Before we built the house, we had an apartment for 440 euros warm (so including additional costs, electricity, internet, etc.). But that no longer applies now. For 1200 euros cold, you could rent a 200sqm house here.
But to get back to the breakdown of our expenses:
2480 income 1
430 income 2
390 child benefit
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3300 euros
Those who know me... GEZ, the chimney sweep, and firewood are even included in these numbers.
918 loans
435 additional costs + reserves
190 car
235 insurances and contributions
203 reserves
430 long-term savings
159 daycare
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2570 euros
730 euros remain for living expenses (without reserves for car, clothing, furniture, technology, vacation).
The last items are already included in the expenses.
One car, two bicycles and public transport are enough for us. Shopping is done at the discount store with supplements from Edeka, including the sausage and meat counter. We get cheese from the local farmer or directly from the Eifel region as a wheel from the producer, drinks are bought in 12-case packs (in the Ford Fiesta) on offer, water comes from the soda maker until you burst. We skip cinema and bars, but there is Prime and a Thermomix. We have vacation three times a year, one week in a holiday apartment and two long weekends in the youth hostel. Of course, no cruise is included. We don’t need, want, or can afford that either.
"Sonderausgaben" like Christmas presents, a Vorwerk vacuum cleaner, three new cabinets or a child's bed are paid from the 13th/14th salary. So for us, such things are normal too. We are not scraping by.