Evening star., 1938-01-02
PLANNING PERMITS
THRIFT IN SOJ0URN
Living in France Can Be
Costly for Un.
initiated.
By LOUISE CRUICE.

ANY American travelling in Europe
can spend money. That's easy. De-
mand the best. get the best-and pay
for it. But the traveller with an in
clination to thrift worries unless she
is cutting corners to spare her budget,
stretching her dollars over little more
territory, wee bit more fun, or ac-
quiring through a longer stay better
insight into the character, customs and
culture of the people she has elected
to visit.
For economical pointers the budget
traveller might appreciate the advice
given young woman who shortly is to
embark on a memorable adventure
two years in Paris. She will accom-
pany her husband, a marine officer,
who recently has been ordered to take
a tWo-year course at the Ecole de
Guerre, and she has before her two
of the most fascinating years of her
life if she will make them so. Never
having been abroad, she naturally will
find things Strange, which is not
synonym for Dreadful, but more likely
for Delightful. She will not have
buckWheat cakes and sausage, but she
will have rognons la Madere and
crepes Susette
In the first place if her husband
is going as a student to the Ecole de
Guerre 1t is wise plan to separate
for the first few months Of their stay
1t is vitally important for him to learn
French, and he will make faster prog
ress if he is with Participating peo-
pie only.
May Choose Their Families.
The Paris bureau Of Harper's Ba-
zaar has list of pleasant French
families who are willing to take paying
guests. The bureau can place them
with group fitted to their purse and
their personality. This will be an
invaluable experience for the wife. as
madame will be glad to explain to her
the mysteries of French housekeeping,
and may even find reliable servants
when the time comes for the family
reunion.
Housekeeping in France is not run
on our lines, and it is a mistake to try
to introduce American methods. No
lady in France goes to market. The
cook does the buying and is allowed
to keep a penny in each franc. So
long as she does not get more than
her just penny, one should accept 1t as
part of the cost of living in France.
1t is we'll to check up on her accounts
by stopping at the neighborhood stores
from time to time and pricing stuff
If she is given definite allowance for
food and told that she can have no
more and If she is a proper "bonne"
she will accomplish miracles.
1t would be wise to leave their
furniture at home and take fur
nshed apartment. The unfurnished
apartment in Paris does not include
an ice box. kitchen stove or plumb
ing or lighting fixtures. 1t may be
possible to take these over from the
previous tenant at low price, but
if one must furnish all this equip
ment it will add appreciably to the
amount Of the rent.
More Taxes Added.
Any one taking an unfurnished
apartment is also liable to the income
tax, the sum Of which is arrived at
by charging a percentage on your in
come figured arbitrarily as seven times
your rent. If students at the Ecole
de Guerre are on the diplomatic list
they are exempt from all taxation.
They should find out their exact status
before sailing.
If they take a furnished apartment
and take over only their own silver,
linen and china this will go far toward
creating home atmosphere. Before
leaving the United States permission
must be gotten through our Ambas-
sador at Paris from the minister of
foreign affairs to ship in these house.
hold goods. otherwise duty will be
levied on everything. With lease for
only the winter they would be free to
travel in summer. They will do well
to rent through an agency that caters
to the French, as they will thereby
get better rates.
1t seems more prudent not to take
car, as even small American car
uses far more gas than the small
French makes, which are geared to the
greater cost Of gas in France, approxi-
mately, including the tax, 70 cents
gallon. A Citroen or Peugeot. If one
RESORTS.