dmu

Hi, I said on another thread that our Mutuelle didn't give much reimbursement (eyes and teeth) for what we pay per month, which is about 150€ FOR A COUPLE. I think 100€ for a family of 4 is being optimistic...
Some one else mentioned taxiing children all the time if you live in an area without public transport. They'll have the School Bus, but for their social life the OP will have to be prepared to drive them everywhere for their respective social activities on Wednesdays and at weekends until they're old enough to drive scooters (if then!). We live in a rural area and, believe me, it wasn't funny to have two destinations to cope with (taking and collecting). Maybe a minor detail, but something to take into account...

loy loy

Good point, we have now moved from the village our children are at school in. So my wife has a 10km drive each way now. And they come home from lunch so thats 80km a day on school run. Wed sport is about 20km away, another 40km. It adds up. We do a tank a week at least at 75e.
Supermarket 25 mins away, any kind of DIY shop the same.

I keep meaning to look into the mutuelle and what each one offers. We have some quotes, the most expensive cover from any of them was 1800e the cheapest was 800e. For 4

cjm

For two in retirement mutuelle costs are €86 pcm and I did get some redress with a dental matter. I assume costs vary as it is a form of insurance policy; age, location, current health state.

MillieF

I really have loved living in France, but after 12 years I am heading out...for a number of reasons, however OP have you thought about buying a small cottage and restoring it over the holidays over the next few years? That way your kids could stay in school and you could gently learn French as a family. I went to a school sports thing the other day for all the schools in the area, I was asked to help a child of 11 who has been in school for the last four months, the child could speak no French and the teachers were frankly stuck, his unhappiness shone like a beacon. France is going through a bad time, there is just no work and people are scared, just where I live two companies have closed in the last couple of weeks. Don't drop your dreams of France, but do temper them with the need to proceed slowly.

White Trash

It might sound like everyone is trying to put the OP off but pretty much all that has been said is true. Qualifications of almost any type are not recognised here and many "professionals" in my area (Brittany) have had to take jobs labouring in an abattoir or chicken factory to make ends meet. Having said that, you can equally come here with nothing but common sense and moderate expectations and make a go of it. The poster above who said you need at least €1500 a month to survive on made me laugh. I've never earned anything like that in my entire life. I came here with little more than the price of a second hand Ford Escort but that was enough to buy a dereclict cottage with some land. Hard work and doing without non-essentials got me to a happy state of mind and a safer more fulfilling life than I ever had in UK. Forget starting a business here. Its a nightmare of paperwork and they like to take your taxes and fees before you have earned a cent. B&B is not a way to earn a living. A little top up on the side, maybe but not a living for four people. Brittany has been a hot spot for tourism and during the massive influx of Brits ten years ago everyone bought a house & two gites thinking it would be a useful income. There were too many in the area so there wasn't enough business to sustain the numbers. It is even worse today with the downturn and Brittany Ferries prices going mental during high season. It now costs little more to take a flight somewhere abroad with full board than to drive to a gite in France. Yes, I do paint a grim picture but the OP sounds like he has the right attitude and will do whatever it takes to make his dream work. It can be done. I wish him luck.

sootysweep

Well good luck anyway, if you end up anywhere near Vendee let me know. One last suggestion. why dont you buy somewhere really cheap nd then keep a substantial part of your budget free for just living and settling in The last thing you will need is to be under financial pressure as well There are some bargains to be had I suspect as the french property market is much like the uk's i.e. almost dead.. and a lot of Brits are trying to sell up. If you want warm.. try the Landes area.. south of Bordeaux..

loy loy

We live a simple life and get close to the 1500e every month. I think it's a good base for sums for a family of four.

dmu

This sum corresponds more or less to the official French "seuil de pauvreté" for a couple with two children, and doesn't cover a Mutuelle, trips back to the UK to see family, etc...
Maybe you haven't had three dependents to feed and clothe and ensure that the children have all the necessary school requisites and a social life.... but the OP will have, and IMHO, children's welfare should take priority...

Harvester523

Hi, I'm new here but 9 years in France. 70k is really a non-starter - whatever you bought at that price would need renovation, and that would probably use your friends 70k as well. For a going and viable B&B/gite in this area (Limousin) you're looking at about 200k (I know of two for sale), but that's only income to supplement other income - not to live on. I don't now how anyone could make anything renting and subletting a gite. We have two permanently rented houses that bring in about 700 euros a month total, out of that we still have to pay taxe fonciere and repairs.
Can you do anything working online? That's what I do.
We have an auto-enterprise each which covers basic health care, and a mutuelle which only provides hospital cover, which is about 800 euros a year for both. With children to worry about, you do need to do your sums!
We recently had some near neighbours with two children declare themselves bankrupt and move back to Ireland, the house was repossessed and sold at auction for 100k less than they'd bought for. Don't underestimate the expense of living here!
Having said that - I love it and would never go back, but you do need to find a viable means of succeeding.

neufnine9

Hi
Just a thought. Why don't you buy an inexpensive small holiday home in France first and see how you feel living there for extended periods? Go as often as you can and live there, not just holiday there. You can then try it out with the security of employment in the UK. You will also experience day to day issues such as home repairs, trips to the decheterie (refuse sites) and dealing with the local administration. It has opened our eyes and made us see a full time move more realistically. You will also find learning the language much easier if you are immersed in the country.

Im_and_Er

With whom please., or is that each ?

cjm

Hi Im_and_Er, it's for both, PM me for more.

Harvester523

My 84 y o mother has a full mutuelle through Allianz for (I forget how much but under 1000 p.a.) It doesn't include dentistry or eye tests but hospital, prescriptions, some equipment for elderly living (a cushion to avoid sores for example, but not socks for low blood pressure), hospital treatment and transport. No account is taken of existing conditions, and no medical required. She's had two hospital trips since being here - one in A&E and one a weeks stay with a transfer to another hospital for tests - all with no charge. I think cost depends basically on what you want covered v. age.

kazzo

I have also sent a PM with a different option...

ChissayLuke

Dreamland indeed, I regret.
All previous posters' advice is sound.
And gite and B&B prospects are really not worth considering as a means to an income.
We have had a nice (little) house in the Loire for 8 years now, and are eager to make the move there permanently.
This with a positive income from letting our UK property, no ambitions to earn a single euro from business, no dependant children, and good investments/pensions.
And so far it hasn't been financially possible.
Be Very, Very careful.