Smart economics. Reasonable savings on your personal budget

How to save money? Reasonable! Reasonable saving is one of the life hacks that every housewife should strive to master, and then the question “how to save money” will once and for all become a thing of the past.

How to save money

The truth about spending

Having set out to answer the question “how to save money,” at first you will be stunned by the truth revealed to you about the world of money and your role in it. You may unexpectedly discover that you, who considered yourself frugal by nature, are unnoticed by squandering money left and right. You may be surprised to discover that the family car you took out on credit could easily have been taken out in installments, i.e. on an interest-free loan and not give the bank twenty percent of its value for the joy of standing in traffic jams in the interior of a new car. Smokers will find that if, instead of buying a pack of cigarettes, they put money into a piggy bank, then within a year they can buy themselves a diamond ring. And heavy smokers, those who buy more than one pack of cigarettes a day, will also be able to afford earrings... The main thing is not to fall into despair when it turns out that spending on spontaneous snacks - buns, chocolate bars, waffles, burgers and ice cream, that's all what causes ears to grow on your waist, in a year, results in an amount equal to the cost of a subscription to a sports club, where you have long wanted to go to get rid of ears, but cannot find the money to buy a club card.. In general, the world is beautiful and amazing.

Reasonable savings, it is reasonable because all expenses occur with the participation of the head. This rules out buying a third yellow blouse for your wardrobe at 50 percent off, because

A. She’s already the third, and you don’t wear yellow.

B. The space for blouses in the closet will end here.

B. You just don’t need it.

Smart savings means saving all the resources in your life, monetary, time, space, energy, emotional and others.

Be careful, many, having embarked on the path of reasonable savings, go to great lengths and, with sporting passion, begin to ardently save where they can and where they cannot. It would be good to insure yourself against this in advance and determine for yourself where there is reasonable saving, where there is saving for the sake of saving, and where it is just stupidity.

Family budget

Your first steps on the path to reasonable savings will inevitably lead you to realize the need for planning and control. family budget, because, indeed, it is very difficult to save if you do not know the initial and final amounts. This is a painstaking task and requires patience, but the result will amaze you.

Everyone chooses a pleasant and convenient way for them to plan their family budget and Money: ledger, Excel file, special programs, envelopes, the choice is yours. To begin, divide your expenses into

Necessary, i.e. vital: rent, food, medicine (not aesthetic), loan payment (if any)

Desirable: sports, clothing, travel, beauty, fuel for the car (maybe in the “necessary” category), etc.

Pleasant excesses: to each their own

For one month, we take into account spending on all these categories. Compare income and expenses. If expenses are greater than income, then we plan for the next month as follows: first, we distribute funds in the “Necessary expenses” category, then we audit “Desirable expenses” and, if the overspending was too large, we are left without pleasant excesses, at least for the coming month, comprehending the principles of reasonable savings. During this month, we review the budget several times and take into account how else we can save money. If expenses are less than income, we rejoice and comprehend the principles of reasonable saving with even greater diligence, because the chances of making life more pleasant and interesting increase.

Principles of reasonable savings

Let's start with what you shouldn't save on - health. This means that reasonable expenses for food (no more than 20 percent of the budget) and medical expenses should be reduced last, sports and useful rest- to the penultimate one. It would be more correct if food expenses are not limited to a certain amount, but a certain percentage of your income is allocated to them. 20 percent is the most optimal amount. If you spend less, then either you are familiar with the art of smart saving, or you are a Rockefeller.

Principles of reasonable savings for articles:

Communal payments. We install counters energy-saving lamps or light sensors for motion.

Food. We plan, we learn not to throw away food, i.e. either buy only the quantity needed or use excess product. We give up small snacks and eating out in favor of food homemade taken with you to work.

Personal car. When you are planning to get behind the wheel, evaluate how profitable this trip is for you; perhaps it is easier to go underground or use ground transport?

Clothes and shoes. It is on these categories of goods that people often spend unreasonably large sums. Increase self-control, avoid spontaneous purchases when going to the store, take a limited amount of money, do not buy just because you are uncomfortable in front of the salesman who was rushing from the hall to the fitting room. Evaluate discounts carefully. Buy only when you know what the item was priced before the discount. Participate in. Don't be fooled by the hype and popularity of the brand. Get rid of such expensive entertainment as shopping for no reason.

Vacation, rest. in advance, it is ideal to plan a vacation in low tourist season. Buy tickets and book hotels several months before your intended trip. Set up mailing lists from airline companies and buy tickets on sales or use special search engines for cheap tickets. Master it, especially if you are with a child.

Child. If you think that a child and saving are incompatible, then you are mistaken, and if you calculate how much you spend on the child’s spontaneous whims, you will be horrified. You definitely need to know about the principle of reasonable savings on whims!

I have no doubt that once you have mastered the principles of smart money saving, you will not stop there and will continue to improve your time and space saving skills. You can read about time management for young mothers here and here.

Once introduced into your life, the principles of reasonable savings will make it better and more interesting. Please share your methods of saving and maintaining a family budget in the comments!

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I want to bring to your attention simple, but most accurate secrets of saving the family budget. I haven’t written on this topic for a long time, but I see that it is now becoming very relevant, so today I will once again consider the most important aspects, and, of course, I will provide links to other articles in which certain points are described in more detail.

So, the secrets of saving money. Watching different people, their position and actions regarding saving, I came to the conclusion that we can divide them according to this criterion into several categories:

Category 1: Greedy people. Real misers who deny themselves everything is an end in itself for them: they do not use their “wealth” anywhere, but take all measures to constantly increase it. Often such people do not even have some things necessary for life, but at the same time they have enough large sum money. “Money is everything!” - this is their main motto.

Category 2: Wasteful people. The complete opposite of the first group. They do not deny themselves anything for which they have enough money. Moreover, often they even need to satisfy their needs in excess of their income. Such people may have many expensive non-essential items that they could do without; they can dress expensively, drive an expensive car, have expensive furnishings in their apartment, but at the same time not have a penny to their name, and often even have debts . I make a reservation that the level of “expensiveness” is in certain correspondence with the income of a wasteful person. Main principle people like this: “Money is nothing! You only live once! You need to live here and now!” They are not even interested in any secrets of saving the family budget.

Category 3: Ordinary people. Those who disapprove of both the first and second categories and try to maintain some kind of “golden mean”. They do not allow themselves to make purchases that do not fit into the budget, and they believe that there are “things that cannot be saved on” in any case: health, children, food, etc. (each has its own cost items in this category). Such people can make expensive purchases, but not all the time, they can take out loans, there are situations when they have enough money, and sometimes when they don’t.

Attention, question: what kind of people do you think are the most numerous? Surely you think that they are ordinary, from the third category? But no. Various studies, and my personal observations show that most of the residents of our countries can be classified as wasteful! It’s just that, as I already made a reservation, this extravagance is different for everyone, depending on their income level. One thing in common: people live beyond their means, that is, they spend more than they earn, are careless about loans, and do not know how to calculate and plan a personal or family budget.

Probably many will object: how can you call a person who lives on, for example, 200-300 dollars a month wasteful? Such a small salary is not enough for anything! But in most cases it is not enough precisely because people do not know how to save wisely.

The inability to intelligently compare their income and expenses is a problem for a huge number of residents of our countries. It is for this reason that most people are below the poverty line: financial instability or a financial hole (at the link you will see that in the survey at the end of the article these conditions are confidently in the lead, which once again confirms my beliefs).

And now the second question: which category is optimal, which one should you belong to? Here you will also answer: of course, for the third - we need a golden mean! And here you are wrong, or not entirely right. Because it's best to fall into the fourth category, which I didn't specifically mention until this point. Now I’m voicing it:

Category 4: Financially literate people. Who are they? They are not greedy, not wasteful, and not ordinary people. These are those who approach saving issues professionally. They manage, distribute all their personal or family expenses by item, and therefore know well how much money they can spend on each of their cost items, and how much not. They have their own secrets of saving money, developed over time and experience: they know how, when and what to save on, but most importantly, they know that saving is not greed, but a thrifty, competent, professional approach to the use of personal finances. These people will not spend more than they earn, but they always have enough money for everything they need. Why? Because through competent and reasonable savings they create:

These are the secrets of saving the family budget that I see. You might have wanted to see something different in this article... I repeat that you can easily find specifics on saving on different cost items in other publications on. But secrets are only secrets because few people know them. I shared with you my main secret for saving money, if you find it useful, share the link with your friends and acquaintances in in social networks and on the forums. The more financially literate people there are among us, the easier it will be for all of us to live.

See you again on the pages of the site!

Hello friends!

Yaroslav Andriyanov is in touch. Maybe you saw it on my blog? If you look at the date of publication, you will understand that I have been interested in the principles of wise use of material resources for a long time. And over the past 3 years I have accumulated a lot of them.

At one time he even went to extremes: he ripped out unused pockets on his pants and threw out everything from the house that had been lying around for more than a year. Then I realized that such an extreme use of decluttering deprives me of something very important - the memory of people dear to me with whom certain things were associated. Therefore, I stopped and began to take a new approach to reasonable savings of time, money and even emotions.

The largest part of the funds, of course, goes to purchases in stores. And if with food it’s somehow more difficult for me, then with things everything is simple.

To be honest, I'm incredibly tired of low-quality rubbish. You want to throw it away quickly, and things of indistinct quality themselves quickly become unusable. Therefore, I try to take as few things as possible good quality at the most reasonable price-quality combination. Oh how I twisted it!

A good thing makes me happy throughout its entire service life, and even when it loses its external luster a little, it internal content this makes it even more valuable. History appears, and with it some vintageness. Plus - Mother Earth remains cleaner: because if you throw out 2-3 low-quality things, only 1 is thrown away. Why not practical ecology?

For shopping, I have long chosen discount centers and started using online stores.

Savings: up to 50% of money and an incalculable amount of nerves and time (choosing clothes for myself tires me out)

For additional discounts I use method 2.

Method 2. Cashback

I’ll tell you a little about the essence. Cashback (from the English cash back - cash back) is a return to your card of part of the money spent on a purchase. Usually varies from 2 to 10% and is achieved by purchasing special “cashback” cards or using the so-called. cashback services.

Since cards with such a trick are usually credit cards (and I try not to even touch credit), I use the services.

Their name is legion, but I only use two:

1. letishops— a super-aggregator with a bunch of stores and services (Aliexpress, Lamoda, wildberries, booking, agoda, etc.). I most often book hotels in Asia through it or use it for Ali Express.
2. epn.bz- exclusively for Aliexpress for the sake of a 7% cashback.

Both of these apps have browser extensions, which are very convenient. Do you go to some online store and immediately see whether it has cash back or not?

If you want to save more and are not afraid of credit cards, you can apply for credit card for Ali Express from Tinkoff.

I also use cashbacks for .

Method 3. Payment by card

I have been using the Yandex map for a long time and am very pleased with it. However, when cashing out, Yasha charges me another 3% + 45 rubles, in addition to the conversion. Feeding the bank just makes me feel like a nasty toad, so I try to pay by card.

And in such wonderful places as Aliexpress, in general, it is possible to pay directly with Yandex.money. As a result, you spend exactly as much as you see in the “price” column.

True, in beloved India, most stores like to charge an additional 3% for banking services. However, even in this case, using the card is more profitable.

There is one thing here: using cards is very chilling. It seems that you have an infinite amount of money, because you don’t physically feel its presence or absence as much as you feel a wad of banknotes. I have repeatedly encountered the fact that I spend with a card much easier than when paying with cash. I'm studying, damn it.

Method 4. Payment online

I buy tickets for trains, planes and buses exclusively online. It saves not only money (you don’t pay useless agents), but also a lot of time.

Even in a controversial country like India, online shopping has started to become widespread. Trains, hotels, buses and even bed linen - everything can be bought in online services or stores.

Method 5. Earn money - save 10%

I noticed this habit among people considered successful. 10% is a small amount to feel like it’s missing, so every time you come, it’s very easy to put it aside for a deposit.

Allows you to save money for a pleasant trip or unexpected expenses.

In general, I developed the habit of saving since childhood, when desired purchases suddenly became available after some time. This is probably one of the most important skills of my mustacheless adolescence, which I still use today.

Method 6. Planning

For irrational people like me, it can be hard to start keeping lists, but they are very helpful in preventing impulsive actions. Therefore, additional funds are set aside for the future for some planned upgrades.

The same applies to going to the store. I always make a list in advance and don’t take anything beyond it. The latter is fraught not only with the wallet, but also with the stomach :)

The old rule: in grocery store go well-fed.

Method 7. Aliexpress

Yes, yes, you can save a lot by delegating part of your purchases to this wonderful service. For example, the USB cords with which I charge my equipment often break down. Therefore, every now and then I go to AliExpress (having previously enabled the browser extension) and collect a parcel from the list.

Most often its contents are as follows:

1. cords and chargers
2. cases and glasses for smartphones
3. power-bank from trusted Chinese brands, such as xiaomi
4. Chinese teas (I'm a big fan of pu-erh and teguanin)
5. all sorts of handbags, straps, organizers (indispensable when traveling)
6. components for laptops and photographic equipment (batteries, mice, protective glasses).

I use it in conjunction with a cashback service epn.

Method 8. Repair instead of buying a new one

I love things with history, and I’m just cringing with indignation when I see that my favorite player suddenly cannot be repaired. Marketing scams put us in an extremely uncomfortable position, just like in the book “O Wonderful One.” new world"O. Huxley, where everything that is even a little broken is necessarily thrown away.

And thank you very much to the craftsmen, whose hands grow out of their shoulders, for being able to repair a broken favorite gadget and saving me from the need to spend money and spend a long time studying reviews on the Internet.

We repair bicycles in Nepal

Here I almost screwed up and instead of fixing my favorite Pocketbook reader, whose screen somehow started to work strangely, I already started choosing a new one. The inner miser pulled me back and sent me to look for a service center.

The service was found in 10 minutes, expenses amounted to 5,000 tenge for repairs (about 900 rubles), versus 30,000 for the purchase of a new book with more modest functionality.

Method 9: Reuse

How we love to wrap any little thing in ten packages, and even plastic ones. And sell water in endless bottles, which are then thrown away and accumulate as non-recyclable garbage on the surface of our long-suffering land.

After staying for almost a year and seeing the garbage collapse, I learned how to reuse bags, plastic bottles and all sorts of different baths, jars, etc., because very often the main thing pricing factor It is not the contents, but the packaging!

For the same reason, I do not accept thoughtless gift wrapping and always try to use a minimum of decorations for this.

Method 10. Buying used instead of new

I love it very much, and I know that people often sell their equipment in very good condition at very reasonable prices. Because new things are very expensive, and a quality item in mountain tourism is not a luxury, but an absolute necessity.

I often go to thrift stores to look for good travel items. So, in one of them I repeatedly came across excellent Italian trekking boots for $40. It’s a pity that they don’t sell backpacks there; you could probably find something of super-quality at super-discounts.

My arsenal of equipment before the training camp in Ala-Archa

The same applies to good technique. So, I bought my entire arsenal of photographic equipment exclusively second-hand, and remained satisfied with it throughout its entire lifespan.

Of course, you need to understand a little about the item you are buying so as not to buy yourself outright rubbish. Because they are openly actively trying to leak something like this.

How else can you cut costs?

In general, the concept of “saving correctly” has very specific criteria:

1. the purchase must be of high quality
2. the thing must be necessary (no “just in case”)
3. the price should be low

Things (clothes, shoes)

I try to somehow predict my needs. Well, be sure to go to discount centers, because there, like nowhere else, you can buy good things at good prices.

At the same time, I don’t really care that this T-shirt is last season, but these pants only have 2 colors left. My gut feeling doesn’t deceive me, so I don’t remember when last time I was disappointed with my purchases.

Gadgets

If I need to upgrade my phone, I don't choose between Samsung and Apple. God bless, in the Middle Kingdom Nowadays we have learned to make wonderful smartphones that have less sonorous names(such as Meizu, Huawei or Xiaomi) are much cheaper than their more popular counterparts.

Food

I love homemade food, prepared with love and care. I visit public catering and restaurants only in moments of extreme aggravation of gastronomic cravings, because the last few times I was very disappointed in some establishments, from where I left not only with an empty wallet, but also with an empty stomach.

Our miracle dinner in Sri Lanka

In stores I try to buy only seasonal fruits and vegetables, and I’m not too lazy to go to the market to buy real cheese, which is not only better in quality, but also much cheaper in price. Of course, this is the case if I live at home. the situation is somewhat different.

Well, it’s a plus, although I don’t consider myself a vegetarian, I hardly eat meat, which allows me to eat not only cheaper, but also healthier. When I travel, however, I really miss our simple oatmeal in the morning, with milk and butter.

Esoteric approach to saving

Several years spent among people actively involved in various spiritualities, one way or another left an imprint on my pragmatic-materialistic consciousness.

I have repeatedly been convinced that opportunities to fulfill some desires come on their own. The principle is old - concentrate on the goal, not the means. The means come by themselves: a project appears, people and circumstances come, and with them opportunities.

Therefore, I try to approach saving money correctly from all sides available to me. And, of course, without the beggar idiocy, when for the sake of a hypothetical 10 dollars you spend a huge amount of time and nerves. In this case, I show lordly manners and, instead of saving money, I start saving time.

People often asked me how much Nastya and I earn, that we can afford to travel the seas, spend the winter warm and not go hungry. I think the question is not entirely correct. It is important not how much we receive, but how much we spend. In the end, we simply save all excess for higher purposes. In this article, I'll share how we manage to live and travel on a modest budget of about $1,000 for our family of three.

I was also prompted to write this article by a recent story for a central television broadcast on NTV. It specifically raised the issue of reasonable savings, which helps not only to survive in our difficult times, but also to travel freely or simply relax. I simply could not pass by these shootings and became one of the heroes of the plot. After all affordable travel and a life of pleasure - this is the basis of our blog. It’s a pity that very little airtime was allocated, otherwise I would have turned around. I will try to tell you everything that is not included in the plot in this article. So, how on an absolutely average budget of 60,000 rubles per month we manage to travel and live in pleasure.

I am sure that Nastya and I no longer need an introduction to our regular readers. For everyone else, I’ll say - we are the same people who manage to vacation in Russia and abroad on a very modest budget. Once upon a time we quit our jobs and changed our lives. It didn’t get better or worse, we just started living differently, the way we like it. It’s difficult for a Travel Blogger to talk about permanent income - it simply doesn’t exist. There are not very stable advertisements that depend on the season. In winter, when the main flow flies to Asia, we get quite decent amounts. In summer, income is average, but in spring it plummets. To live in such conditions, we had to change our lifestyle a little.

To begin with, we assume that we are absolutely ordinary employees of an average enterprise near Moscow. We have a certain stable monthly amount. In our case, let it be 60,000 rubles - just the average salary of two people in our region. We put aside everything above, and we compensate for everything below from the set aside funds. Go.

As promised, I’m posting a story where I (I’m still a star now!) managed to get probably a whole minute of top airtime on TV. However, we have to start somewhere - it’s time to come out of the darkness.

The importance of maintaining a family budget for reasonable savings

The most important decision in planning a new life was maintaining a budget. I started it long before I quit my job. One of my friends put this idea in my head when he asked where I was spending all my salary increase. Which baffled me. I really couldn’t answer why, having received a significant promotion, I still sit without money. And then I decided to write down all my expenses and income. After all, it was necessary to understand how much and what we spend on in order to eliminate everything unnecessary. The first years of blogging were going to be difficult and it was necessary to prepare for them. Literally a few months were enough to understand how much money was going to waste.

In one of the following articles I will dwell in detail on maintaining a family budget. However, you can download an application for your smartphone and use it without going into all the details. Everything is simple and clear there. There are three important points:

• It is necessary to record absolutely all income and expenses so that the balance is reduced at the end. To do this you will have to be absolutely honest with yourself and your family.
• It's best to break expenses down into several categories. This usually happens in applications. If you maintain your own file or database, you will have to do this yourself. Then, when analyzing your own spending, it will be easier for you to understand that “cheap” fast food steals up to 10,000 rubles, and alcohol and snacks another couple of thousand. Cigarettes, sweets, processed foods and other harmful excesses can ultimately become a significant budget item. By getting rid of them, you will not only free up money, but also improve the quality of your own life.
• The budget must be planned in advance, trying to take into account even unforeseen expenses. Only with proper planning can you free up 20-30% of your funds. These are the ones you can use on vacation 1-2 times a year.

So, let's start maintaining our own budget for at least several months. We regularly analyze the results. We identify unnecessary expenses.

What I learned when I started budgeting

Let me remind you that I started budgeting about 6 years ago, and since then I have been able to distribute costs quite successfully. This, in turn, allowed us to live peacefully even in difficult crisis years. After all, I knew in advance how much I had to spend and on what, and therefore how much money I needed to earn. I will put off analyzing my own family budget for later, especially since the budget should change slightly. Important takeaways:

• Alcohol and cigarettes take a lot of money. At the same time, it is often not the richest people who smoke and drink. Imagine: a pack of cigarettes a day for 100 rubles, a can of beer for 50 rubles, and weekend get-togethers with friends for 500 rubles. Total, approximately 6,000 rubles. And if you add light snacks (snacks, dried fish, nuts, seeds), the amount will be even higher
• The modern world forces us to give each other gifts - this is a whole industry that steals a decent amount per year. When was the last time you gave a book as a gift? But... Now, at least a bottle of expensive alcohol, or just money. And this is 2-3 tr. to a friend or relative.
• Maintaining a car with the rising price of gasoline, compulsory motor insurance, and taxes per year is also not cheap. Many people travel 20-40 km to work and to the country on weekends. Most of my friends admit that they fill up once a week for about 2-2.5 thousand rubles. And this is 8-10 thousand per month. , if you add to the operating price such costs as: repairs, replacement of consumables, purchase of a car, traffic police fines.
• The worst item in the budget, as a rule, is “unforeseen expenses.” At first it’s a decent amount until you learn how to plan competently.

So it turns out that approximately a quarter, and for some even a third, of the family budget goes to waste. As a result, instead of a vacation in Thailand, you once again go to the countryside - because there is no money for anything else.

You will laugh, but if you calculate how much money is spent on the dacha (purchase of seedlings, weekly visits, barbecues, light, fertilizers, purchase of equipment and garden tools), then it will be much cheaper and more profitable to simply go to the forest to relax and buy fruits and vegetables On the market. Having your own vegetable garden is beneficial only when you permanently live next to it, like, for example, villagers.

How you can save significantly and benefit your health

In fact, I won't reinvent the wheel. All this advice has long been given on TV, in magazines, on websites. There are modern professions of life coaches. In my opinion, it’s enough just to turn on logic and learn to analyze. Go.

Food

I heard a couple of tips over the loudspeaker in Auchan, but I took most of them after the success:

• Semi-finished products (dumplings, cutlets, pizzas, etc.) are either expensive or very harmful to health. Chronic diseases that arise from frequent consumption of low-quality semi-finished products become an additional budget item
• Sweets, candies, sausages, canned food are harmful and quite expensive. It is better to get carbohydrates from cereals. Fats and vegetable oil, nuts, fish, meat, dairy products. An apple is cheaper and healthier than candy or sweet rolls
• Fruits, vegetables and berries should only be purchased in season and preferably from local farms. Mangoes are best eaten in Asia, and apples in Russia. Tomatoes in summer and tangerines in winter
• Doshiraki only seem cheap, for example, the cheapest package for 10 rubles is not enough for me personally; either a couple of packs or something more expensive will provide the normal calorie content. But having bought a chicken carcass for 110 rubles and a pack of plain noodles for 30 rubles, I alone can eat quite healthy chicken soup for a week
• Homemade banana pie will definitely be healthier than even the most expensive bought cake
• Fast food just sounds fast. In practice, a Big Mac with Coke will cost 250 rubles and will weigh heavily on a stomach tormented by trans fats.
• Organic products are just a premium for beautiful word and a clever marketing ploy. In fact, all products are organic.
• Branded products are not always healthier, more affordable analogues from local producers

As a result, a reasonable healthy lifestyle, when you prepare simple food from simple products yourself, is, if not cheaper, then about the same, but allows you to save on the treatment of chronic diseases.

Cloth

Miser pays twice.

I'm not rich enough to buy cheap shoes.

Surely you have heard such phrases. To understand the essence of such savings, here are a few examples:

• mine winter boots will soon be 10 years old. Yes I know, last years they stay at home more often than go out for a walk. But over the same 10 years, I changed about 5 pairs of summer shoes.
• “Such expensive sneakers for $100” do not injure the foot and are worn for 3-4 years, while cheap consumer goods for $30 fall apart within a season, simultaneously developing flat feet and foot sprains
• Levi's jeans have served me faithfully for many years now, but cheap, no-name jeans lose their appearance and tear on me in a couple of months
• In the warm winter jacket I never caught a cold, which means I didn’t spend money on medicine and didn’t take sick leave

I think you understand, high-quality clothes and shoes, although more expensive, last longer and help maintain health.

Sport

Sports are necessary. Especially if you have a sedentary lifestyle. The whole question is what sport and how to do it:

• It’s stupid to buy an expensive home exercise machine; more often than not, it will gather dust, taking up an already limited amount of space. a large number of square meters in the apartment
• Likewise, there's little point in buying a membership to a cool gym if you've never tried working out. Pay for a month first - many cannot withstand the load and quit classes much earlier
• Professional shoes, a bicycle, skis or other equipment are a waste of money while you are new to the sport. Before you find yourself, you will try many different sports
• A simple daily walk is healthy, safe, and does not require any special investment, but it improves health and increases vitality.

Sports, of course, are necessary, but you shouldn’t invest all your savings in it from the very first days.

Health

Health is something you can't buy. But it can be saved, preserved and increased. Just by learning the basics healthy image life. Remember, any fanaticism and passion will not bring you any good. Don't rush to extremes right away. In addition, it is worth remembering:

• Prevention is always cheaper than treatment. This applies to both visits to the dentist and any other specialist.
• Expensive medicines and especially expensive vitamins can simply be a payment for a brand, and sometimes even advice from an unscrupulous doctor
• Temper yourself if you want to be healthy
• If an illness has taken you down, then you shouldn’t be a hero, trying to get through the flu on your feet and trying not to take sick leave. Often the consequences of such decisions result in much more long treatment and serious illness

Health must be protected by visiting doctors on time and leading a correct lifestyle.

Technique

Here everyone acts as he pleases. But, in my opinion, you need to adhere to simple rules:

• A work tool (computer, phone, car, or whatever helps you earn money) must be reliable and of high quality. That's why professional photographers they buy expensive cameras, DJs always have a MacBook, and a professional taxi driver always has a reliable car
• Chasing new products always means overpaying by one and a half, or even two times - electronics become outdated very quickly
• By buying completely unknown Chinese counterfeits, you risk simply throwing away money

Finally, about reasonable savings

It turned out a lot and chaotic. However, I hope you read to the end. Perhaps some advice will seem worthy of attention to you. At least Nastya and I are coping successfully. With proper planning of our expenses, we not only survive in difficult times, but rather successfully travel on the salary of an ordinary family near Moscow. Even a little remains.

And finally, a short video reflection for those who don’t like to read a lot.

Imagine: you are walking down the street and realize that you can afford to buy everything you want, fulfill any desire you have or your child’s request. At the same time, you still have money to live on, and you don’t have to try to “hang on” to your salary every month. You feel freedom and self-confidence. You feel great! Tempting?

This will become possible if right now you begin to control your own budget and learn how to save wisely.

Loans and microloans are sometimes very helpful, but you need to know how to use these financial aids. How? We'll tell you in the next review. In the meantime, let's talk about saving frankly.

Psychologists say that Russians subconsciously disdain accounting for finances and savings; supposedly only stingy people count money. The Russian soul is famous for its generosity and extravagance, but our lives depend entirely on ourselves. Set yourself up for “reasonable saving mode”. Only this will help you change your life for the better.

Saving is not depriving yourself of a normal life, but a balanced approach to your own expenses and the opportunity to reduce them.

We have prepared useful tips for you and grouped them into sections for greater convenience.

1) Food.

If after every trip to the grocery supermarket you lose your mood and you don’t understand where all the money disappears, then these tips are for you. You can save a lot on food! Each of us spends most of our salary on food, because everyone loves to eat delicious food. And if you have children, it’s difficult for them to refuse to buy another cake or yogurt. By the way, saving on food does not mean that you will now have to buy cheap products of dubious quality.

• Buy groceries for the week ahead. Choose a cheaper store and buy food for future use. Many large supermarkets offer significantly lower prices, as they sell goods at prices close to wholesale. In addition, by constantly buying products in such supermarkets, you can get discount card at a good discount, which also contributes to savings.
• Buy only from the list. Go to the supermarket with a grocery list and always stick to it, because this is guaranteed to save you from the temptation to grab something tasty, but absolutely unnecessary.
• Write down what you need. Attach a magnetic notepad or piece of paper and pen to the refrigerator door. As soon as a product runs out, add it to the list. You will very soon notice that such a simple technique will significantly affect your family budget.
• Take the smallest basket. If you're going to buy a few groceries, use a basket rather than a cart. A large cart contributes to the fact that we try to fill all the free space, picking up as much unnecessary stuff as possible. Take a small basket and the impulsive desire to buy something unplanned, but you like it, most likely, will not arise. When you only need one item, such as bread, don't bring a basket at all.
• Use more seasonal products. Such products are cheaper than imported ones, and they are also healthier, since they are not subject to additional processing. In summer, be sure to buy more fruits and berries, they contain many vitamins.
• Freeze your food. Berries, vegetables and fruits collected from the garden or dacha in the summer will be very useful in the winter! For example, strawberries or raspberries can be pureed with sugar and placed in a freezer container.
• Collect receipts. After going to the supermarket, analyze how much you spent. Write this information down in a notepad or on your computer. At the end of the month, calculate what percentage of your earnings you spend exclusively on groceries. See what you can cut or replace.

2) Clothes.

Wearing the same jeans every day for two years is a completely total savings, and it will not bring joy. We suggest you reduce your costs a little so that you always have a reserve. Look out for sales. Seasonal discounts sometimes reach 50-70%.

• Buy clothes online. As a rule, such shopping is cheaper. This is due to the store’s lack of expenses for rent and employee salaries. Shopping online saves both money and time.
• Take a closer look at second-hand stores. Many wealthy people and fashionistas buy clothes there. Don’t be disdainful, clothes often end up there with minor defects, detained at customs or completely new. Also pay attention to stockists and discount centers where clothes end up famous brands, which could not be sold in a regular store for six months.
• Cheaper on sales. You shouldn't buy something you like right away when you see it. Wait for the sale. And the joy from the purchase will double. The anticipation of the holiday is sweeter than the holiday itself.
• Stop making impulse purchases. Make a list of what you really need. Even if you liked something at a sale at a very low price, you shouldn’t buy it right away. Think about whether you really need it, or whether it will just sit in the closet. Don't buy something just because it's very cheap.
• Set aside money. Every time you want to buy something beautiful but not needed, write down the cost of the intended purchase and put this money in an envelope. After a while, you will be surprised how much money you could have thoughtlessly spent.
• Compare prices. Don’t rush to buy at the first store you come across - don’t be lazy to compare prices in different places. As practice shows, the cost of the same clothes in different stores can differ several times.

3) Self-care.

In order to look well-groomed and beautiful, it is not at all necessary to go to beauty salons every day and buy only branded expensive cosmetics. There are several tricks that we will share with you right now:

• Find “your” hairdresser. Surely you or someone you know has a familiar hairdresser. “Lyudochka” or “Tanechka” can make life a lot easier, but not your wallet. Agree with your hairdresser that he will cut your hair at home. It will be much cheaper than in a beauty salon, because the hairdresser will not have to pay part of the money for rent and services of the salon. Give him some tea, have a heart-to-heart talk, and the price will pleasantly surprise you.
• Become a regular customer. If you don’t know a hairdresser, try to go to the same hairdresser in the same salon all the time. Over time, you will become friends and you are guaranteed to receive a good discount.
• Take a closer look at folk remedies. Remedies such as exfoliation with coffee or honey scrub are much healthier and more effective than those jars that cost 2,000 rubles and more. Find your own magic remedies and use them instead of store-bought ones. Savings and the envy of friends are guaranteed.
• Don't pay for what is available for free. On special courses, where they train hairdressers, are constantly looking for volunteers who want to cut their hair. As a result, you will get a great haircut, manicure, pedicure or hair removal completely free of charge. Don't worry, an experienced teacher is supervising the process.

4) Transport costs.

Regardless of whether you have a personal car or take a bus, costs can be reduced. We'll tell you how to learn how to save money on travel.

• Buy a travel pass. If you often travel by public transport, then a pass is a must-have. Remember that some categories of citizens can use the services of carriers at a discount or completely free of charge.
• Walk more. Don’t be lazy, sometimes it’s better to walk 20 minutes than to ride on a stuffy, crowded bus. This will benefit not only your wallet, but also your health.
• Ride a bike. If you work close to home, you have the great opportunity to bike to work.
• Make neatness a habit. Watch the interior, do not allow yourself and others to smoke in the car, then you will not have to do expensive dry cleaning again.
• Don't turn on the air conditioner. Better open the windows if the weather is good. Gasoline consumption will be less.
• Maintain a smooth driving style. Driving fast increases fuel consumption. Don't rush, move at a measured pace, this will save money.
• Gasoline must be of high quality. But you shouldn’t skimp on fuel quality, otherwise you’ll just ruin your car and spend even more money on repairs.
• Look for travel companions. There are special websites where you can specify your route and take one or more travel companions with you. In this case, spending on gasoline is divided in half. An example of such a site is http://www.dovezu.ru/.

5) Housing and communal services.

Prices for electricity and water continue to rise, and each month they take up a significant portion of the personal budget. Rent costs are ongoing, so the savings for you can be significant.

• Install water meters. With their help, you won't have to overpay for other tenants.
• Take a shower. Instead of running a bath, take a shower. You will waste less time and less water.
• When brushing your teeth, turn off the water. Don't leave the tap running idle. While you are brushing your teeth, a huge amount of water flows aimlessly down the pipe, as does your money.
• Turn off lights and electrical appliances when leaving the house. Don't be lazy, hang a reminder on your door.
• Energy-saving lamps reduce utility costs. Compared to traditional incandescent lamps, energy-saving lamps last several times longer.
• Buy energy-saving appliances. Such Appliances saves energy. If you are not sure about your choice, contact a sales consultant in the store. He can pick it up for you.

6) Entertainment.

You can and should relax for free! The main thing is to get new pleasant emotions, vivid impressions and a good mood.

It is difficult to imagine our life without a mobile phone, because every day we call relatives, friends, and colleagues. The Internet in our time is a constant need for communication, entertainment, and work. Use our tips below.

• Request call details. This can be done for free from your mobile operator. You will receive a list of numbers, find out the duration of the call and its cost. If you find that you have been assigned calls that you did not make, and the fees for them are quite significant, demand a refund.
• Change your mobile operator. Check whether you really have a cheap and suitable mobile operator tariff. Choose the most optimal one for yourself.
• Disable all paid features. Check to see if your phone has paid functions that you connected by mistake or didn’t connect at all. For example, a beep with a melody will cost you about 300 rubles every month.
• Pay for your phone without any fees. This can be done in salons cellular communication, in unified settlement centers, in some terminals and ATMs.
• Call for free. If you have Internet, save on mobile operator services: use Skype. As well as programs for mobile phones: Viber and Zoiper. Absolutely free.
• Select your internet provider. Explore all offers from companies providing access to global network. Choose the one that offers best conditions and unlimited access.

8) Health.

Besides the fact that a healthy lifestyle is now in fashion, it also helps you save money. Think about it: cigarettes and alcohol are by no means a cheap pleasure. Of course, this is entirely up to you. But the next time you want to smoke a cigarette and drink, remember the double benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

• Quit smoking. The average smoker smokes one or two packs of cigarettes per day. One pack costs on average 60 rubles, that is, you will spend from 1800 to 3600 rubles on smoking alone. Save both money and health.
• Reduce your alcohol intake. High-quality alcohol is expensive, and low-quality alcohol is hazardous to health. It is better to drink good wine less often than to drink cheap fake wine often.

5 useful tips from personal finance expert Alexander Orlov:

“Set a goal”

Saving for the sake of saving is stupid and ineffective. Set a goal that will inspire you. This could be the purchase of a fur coat, a new car, a phone or computer, a trip, apartment renovations, money for children’s education, etc.

Write a specific number and strive for it. May she always be before your eyes. Every time you deny yourself something or save money, think about your goal.

“Keep track of expenses”

In order to start saving, you need to understand where the money is going. I advise you to pay with a bank card. Just enable the SMS notification function for transactions bank card to be aware of all your purchases. After each payment you will receive mobile phone You will receive a notification about how much you spent and on what. By paying with a card, you can easily calculate the number of expenses at the end of the month and, if possible, reduce expenses. This is more convenient than collecting checks.

“Save 10% of your salary”

Every month, after receiving wages, set aside one tenth of the total amount. In a year you will be able to save up for a trip or large purchase. Think about the goal, it will be easier to procrastinate.

“Find additional sources of income”

Most effective way Improving your financial situation is not even a reduction in expenses, but an increase in income. Think about what hobbies you have that can bring you extra income.

“Find out if you are entitled to benefits”

By law, many Russian citizens can use additional features. For families with many children and low-income families, disabled people, single mothers, police officers, civil servants and individual entrepreneurs benefits and discounts are provided. The state helps when buying an apartment and when entering a university. At the birth of a child it is paid maternal capital and care allowance. You can find out what benefits you can receive on the website http://lgoti.info/

Conclusion

Remember that financial self-restraints must take into account personal needs. Every person has things that are necessary for psychological comfort: for some it’s a new thing once a month, for others it’s delicious morning coffee in a bistro. Without these things, the money may increase, but the joy will definitely decrease.

At first, you won’t be able to enjoy saving money, so first treat it like a game, designating a prize fund for yourself in the form of money saved. The feeling of satisfaction will gradually increase.

You can save money without harming yourself; the main thing is to effectively use available resources, and use the freed-up funds to form a cash reserve.