I think the $300 a month for fashion is VERY conservative. She is wearing a lot of designers and never repeat a single piece of clothing. Even considering the fact that she works in the field and is an "influencer" the expanses would likely be $1000 at minimum, and even that would be an extremely low estimation. It's not that much thing you can buy with $300 if you don't go for crappy fast fashion.
Parisian born and raised over here. Her lifestyle is well over the €5.000 mark at a minimum. On the food alone, it's not uncommon to reach the 700-800 euros a month if you go out several times a week ; I wish I could "only" spend 200 euros a month 😅
200 euros doesn't even cover boulangerie expenses and with all the going out she must be doing because I don't think she's cooking that much, she may be very well spending at least 2000 euros in restaurants alone.
Parisian marketing employee commenting here: what about designer clothes, Ubers (omg uber is a huge cost in paris), Michelin star restaurants, make up and beauty - hair - nail salon, shoes (300$ is not nearly enough for designer rental shoes she wear so often). And, she may be making 3500€ to 5000€ after taxes, if she is valued in her company as « an American that bring a plus to the agence » and if she gets commissions. But the real average salary for this position for a local, with that experience, at this age, would be 2700 to 3000€. Totally not realistic lifestyle, unless she has an influencer income on top of everything.
@annadl8637 hello there! I moved to Paris earlier this year as a Brit and honestly as a foreigner it is super difficult at the beginning. However, I got super lucky and found a landlord who understood how difficult it is for a foreigner, so he didn't require a full dossier from me. Usually, the dossier includes proof of ID, proof of employment, proof of residency (if applicable), and 3 months of salary bulletins proving that you earn at least 3x the rent after tax. When I very first moved here, I rented an amazing apartment in Place de l'Estrapade via Paris Attitude, who I highly recommend.
@@annadl8637 Very bad, it takes a lot of time to find an apartment that's not too expensive while not being in a bad part of the city. For rent, you can't find under 1000€ if you're looking for more than a studio, and there are studios that are more expensive than that. For a long time now, people have decided to go to the outskirts of Paris as it is less expensive. In terms of earnings, landlords are usually going to look at if you have a salary or not (as in regular, stable income) and if it gets around 3 times the rent price. My parents' friends (who were people with good salaries) had a hard time finding something and that was 20 years ago. Hope it helps you in any way :)
I’ve commented this on someone else’s thread, but just for visibility: -your employer should be paying for your visa, work permit, flight to destination, health insurance, and monthly housing stipend. Some include a relocation bonus on top of that and a return flight home after 1 year. They should also help you find a place to live and help you get situated. If they don’t offer that, don’t take the contact unless there is another reason to take the job that greatly benefits you. Source: I’ve been an American expat abroad for 5 years. 🇺🇸🌎 Also, people tend to take more chances to snap up “unique” experiences, buys, trips (ex: being able to take a train or a short flight to somewhere) when they’re abroad. There’s a sense that you know it can’t last forever, and you don’t want regrets. Definitely budget for it, but it’s a justifiable line item.
Also an American expat here with years of living in Paris. All the aboove comments are accurate, but it's crazy to think anyone would accept a 50% cut in salary to move abroad. Also, the company typically pays all expenses associated with the lodging and organizes it for the employee. An American with no French, work or financial history in France would find it impossible to even look for an apartment let alone secure a lease. This video demonstrates a profound ignorance of both France and the ex-pat life.
I do think that your estimate of her “fun money” was extremely low. Starting with the fact she spends more on her appearance. Not only is she buying clothes and shoes and purses but makeup, skincare and hair products and salon visits. Also, I think eating out and attending events and going to bars will be a big chunk of money. Eating out in Paris is expensive. She probably does get some things comped but she is spending like there’s no tomorrow. She definitely seems like an impulse buyer, so sticking to a budget would probably be difficult for her.
I am a Marketing professional from Paris… living in Chicago…. At 28 and knowing she had a master degree. Emily likely is an “associate director” at most considering that no one seemed to report to her in Chicago and the same can be seen in paris. In Chicago that’s about $105k, nowhere near $180k… that’s VP money which Emily is not Also as agencies in paris don’t pay anywhere near what the data you’re showing… salary at her level would be best case $55kish…
Agreed, normally when you scale the US salary into a Paris expat contract, that would be at least a - 30% cut. The employer may pay her housing however.
I don't understand how someone who is a marketing expert in The US can ,be of use in Paris, such a different market. And it would cost so much more to employ someone from The US.
Good audit but definitely missed two things: the cost of groceries is most likely around 500-600€. Unless she only eats in restaurants and only has a few snacks at home. And if she eats in restaurants all the time, she needs waaaaaaay more than 10% 😅 consider an average of 30€ per meal (if she is going to inexpensive to average restaurants most of her time). Another thing is that yes rent may be 1600€, but on top of rent you pay the building charges, electricity, gas-heating, internet, water… so that’s another 200-300€ a month.
I thought that her rent was subsidized by her company - most of her meals are catered by her company or she eats for free at her French boyfriend’s restaurant. Her pay likely remains the same if her Chicago firm sent her to Paris - her Chicago employer would be paying her, not the French company. On top of that to go overseas you would be paid more. I recently went on a business trip and everything from business class flight to food to transportation was comped. Plus if she works in marketing she’ll get commission on top of her base rate. She also mentioned that she rents her clothes so not all of that is being purchased by her. I think Emily is Paris is a fun, lighthearted show - and a lot more of it is actually realistic than what we think.
Expat packages typically cost the employer a multiple of the benefits received by the employee. Think law firm handling the work permit, relocation specialist, expat taxes, etc: its quite unrealistic that a 20-something gets an expat package like that. Expat packages are usually for older, real executives.
@@anotherperspective6247 you have to remember that Gilbert’s Group was big enough to acquire Savoir the French firm, and Emily basically goes instead of Madeline Wheeler who is the director of Marketing because Madeline finds out that she is pregnant. I don’t think it’s unrealistic given the circumstances surrounding her move explained in the show.
@@joyjin911 I haven't watched the show and I was an expat myself at a young age so it happens. But I was in a very unusual and lucky situation where no one else wanted it after 9/11.
+ she most likely gets passive income from her social media and through brand deals and partnerships. Not to mention she works for one of the biggest marketing companies in the capital of fashion. Imo it makes sense that she dresses the way she does and I wouldn’t be surprised if she got a discount on items or things for free from clients. Just look at all the free stuff that your average Tiktoker with a mid-size following gets. It’s insane. Emily in Paris is a ridiculous show but if you really think about it, her spending isn’t as outrageous as it seems.
I’m an expat, and I have been for 5 years. Your employer MUST provide the costs of your visa, work permit, flight to destination, health insurance, housing stipend. If they don’t, then don’t take the deal!
this audit series is so interesting. these kinds of shows really do make you feel like you could easily live like this if you just move to the city or move abroad and do something daring.
i live in a small town in France and get free lunch daily from the university, and even I don't spend only"300" euros on groceries! I don't even go out as much as Emily
I used to live in Paris not that long ago. I could make it out with about 200€ a month solo. That's for three meals a day, and eating relatively fresh/healthy food. You need to know where to look, what shops to go to for the lowest price, make things stretch (turning a cut of meat intended for one meal, into two) be creative with your cooking, and make the best of special deals. So 200-300 is doable, but certainly you're talking about a lot of effort, no meals out, and certainly not indulging in bakery treats every single day. If you get a loaf of bread, and a viennoiserie once a day, you're probably looking at 5€ just for that. So that's 120€ a month alone! In Paris. If she's not being careful, she could easily be spending 400€+. Although I guess she isn't cooking because she's eating in restaurants every other day, she wouldn't need so much food. If you're living in Paris, willing to skimp (really limited fun money), in a small apartment, you would need, in my opinion, a minimum of 1500€ net to get by. This makes for a very modest lifestyle, and you wouldn't have much left in your bank account at the end of the month.
4k, after taxes, per month... even in Paris... as a 29-year-old.. wow. That is a LOT of money! Most people, at least in the European countries I know, will tell you their net salary because taxes are deducted before the salary is paid out, so asking someone how much they earn will likely get you a slightly confused look because the whole "100k per year" thing just doesn't happen. You calculate with your monthly net, not your yearly gross. This could be a very interesting detour into the differences between European and American spending, having a few European countries as comparison and seeing why many Americans who move to France, Germany, Denmark, Spain are both shocked at their "low" salaries and extremely happy to have moved nonetheless!
If my husband and I met in our 30s or 40s, I would have contemplated moving to Southern France fr CA, USA. I love a lot of things about France and Europe, and I would have loved living there.
That doesn’t seem like a lot to me tbh. It would be comfortable discretionary cash each month. But if you spend $2.5k a month living and $1k saving, that’s only $500 a month for all discretionary spending, including clothing, dining out, and travel expenses. It would take her four months of buying nothing just to afford an average one week vacation that’s very non-luxury, and therefore, very non-Emily.
@@mikeg8276 It is a lot of money. But sure, if you spend it all and are fixated on saving a quarter of your income every month, you have to make cuts somewhere else.
A net is meaningless in the US as well. Various items are taken out of paychecks before the net, and it is further complicated by a person's withholding status and number of dependents. Choices about health insurance and retirement account contributions muddy the waters even more. Since everybody's situation is different, gross pay is the only meaningful comparison tool.
Love this concept and your work, as always, but this one was a bit of a miss with the estimates. As someone who grew up close to Paris and still goes there regularly, definitely way too low on the groceries, dining out, and especially the fun money (and way too high on the salary). Just groceries would be more in the range of 500€ a month, conservatively. Restaurants have gotten ridiculously expensive in the last few years and fancy restaurants like she goes to will easily put her back 75€ every time for a 3 course meal and a glass of wine. That's already at least another 500€ monthly given how often she goes out, if not way more. And add all the cafés and fancy bakeries on top. I don't know in which category you include make up and skincare, I'm guessing fun money, but those are also extremely expensive. That would definitely also be at least a 100€ budget every month on its own, given her lifestyle. And 300€ for Emily's fashion is way too conservative. Each of her outfits is upwards of 1000€ if accounting for all the designer clothes and accessories from jewellry to shoes and purses, some way more than that, and like you said, she doesn't repeat. 300€ nowadays would get you maybe 2 or 3 outfits from high street shops like Zara or Mango, but not even remotely close to anything high fashion, let alone a whole month's worth of clothes, even if she does repeat off camera. And with all this, she has not once gone out to see a movie, a play, a museum, a concert or anything like that. And she has not taken a single Uber, which is also a massive budget to get around in Paris. There is just no realistic way Emily is living that lifestyle in Paris. And if there is, a few of my friends would like a chat!
I think you summed it up pretty well. The estimates for food and clothing were low and everything else was kind of brushed over. Let’s assume the 300€ would be enough to cover her fashion (which I’m sure it doesn’t), that leaves her with 470€ to go out. Nowadays you’re not going out to eat for less than 25€ and she seems to be going to a bit nicer places, so I’ll bump that up to 40€. I’ve read from a few comments that she uses taxis from time to time, which are probably about 20€ each time. So this allows for her to go out to eat 10x and take 3 taxis a month and then this money is gone completely. And that doesn’t include any upscale restaurant where you won’t leave with less then 100-150€. In total I’d say she easily spends about 3-4x the estimate on fun, on top of the fashion.
My head canon is that Emily is living paycheck to paycheck because, as an American expat, she can't find a bank that will deposit her checks since they'd have to do yearly tax paperwork for her. She's also scared to keep piles on cash on her because of pick pockets, so thus spends it as she gets it.
The first few seasons she was living in Paris but sent on loan by her old firm back in Chicago so she would likely be retaining her same American salary. I think it was also mentioned that the firm got her apartment so she also wouldn't being paying rent.
this is how i understood it. in paris she was still employed by gilbert group, so her salary should have never changed. If my boss told me i was going to Paris but I would take a pay cut, i dont think i would accept
Just fyi, France has marginal tax rates. The 39% is 11% at 10k, 30% at 73k, and 41% above. I think the 39% is a little high. And as far as other expenses are not accounted for, there are a lot. These would all be taken out of the gross income before she sees her paycheck: Contributing to universal health care (called securite sociale in France) Contributing to basic french pension Contributing to executives french pension In general, the rule of thumb is to consider a 30% difference between gross and net...before income tax.
While i enjoyed this video, its so far off and its making me angry to even suggest this is an attainable lifestyle to live. Not only is the salary extremely rare for any major European city, you also forgot utilities (her friend doesn’t always live with her, why exclude this), hair & make up, food cost is double what you estimate, insurances, subscriptions, phone & internet bill, gym. I could go on. Absolutely not reflective of real life…
Your advice that Emily invest in low-cost index funds can be dangerous advice for a US citizen living abroad. A US citizen living abroad can't normally invest in US funds for various regulatory reasons. If she invests in French funds, then those funds will be treated as passive foreign investment companies (PFICs) under US tax law. What's the consequence of the funds being PFICs under US tax law rather than American mutual funds? It's this: When it comes time to sell those funds in many years, not only will the IRA say that all gains get taxed not as capital gains, but as income; more importantly, many of those gains get attributed to prior tax years of ownership and interest is charged on income tax attributed to those years, and it's even conceivable that the "back tax" plus interest could wipe out all gains, all because she invested in non-American funds because those were the funds that she could access whilst living abroad.
I work in HR, and sometimes when employees are assigned to another country, companies offer relocation allowances. Since she works at a marketing firm, she may also receive commissions for every client she brings in, as well as other incentives or bonuses from clients. Additionally, as a content creator, she has the potential to earn from that as well.
Yeeees! Just like right on time, while I'm waiting for the 2nd part of season 4 of this polished beautiful series :) Thank for an interesting perspective, I'm I love your content, it helps me to think more about financial situations 💖 I'd looove to see an audit to Gilmore Girls or maybe 2 Broke Girls!
It's crazy because I earn like, 1.8k € a month and I feel like I earn a good salary. Compared to american salaries it's insanely low lol. BUT also we pay taxes directly on our goods so our price don't gain 20% during checkout
I love your videos. How you manage to be entertaining while providing financial education is amazing. I’m older than your target audience and honestly am pretty good with money but I always watch your content because you are fun
i cant remember in the show if her parents already had money, but if they didn't, you may have forgotten student loans. plus, she's been taking trips like San trope, vineyards, etc. those are not cheap. plus, she's always drinking high dollar wines and cocktails. she's also spending money on language classes.
I feel with her eating out, this is like 200-300€/weekly at least. Fashionpices for 1000€ will not leave you at 300€/month in clothing. I feel Emily is maxing out her credit card
When I was a child I was watching tv shows and I really believed is this easy to have a fancy lifestyle. Then, I grew up, and honestly is nothing like these shows living in the real world. I wish I had videos like this when I was a kid, instead, I was daydreaming about a fancy lifestyle with minimum effort. Thank you for educating the youngers🎉
an expat daughter here who also currently work as an expat. My father used to work at an MNC and when he moves country within the company he always get an increase on salary and more benefits even though he moves to a cheaper country, for example he can keeps his New York salary + 10% increase and extra benefits (such as good family insurance, apartment, utilities and kids education) when he moved to Germany and make him earn 5x more than his colleague. For my case I got recruit outside the country so I considered as an expat and I got more salary than my colleague but not so much so its really possible for Emily to keep her US salary and even get a raise plus benefit depending on her contract
I love this series and your videos, but you are so off on just about everything in this audit 😂 but, I see a lot of people are saying the same. I hope the algorithm blesses you and can’t wait to see the next one!
I live in Paris, 400€ a month in fun money is a broke student's expense in cheap beer and dirty clubs. It's difficult to keep it under 1000€ if you go out every weekend. Also 300€ in clothes is laughably low, you can blow through that even if all her outfits were Zara. Realistically, Emily is spending closer to 10k / month.
I’m not sure if Emily would have to pay the full 39% French tax being an expat, not a French citizen. Each country’s tax laws are different, but as someone who had lived abroad as an expat, US expats usually pay the minimum foreign tax rate plus US tax. And for US tax, your foreign income is only taxable at the sliding tax rate starting at the $1 you make above $80k. Not saying Emily can afford to live the way she does in the show while still being financially responsible, but she probably has more disposable income than estimated.
Just a point on your rent - there are actually rent controls for normal rents in Paris. The apartment you found is likely available for rent only as a secondary residence or by a company. For context, I took a place on a short term contract, which was about twice the size of Emily's apartment, for €1400 when i first moved to Paris. I moved to a smaller apartment with a long-term contract and i now pay €990 including all bills. My transport is also paid for my my company, plus most places get ticket resto, which will cover up to €17 for your lunch or for groceries.
Are you now living in 17 square meters studio with a small kitchen facility next to the toilet? Because in 10 years I have not seen a decent housing solution contingency under 1k including bills. Also never saw rent controls in work because if you say to the apartment owner that price he wants is too high accordingly to those “regulations”, he will smile and rent the place to someone else who is willing to pay the crazy money. Because there is such a big demand. If you’re in the Paris region or rather around Val d’Oise and other suburbs at 45 min + distance from Paris, than I can believe in “normal” apartment around 35sq meters at 1k all bills included.
I really don't think it's reasonable to drop her down to the french salary from her move. She didn't move on her own. She was sent from Chicago to Paris by her company. If anything, it's way more likely that she got a bump for upending her life than a pay slice for moving
Not exactly. The employer will consider a Cost of living adjustment, a housing cost adjustment, and tax impact. This will definitely result in a cut for an American moving to Paris, for a job of same size. The promotion must be very significant for a French compensation package to be higher than the US one.
@@yuldouz As someone who personally knows several people who have done this type of thing for their company... No, you're wrong. Or at least you are not universally right, ESPECIALLY if, as I think is vaguely implied by the show, this isn't meant to be a permanent life change, but rather a relocation until this newly acquired business gets it's stuff sorted out
@@masterE000 I'm responsible for international mobility in my company, and was in previous company which is a very big employer in France. I know what I'm saying.
@yuldouz okay, congrats. That sounds like a cool career. It's still not how relocation works, at least in my industry 🤷♀️ I'm sure it's different based on the job and the specific company. It's certainly not a guarantee that you'd get a pay cut
The type of apartment is not the one she claims to have. Waaaaaaaaay bigger and waaaay more expensive. Her ridiculous unrealistic outfits are thousands of dollars. I’d say she spent per month $10,000.
Another great video. Can you do an audit on Jess from New Girl and everyone from Abbott Elementary? I would love your insight; especially since I work in public education.
Thank youuuu. I literally just watched the latest season and this question popped up in my head, how much does Emily actually spend to live so lavishly in Paris? Thank you for making this video. I love it
Could you do the TV show Highlander? They are immortal, so they have to make enough money to support themselves forever but not be noticed in the modern world, and be able to disappear instantly because they are always trying to kill each other ….different set of problems.
Seeing those average salaries for some reason got me thinking. Wonder if economic policy makers look at that and say "Hey people are surviving on 30k euros/yr, the financial situation probably isn't that bad with all the inflation, housing crisis, etc. If they can do it on 33k surely the middle class that's complaining dont have it that bad". Idk anything about economic policy, I barely understand personal finance, just a thought that popped into my head
I felt like Penny was doing too well as a waitress (living by herself with no roommate in cute apartment) and Leonard and Sheldon were more or less living at their income level and possibly below. (Admittedly, there's a lot of take-out consumed on that show...) Bernadette and Howard should have been living high on the hog. I believe we're told that she makes twice as income much as him, which means that their joint income should be $$$, especially considering that they have Howard's mom's (presumably paid-off or almost paid-off) house, plus whatever else his mom left. They don't get a real nanny, which I suppose is good for humor and plot, but a family in their income range can afford afford Mary Poppins for a few years.
To be fair, in net making as much as Emily, I am in no position to afford all these brand bags, rentals are expensive. But there might be one explanation: from what I understood, at the beginning she was still paid by the American company, so maybe they kept her salary.
1. I think if your company will relocate you to another country, there are gonna be allowances added on top of your current salary (current salary will either be the same or higher, but never lower regardless of the country you'll get assigned) 2. Rent allowance (if your company will not arrange an apartment for you) 3. Transportation allowance (if you don't have an existing one) 4. Not sure but there might also be a per diem allowance (if US is still her treated base)
Thanks! This was fun to watch. I’m pretty sure that in the last season since Emily moved to work from American company to a French one, she was on a minimal wage +commissions. How would that change the picture?
Nice video, but the transport costs are underestimated. The Navigo pass (RER train/metro for €86) isn’t practical with her style of dressing and doesn’t operate after 2 AM on weekends. She will need taxis instead-not Uber, which offers lower cost but also lower service quality. Since she has lunch with colleagues who enjoy luxury brasseries, you should add €40 per lunch X 20 days at work. 250€ grocery is not possible for her style (aller au marché et acheter du frais) I would say more 500€. And our salary are cut by xxx% of taxes who can be a lot of money !
The company pays for the apartment rent as mentioned in the first episodes. And I am sure US company does not reduce the salary, they might even paying more for extra expenses since she started to live abroad. Her clothes being designer items look unreal but she also mentioned for rental clothes and other items. So this video is poor in terms of missing some points of the show. When you forget about those things, the numbers in the video don’t matter much.
This video isn’t the best judge of this show Since she worked out of the Chicago office, her salary would not be reduced to match the salary of Paris. Often times it’ll stay the same or increase because the cost of living is higher or because she is getting a promotion. However, she does end up leaving the company and goes to work for the Paris office on her own in which case she would switch to Paris pricing. Buttttttt when she made that switch she likely built into her deal that she would make commission off of the clients she brings in because at this point she had a good roster so she would be able to negotiate a percentage. And again in a later season when they leave to start their own firm her salary would have dropped again and at that point I would have ensured a commission since the company didn’t have much to provide in terms of base salary. Her clients were all million dollar clients so she could make a pretty penny off of the work although she never seemed to care much about the money. Also although she looks stylish I believe in season one she said she thrifted most things so I don’t know how much she is actually spending on her clothes and she often borrows clothing from her friend who is also her roommate and I’m sure she is giving some rent money when she can
I’m also not sure Emily knows how to make her own food. She often eats out. I think her neighbor gives her free food at the restaurant but I think she pays for her lunches. Although if she goes to a lot of meetings over a meal that would be covered by her company
She wouldn't get a pay cut when moving to Paris, if anything she would get paid more. Her regular Chicago salary, plus an indemnity for being transferred abroad. And her apartment would either be subsidized by her employer or paid entirely. Plus she would also get free flights back to the US at least once a year. She would live very comfortably in Paris, no because salaries are high or cost of living is low, but because the simple fact that you are travelling abroad on a company assignment, that alone will get you more money and more free stuff. That's the main reason why people do it.
Don't know about the rest of the world, but here in the UK 'Marketing Executive' is essentially an entry level (professional) job. You'd probably need a degree or experience in most cases, but it's definitely not actually a senior or "executive" job, despite the name! I suspect the salary ranges here are probably something like £25k - £50k, depending on location and experience. In the UK ( and I'm sure it's the same in France), if you want a high rate of pay you have to work in the big cities.
Emily was chosen to go to Paris to replace her boss bc she's great at her job. With her Master's Degree and experience, she obviously is very competitive, an excellent problem-solver, and is creative so she probably makes a lot of money even in Paris. She also has a huge secret walk-in closet to house all the expensive wardrobes inside her tiny apartment. Lol. I love the show and watching all their fantastic clothes is utter eye candy. My favorite country to visit is France and this show brings me back to the country's beauty, so I give it an A+! Thank you for auditing.
you think masters degree in europe makes you competitive lol? Its the minimum in most fields exexpt highly sought after professions like IT and the lacking medical staff. And in more academic fields phd is becoming the minimum. She is not compettive plus she doesnt speak language according to that movie so she is out. This is a fantasy where all the real costs and burdens are shoved off at "her company sent here there" thing
The richest 5% received 54,620 euros per year on average in 2022 (INSEE). Moreover Paris is way more expensive than other cities (prices are up 20%). Inflation is stable this year (around 3%), social security is free. Come and visit! Or work! Americans are welcome 😉
Character to Audit: BBC Sherlock as played by Benedict Cumberbatch. He and John Watson have to share a central London flat and do work, after a fashion, but also seem to have infinite money and very nice stuff?
as a french I can say it's accurate except for fashion : most of Elmily's dresses are around 800/2500 euros each. Shoes : 1200 euros each. Bags ? 5000 euros each . Even if some of them are free, we're far from the "300 euros" you listed ;-)
My theory is that Emily is a Galifrian just like Dr. Who. That's the only reason her tiny apartment hasn't exploded under the pressure of all those outfits.
I think you're undervaluing the cost of clothing (especially footwear), and it looks like there's a lot more eating out than is being accounted for. (Haven't been to Paris for quite a while but it never felt cheap to eat decent meals in restaurants. I usually walked out feeling it was worth the cost, but it still didn't feel cheap. YMMV.) Your points about gifting/loaning of wearables and multiple income streams seem super valid, so I'm honestly more than a little jealous of our girlfriend Emily. :-)
Just a thought, in the series I remember them saying that she got a pay bump to actually move to France! So maybe she’s ballin 🤑 that would make sense though because her spending seems off the charts. I agree also with some comments that work might cover health care / maybe some of the fun experiences?
I think this series has the intention to influence a younger generation to consume such as sex and the city did. It looks fabulous, dreamy and aspirational. If one is not adult enough to take this series as escapism and entertainment it could be easy to want to get such nice things as shown in the show.
American living abroad here: girlfriend will also still owe the US of A expat taxes. If you make over a certain amount, you still have to pay tax even if you don’t live there. You have to give up your citizenship to stop paying taxes to America
And potentially another thing: I heard USA charges income tax of its nationals even when they are abroad. If that’s the case, she really needs to set a savings account urgently 😂
I think the $300 a month for fashion is VERY conservative. She is wearing a lot of designers and never repeat a single piece of clothing. Even considering the fact that she works in the field and is an "influencer" the expanses would likely be $1000 at minimum, and even that would be an extremely low estimation.
It's not that much thing you can buy with $300 if you don't go for crappy fast fashion.
5 digits Chanel jacket!!
Correct, one of her LV bags is $5K
True! And she never rewears things. Her shown outfits must cost a few hundred thousands
I hade to laugh, that wardrobe costs min. 5000 € per Month in spendings
I was thinking more in the 5-10k range. I can spend 500 on clothes from Target
Parisian born and raised over here.
Her lifestyle is well over the €5.000 mark at a minimum. On the food alone, it's not uncommon to reach the 700-800 euros a month if you go out several times a week ; I wish I could "only" spend 200 euros a month 😅
I think the biggest miss here is not accounting for all the other line items on the paycheck (les cotisations sociales)
200 euros doesn't even cover boulangerie expenses and with all the going out she must be doing because I don't think she's cooking that much, she may be very well spending at least 2000 euros in restaurants alone.
Exactly! Not Paris, Vienna, which is a bit cheaper, but the daily trip to the bakery alone would be 120€ a month I guess?
Je te le jure. La vie est tellement DUUURRREEE et CHÈÈRRREE
I live in germany and I felt odd at that number. Im unemployed now so Im saving somewhat but im still definately not at 200
Parisian marketing employee commenting here: what about designer clothes, Ubers (omg uber is a huge cost in paris), Michelin star restaurants, make up and beauty - hair - nail salon, shoes (300$ is not nearly enough for designer rental shoes she wear so often). And, she may be making 3500€ to 5000€ after taxes, if she is valued in her company as « an American that bring a plus to the agence » and if she gets commissions. But the real average salary for this position for a local, with that experience, at this age, would be 2700 to 3000€.
Totally not realistic lifestyle, unless she has an influencer income on top of everything.
Hello from Vienna fellow European capital person: how horrible is flat hunting and affording to live alone in Paris?
@annadl8637 hello there! I moved to Paris earlier this year as a Brit and honestly as a foreigner it is super difficult at the beginning. However, I got super lucky and found a landlord who understood how difficult it is for a foreigner, so he didn't require a full dossier from me. Usually, the dossier includes proof of ID, proof of employment, proof of residency (if applicable), and 3 months of salary bulletins proving that you earn at least 3x the rent after tax. When I very first moved here, I rented an amazing apartment in Place de l'Estrapade via Paris Attitude, who I highly recommend.
For real… no way a 28 year marketing executive makes anywhere near 80k€…
@@annadl8637 Very bad, it takes a lot of time to find an apartment that's not too expensive while not being in a bad part of the city.
For rent, you can't find under 1000€ if you're looking for more than a studio, and there are studios that are more expensive than that. For a long time now, people have decided to go to the outskirts of Paris as it is less expensive.
In terms of earnings, landlords are usually going to look at if you have a salary or not (as in regular, stable income) and if it gets around 3 times the rent price. My parents' friends (who were people with good salaries) had a hard time finding something and that was 20 years ago.
Hope it helps you in any way :)
@@33corsaire That would be insane anywhere in europe.
I’ve commented this on someone else’s thread, but just for visibility:
-your employer should be paying for your visa, work permit, flight to destination, health insurance, and monthly housing stipend. Some include a relocation bonus on top of that and a return flight home after 1 year. They should also help you find a place to live and help you get situated.
If they don’t offer that, don’t take the contact unless there is another reason to take the job that greatly benefits you.
Source: I’ve been an American expat abroad for 5 years. 🇺🇸🌎
Also, people tend to take more chances to snap up “unique” experiences, buys, trips (ex: being able to take a train or a short flight to somewhere) when they’re abroad. There’s a sense that you know it can’t last forever, and you don’t want regrets. Definitely budget for it, but it’s a justifiable line item.
Also an American expat here with years of living in Paris. All the aboove comments are accurate, but it's crazy to think anyone would accept a 50% cut in salary to move abroad. Also, the company typically pays all expenses associated with the lodging and organizes it for the employee. An American with no French, work or financial history in France would find it impossible to even look for an apartment let alone secure a lease. This video demonstrates a profound ignorance of both France and the ex-pat life.
You're not an "expat" you're an immigrant. -Trump 2024
I do think that your estimate of her “fun money” was extremely low. Starting with the fact she spends more on her appearance. Not only is she buying clothes and shoes and purses but makeup, skincare and hair products and salon visits. Also, I think eating out and attending events and going to bars will be a big chunk of money. Eating out in Paris is expensive. She probably does get some things comped but she is spending like there’s no tomorrow. She definitely seems like an impulse buyer, so sticking to a budget would probably be difficult for her.
I am a Marketing professional from Paris… living in Chicago….
At 28 and knowing she had a master degree. Emily likely is an “associate director” at most considering that no one seemed to report to her in Chicago and the same can be seen in paris.
In Chicago that’s about $105k, nowhere near $180k… that’s VP money which Emily is not
Also as agencies in paris don’t pay anywhere near what the data you’re showing… salary at her level would be best case $55kish…
If she’s 28 with a master degree, most likely she’s got student loan payments.
@@cherriercheung great point!
Agreed, normally when you scale the US salary into a Paris expat contract, that would be at least a - 30% cut. The employer may pay her housing however.
A former Chicagoan in Paris, and can attest to the unrealistic salary. Also, her rent is oh so much higher..
How can her title be 'director' without direct reports... Seems like title inflation.
I don't understand how someone who is a marketing expert in The US can ,be of use in Paris, such a different market. And it would cost so much more to employ someone from The US.
French people are geting more and more "agringados" so it could make some more sence...
Fact. They would never send an employee with no experience on luxury clients to an agency like savoir.
Good audit but definitely missed two things: the cost of groceries is most likely around 500-600€. Unless she only eats in restaurants and only has a few snacks at home. And if she eats in restaurants all the time, she needs waaaaaaay more than 10% 😅 consider an average of 30€ per meal (if she is going to inexpensive to average restaurants most of her time). Another thing is that yes rent may be 1600€, but on top of rent you pay the building charges, electricity, gas-heating, internet, water… so that’s another 200-300€ a month.
She migth be anorexic.
Why I thought the apartment was covered by her company in US?
I thought that her rent was subsidized by her company - most of her meals are catered by her company or she eats for free at her French boyfriend’s restaurant. Her pay likely remains the same if her Chicago firm sent her to Paris - her Chicago employer would be paying her, not the French company. On top of that to go overseas you would be paid more. I recently went on a business trip and everything from business class flight to food to transportation was comped. Plus if she works in marketing she’ll get commission on top of her base rate. She also mentioned that she rents her clothes so not all of that is being purchased by her. I think Emily is Paris is a fun, lighthearted show - and a lot more of it is actually realistic than what we think.
Expat packages typically cost the employer a multiple of the benefits received by the employee. Think law firm handling the work permit, relocation specialist, expat taxes, etc: its quite unrealistic that a 20-something gets an expat package like that. Expat packages are usually for older, real executives.
@@anotherperspective6247 you have to remember that Gilbert’s Group was big enough to acquire Savoir the French firm, and Emily basically goes instead of Madeline Wheeler who is the director of Marketing because Madeline finds out that she is pregnant. I don’t think it’s unrealistic given the circumstances surrounding her move explained in the show.
@@joyjin911 I haven't watched the show and I was an expat myself at a young age so it happens. But I was in a very unusual and lucky situation where no one else wanted it after 9/11.
+ she most likely gets passive income from her social media and through brand deals and partnerships. Not to mention she works for one of the biggest marketing companies in the capital of fashion. Imo it makes sense that she dresses the way she does and I wouldn’t be surprised if she got a discount on items or things for free from clients. Just look at all the free stuff that your average Tiktoker with a mid-size following gets. It’s insane. Emily in Paris is a ridiculous show but if you really think about it, her spending isn’t as outrageous as it seems.
I’m an expat, and I have been for 5 years. Your employer MUST provide the costs of your visa, work permit, flight to destination, health insurance, housing stipend. If they don’t, then don’t take the deal!
this audit series is so interesting. these kinds of shows really do make you feel like you could easily live like this if you just move to the city or move abroad and do something daring.
I think auditing the Mr. Sheffield and Fran Fine from The Nanny could be fun.
All those Moschino and Pucci outfits...on a nanny's salary ! 😁😁
i live in a small town in France and get free lunch daily from the university, and even I don't spend only"300" euros on groceries! I don't even go out as much as Emily
I used to live in Paris not that long ago. I could make it out with about 200€ a month solo. That's for three meals a day, and eating relatively fresh/healthy food.
You need to know where to look, what shops to go to for the lowest price, make things stretch (turning a cut of meat intended for one meal, into two) be creative with your cooking, and make the best of special deals. So 200-300 is doable, but certainly you're talking about a lot of effort, no meals out, and certainly not indulging in bakery treats every single day.
If you get a loaf of bread, and a viennoiserie once a day, you're probably looking at 5€ just for that. So that's 120€ a month alone! In Paris. If she's not being careful, she could easily be spending 400€+. Although I guess she isn't cooking because she's eating in restaurants every other day, she wouldn't need so much food.
If you're living in Paris, willing to skimp (really limited fun money), in a small apartment, you would need, in my opinion, a minimum of 1500€ net to get by. This makes for a very modest lifestyle, and you wouldn't have much left in your bank account at the end of the month.
Shouldn't there be a budget for hairdresser and cosmetics? She doesn't look like "fresh out of bed" is her favorite look.
This is great. Shows like Emily In Paris and Sex in the city glamorize lifestyles that keep you poor and single in real life.
4k, after taxes, per month... even in Paris... as a 29-year-old.. wow. That is a LOT of money!
Most people, at least in the European countries I know, will tell you their net salary because taxes are deducted before the salary is paid out, so asking someone how much they earn will likely get you a slightly confused look because the whole "100k per year" thing just doesn't happen. You calculate with your monthly net, not your yearly gross.
This could be a very interesting detour into the differences between European and American spending, having a few European countries as comparison and seeing why many Americans who move to France, Germany, Denmark, Spain are both shocked at their "low" salaries and extremely happy to have moved nonetheless!
Taxes are deducted from paychecks in the US too...
tho yes we " make" alot more but then get slammed by things like healthcare
If my husband and I met in our 30s or 40s, I would have contemplated moving to Southern France fr CA, USA. I love a lot of things about France and Europe, and I would have loved living there.
That doesn’t seem like a lot to me tbh. It would be comfortable discretionary cash each month. But if you spend $2.5k a month living and $1k saving, that’s only $500 a month for all discretionary spending, including clothing, dining out, and travel expenses. It would take her four months of buying nothing just to afford an average one week vacation that’s very non-luxury, and therefore, very non-Emily.
@@mikeg8276 It is a lot of money. But sure, if you spend it all and are fixated on saving a quarter of your income every month, you have to make cuts somewhere else.
A net is meaningless in the US as well. Various items are taken out of paychecks before the net, and it is further complicated by a person's withholding status and number of dependents. Choices about health insurance and retirement account contributions muddy the waters even more.
Since everybody's situation is different, gross pay is the only meaningful comparison tool.
Love this concept and your work, as always, but this one was a bit of a miss with the estimates.
As someone who grew up close to Paris and still goes there regularly, definitely way too low on the groceries, dining out, and especially the fun money (and way too high on the salary).
Just groceries would be more in the range of 500€ a month, conservatively. Restaurants have gotten ridiculously expensive in the last few years and fancy restaurants like she goes to will easily put her back 75€ every time for a 3 course meal and a glass of wine. That's already at least another 500€ monthly given how often she goes out, if not way more. And add all the cafés and fancy bakeries on top.
I don't know in which category you include make up and skincare, I'm guessing fun money, but those are also extremely expensive. That would definitely also be at least a 100€ budget every month on its own, given her lifestyle. And 300€ for Emily's fashion is way too conservative. Each of her outfits is upwards of 1000€ if accounting for all the designer clothes and accessories from jewellry to shoes and purses, some way more than that, and like you said, she doesn't repeat. 300€ nowadays would get you maybe 2 or 3 outfits from high street shops like Zara or Mango, but not even remotely close to anything high fashion, let alone a whole month's worth of clothes, even if she does repeat off camera.
And with all this, she has not once gone out to see a movie, a play, a museum, a concert or anything like that. And she has not taken a single Uber, which is also a massive budget to get around in Paris.
There is just no realistic way Emily is living that lifestyle in Paris. And if there is, a few of my friends would like a chat!
I think you summed it up pretty well. The estimates for food and clothing were low and everything else was kind of brushed over.
Let’s assume the 300€ would be enough to cover her fashion (which I’m sure it doesn’t), that leaves her with 470€ to go out. Nowadays you’re not going out to eat for less than 25€ and she seems to be going to a bit nicer places, so I’ll bump that up to 40€. I’ve read from a few comments that she uses taxis from time to time, which are probably about 20€ each time. So this allows for her to go out to eat 10x and take 3 taxis a month and then this money is gone completely. And that doesn’t include any upscale restaurant where you won’t leave with less then 100-150€. In total I’d say she easily spends about 3-4x the estimate on fun, on top of the fashion.
My head canon is that Emily is living paycheck to paycheck because, as an American expat, she can't find a bank that will deposit her checks since they'd have to do yearly tax paperwork for her. She's also scared to keep piles on cash on her because of pick pockets, so thus spends it as she gets it.
The first few seasons she was living in Paris but sent on loan by her old firm back in Chicago so she would likely be retaining her same American salary. I think it was also mentioned that the firm got her apartment so she also wouldn't being paying rent.
this is how i understood it. in paris she was still employed by gilbert group, so her salary should have never changed. If my boss told me i was going to Paris but I would take a pay cut, i dont think i would accept
You are definitely low balling her fashion fund. One scene she had a collector’s Chanel bag. 😉
Just fyi, France has marginal tax rates. The 39% is 11% at 10k, 30% at 73k, and 41% above. I think the 39% is a little high.
And as far as other expenses are not accounted for, there are a lot. These would all be taken out of the gross income before she sees her paycheck:
Contributing to universal health care (called securite sociale in France)
Contributing to basic french pension
Contributing to executives french pension
In general, the rule of thumb is to consider a 30% difference between gross and net...before income tax.
Monthly groceries in Europe for 300 a month? We wish😂❤also I love these educational touches from you to these series!
Emily couldn’t make brand deals money in the side while working at an ad agency, it would be a massive conflict of interest…
While i enjoyed this video, its so far off and its making me angry to even suggest this is an attainable lifestyle to live.
Not only is the salary extremely rare for any major European city, you also forgot utilities (her friend doesn’t always live with her, why exclude this), hair & make up, food cost is double what you estimate, insurances, subscriptions, phone & internet bill, gym. I could go on.
Absolutely not reflective of real life…
Your advice that Emily invest in low-cost index funds can be dangerous advice for a US citizen living abroad. A US citizen living abroad can't normally invest in US funds for various regulatory reasons. If she invests in French funds, then those funds will be treated as passive foreign investment companies (PFICs) under US tax law. What's the consequence of the funds being PFICs under US tax law rather than American mutual funds? It's this: When it comes time to sell those funds in many years, not only will the IRA say that all gains get taxed not as capital gains, but as income; more importantly, many of those gains get attributed to prior tax years of ownership and interest is charged on income tax attributed to those years, and it's even conceivable that the "back tax" plus interest could wipe out all gains, all because she invested in non-American funds because those were the funds that she could access whilst living abroad.
I work in HR, and sometimes when employees are assigned to another country, companies offer relocation allowances. Since she works at a marketing firm, she may also receive commissions for every client she brings in, as well as other incentives or bonuses from clients. Additionally, as a content creator, she has the potential to earn from that as well.
Yeeees! Just like right on time, while I'm waiting for the 2nd part of season 4 of this polished beautiful series :)
Thank for an interesting perspective, I'm I love your content, it helps me to think more about financial situations 💖
I'd looove to see an audit to Gilmore Girls or maybe 2 Broke Girls!
It's crazy because I earn like, 1.8k € a month and I feel like I earn a good salary. Compared to american salaries it's insanely low lol.
BUT also we pay taxes directly on our goods so our price don't gain 20% during checkout
I love your videos. How you manage to be entertaining while providing financial education is amazing.
I’m older than your target audience and honestly am pretty good with money but I always watch your content because you are fun
i cant remember in the show if her parents already had money, but if they didn't, you may have forgotten student loans. plus, she's been taking trips like San trope, vineyards, etc. those are not cheap. plus, she's always drinking high dollar wines and cocktails. she's also spending money on language classes.
I feel with her eating out, this is like 200-300€/weekly at least.
Fashionpices for 1000€ will not leave you at 300€/month in clothing.
I feel Emily is maxing out her credit card
When I was a child I was watching tv shows and I really believed is this easy to have a fancy lifestyle. Then, I grew up, and honestly is nothing like these shows living in the real world. I wish I had videos like this when I was a kid, instead, I was daydreaming about a fancy lifestyle with minimum effort. Thank you for educating the youngers🎉
an expat daughter here who also currently work as an expat. My father used to work at an MNC and when he moves country within the company he always get an increase on salary and more benefits even though he moves to a cheaper country, for example he can keeps his New York salary + 10% increase and extra benefits (such as good family insurance, apartment, utilities and kids education) when he moved to Germany and make him earn 5x more than his colleague. For my case I got recruit outside the country so I considered as an expat and I got more salary than my colleague but not so much so its really possible for Emily to keep her US salary and even get a raise plus benefit depending on her contract
"expat"
I love this series and your videos, but you are so off on just about everything in this audit 😂 but, I see a lot of people are saying the same. I hope the algorithm blesses you and can’t wait to see the next one!
I live in Paris, 400€ a month in fun money is a broke student's expense in cheap beer and dirty clubs. It's difficult to keep it under 1000€ if you go out every weekend. Also 300€ in clothes is laughably low, you can blow through that even if all her outfits were Zara.
Realistically, Emily is spending closer to 10k / month.
Writers “How realistic should we make Emily’s lifestyle?”
Netflix “Yes”
Would love to see a financial audit of Harvey spector from suits
I’m not sure if Emily would have to pay the full 39% French tax being an expat, not a French citizen. Each country’s tax laws are different, but as someone who had lived abroad as an expat, US expats usually pay the minimum foreign tax rate plus US tax. And for US tax, your foreign income is only taxable at the sliding tax rate starting at the $1 you make above $80k. Not saying Emily can afford to live the way she does in the show while still being financially responsible, but she probably has more disposable income than estimated.
Just a point on your rent - there are actually rent controls for normal rents in Paris. The apartment you found is likely available for rent only as a secondary residence or by a company. For context, I took a place on a short term contract, which was about twice the size of Emily's apartment, for €1400 when i first moved to Paris. I moved to a smaller apartment with a long-term contract and i now pay €990 including all bills. My transport is also paid for my my company, plus most places get ticket resto, which will cover up to €17 for your lunch or for groceries.
Are you now living in 17 square meters studio with a small kitchen facility next to the toilet? Because in 10 years I have not seen a decent housing solution contingency under 1k including bills.
Also never saw rent controls in work because if you say to the apartment owner that price he wants is too high accordingly to those “regulations”, he will smile and rent the place to someone else who is willing to pay the crazy money. Because there is such a big demand.
If you’re in the Paris region or rather around Val d’Oise and other suburbs at 45 min + distance from Paris, than I can believe in “normal” apartment around 35sq meters at 1k all bills included.
As someone who works in digital and social media marketing, I only wish I earned that much.
I really don't think it's reasonable to drop her down to the french salary from her move. She didn't move on her own. She was sent from Chicago to Paris by her company. If anything, it's way more likely that she got a bump for upending her life than a pay slice for moving
Yep .... there would to be an incentive
Not exactly. The employer will consider a Cost of living adjustment, a housing cost adjustment, and tax impact. This will definitely result in a cut for an American moving to Paris, for a job of same size. The promotion must be very significant for a French compensation package to be higher than the US one.
@@yuldouz As someone who personally knows several people who have done this type of thing for their company... No, you're wrong. Or at least you are not universally right, ESPECIALLY if, as I think is vaguely implied by the show, this isn't meant to be a permanent life change, but rather a relocation until this newly acquired business gets it's stuff sorted out
@@masterE000 I'm responsible for international mobility in my company, and was in previous company which is a very big employer in France. I know what I'm saying.
@yuldouz okay, congrats. That sounds like a cool career. It's still not how relocation works, at least in my industry 🤷♀️ I'm sure it's different based on the job and the specific company. It's certainly not a guarantee that you'd get a pay cut
I’d love a New Girl financial audit! Jobs and budgets definitely play into the characters’ storylines.
The type of apartment is not the one she claims to have. Waaaaaaaaay bigger and waaaay more expensive. Her ridiculous unrealistic outfits are thousands of dollars. I’d say she spent per month $10,000.
Another great video. Can you do an audit on Jess from New Girl and everyone from Abbott Elementary? I would love your insight; especially since I work in public education.
Thank youuuu. I literally just watched the latest season and this question popped up in my head, how much does Emily actually spend to live so lavishly in Paris? Thank you for making this video. I love it
Could you do the TV show Highlander? They are immortal, so they have to make enough money to support themselves forever but not be noticed in the modern world, and be able to disappear instantly because they are always trying to kill each other ….different set of problems.
Starts approx. at 3:01
Ahhh yeah! Bringing a dose of financial reality to Emily in Paris!
or let a tv show simply be a tv show and exist as a fictional escape from reality smdh. such a depressing comment to make and way to view life
Seeing those average salaries for some reason got me thinking. Wonder if economic policy makers look at that and say "Hey people are surviving on 30k euros/yr, the financial situation probably isn't that bad with all the inflation, housing crisis, etc. If they can do it on 33k surely the middle class that's complaining dont have it that bad". Idk anything about economic policy, I barely understand personal finance, just a thought that popped into my head
Food in Paris is at 300-480 per adult per month and that would be ONLY groceries
something off the wall financially audit dexter
This is so creative! 🥰
300 usd dollars in fashion? Hahahahahahahaha that is just for her socks 😅 that girl dresses expensive
Emily is NOT getting high end clothing from fashion brands for free.
I've never been this early! Great video as usual Cara. 👏🏻✨
As a budget traveler, I immediately started worrying about Emily's overweight luggage fees for her return to Chicago! A new outfit every day? 😂
I'm also watching this series on Netflix. The financial audit is good.
the question is, why do we expect entertainment to be realistic? Thanks for the great video!! ❤
Hope you can analyze the characters of the big bang theory since they work in the academe and how it compares irl
I felt like Penny was doing too well as a waitress (living by herself with no roommate in cute apartment) and Leonard and Sheldon were more or less living at their income level and possibly below. (Admittedly, there's a lot of take-out consumed on that show...) Bernadette and Howard should have been living high on the hog. I believe we're told that she makes twice as income much as him, which means that their joint income should be $$$, especially considering that they have Howard's mom's (presumably paid-off or almost paid-off) house, plus whatever else his mom left. They don't get a real nanny, which I suppose is good for humor and plot, but a family in their income range can afford afford Mary Poppins for a few years.
To be fair, in net making as much as Emily, I am in no position to afford all these brand bags, rentals are expensive.
But there might be one explanation: from what I understood, at the beginning she was still paid by the American company, so maybe they kept her salary.
amazing channel
1. I think if your company will relocate you to another country, there are gonna be allowances added on top of your current salary (current salary will either be the same or higher, but never lower regardless of the country you'll get assigned)
2. Rent allowance (if your company will not arrange an apartment for you)
3. Transportation allowance (if you don't have an existing one)
4. Not sure but there might also be a per diem allowance (if US is still her treated base)
Please audit Gilmore Girls next!! Imagining what the must have spent on food and coffee alone has always mystified me
PLEASE AUDIT GILMORE GIRLS!!
Thanks! This was fun to watch.
I’m pretty sure that in the last season since Emily moved to work from American company to a French one, she was on a minimal wage +commissions. How would that change the picture?
Nice video, but the transport costs are underestimated. The Navigo pass (RER train/metro for €86) isn’t practical with her style of dressing and doesn’t operate after 2 AM on weekends. She will need taxis instead-not Uber, which offers lower cost but also lower service quality.
Since she has lunch with colleagues who enjoy luxury brasseries, you should add €40 per lunch X 20 days at work. 250€ grocery is not possible for her style (aller au marché et acheter du frais) I would say more 500€.
And our salary are cut by xxx% of taxes who can be a lot of money !
omg early! i love ur videosss
The company pays for the apartment rent as mentioned in the first episodes. And I am sure US company does not reduce the salary, they might even paying more for extra expenses since she started to live abroad. Her clothes being designer items look unreal but she also mentioned for rental clothes and other items. So this video is poor in terms of missing some points of the show. When you forget about those things, the numbers in the video don’t matter much.
The apartment is a big miss. This means she in theory could’ve saved her money that would’ve gone to rent for like multiple seasons.
I love these videos! Maybe do someone from Yellowstone or another more rural setting for comparison…
You kinda forgot that she needs to pay taxes as per her USA citizenship😅
Great video!
This video isn’t the best judge of this show
Since she worked out of the Chicago office, her salary would not be reduced to match the salary of Paris. Often times it’ll stay the same or increase because the cost of living is higher or because she is getting a promotion.
However, she does end up leaving the company and goes to work for the Paris office on her own in which case she would switch to Paris pricing.
Buttttttt when she made that switch she likely built into her deal that she would make commission off of the clients she brings in because at this point she had a good roster so she would be able to negotiate a percentage.
And again in a later season when they leave to start their own firm her salary would have dropped again and at that point I would have ensured a commission since the company didn’t have much to provide in terms of base salary. Her clients were all million dollar clients so she could make a pretty penny off of the work although she never seemed to care much about the money.
Also although she looks stylish I believe in season one she said she thrifted most things so I don’t know how much she is actually spending on her clothes and she often borrows clothing from her friend who is also her roommate and I’m sure she is giving some rent money when she can
I’m also not sure Emily knows how to make her own food. She often eats out. I think her neighbor gives her free food at the restaurant but I think she pays for her lunches. Although if she goes to a lot of meetings over a meal that would be covered by her company
I live in Europe and go to Paris more than 10 times, even have some French friends. No one lives like Emily. She is so American in shows
you are such a good researcher
She wouldn't get a pay cut when moving to Paris, if anything she would get paid more. Her regular Chicago salary, plus an indemnity for being transferred abroad. And her apartment would either be subsidized by her employer or paid entirely. Plus she would also get free flights back to the US at least once a year. She would live very comfortably in Paris, no because salaries are high or cost of living is low, but because the simple fact that you are travelling abroad on a company assignment, that alone will get you more money and more free stuff. That's the main reason why people do it.
Please do Gilmore Girls 😊
Don't know about the rest of the world, but here in the UK 'Marketing Executive' is essentially an entry level (professional) job. You'd probably need a degree or experience in most cases, but it's definitely not actually a senior or "executive" job, despite the name! I suspect the salary ranges here are probably something like £25k - £50k, depending on location and experience. In the UK ( and I'm sure it's the same in France), if you want a high rate of pay you have to work in the big cities.
I don't think Emily pays rent though? company pays for it
Emily was chosen to go to Paris to replace her boss bc she's great at her job. With her Master's Degree and experience, she obviously is very competitive, an excellent problem-solver, and is creative so she probably makes a lot of money even in Paris. She also has a huge secret
walk-in closet to house all the expensive wardrobes inside her tiny apartment. Lol. I love the show and watching all their fantastic clothes is utter eye candy. My favorite country to visit is France and this show brings me back to the country's beauty, so I give it an A+!
Thank you for auditing.
you think masters degree in europe makes you competitive lol? Its the minimum in most fields exexpt highly sought after professions like IT and the lacking medical staff. And in more academic fields phd is becoming the minimum. She is not compettive plus she doesnt speak language according to that movie so she is out. This is a fantasy where all the real costs and burdens are shoved off at "her company sent here there" thing
She probably gets a US salary and her apartment is most likely paid for by her company.
The richest 5% received 54,620 euros per year on average in 2022 (INSEE).
Moreover Paris is way more expensive than other cities (prices are up 20%).
Inflation is stable this year (around 3%), social security is free.
Come and visit! Or work! Americans are welcome 😉
Her wardrobe was at least $30,000 a month!
Character to Audit: BBC Sherlock as played by Benedict Cumberbatch. He and John Watson have to share a central London flat and do work, after a fashion, but also seem to have infinite money and very nice stuff?
as a french I can say it's accurate except for fashion : most of Elmily's dresses are around 800/2500 euros each. Shoes : 1200 euros each. Bags ? 5000 euros each . Even if some of them are free, we're far from the "300 euros" you listed ;-)
My theory is that Emily is a Galifrian just like Dr. Who. That's the only reason her tiny apartment hasn't exploded under the pressure of all those outfits.
I think you're undervaluing the cost of clothing (especially footwear), and it looks like there's a lot more eating out than is being accounted for. (Haven't been to Paris for quite a while but it never felt cheap to eat decent meals in restaurants. I usually walked out feeling it was worth the cost, but it still didn't feel cheap. YMMV.) Your points about gifting/loaning of wearables and multiple income streams seem super valid, so I'm honestly more than a little jealous of our girlfriend Emily. :-)
Do Gilmore Girls!!
Keeping in mind that as a US citizen she has to file = not pay if she has offsets - an income tax return with the IRS based on FATCA
I'm curious to know if Emily has a trust fund lol.
Absoluite brain rot show but i'd be lying if I said that as a french I don't find it hilarious.
I would like to see a financial audient on grey's anatomy (Derek and grey), perhaps maybe after the house renovation is gone
Just a thought, in the series I remember them saying that she got a pay bump to actually move to France! So maybe she’s ballin 🤑 that would make sense though because her spending seems off the charts. I agree also with some comments that work might cover health care / maybe some of the fun experiences?
I think this series has the intention to influence a younger generation to consume such as sex and the city did. It looks fabulous, dreamy and aspirational. If one is not adult enough to take this series as escapism and entertainment it could be easy to want to get such nice things as shown in the show.
Villanelle from Killing Eve!!!!!
American living abroad here: girlfriend will also still owe the US of A expat taxes. If you make over a certain amount, you still have to pay tax even if you don’t live there. You have to give up your citizenship to stop paying taxes to America
Pls audit Gilmore Girls please!!!
The 40€ for health insurance are for travellers. If you have a French job, it comes with health insurance, you don't need to pay anything.
OMG It's like you took all life and fun from the show!
Do GOSSIP GIRL.
And potentially another thing: I heard USA charges income tax of its nationals even when they are abroad. If that’s the case, she really needs to set a savings account urgently 😂
Do a Financially Auditing on The Summer I Turned Pretty
Can you please do the Gilmore girls?