Inspired by a recent thread (air fryers), I thought it good to ask about suggestions / learnings anyone has about how to save money when living in Europe. I moved to Germany (Bavaria), for reference.
Things we've done so far: air fryer (cheaper than the oven), buying used furniture/appliances, relying on mass transit, used bike, cheap carbonator for cocktail spritzes instead of buying soda/sparkling water, etc.
We checked out some produce stands and the like, but prices were worse than our neighborhood discount grocery. Asian markets were pricy too, which was a hack I used in the States. I haven't investigated the Turkish/Greek markets as much yet…
Saving Money in Europe (as an American)
byu/Gamer-Imp inFrugal
Posted by Gamer-Imp
4 Comments
Lidl/Aldi.
* Insurances: Get only what you need. I think germans have on average the most insurances per person, and most of them are… not necessary
* In the same vein tho, having the important ones can save your ass, so do get them
* Dryers (for clothes) aren’t really common and usually not needed (imo they are never necessary)
* In general in supermarkets store brands tend to be cheaper than name brands, obviously
* Some supermarkets are pretty good with fresh produce as well, so while hitting up a local market can be nice, I wouldn’t call it strictly necessary
* General ideas of reducing waste
I’m also in Bavaria
Shop at Lidl, Aldi, Penney. Cell phone blans are cheap, mine from Blau.de is something like 12 Euros a month.
Use a Deutschland ticket
Check ebay kleinanzeige or nebanan for used items.i know a lot of people use too good to go for grocery type stuff
Then the obvious, eating out is expensive and groceries are way more affordable here than in the US
always buy stuff in sale ! for long lasting stuff i always wait until the item i want is in sale and buy a big supply. Also allegro has awesome prices even for a lot of food. nuts, dried fruits, spices