If 6 months in France is changing me in any way, it is making me more willing to spend money. I'd like to characterize myself as frugal (others may use less diplomatic terms), but frugality does not last very long when 1 € = $1.60.
The first place you notice it is at the grocery store. My groceries here are roughly twice as expensive as in downtown Chicago (and thus more than twice as expensive as groceries bought in Hyde Park or Iowa). Obviously, some of that is due to the weak dollar, and there is a 5.5% grocery sales tax here.
Dining out is very expensive. A club sandwich at a pub restaurant that looked like a French Bennigan's cost 12 € or about $19. I could probably buy that at home for $9, plus tip. Once a week, I go out for a nice French meal. (The French Bennigan's does not count.) 3 courses and a glass of wine generally costs around 40-45 €. And while I'm not paying my rent here, I know what it costs, and it is about twice as expensive as a comparable Chicago rental apartment.
Eventually, you acclimate to the higher cost of living, so when I go home, I expect I will be much more willing to spend. There are a few things here, though, that are cheaper. First, beer and wine are noticeably less expensive (though not spirits). Second, my company cafeteria, partially subsidized, of course, where for lunch I get a hot meal, vegetables, and dessert for about 4 €. Thus, I actually pay less for a better lunch than I usually get in Chicago. Third, public transportation, which I assume is partially subsidized, and where my monthly Metro pass works out to about 1.20 € per ride, slightly less than the CTA in Chicago.
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