Talking about money in France is still a taboo. However, it is a fascinating topic… and feminist, in some respects! In Settling the Accounts, people of all kinds examine their balance sheets, tell us about their financial organization as a couple or alone and their relationship with money. Today it was Tania who agreed to analyze her accounts for us.
- First name :Tania
- Age : 22 years old
- Occupation : student and teaching assistant in pre-professionalization.
- Net salary after withholding tax : €1,400
- Sock Exchange : €633.50
- People (or animals) living under the same roof : his mother, his sister and two cats
- Place of life : Fort-de-France (Martinique)
Tania’s situation and income
Tania is 22 years old and student in 3And year of graduation in creole languages (LLCER)she is too educational assistant (AED) in pre-professionalization. This is a contract offered by 2And year of licensing (L2) for students who wish to become teachers, and which allows them a progressive and paid entry into the profession.
” It’s interesting. You have to love teenagers and know how to show great patience. Before, I wanted to become a teacher, which is why I started DAE training in pre-professionalization in November 2020. Now, with time and experience, this profession has entered the my wish list. We’ll see.”
Short degree, he lives with his mother, his sister and their two cats in an urban neighborhood of Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique.
“We have been renting a 4-room apartment for several years. »
For her part-time school assistant contract (8 hours per week), Tania receives a monthly net salary of €1,400which is not subject to income tax.
“As a pre-professionalization DAE, I get paid more than minimum wage. For 8 hours a week, I think I’m well paid. »
It also benefits from a scholarship based on social criteria, equal to €633.5 per monthto which they are added €4.59 in interest paid by your bank. In total, Tania therefore has 2,038 euros per month to live on.
Tania’s relationship with money and her financial organization
From a “modest family”Tania learned from her parents that he “you have to save as much as you can”.
“I believe I have acquired solid foundations thanks to my parents and my personal research. »
However, he would like to acquire a more in-depth financial and economic education, to be able to better manage his money, or to be able to put it aside without imposing himself.
“Treating yourself is also useful, you shouldn’t deprive yourself to the point of frustration. »
Thoughtful and low-spendingHowever, Tania admits that she thought long and hard before spending her money and favoring them “useful expenses”.
“My sister says you have to ask yourself, ‘Do I really need this item?’ »
In terms of financial organization, Tania has a savings account and a checking account, with which pays his own expenses related to his studies (student contribution and university life or CVEC, university fees, university canteen, transport, equipment, etc.), as well as personal expenses such as clothing, hair and body care.
“My sister and I can help my mother with the bills, but she usually takes care of it. »
All three do the shopping and split the bill.
Tania’s expenses
Since Tania still lives with her mother and sister and is still a student, she doesn’t pay rent, and she does expenses mainly related to his studies. For example, at the end of the year you purchased a computer on your own, without credit, which you paid for in several installments, i.e. €119.90 per month.
“Paying everything at once would have been too much for me. In the future, if a payment exceeds 60 euros and more than four or five times, I will do without the product. I probably won’t need it. »
The young woman also pays your telephone subscription (€24.99 per month) and related transport costs.
«Using public transport (buses and trams) in the center of Martinique is equivalent to €30 for students. These are the ones I use to go to campus and work. However, with the repeated strikes, since the beginning of the school year I have only paid for the month of September. »
For the month of December 2023 the situation has exceptionally settled €9.19 bank charges and it currently pays off €41.50 for the purchase of sunglassescarried out during a free medical examination at the University.
“Since having my glasses done didn’t cost me anything and I liked the experience, I asked for sunglasses with my prescription, this time they were paid for and they only cost me €166, or €41.50 in four installments. »
“I’m not the type to eat out”
As mentioned previously, Tania contributes, just like her sister, to the food costs of the house (on average €400 per month, or €133 each).
“In general I shop in supermarkets because it often costs much more than elsewhere.
For me the value for money is important. I want to prioritize quality but it’s not always easy for various reasons (price, availability, etc.). »
To eat when she’s on campus, Tania sometimes pays for the U restaurant, although she prefers to bring her own meal. It depends on him Around €30 per month.
” I’m not not one to eat out, I don’t necessarily like doing it. She except occasionally for work. I try to eat before I go out and/or have something to eat and a bottle of water with me to avoid buying anything. It may happen that I still buy something to eat depending on the circumstances, a sandwich or a meal. Normally it costs me less than €50.. »
Another expense incurred by Tania: the care of the two cats at home. For their food and their waste, pays around €40 a month.
Her so-called “female” expenses are estimated at less than €100 per month and mainly concern hygiene protection (from €10 to €20), body care (for the face) and hair (shampoo, detangling).
Finally, the last expense for Tania, but not the most anecdotal: a donation of €25.19 to the independent Christian missionary and humanitarian organization GFA world (Gospel for Asia) to sponsor a child abroad.
Tania’s hobbies
Tania admits that she doesn’t have many paid hobbies, other than the occasional purchase of a book and markers. He’s around Maximum €30 per month.
“Free time is not important, I don’t have one that requires regular spending.. I don’t go to the cinema at all and I’m not registered on a streaming platform like Netflix. Sometimes I watch a movie or series via a third-party account, but I try to stay during the summer holidays because they are distracting. »
On the other hand, she sometimes buys clothes even if, by her own admission, it is difficult for her to find those that correspond to her criteria: comfort, material, price, personal tastes… To find her happiness, she goes to shops in center of Fort-de-France such as Pimkie, Safari way or Platinium, more rarely at the Galleria, a large shopping center located in Lamentin.
“For example, during the sales last November, I found two beautiful dresses for 7 euros each, absolutely in my style. I could have stayed like this, but I also bought some cute tops and 3 pairs of trousers for €25 each and another on sale for €7, but I admit I don’t like these trousers. I wanted variety but would have to stick to my “comfort, material, price and personal taste”. So in November I spent approx €130 in clothes. »
Tania’s savings and future plans
Tania has a savings account in which he puts aside the entire scholarship (633 euros per month) and around 400 euros in salary.
“I try to stick to it but sometimes there are unexpected events (medical, exceeding the expected figures, etc.). If I have money left in my account at the end of the month in which I receive the new salary, I save it too, I don’t leave it in my account. »
It is important for the young woman to be able to save every month, so she tries “do it well”.
“Having few responsibilities there is no reason to spend lavishly. You have to think about the aftermath (more or less important unexpected events, potential projects, etc.). More, Saving money isn’t just about money, but also a way to learn discipline, wisdom. Management doesn’t stop with money. »
Despite her good savings, Tania would like to spend even less.
“I look at my bank statements and, for both daily and occasional expenses, I think I can reduce them. These are the little details that, when accumulated, end up becoming big expenses at the end of the month. JI think I should be more rigorous at this level. »
Tania would also like to “Invest in reusable periodic protectors, grow plants, fruits, etc. This would be beneficial to my health, my budget and, of course, the planet”.
Thanks to Tania for opening her accounts for us!
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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.
