Oddly enough, I am slightly better off this month as my three UK government pensions (retirement, Teachers' and Civil Service) have to be converted to euros and the pound has actually strengthened a little this week. Of course, when I came to France in 2002 I was getting €1.66 to the £, and now it is €1.16.
Almost half my income goes on travel - I have no mortgage or debts and very low outgoings on my little flat.
With ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, I have had to limit gifts to those who are not working.
I don't smoke, rarely eat out (except when travelling, of course), don't buy cosmetics, visit the hairdresser only twice a year, don't buy new clothes, and drink a couple of bottles of wine a week. I have also discovered the joys of the slow cooker, but I am happy to have beans or cheese or sardines on toast for a meal. Fresh fruit is probably my biggest expense on food.
I put some money on deposit each month to cover emergencies - I had to use it twice this week, as my fridge packed up and I needed four new tyres.
When my daughter was almost killed in a botched operation in 2003, she lost her business , leaving her deeply in debt, and would have lost her home - she is divorced with four children. I sold my house in France and lent her all the proceeds and also borrowed on my own credit cards to keep her going. I had to rent in France, which cost me twice as much as my tiny mortgage, and had to meet the monthly repayments on the credit cards. As well as being wracked with anxiety about her continuing ill health, depression, PTSD, and dependence on codeine, I lay awake night after night with my thoughts just going round in circles, wondering how I could manage. It took seven years for the Medical Defence Union to agree an out of court settlement but she was finally able to repay me last year. I lost about £18,000 on rent and £10,000 on the drop in the exchange rate. I haven't asked her to repay any of that, just the actual amount I lent her.
However, I feel happy that she has been able to stay in her own home and help her adult children, and I feel very lucky that I can now get back my own life and enjoy my retirement.