Can You Really Survive on 80€ a Week?
Hey Au Pairs!
It’s Edwina here. I’m surviving a rainy day in Paris with a horrible migraine BUT I did manage to make it out to a coffee shop (comme d’habitude). In fact, I am currently writing this blog from my favorite place in all of Paris…. you guessed it, KB Coffeeshop in Pigalle.
me looking for the dollars in my bank account at the end of the month
Sitting here with my coffee, makes me remember our days as au pairs, when Hanna and I would count our pennies and drink shitty espresso with a cup of water in order to save money.
If you didn’t know, Hanna and I are extremely frugal people. Admittedly, we might be a little extreme but, that said, our good financial habits allowed us to travel, enjoy ourselves, and Hanna even paid off some student tuition with what she managed to save during her au pair year!
The au pair salary in France is 320€ a month or 80€ a week… which a lot of people puzzle at. Is it really possible to survive on that little?!
Our answer: YES! Well, as long as you are VERY strategic about every move….
1. Be prepared and BE realistic, HAVE savings
Living on 80€ a week is no easy feat. If you are the type of person that needs nice things, likes to go shopping, and doesn’t want to have to think about money every single second, come into your au pair year with as many savings as you can muster! There is no magic number… just AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!
2. Consider NOT being in Paris
Yes, this is called Au Pair, Oh Paris but fun fact - one of our favorite cities in France is actually Montpellier, in the south! It’s no secret that Paris is expensive as heck! And simply moving to an equally cool city like Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseilles… (to name only a few) can give you some breathing room and allow you to have more financial freedom as an au pair.
3. Negotiate for a higher salary or go through an agency
Many of the APOP au pairs go through AuPairWorld but admittedly, sometimes going through a free website can lead to a horror story situation. This is because there is no third party watching over you and your host family. This is one reason why going through an agency can be safer and more beneficial for you. In fact, agencies often have their host families pay their au pairs more than the required 80€.
4. Budget per WEEK not per MONTH
If you become an au pair after working a real job, it will be even harder for you. 80€ a week is about 11€ a day, which equals out to 1 coffee and (maybe) 1 meal everyday. And that’s not including surprise expenses you might have… It can be easy to spend away all your money in the beginning of the month and say —- I’ll budget later —- which is basically asking for trouble. This is why we suggest tracking absolutely everything you spend and rationing your salary our every week, and being specific about how much you can spend each day.
5. Eat in as much as possible
Eat as many meals as you can with your family or at least eat their food as much as possible. It’s a MUST. You cannot afford to buy your own food on 80€ a week. Stand up for yourself and tell them the things you like to nibble. Tell them when there is nothing for you to eat or that you don’t feel they are taking you into consideration! You are paid only 80€, they need to feed you!
6. Take your savings out FIRST
Every week when I was paid, I would take half of my au pair pocket money and put it in a purse and say —- This is for my London trip —- I had a concrete goal, which motivated me to save. Every time I saw a pair of shoes that I wanted, a fahire
ncy pastry in a boulangerie, etc., I thought —- London, London, London —- and it helped me find the will to save!
7. Carry the least amount of money with you
This was a tactic that Hanna and I used to do. Similar to the previous tip, we wouldn’t carry more than 10€ at a time with us. This would FORCE us to find free activities to do. The mental note of having a credit card or extra cash on your person allows you to say —- Oh, whatever! —- when times get hard. Pay in cash only!
a good example of us spending 1 too many euros on coffee ;)
So… 80€ is it really possible?
A the end of the day, while the minimum by law for an au pair in France to be paid is 320€ a month, soooo many families who go through random websites pay you less than that. Or they don’t pay your transport pass. Be wary of these families. It’s a big red flag!
If you don’t want to take the risk, we highly recommend you go through an agency. Check out our partner agency Butrfly who have their families pay at least 90€ a week and who let you search for your host family for free!
Click here to look for your host family.
xoxo
Edwina + Hanna