The Cost of Living in Limbo

You know, I don’t want this blog to sound like a gripe-a-thon. I really don’t. So here is what we LOVE about Germany, and especially this area:

--It is green, green, green (the upside to all of that rain).
--The food is amazing.
--They have four distinct seasons (unlike home in CO where you can get snowed out on Independence Day)
--Americans are generally treated well here.
--The food is wonderful.
--Nearly everyone is middle class or better. You don’t see much poverty around here.
--The food is sooooo good.
--Everything is clean.
--Food is real. Butter. Cream. Sugar. No chemicals or unpronounceable ingredients.
--Crime is extremely low. People have to lock their cars by law, but people don’t worry about getting mugged or accosted here.
--Oh, the food. Awesome.
--Germans really do a lot to preserve the environment, and it’s easy to recycle and conserve here.
--People are friendly, and we are greeted constantly by strangers with a cheery “gruss Gott” (God’s greeting to you) or a “guden Tag” (“good day”)
--There are few markers of “Generica” like McDonald’s, Walmart or Starbucks.
--The food is to die for.
--Don’t even get me started on the amazing chocolate.
--The beer and wine are the best.
--Oh, and did I mention the food?

So alles gut. But Dave said to me yesterday, “Why is it that people here make less money than Americans, pay higher taxes, and are still able to pay such high prices for homes?”

He didn’t even mention all of the many weeks off they get for various holidays.

I have a theory. It’s radical. Wanna hear it? Okay, here goes: They save their money instead of blowing it on junk.

In the States we are used to buying things 10 for a dollar, whether we need them or not. Germans seem to buy 1 thing for 10 euro, but only if they really need it. Thus they buy good quality that lasts a long time. People have a few outfits and they wear them a few times before washing them so they last. Each week they buy just enough fresh meat and produce to last the week. There isn’t the “more is better” Sam’s Club mentality here. Homes are also smaller, meaning less storage space for purchased items.

Cars have extremely high emissions and mechanical requirements, meaning that people take better care of them (and since it costs about 1500-2000 euro for kids to go to fahrschule, driving school, not a lot of cars are being ragged out by overzealous teens).

Also, people don’t carry credit cards. Around here almost nobody takes credit cards, even malls, gas stations and luxury item stores. So you have to make sure you have enough cash on hand to buy what you need. How many Americans would avoid debt if they spent what they had instead of on credit? Enough to bring our weak little old dollar back into competition?