My friend Alessandro shared this video recently.
Click here if you are not able to view
For the benefit of those who don’t understand Italian, basically the guy in the video is comparing the prices of common, every day things in Germany. It is shockingly low compared to the prices that we pay in Italy. Multivitamins for example, costs 50 cents euro in Germany, but in Italy, it costs about 5 euro!
Seriously! Check this picture I snapped in a local supermarket just yesterday.
This is so depressing! I’m not even Italian and I feel outraged.
How is it that in Germany, workers in general have an almost double amount of salary compared to a regular Italian. We’ve always been told that the cost of living in Europe is higher in general (I cannot comment on how much Germans have to pay for taxes et al), but in the case of buying daily necessities, in reality this video shows otherwise.
Having a higher pay and a lower cost of living means that they have stronger spending power and could save more and enjoy their money better.
To put it in the most simple terms, Germany is able to do this because they have a stronger budget deficit. They don’t have much need to borrow money to run their country. Thus national debt are accounted for, which means that bank interests get lower. And this leads to the money paid for taxes to be channelled more for the benefit of the public – like subsidizing daily necessities.
Image from ideativi.it
Without going too deep into politics, (as I can’t vote in Italy and I don’t usually talk about Singaporean politics anyway) I think that it is more than a right, it is a responsibility in choosing the right governance. Regardless of which nationality you are, it is your life and livelihood that is affected and we are all in the same boat. Please don’t let us sink even more …
(Which is why I don’t understand why there are people who goes to a voting booth and gives invalid votes … on purpose)
Anyway, coming back to the video. After watching it, makes me really want to plan a trip there. It is probably cheaper to buy a plane ticket, go to Germany and get stuff in bulk than to buy the same thing in Italy. Heck, Cart and I haven’t had a proper honeymoon either.Eating out wouldn’t be expensive either. Spending 15 euro for two for dinner is something I’ve never heard of in Rome. If we had spending power like that, we wouldn’t even have to think twice about having children.
So lets go to Germany! When I’ve saved up enough money for a trip, I’m so there! Achtung! Achtung! Attenzione Germania che arriviamo! So which part of Germany should we visit? Any recommendations? 🙂
If you liked this post, check out what other expats think about of the elections :
Marina, visit Berlin! It’s a beautiful and modern city 🙂 It’s true that certain things are cheaper in there and not here. I suggest to buy in bulk and send those things by sea..cos flying doesnt give u much kilos to carry unless u pay extra for them. It is depressing to see yr spending power in Italy 🙁 Sighhhhh!!!!!!!
Thanks for the tips Sally! I think I’d like to see the wall or what was left of it 🙂
Oh, and to depress you even more (sorry!) if you have children in Norway, your child is practically funded for till he is 18. That means that you don’t have to pay for anything, diapers, food, books, medicine … etc … and free education all the way to University!
Oh yes Marina! I’ve read it before that in Norway or should I say the countries up in the north hv much much much better benefits. I’ve told Emanuele once that we should emigrate to one of those countries..hahaha!!
We should have married Germans instead … shhhhh! :p
Hahaha!! but the language seems more complicated lah ;p I took German language(in poly) for 6 mths and mamma mia, more tongue twisting than Italian! but seriously, it is very tempting to go there to get stuff so much cheaper 🙂
Wow, at least you learnt some German so you have an advantage. I don’t know any German at all, except for maybe Achtung and Danke and maybe Bratwurst. Ehm.The important phrase to learn in any language in my opinion is “Where is the toilet” HAHAHA!
But maybe we could plan a trip there. Would be interesting 🙂
ur right lah Marina! the toilet is one of the important ‘pitstop’ in every journey i make..haha!
would be very interesting to go there with u all 🙂 i could get diapers and other baby necessities 😀