 😃 Also, I think your basement room is ideal as it is. Many people lack storage areas which can be a problem. Thank you for sharing. 🤗
I think so too!
Thank you for sharing Jane Mike Dolly and Mary. Have a great day.
Another interesting video, I hope you find a lovely warm place to move to, loved seeing your beautiful fur babies at the end so adorable
Thank you! 😊
Very interesting video, as always. You know me, though, those furry girls at the end made my day!
You are so kind
Good that you and your husband agree on the temperature issue. I’m a sit in the fridge all day type stuck in a warm climate with my needs it to be 29 degrees to be comfortable husband 😂. We’re planning a trip to France in winter 2025 and I can’t wait to be in real winter weather for a while.
Thanks so much
We just moved across the country Canada, chasing the sun, best decision for us!
Thanks
Very smart home improvement plan 👍🏾
I think so too!
I adore the puppy pics…..so darling❤
Thanks
Move to Australia 🇦🇺. It’s still winter here in Geelong (60kms from Melbourne) and the temperature will be 21 today. You won’t be as cold 😀
We moved to Phoenix, Arizona to prepare for our retirement (we did retire 2 months ago). All I requested was a place in the sun with NO SNOW! We lived in snow all of our lives and I had enough :). We did consider a move to Portland, Oregon but like you - I did not want to live in rain for 6+ months a year. Give me sunshine! I enjoy your videos & the home you have created.
Sounds great!
Yes priorities,, I left my mud room until the end of other renovations in my house ( cause I was dragging all kinds of stuff in/out of porch) Glad I did I used up all my left over paint and moldings to finish it ,, looks good , just have my freezer and tool cabinet out there .
Great video 😊
Love that!
It’s impressive what you’ve accomplished! I remember the first vlogs and the initial state of “things.” You’ve both worked hard and obviously enjoy it. Well done!🐇
@@9FatraBbits thank you
Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure!
Isn't it interesting the things that 🤔 folks are thinking about how they would approach your style of living. I have been repeatedly told by family members(my kids no better), that we could live so much simpler, and not have to work so hard. Yet we don't see it that way at all. We see the opportunities that our choices have given us. We would go stir crazy 😜 🤪 in an association (where others dictate the rules, like what color you can paint your home, or what tree's you can plant, or even if you can have a vegetable garden, and you pay them a hefty amount monthly for the privilege). Nope give me my low cost of living on 30 acres of wooded land, but with convenience of being 30 minutes to most needs, and an hour from anything you could possibly want. 😊 We can't sit and watch the grass grow in a condo, we are happy to have a task waiting for us daily, and the pleasure of accomplishment when its done.
Good point
another SAD sufferer here with Reynauds disease - bleeding loathe the cold & wet weather. I have to wrap up to visit the supermarket even in the Summer as the aircon is so cold its sets it off. Im the same dont warm up until temperature at least in the very late 20's. Once we've retired fully, and my elderly parents are no longer with us (we are their main carers), we intend to spend most of the Winter in Southern France/Spain/Portugal in our motorhome, but when we are there I want to look into he possibility of permanently retiring to the sun. I am lucky in that my husband enjoys the warmth as much as me
@@lynnestait8011 I don't blame you at all
Most delightful video Jane and Mike. You are both so upbeat and optimistic. If you move south would you not be afraid of those terrifying forest fires and water shortages. ?
I'm not scared of anything.
Hi Jane! The often 7 months of grey dreary snowy sleeting and windy weather in Chicago 9 years ago and have never looked back. Very depressing!
Sweet puppies and love their beds.
Hi from South Carolina!😊💕🏝️
@@Crochetlady3-l1o good choice
OMG! I hear you Jane re: weather and climate. We have very similar weather to Brittany. And, I also have SAD ! This is one of the main reasons we are looking to retire to the Dordogne / Aquitaine area. I use a lumi-lamp and take a vitamin D every morning but they barely scratch the surface. Retirement is around 4 years away and every day I look forward to feeling like I’m wrapped up in a warm blanket ☀️
I totally understand that
💖💖💖
Very interesting!
Glad you think so!
Thank you for answering my question!
@@marygovantes7219 you're welcome
Congratulations one making your current property your home 🏠 😊.
Try Australia 🇦🇺 for hot 🥵 summers, like 45 cel but I am just commenting not complaining.
Same as Oz building and safety regulations have to met before you can lease/rent. And you require space for yourselves and the doggies 🐶
Thank you Jane and Mike for another good video 👍🇦🇺
Thanks so much
Very good one. Can't watch on time lately. I agree on the points you said. So you will keep this big house without selling it and after some time will buy another one more south,if I understood the plan for now correctly. Why would you like to keep this property,to leave it for your children one day,or other idea? Thanks in advance. I hope you still have sun currently to enjoy. It's important for the mood and well being.
No, sell this buy somewhere else before we're 70
Your the best..Thank you
You're welcome!
Hi Jane, you mentioned your basement and that it doesn't comply to housing regulations. We have a sous sol; can you telll me what height restrictions are in place please, as we wish to convert it into an apartment. Many thanks.
2.2 metres high.
Very good video once again! Would you consider the Provence region or the areas near Nice etc. I believe these are very sunny.
And if I were a billionaire! That's the most expensive area.
@@FrugalQueeninFrance what about La drome Provençal is that as pricey? Took cooking classes in that area about 20 years ago. Was a lovely area. Near nyons I think
@@CreamPuff-ek8fd no way, billionaires, oligarchs and movies stars can afford it, ordinary people can’t.
@@FrugalQueeninFrance thx. It had looked more modest back then the cooking school was in a gitecin the middle of nowhere. Lovely however. Wherever you go I am sure it will be very lovely also!
👍👍👍
We live in North Carolina, USA. We have 4 different seasons. Summer can be hot 90+ and humid and winters cold in the teens with some snow or ice. But the mountains are 3 or 4 hours west and the beaches are the same going east. I would not want to live anywhere else.
The cost of living is average for us, I guess.
Thanks for your video. ❤❤❤
Thanks so much
Does the 20% long term savings include money put aside for small projects, money for new car, etc or is that an additional %? if so, what is the total % saved for everything! I have been working on frugality and just trying to have a better grasp if understanding.......I do enjoy the things you and Mike share, thank you 😊 💜
@beverlyanntaylor9652 small projects within one year have sinking funds, search for our budgeting videos and you can see everything we save. Future car has its own long term savings fund,
Thank you..... Happy Weekend 😊💜
Online information says your duty-free purchases are for individuals, you each get the full amount. But they are not to be combined. So a married couple does get double the amount for one person but you can't buy, for instance, one big thing that costs more than one person's duty free allowance and combine your allowances to bring it in duty free. Apparently the way you travel -- plane or boat, train or car -- makes a difference in how much your duty-free allowance is. You can get your computer's search engine to look into current details. Interesting -- it sounded as though you can't bring dairy products into France from England, not even milk chocolate.
I live south of Nantes between poitiers and limoges and it has not stopped raining and been cold all summer here too 😢😢😢
B and B doesn't pay with 1 room, my friend had a gite alongside her VA business and after cotisations and extra taxes and extra utilities it just wasn't worth it. You read all the people deciding to move to France opening b and b's and gites and I cringe sometimes, been here nearly 11 years and the number of English that have come over to do that and gone after 18 months cos they can't survive is massive, and that was living in my old village which is a UNESCO world heritage site with 6 restaurants and bars, supermarkets, multiple bakers etc so you'd think it would be a big money earner, but its just pocket money when you start paying all those bills.
Exactly! We'll stick to thrifty living to make our money go as far as it can
@@FrugalQueeninFrance i don't blame you, sometimes its not worth the hard work, youd probably be left with €10 a night, if that, on a €50 room, somethings are just unrealistic in rural France.
Meant to say the heat
Hi, do you have a video about your move to France? I'm in the uk and hope to move to an EU country in retirement for better weather and lifestyle. Great video, as always! ❤
No, best way to find out visa arrangements Is go to the immigration website for each country: German government immigration, France government immigration. They tell you everything you need to know. We moved pre Brexit so just packed our bags and moved.
Hi Jane, I can’t find the part 1 video
ua-cam.com/video/1trKY2lTcSs/v-deo.htmlsi=sHcO5bBaZ5scs_uc
I was wondering if friends or family ever come to visit you in France.
Wait to see if we answer that in the personal question section
You're very interesting ppl.
Thanks so much
Thank you for the video. Your property is beautiful.
So nice of you
How long did it take to learn french ? Is the dialect the same in all of France or is it different in parts?
Watch part 1 for the answer ua-cam.com/video/1trKY2lTcSs/v-deo.htmlsi=rQwad8UD6yoVUtYM
You're lucky that your future projects aren't blatently stating you in the face every day. I shouldn't have tore up my old flooring because I'll be looking at it for another year (debt first then save for new flooring).
I am learning to delay gratification through watching your chanel. I COULD put the flooring on my line of credit but I won't. The money has to be in the bank!
Wise words
watch the its getting hotter you might find where you are is the best bet in the future
Anywhere is better than wet and cold
Why did you decide to retire in france
Jane what is your email? I have a question that may be slightly personal for you to answer.
@@yvettenj we don’t answer personal questions but thanks for thinking of us
@@FrugalQueeninFrance Gotcha. It’s just that I remembered when I first started watching you about 2 yrs ago as you were cooking something you briefly mentioned you didn’t want to say what other job you had bc people could be very judgmental.
Hi Jane and Mike. Interesting. Sounds like a good plan you have there. 😃 I think your basement room is ideal as it is. Many people haven't got enough storage space which can be a problem. Thanks for sharing. 🤗