A French friend answered the question we’d been circling for years. What she said stopped the whole table.
This summer, we hosted French and American friends on the same weekend. Naturally, the conversation turned to cultural comparisons. At some point, someone asked: “If you had to sum up the difference in one sentence — what actually characterizes the French lifestyle?”
Our French friend didn’t miss a beat.
“Valuing time over money.”
I couldn’t agree more. And I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
What “valuing time” actually looks like
French salaries are modest by American standards, but the French enjoy generous vacation time — and they will fight hard to protect it. This is why I bristle when people call the French lazy. They’re not avoiding work. They’re drawing a line against the slow corporate creep that, left unchecked, colonizes every corner of life. That’s not laziness. That’s a deliberate set of priorities.
Most people here wouldn’t mind a few extra euros in their pocket — that’s universal. But the French tend to live genuinely within their means. Older cars. Smaller homes. Worn furniture. Fewer gadgets. These are things many Americans would find difficult to accept, because in the U.S. those things carry social weight. Here, they mostly don’t.
The trade-off Americans don’t always see coming
In theory, most Americans say they admire this approach. But when they actually encounter French realities — fewer creature comforts, less consumer convenience — some struggle. Those comforts carry a price, and many French people simply don’t value them enough to pay it. Which means they can be genuinely hard to find in France, even if you’re willing to spend.
So if you’re imagining life here, picture fewer weekend trips to HomeGoods and fewer HGTV-style renovation projects. And ask yourself instead:
Questions worth sitting with
- What hobbies do I actually want to cultivate?
- What books have I always meant to read?
- What do I want to learn — for its own sake?
- What cultural events or natural places do I want to experience?
- What do I want to cook, taste, or share around a table?
These are the pursuits the French prioritize. Less time perfecting throw pillows; more time perfecting sourdough, savoring concerts, taking long hikes, and lingering over dinners with people they love.
What moving here taught us about our own habits
When we moved, I was genuinely shocked by how much stuff we left behind — things that, watching strangers cart them off at a garage sale, felt like wasted money in hindsight. But in the U.S., I’d felt real pressure to keep up: the right house, the right décor, the right yard for our neighborhood and socio-economic bracket. It was exhausting in a way I hadn’t fully noticed until it stopped.
Here, I still want things to be neat and pleasant. But the pressure is lighter. People care more about whether you can hold an interesting conversation than whether your lawn is manicured. It turns out that’s a trade I’m very happy to make.
“In France, spending your time well matters more than squeezing in a side hustle. If you share that priority, France might be the place for you too.”
Spending time “productively” doesn’t mean the same thing here as it does in the States — and honestly, I find that a relief every single day.
Baguettes and butter 4eva — Raina❤️
