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Talking about money is still taboo in France. Still, it’s a fascinating topic… and feminist, in some respects! In Settlement of Accounts, people of all kinds check their budget, tell us about their financial organization as a couple or alone, and their relationship with money. Today it is Lucie * who has agreed to analyze her accounts for us.
First name : Lucy*
Age : 28 years
Occupation : magistrate
Net salary before withholding tax : €3,430
Net salary after withholding tax : €3,200
People (or animals) who live with you : his wife and their cat
Place of life: an apartment in a medium-sized city in the Oise (60).
Lucie’s situation and income
Lucie has been a magistrate for a year and a half, more specifically the deputy public prosecutor “a medium-sized court”.
“I am not a civil servant, my status depends on the civil service but it is a special regime; we do not have a particular regulation on the hours worked. So I would say that I work an average of 50 to 60 hours a week, according to late hearings which, alas, are not so rare. My current position also imposes periods of ‘permanence’, i.e. several days during which I can be reached at any time by the investigators to take any urgent decision, Day and night. It is therefore difficult to count my hours during these times. I am on duty for about a week and a weekend a month. »
In a relationship of 13 years with her partner, Lucie is in a PACS and lives with him an apartment of 70 square meters2 of which are tenants in a medium-sized city in the Oise.
“We are lucky enough to live ‘in the countryside’ while being able to easily reach the center of Paris in less than an hour. »
For her full-time work as a magistrate, Lucie receives a salary of 3,430 euros net per monthreturned to €3,200 net of Irpef withholding tax. If we count Lucie’s spouse’s income, the couple have a monthly income of 6,300 euros to live on. “We are trying to adjust our withholding tax which, in my view, is insufficient. »
To the question “Do you consider yourself well paid? »Lucie explains that she knows “mixed feelings”.
“I am aware of finding myself in the “rich” category of the French population and to be very lucky to be able to live with my current lifestyle. Considering what I have always known around me since childhood, I will never dare to complain about such a salary. However, sometimes I find it this salary is just acceptable given the hours I can work and sacrifices on my private life required by this position (I work on weekends and evenings, for example). I feel that if we could calculate my hourly rate, it would not be as satisfactory with regards to my degrees, my workload and especially my responsibilities.
Furthermore, my basic salary is 2,400 euros gross, so I am heavily remunerated by various bonuses, some depending on the workload of my hours of service. Therefore, my salary is highly variable from month to month. »
Lucie’s relationship with money and her financial organization
Having grown up in “a modest family”Lucie feels that she has not necessarily received “the keys to managing a budget like mine”.
“My parents, even when they were on a lower salary, were never really afraid of losing anything, or they hid it from me particularly well. The spirit of the family has always been “Have fun, we don’t take anything to the grave”.
Since then I have been looking for savings and investments, and I am aware that with my current salary it would be foolhardy to try to spend it all, but I must admit that I still adhere to this philosophy somewhat, I do not see myself limiting my desires and my activities set aside a little more money. »
As a result, Lucie is aware that she hasn’t yet “find your balance” AND “Spending too much money on superficial pleasures” things she couldn’t afford before, like expensive clothes or meals in fine restaurants.
“On the other hand, I’m lucky to never get caught, and I tell myself that as long as I can put a little aside each month to make up in case of a major blow, I’m right to be a daily treat. »
As for their financial organization, Lucie and her partner everyone has a personal checking account on which they receive their salary and where they assume personal expenses: transport and meals related to work, mutual and personal, clothing, trips. They also have a joint accounton which they pay the same amount of money every month, and which is intended to pay common expenses: rent, bills, purchases, activities…
Lucia’s expenses
The first expense item for Lucie and her spouse is obviously the rent, which they split in two. The young woman therefore pays every month €492.5 for a total fee of €985.
Then come the current bills, which Lucie estimates €190 per month.
“We pay around €140 for energy and €60 for insurance and the garage, which we split 50/50, then €90 for the health insurance and the car which I pay myself, because it’s my personal car and the my professional mutual. »
The pair also share a Netflix account (€14 per monthwhich each pays half), and also gets the services of a housekeeper, who comes every week to an amount of €180 per month.
“We have a shopping list drawn up in advance and a meal plan”
Among the other expenses that the couple assumes 50/50, we also find the expenses related to their cat (€10 per month each), as well as travel expenses. For her part, Lucie then pays half, ie around €165 per month.
“It’s about petrol and tolls. Weekend trips to see our families have a real cost that we share (€250 per month). I live close to my workplace, so my personal expenses are around €40 a month. »
Lucie and her boyfriend’s food budget is quite substantial: €385 per month. An expense they share together.
“We shop in hypermarkets like Carrefour, Cora. We shop once a week, with our meal plan and list drawn up in advance. And we try to stick to it even though some chocolates and other compulsive buying may occur! »
Added to this is Lucie €160 per month for the meals he eats at workand for which he assumes sole responsibility.
A fact rare enough to be underlined, Lucie and her spouse also share the costs of medical care and make-up equallyeven if this budget is, in the opinion of the young woman, ” very weak “ : about 10 or 15€ per month, leveled up over the course of the year. This is explained by the fact that Lucie “ she wears very little make-up and does not go to the institute”. As for her contraception, she is fully reimbursed by Medicare and mutual insurance.
Lucy’s hobbies
As he acknowledged above, Lucie gives a lot of space to her hobbies… and this is reflected in the budget it allocates to them. The young woman and her husband like to go out in Paris, eat well and discover new addresses, whether they are restaurants or bars.
“We try to discover original places and, as gourmets as we are, we like to meet around a coffee and a pastry or a cutting board for an aperitif. »
The young woman and her friend are also fond of museums, craft shops or evenescape games.
put one end to the other, “these expenses weigh at the end of the month”Lucia recognizes: around €600 per month for condominium expenses and personal expenseswhich includes drinks/outings for Lucie, plus a subscription to sports coaching (€79 per month).
“I wouldn’t want to draw the line, as these sessions make me more confident and comfortable with my body (and it makes up for the restaurants a bit…). »
Is this cheap restaurant, aaround €400 per monththat the young woman would like to reduce as a priority.
“We eat out very regularly but I think it would be hard to do without it, we really enjoy these moments together. »
Lucie and her partner also have a dedicated travel budget ofaround €300 per month leveled up during the year, they pay 50/50.
“I think I can also set a personal “gift” budget of around 40 euros a month because I like to please, especially when there isn’t a particular event. »
Finally, as far as clothes go, Lucie knows her too budget of €200 it’s important :
“I shop quite regularly and I work a little too much on a whim… As fans of sneakers and limited editions (just like my partner), I think we should also curb our zeal in this area (we buy almost a pair or two a month each), but that’s easier said than done. Our latest “crack” dates back to several months ago: a pair of Chloé shoes for 450 euros. »
Lucie’s savings and plans for the future
Every month, Lucie manages to save around €1,000, just like her husband. They have personal savings accounts for their savings.
“In view of my previous lifestyle, I find this amount very satisfying, but a little voice inside me tells me that obviously we could do much better, I am aware of that. The thing is, I don’t want to limit myself further as I can already reach this goal of €1,000 a month, which is fine with me for now. »
In the near future, Lucie and her partner plan to travel: a trip to Asia is planned for this year.
They also have long-term plans toinvest in rental properties to ensure regular additional income.
“My work will require many changes, so the purchase of our primary residence is still a distant project. In the meantime, and to use up our savings, we’re buying a studio flat in a student city that we’ve frequented and that we think we can rent for €395 a month; we hope to be able to continue in the years to come and thus ensure a comfortable retirement. »
Thanks to Lucie* for going over budget for us!
*Name has been changed.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
