The Fact(ure) Don't Lie

One of the reasons things are expensive around here is because the dollar is weaker than it's ever been. If you had purchased a house in France, Spain or Portugal six years ago, even if it hadn't appreciated at all that whole time, in dollars it would now be worth twice what you paid for it.

But it's not just the exchange rate that makes things expensive. There is something here called "TVA" (Taxe à la Valeur Ajouté) that is added onto every transaction. It's really just a sales tax, but they call it "Value Added Tax" to make it sound like you get something for it, when in fact you get nothing. The problem is that TVA is 20%. TWENTY.

The photo is a facture, or receipt, taken today from McDonald's, where we took the kids to have lunch so they could eat disgusting food, which they love. Notice the 19.6% added to the facture. That's TVA for you. I can't wait to buy a car. By the way, if you want a Happy Meal (pronounced "un appy meel"), you can call the number on the facture. It's right there at the top. But you'll pay taxes up the wazoo.