How to learn how to save money. How to save money as a family - on groceries, clothes, utility bills and more

  • 07.01.2021
    • Method number 1. Building a chain of financial priorities
    • Method number 2. We adhere to the rule: "Pay yourself first"
    • Method number 3. Income and expenses under accounting
    • Method number 4. We go to the store with a pre-prepared list of products
    • Method number 5. Learning to work with analogues of the same quality, but at a lower cost
    • Method number 6. How to save on food, groceries - healthy but cheap food
    • Method number 7. Fight bad habits
    • Method number 8. Optimization of payments on loans
    • Method number 9. Dealing with money grabbers
    • Method number 10. Installing water and gas meters
  • 5. Conclusion

Each of us on this planet wants to live well and not deny ourselves anything, but not everyone knows how to save money. And the paradox of our existence is this: if you want to raise your social level, learn to save! Finances love order. Therefore, it is not enough just to earn them, you also need to be able to distribute them correctly. It is difficult to argue with this fact.

In this article, we will cover the following questions:

  • How to save money with a small salary?
  • How to learn to save money and save money with a small salary?
  • How to save money correctly?

And you can also get useful tips on what money-saving techniques you need to know. What needs to be taken care of so that expenses are not an obstacle to a happy life? With a competent approach to finances, even a crisis will not become an obstacle to achieving your goals (read more about the crisis).

Learning to save and save money according to the rules and recommendations of experts

1. Saving the family budget is a good habit

The first thing that should be deposited in your subconscious and become the key motto of life: saving is not a way to reduce the standard of living, but rather a competent distribution of your own budget. There is a high probability that by learning to manage your finances wisely, you will raise your social status by reducing such expenses as harmful foods and habits.

The costs are not small and completely unnecessary things, over time they take away considerable amounts from the family budget, which are then not enough for more important expenses. As they say: a penny saves a ruble! Competent economy is an art, the basis of which is patience and perseverance. However, having learned to save money with a small salary, you will no longer spend extra money, but on the contrary, you will benefit from financial investments.

Save- does not mean that you need to starve, give up everything that is possible. Such an interpretation of the concept will not bring anything useful to your life, it will only cause harm.

This article is intended to reveal the concept of economics in a different light. As a competent management of your own budget, which does not include unnecessary costs. Savings should allow you to accumulate money.

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It's good to have some goal in life that will motivate you to a reasonable distribution of money.

The most important- to comprehend where to start in saving money. Over time, this financial strategy will become a habit for you.

Changing your lifestyle and learning to save money with a small salary should be done in stages:

  • start by classifying your expenses into unnecessary and necessary;
  • then pay attention to the appropriateness of using paid resources (water, communications, electricity, etc.);
  • after - we establish a food system and food costs;
  • the next step is to set aside a fixed percentage of the money saved. It is better that they do not lie at home under the mattress, but work and generate income. (We wrote an article about this -)

If you manage to tear off everything from the family budget every month 10 -20% cash, through 6 -12 months on your own account will be an impressive amount.

At the same time, we should not forget that saving is not self-sacrifice and absolute limitation in spending.

Proper distribution of finances is the way to good changes in your life.

2. Do I need to save on groceries, food and electricity

Saving on vital resources such as food, electricity and communications does not lie in a diet of water and bread, candlelit evenings and hiking to work.

Reasonable allocation of funds implies the elimination of unnecessary expenses. All necessary expenses do not lose their importance.

As for a competent approach to nutrition, you will learn about it later, from the section reserved for this section.

5 tips from an expert on how to save electricity in an apartment

  1. Tip #1- Wise use of electrical appliances. Take, for example, the same chargers for tablets or phones. Being connected to the power supply, they continue to draw electricity, and at the same time your money, even if the mobile device is not connected to them. The same picture emerges with other household equipment - music speakers, TV, DVD-player.
  2. Tip #2- Use of dishes of appropriate parameters for electric stoves. A significant reduction in the energy required for cooking can be achieved by using cookware with an identical bottom diameter to the diameter of the electric stove burner. In other words, the device will not waste heat in the kitchen, which affects the duration and efficiency of heating the dish.
  3. Tip #3- The refrigerator must be installed in its place. The energy consumption required for the operation of the refrigerator is significantly reduced in direct proportion to its distance from the stove.
  4. Tip #4- Correct loading of laundry in the washing machine. This type of household appliances consumes 10-15% more electricity if you overloaded it or vice versa - underloaded it. The load must match the parameters of the washing machine.
  5. Tip #5- Night shutdown of electrical appliances. It is recommended to turn off almost all electrical appliances during your absence and at night.

Becoming the owner of household appliances, it is very important to get acquainted with the energy class. Equipment with low energy consumption has an order of magnitude higher cost. However, this difference pays off very quickly through further energy savings.

It would be nice to have the habit of turning off the light when leaving the room. As practice shows, not everyone has it. However, this problem has its own solution: invest in infrared sensors and save money without making unnecessary movements.

Perhaps not news will be mandatory replacing all light bulbs with energy saving ones. Significantly reduce the cost of electricity zonal lighting, at least in the bedroom. Bedside lamps, sconces will bring you much more benefit than two-three-lamp chandeliers.

Reducing energy costs can be ensured by an ordinary thermos, which will relieve you of the need to heat water with an electric kettle several times a day.

3. How to learn how to save money - 10 ways to save money with a small salary

Ways to save and save your money

Method number 1. Building a chain of financial priorities

A rational approach to spending is the foundation of competent savings. The ability to manage the family budget can be safely attributed to the category of management, the main task of which is to work for your own good. It is necessary to learn that your well-being directly depends on the reasonable distribution of finances that you manage.

Finances can diverge both with benefit and without it. However, first you need to learn how to determine the level of usefulness of a particular expenditure. About this in order.

IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATION!
Make a list of expenses that you consider necessary, but they are not essential. Try to rethink each item. Think about whether you could do without something from this list.

Expenses for groceries, utilities and loans (if any) are classified as urgent expenses. The list of less urgent investments should include funds for entertainment and recreation, self-education and savings.

The non-urgent list includes buying and replenishing your wardrobe with fashionable clothes, visiting restaurants, purchasing household goods, mobile devices, and a new computer. In general, everything that you can refrain from in the near future or should not be bought at all.

If the clothes of the most popular brands and entertainment are the top rung of your ladder of striving to live better, then, alas, it will not work to eliminate unnecessary expenses as much as possible. The same applies to everything related to non-urgent expenses.

The second equally important issue is the options for investing the saved funds. The smartest decision - this is an investment of money in assets that will turn into passive income in the future. That is, you can replenish the family budget with finances without making any effort.

Method number 2. We adhere to the rule: "Pay yourself first"

The essence of this rule is that any financial income must be "taxed by its own tax". That is, you should set aside a certain percentage of any funds that appear in your wallet. They can also be immediately invested in your business. This does not require you to own your own business. You can invest in construction, antiques, securities, in everything that will bring income in the future.

This rule works if you always use it, regardless of any circumstances. No matter how high the degree of your desire to spend the money set aside for other purposes, this cannot be done. Otherwise You will not be able to learn how to save and save your money properly.

In general, as mentioned above, the money must work. (Therefore, we also recommend reading about where it is better to invest money so as not to lose and earn in). About where it is most profitable to invest and where to start investing has already been discussed in this article.

For those who pay themselves first, the question will never arise: where to get the capital for the future possession of passive income. The right investment, slowly but surely, will gradually increase the limit of your family budget. In this case, the amount of investments may not exceed 10% of your income.

for help, 20 % millionaires in the West, learned this rule and were able to get rich. (We recommend reading: "")

Already today you can safely set aside 10% of the funds available in the house in a distant box and forget about them for a while. Let these funds become the foundation of your future building of well-being and successful life.

Method number 3. Income and expenses under accounting

All financially successful people believe that all expenses and incomes must be strictly accounted for. Thus, it is possible to identify the cell of the greatest expenses and optimize them.

Let's say that every month you leave a round sum in cinemas, cafes or other types of leisure. With desire and perseverance, this cell of expenses can be reduced or eliminated altogether. Visibility and analysis of their actions - sometimes works wonders. In general, practice helps to determine what is beyond the power of theory.

You must always be aware of all your own financial indicators.
According to world-famous speaker and coach in the field of personal success, Anthony Robbins: What cannot be measured cannot be managed».

Advances in information technology have greatly simplified our lives. They also touched upon the process of accounting for income and expenses, making it accessible and easy to use. The manual work of creating tables and filling them out has been replaced by specially designed applications.

Visual observation of all financial transactions makes it possible to eventually gain financial literacy.

A sociological survey conducted in Russia revealed that 85-90% people by the time of receiving the next salary, manage to almost completely squander the previous one. Moreover, each of them has a completely different level of income.

Financial literacy will allow you to think differently and give you the opportunity to enter those 15-10% exceptions.

  • We recommend reading -

Method number 4. We go to the store with a pre-prepared list of products

Having a grocery list prepared ahead of time at home will prevent unnecessary and unplanned expenses. After all, the marketing of any store is aimed at purchasing a product that, in fact, does not represent a need for you. Therefore, the store clearly follows the list.
Another trick to combat unplanned expenses is the amount of money needed for purchases in the wallet. It is undesirable to take more.

ADVICE!
It is perhaps no secret to anyone that you should go to food stores full. A hungry person can sometimes buy half a supermarket.

Mobile applications again come to the rescue in compiling a shopping list. In addition to money, you also save your time by purchasing the planned goods. After all, you do not have to visit each department and remember what else you wanted to buy.

It is not recommended to go to the store and on the days of salary or advance payment. As a rule, having a round sum in hand, a person stops thinking objectively and makes investments that he would not have made on another day.

Experts advise paying for purchases strictly in cash. Plastic cards- of course, a convenient thing, but from an economic point of view - unprofitable. The perception of a bank account is completely different than paper banknotes. Therefore, money from a plastic card disappears much faster than from a wallet.

Method number 5. Learning to work with analogues of the same quality, but at a lower cost

For each product there is an analogue that differs in price from the original, so to speak. Those who know this truth for themselves are pocketing a tangible difference every day. First you need to learn not to fall for marketing tricks.

4 important rules for saving money

  1. Higher value items are often at eye level. To choose a cheaper analogue, you will need to look at the lower or upper shelves.
  2. Before you buy household appliances, use the Internet and compare prices for the same model in different stores. In addition, you can get information about ongoing promotions in technology hypermarkets without leaving your home.
  3. Try to have prices for goods not only in the store closest to you, but also in those further away. Sometimes you can save money by purchasing the same unit 10-30% funds by walking a couple of blocks more.
  4. Online stores have also become widespread.. Prices for goods there are much lower, and you do not need to leave the house for the necessary thing.

The rule of saving on analogues also applies to pharmaceuticals. Imported drugs, the cost of which exceeds all allowable norms, have domestic and cheap counterparts. They have a different name, but the composition and properties are no worse than foreign ones.

Method number 6. How to save on food, groceries - healthy but cheap food

Immediately discard the idea that you have to tighten your belt and go on a diet. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, but a healthy diet in our time is much cheaper than a table chicly set with gourmet delicacies.

To eat healthy for the body, it is not necessary to spend large sums on food. After all, their cost depends not only on naturalness, but on many other factors. For example, the price per package. The manufacturer's marketing company, brand popularity.

In caring not only for the money saved, but also for your own health, give preference to nutritious cereals than "fast food".

Optimization of the diet can be done in other ways:

  • as a rule, bulk products are cheaper than those packaged in beautiful packaging;
  • you can buy goods in the market where bargaining is appropriate;
  • give preference to fresh meat in bulk quantities over ready-made semi-finished products. From it you can cook both first and second courses;
  • The best time of day for shopping at the market is evening. It is during this period of the day that sellers make tangible discounts;
  • take a ready-made lunch to work;
  • Do not forget about the rule of seasonality. In their season, vegetables and fruits are much cheaper than at other times of the year;
  • first courses are more useful and cheaper;
  • you need to make a menu and, accordingly, make the necessary purchases a week in advance;
  • do not exceed the required limit of required calories;
  • cereals, flour, sugar and other products are best purchased in bulk.

Saving on food will not only save the family budget, but will also make adjustments to your health. Do not litter your body with soda, crackers, burgers and other nonsense.

Optimizing your diet can save you money from 10 to 50%.

So, for example, by giving preference to homemade food, you will not only improve your culinary skills, but also put a large amount of saved money into your piggy bank. Do not even argue about the usefulness of self-cooked food. In addition, the same frozen semi-finished products in the form of dumplings and dumplings can be stuck at home and thrown into the freezer.

Fresh vegetables can also be exposed to high temperatures. By purchasing them in larger quantities during the season, you take care of future savings.

Freezeable tomatoes, pepper, carrot, greens. In the cold season, you can not only please yourself with summer gifts, but also benefit your body.

Since most people “eat up” most of their monthly income, cost optimization must begin with the cost of food.

Dedicating most of your life to the "holiday of the stomach" is not right. It is harmful and expensive, and besides, you can’t save on food.

Method number 7. Fight bad habits

You can talk about the dangers of tobacco products for hours. Hundreds of videos, books, booklets scare us with the irreversible consequences of smoking. However, not a single pack of cigarettes or an article about a bad habit describes the colossally high costs that it is fraught with.

Abandoning this given dependence is a tangible savings every month and even more annually. According to the most conservative estimates, quarterly save up to 6000 thousand rubles. Accordingly, for the year your family budget can increase by 24,000 rubles.

As for alcohol, the situation is somewhat different. Some people simply can not imagine a good rest without alcohol. At the same time, a person can receive a small salary and at the same time allocate funds daily for a bottle of beer.

If you give up this habit, there is a high probability of purchasing a laptop at the end of the year or starting your own mini business.

Method number 8. Optimization of payments on loans

Any loan involves a debt that sooner or later must be repaid.
As practice shows, many people who once took out a loan take this process later as a habit. But few people know that if you correctly approach the optimization of payments, you can significantly reduce the overpayment on the loan.

So, for example, a new loan is able to pay off the old one ahead of schedule. Accordingly, the amount of overpayments in this case will be less. However, before taking this step, it is necessary to calculate in detail the benefits of this operation.

IMPORTANT!
When applying for a loan, choose the longest term for its repayment, so that your monthly payment is minimal. Don't let the total amount of overpayments scare you.
Often, problems associated with the family budget arise due to the increased burden that the obligation to pay on the loan creates. It is much easier to give to the bank for a loan, for example, 2 000 rubles than 10 000 rub..

A reasonable decision, before taking a loan, would be a detailed study of the terms of loan repayment in different banks. Then analyze them and choose the most profitable ones. Don't be fooled by pretty ads.

If you still need financial help, then read our article: - quick ways to find money»

Method number 9. Dealing with money grabbers

The "Bermuda Triangle" for your finances is not only cigarettes and alcohol, but also seemingly harmless needs - unprofitable telephone and Internet tariffs.

Often for unknown reasons, perhaps in moments of weakness, we connect some additional service. As a result, we do not use it at all, we forget, but we pay for a long time, not paying attention to where the money goes.

Napoleon Hill - famous writer and journalist of the twentieth century believed that spending is always much easier than saving.

So be prepared for this before you learn how to save money.

The most significant absorbers of finance include:

  • alcohol and tobacco addiction (bad habits);
  • unjustified loans (expensive equipment, a car not according to social status);
  • useless mobile services and high Internet tariffs.

In general, every financial transaction should be considered.

Method number 10. Installing water and gas meters

Well, the last way not to become the owner of extra expenses is to install meters for gas and water. At the same time, one should not neglect the choice of a profitable company that will install the devices.

The absence of meters is fraught with a monthly overpayment. After all, then the tariffs are calculated based on the quadrature of the apartment or the number of residents registered in it. In general, you pay for water and gas, even in those months when you were away from home. For example, they were on vacation.

It is noteworthy that these investments in the purchase of meters can be recouped in just six months.

4. How to save money in the family - an approximate cost accounting table

How to save the family budget? Consider saving money on an example - a table

Here is an example table, thanks to which you can save your money by evaluating your expenses in three categories:

Category "1" - the most necessary (necessary) and important expenses of any person;
Category "2"- secondary expenses (expenses) that in any way improve the standard of living of a person;
Category "3"- bad habits and entertainment. These expenses most quickly lead to financial problems and negatively affect the physical and emotional state.

So, the table itself is how to save money correctly

Mandatory (periodically)
Category "1"
Secondary (one-time)
Category "2"
money eaters
Category "3"
Food, food, etc.Education (may be categorized as Category 1 in some cases)Cafes, restaurants, nightclubs
Utilities (water, gas, electricity)FurnitureExpensive and useless goodies for health
Transport (gasoline, payment of fares)Household and digital appliancesGambling (poker, betting, etc.)
Communication (Internet, home and cell phone)Brand items and accessoriesBad habits (alcohol, smoking)
clothingHobbies and hobbiesUnnecessary options of different devices and processes (individually)

5. Conclusion

It would be great if this article helped you learn how to properly optimize your expenses and income, and you could go all the way to reasonable savings. After all, this art will not only save a significant part of the family budget, but also transform it into a future more significant passive income.

It is necessary to optimize your own expenses in the following areas:

  1. Tariffs for the Internet and mobile communications. As already mentioned, we give preference only to profitable services, we exclude unnecessary ones.
  2. Expenses for public transport fares. It is necessary to buy a multi-use subscription to travel in the transport that you use the most. Single tickets will cost you much more.
  3. Motorists should save on gasoline and diesel fuel. It is much more profitable to refuel a car at gas stations of the same proven network than at different ones. Moreover, as a regular customer, you can get a discount or bonus card.
  4. The rent, which includes the payment of electricity, water, gas. Follow all the rules of economy: replace ordinary lamps with energy-saving ones, turn off non-working appliances from sockets, if you do not need them in operation, install meters.
  5. Optimization of food costs. Give preference to exclusively home cooking, buy only healthy food. Limit the number of trips to cafes, fast foods and restaurants.
  6. Entertainment and other leisure activities. Try to cope with momentary weaknesses, do not make purchases under emotional pressure. Skip the expensive brands. Adhere to the principle: clothes do not make a person. Remember that everyone in this life is trying to capitalize on your frivolity. Especially marketers and advertising companies.

Spend less time on television and be interested in truly valuable information.

earn on real estate from 20 thousand rubles in the next week

Incredible Facts

Building your financial future—whether it's your retirement, your family's future needs, or simply reaching your personal goals and getting the things you want—begins with saving money. Keeping your money safe is the best way to make sure you are financially secure, especially when it matters. And it's easy to learn.

Savings is not only buying goods with discounts. It also means saving money for a rainy day, that is, creating a reserve fund, so if something goes wrong, you can easily pay off all debts and not worry about it. Of course, this also means that your money will work for you.

As you find ways to reduce the costs of your daily life, you will develop habits that can change the way you look at your own life, your family, and the future. However, it all starts with basic principles and some potentially daunting concepts: budgeting, savings accounts, and creating new spending habits.

These are just a few words that are guaranteed to scare or make you feel guilty. But if you can step back and look back at your patterns of behavior, your dreams for the future, and the real results of your daily choices, you'll be surprised how painless and even fun it can be to save money.

10. Save on entertainment

Almost any information is now freely available online. And the magazines that you can find almost anywhere in your home that you threaten to read one day? You won't read them. So call and unsubscribe right now and get paid for the numbers not received.

And this endless collection of DVDs? They very often sit on your shelves, collecting dust, simply because you do not have time to look at them. What about your health club membership? If you don't have time to enjoy its benefits to the extent you want, you're wasting your money and feeling guilty. You can walk or run the streets, sunbathe with friends, or use the park equipment to exercise. You don't have to pay for a bunch of machines you don't use.

We all love to buy new clothes, eat very tasty food, go to resorts or watch our favorite rock performers from the front row. But these things are luxury items, so they should be purchased in moderation. You have the right to feel special and to be treated the same way. Just make sure it's really what you need and try to spend your money on experiences that will stay with you forever.

9. Save on car costs

The price of new cars drops by 25-40 percent two years after they hit the market. When you buy a car that's a year or two old, someone else is paying the same 40 percent by buying it the moment it leaves. This price change will also be reflected in the warranty and insurance.

As we all know, the best way to save on your monthly car expenses is to keep track of your mileage. But this shouldn't be your statistical nightmare. Just think: if you've averaged about 129,000 miles in five years, you could buy 2,000 gallons less gas just by buying a car that uses 6 liters instead of 11 liters per 100 kilometers.

Did you know that simply changing your air filter can increase your mileage by 7 percent? Or that a two-pound load for every square inch (14 kPa) of your tires reduces your mileage by 1 percent? Most cars have a 5-10 pound load per square inch of tires, as required by the manufacturer, so mileage is automatically increased by 5 percent.

All these little things are ways to save your money, so by maintaining the car in proper condition you will be confident in it for a very long period of time and will not soon think about buying a new vehicle.

8. Save on food

When it comes to food, we often pay for convenience, but a few simple changes in our lives would make it healthier and cheaper. Spending $6 a day on lunch equals $800 a year, doubled if your partner does the same. Taking your lunch out once or twice a week will not only be cheaper, but also healthier (and maybe even tastier!).

Water in plastic bottles is not only harmful to the environment, but also an unnecessary overpayment for what you can get for free. Just buy a water filter and some fun refillable bottles.

If you make your own coffee in the morning instead of stopping at one of the many cafes on your way to work, you can save a lot of money every week. Thus, planning for the week what you will eat is a solid strategy, following which you will be able to achieve serious results. Eating a snack before going to the store and going for exactly what you need will save you a lot of cash. The faster you make your purchases, the less money you will spend on unnecessary items.

7. Save on family expenses

Did you know that all the lesser-known companies that produce medicines or baby food, before entering the market, go through all the same stages of quality requirements as well-known brands? The only difference is that the brand name of the company requires a lot of expenses for its promotion, and therefore the marketing costs in this case are not small. Accordingly, all these costs are reflected in the final price for the consumer, and cheaper versions of products from less famous companies are no worse, since they include the same ingredients as their expensive counterparts.

If you were planning to quit smoking, then money in this case is a serious incentive. And the benefit is not only that you actually save money by not buying cigarettes: you will noticeably improve your health and be able to live longer. Breaking bad habits is a great way to save money and improve the quality of your life. Think about it: all these addictions and bad habits are just another way to quickly get rid of money without getting anything in return.

Get in the habit of comparing prices for long-term items such as life insurance, baby products, medicines, and financial planning. Companies that are trying to sell you something are unlikely to know what is good for you and your family.

6. Saving on household energy

Buy energy efficient household appliances, make sure your home is well insulated and energy efficient. Thus, you will significantly reduce your electricity bills.

Turning off your computer, TV, or coffee maker when you're not near these appliances will help you save enough energy throughout the year. The workstation you are currently using can easily be connected to a surge protector. If you are already connected, then at the end of work, be sure to turn everything off, as well as everything else that you do not use. Conserving power while your computer is running by setting "energy-saving" settings is another way to use less power.

Remember that spending is the opposite of saving. Although you may not see huge results immediately when you start saving energy, over time you will find that you have saved a significant amount of money.

5. Save on personal expenses

If your favorite TV shows will be available tomorrow on the Internet for free, then why pay for cable TV? If you still can't give up cable or satellite TV, then compare the prices of local TV providers' packages. You can pay less for Internet and TV by agreeing to a special phone package, even if you never use it.

Compare all the data plans offered by your mobile provider and get a realistic view of your habits and needs. It's good that you always have 600 minutes on your account, but do you really need that much? Do you really need unlimited text messages or could you get by with a certain amount? Try switching to a cheaper plan and see if it works for you.

When saving money, you may be overcome by twofold feelings, on the one hand it seems to you that you are sacrificing convenience and thrill. But on the other hand, you see how your money accumulates, and you can't help but rejoice.

4. Other tips for saving money

If you find yourself spending too much money online, remove your credit card number from your online account. Then the next time you want to make an impulse purchase, you will have a little more time to think about whether you really need it.

Set a monthly threshold for the purchases you want to make. Write down everything you want to buy, but don't buy it right away, but see if you also want to make this purchase in a month.

Get rid of your credit cards, because it is on the interest that you pay monthly to companies that they live. The credit card system works very simply: you buy something you can't afford. Raise money for what you really want, and you don't have to pay extra money just for the right to immediately own something. You will appreciate such things more, and you will have more money for the next purchase.

When it comes to gifts, we remember most of all the ones that made us feel the best. Intangible gifts and favors, whether it's evening babysitting, lawn care, or temporary accommodation with your loved one's pet, cost nothing but mean a lot because they show that you really think about their needs.

3. What now?

First of all, you must remember the reason why you are saving: to create a financial base, but not in order to "drain" the entire amount for the next big purchase, and not even just to cut your expenses. Develop strategies and habits that will ultimately help your money work for you.

The first essential part of any plan is your emergency fund. This is exactly the kind of money that you can always easily access in case of emergency. Most experts agree that the amount of the reserve fund should be equal to the amount of expenses for 3-6 months.

Once you manage to create an emergency fund, pay attention to paying off debt as the first step towards real savings. It's not as exciting as watching your savings account grow, but when you're debt-free, you feel great.

Saving means spending less than you earn, and this is the only way to achieve financial freedom. This means that you should look at your money in terms of hopes and dreams. Always look for the best ways to save money for you and your family.

2. Create your budget and stick to it

With the help of the online banking system, you will be able to more easily understand how much money you are spending, how much you can save or how much you can pay off debt. Don't think about what you should be doing, just focus on your daily life, not on the amounts you earn, but on the amounts you spend.

Setting sky-high goals can sometimes help achieve them in a very short period of time, but you're not just saving up for a new TV: you're trying to form completely new habits and make them a part of your life. They should be something you will always do, not just when you are optimistic. Any expert will tell you that first of all, you must learn to pay yourself.

When you think of saving as something to do with your leftover money, you will never learn how to save: because there is never any extra money! It is important to teach yourself that once you start saving, money can no longer be spent right and left. Saving is something you should be doing no matter what happens.

1. Let your money work for you

So, you have created a budget, now you will see how long it will take you to pay off all debts and have your reserve fund. You've set long-term shopping goals to stay motivated and made some retirement decisions. Moreover, if you managed to give up bad habits, then for sure you can save.

The whole point of having an emergency fund is that the money can be available at any time, but you are paying for instant access, so holding the money in such an account is unlikely to multiply it. However, there are many financial products in the world that are safer and less labor intensive than stock trading and will make your money work for you.

Certificates of deposit are not a bad way to get started. You determine the conditions, that is, how much time they need to "ripen" and give money. Then, upon return, you receive a larger amount than you originally invested and decide what to do with it next: reinvest, change the conditions, or simply take the money. The longer the maturation period, the higher the interest rate, since you agree not to withdraw money until a certain period or, if the conditions are not met, to pay severe penalties.

And it is best to create several certificates of deposit with different maturity periods, then you will not worry about the fact that you can be left without money for a long period of time.

Last update: 03-08-2019

The main card on which the money is stored, leave at home and do not use anywhere - this is for safety.

For the rest of the cards you expose restrictions on purchases based on your expenses and the limits that you previously determined for yourself. Now you can easily see and control all card expenses in the Internet bank.

By the way, cards accrue from 6% per annum on the balance, 1% cashback is valid for all purchases, 5% for 3 categories to choose from, up to 30% for promotions. This allows not only convenient tracking of expenses, but even more money saving in stores.

Accounting for family expenses and adjusting every week

Learned to control. Now we need to figure out the costs. To do this, you can use special programs, or make a regular table in EXCEL.

This allows you to see the full picture and understand where you have overspending and where there is a supply of money. You can't keep all the information in your head.

It is advisable to sum up and make adjustments at least once a week.

I have accumulated statistics for several years. Sometimes it's quite interesting to watch. You can always open a table for the whole year and track what and when expenses are expected in the family budget, prepare in advance.

5 essential tips for how to save money on groceries and food

Think about your diet

Reducing the consumption of meaty foods or sweets with tea can bring significant savings.

For example, at one time kept records of expenses in sufficient detail and after a couple of months found out that the cost of buns, cake for tea account for 30% of all food expenditures.

If a month spending on food is 9,000 rubles, then 3,000 rubles are spent on baking.

Control if everything is eaten

It happens that you want kefir in the store, but at home this desire disappears, and the purchased product can stand until the expiration date, and in a month such expired goods can accumulate in a good percentage of the total food costs.

– What to do in this case?

Everything is simple. Now is not the time when there were no products in stores. You can buy everything you need at almost any time of the day or night, and fresh. At least in cities.

So perishable products can be taken only when necessary, do not make stocks of them.

Packaged and sliced ​​foods can cost more or less

Compare prices for products in different packaging, primarily dried fruits, fruits and vegetables.

Big pack is not always cheaper- some cereals, flour, pasta in a large pack may cost more than two small packs of the same weight.

- Why is this happening?

Those who are engaged in sales have noticed that buyers are used to taking a large pack in order to save money, and they used it to their advantage.

Although sometimes the opposite is true.

A few examples:

  1. Packaged vegetables can be spoiled, it’s hard to see it in the package, and as a result, instead of saving, you can throw some of the products in the trash.
  2. Sliced ​​bread or washed potatoes can cost several times more than the same products, but without the extras. service".
  3. Such a product as frozen vegetables is quite common. Everything seems to be fine, but a couple of times I bought assorted in a bag, most of them turned out to be potatoes. It turned out that I bought 0.5 kg of potatoes 10 times more expensive.

In general, be careful. Such little things will save you an extra penny, or vice versa, spend a lot.

Take lunch to work - Why does the rule always work?

If you cook in advance at home and take it with you, you can save up to half of your food budget per month.

For example, a salad for 100 grams can cost as much as half a kilo of vegetables, a plate of mashed potatoes costs like 2 kg of potatoes, a plate of porridge, like half a pack of cereals, etc. Instead of one serving for the same money, you can cook from 2 to 4 servings, and the homemade food itself is usually tastier.

Another example. If you make salads, sandwiches, sushi, pizza yourself at home, then this is also cheaper. Ordering sushi in our city for two at least once a month costs 1,200 rubles, and for a year it will be about 12,000 rubles! If you do it yourself, then saving 50% will give an additional 6,000 rubles of saved money.

200 grams for the price of 10 kg. How do you like that?A trip to a cafe. On average, for two it comes out about 1500 -2000 rubles. Of which, ordering some grilled potatoes will cost 200-300 rubles, and these are 3 whole potatoes cut in half.

Buy products in bulk

Although this item is not so easy to implement, it can well save the family budget.

Buy in bulk the most popular products of your diet, and to make it easier to gain volume, do it with friends or relatives - for example, sugar, potatoes, juices, etc. (such products are stored for a long time and are bought in larger quantities, everyone eats them).

It is also better to buy products in the season when they are several times cheaper.

Now try adding up all the money saved from that category. How much do you get per month? And for a year?

10 ways to how to save money on grocery shopping

If you do not have a cashback card, then you are already losing money. , this card helps to save on average from 800 to 1500 rubles per month.

Go shopping with a shopping list - 100% guaranteed

Banal rule, but it works. I checked it many times on my own experience, and it takes much less time to spend.

They came, they saw, they bought.

For example the following situation, forgot to buy milk, returned the next day, but along with it, buy something else extra, and this is an additional cost.

Get bonus and discount cards and don't lose money

Most chain stores have long been offering their customers cards for which you can accumulate bonus points and then spend them on purchases in the same store. The percentage may not be very large, but if you take into account the constancy of purchases, then in the same year the amount can accumulate significantly.

Don't neglect. The same applies to discount cards.

A short pause eliminates the emotional component and ultimately allows you to make a better purchase. Which in turn saves money.

Look for something simpler in terms of functionality - it turns out cheaper and no worse

This advice applies to various techniques. A lot of people buy sophisticated electronics, but in the end they use only 3-4 functions out of 20 (phones, washing machines, computers and other electronics).

Example:

  • Many people buy fancy phones for several tens of thousands of rubles, but in the end they only call, write on WhatsApp and take photos. For this, some Chinese xiaomi phone is quite enough - the possibilities are the same, the quality is at the level, the price is lower.
  • Washing machine and dishwasher - from personal experience, they have a bunch of modes, but 3 are actually used.

Plan your shopping ahead of time

  1. In most stores, promotions and sales are held with a certain frequency, if you take your time and guess the moment, you can get a big discount.
  2. Sometimes it's better to wait for the holidays and big discounts, you can save 50% or more.
  3. The Tinkoff Black debit card has a 5% cashback for purchases in certain categories (read more about the card at the link).

Example from personal experience:

Save 50%- instead of 90,000 rubles, about 40,000 came out for annual training.

I decided to expand my horizons and go to study.

Before paying, did you check if Tinkoff Bank has any bonuses? I went into my personal account and saw that when paying for courses on the site using a card, you can still return about 10%, which I actually did.

On the official website at this link you can order a card. Checked - an excellent card, with a bunch of goodies (cashbacks, a good percentage of the balance, super service, access to useful services).

Rent of things, tools

Things that are needed only once every few years are best rented for money or from friends.

For example, a power tool (hammer drill, drill) is sometimes needed for one day, sometimes it is easier to take it from friends or relatives. Decide to buy, then get ready to shell out a few thousand, or even more, if you need a quality tool that will last a year, and not throw it away after two inclusions.

Say no to new products and brands

As a rule, they are more expensive, wait a while and you can buy cheaper. Before buying, consider why you need a thing.

For example, if you need a camera for a hobby, then you should not take the most expensive and best, as a rule, you can get by with a simpler one, the difference will not be noticeable.

Many Chinese products are as good as more expensive brands. and several times cheaper. Again, as an example, Xiaomi smartphones (Hayomi) in terms of their parameters are a very worthy alternative at a price of only about 10 thousand rubles.

Defective product is not always bad

Even a small scratch in an inconspicuous place can reduce the price of goods by 2 times. There is nothing shameful in this. It's stupid to spend a lot of money if you can save.

Example: when my wife and I were looking for a bathtub, we saw a cast-iron one with a very small scratch in an inconspicuous place, and the price of this bathtub was 50% lower. Bought and saved 5000 rubles- not bad.

Joint shopping is a good alternative to shopping, but not always

Now sites of joint purchases have become popular. This is when people collect orders for a wholesale batch together and receive a discount. You can find many items for much cheaper.

  • I bought sockets in an apartment, so they cost almost 100 rubles cheaper than in stores and this is a piece, and you need at least 10 of them in an apartment. Savings of 1000 rubles.

But here you also have to be careful. and do not buy in unverified places, compare prices for goods, do not buy goods that may not fit in size.

  • For example, found chocolate on sale at joint purchases, the same brand in stores cost 20 rubles cheaper and this does not include payment for transport costs, storage and the need to go to the place of issue.
  • Or another example, found a nozzle for mixing building mixtures, it seems to be cheaper by 100 rubles, but after calculations it became clear that, taking into account the waiting time for the order, payment of transport costs and storage costs, such a purchase is not profitable.

8 ways to how to save money on fares

Compare service rates from time to time

Telephone, Internet can be much cheaper, you only need to periodically check the tariffs and their changes, as well as look for additional bonuses.

For example, summing up the cost of the phone, I came to the conclusion that the usual tariff with a monthly fee per month is suitable for me, as a nice bonus - cheap internet. Costs have remained the same, but opportunities have grown.

Refuse unnecessary services

For example, it's cheaper for me to call once a month on a cellular intercity than to have a home phone, the Internet makes these calls even cheaper.

Another example, started a second SIM card, after a while I noticed that the money on it disappeared. I began to look carefully at the tariffs, it turned out that some options were paid or became, and they began to charge me a subscription fee. It seems to be some 50 rubles a month, but if you eliminate such leaks in all areas of your life, you can save a good percentage.

Look for options to reduce commissions

Periodically I pay for a number of services on the Internet, I pay a commission for transferring money. After comparing different payment methods, I found a more profitable one. Thus, it was possible to reduce costs for this category by approximately 2 times.

Again, the amount itself may seem insignificant, what is a few hundred rubles, but in total, a more significant figure accumulates in different areas of our life due to such commissions.

Paying up front can save you up to 50%

If you pay in advance for several months or a year, then sometimes they give bonuses in the form of% of the payment amount back to the account or good discounts.

For example, Let's take the LinguaLeo service for learning English. For 3 months the price is 690 rubles (for a year it is 2760 rubles), and if you pay immediately for the year, the price is 1690 rubles. As a result, the savings are 1070 rubles, or almost 40%.

Ask for discounts to save money

I've heard it this way many times: buy or order a service, then be sure to ask about the discount. Do it anytime, anywhere. If they refuse you, no big deal.

Sometimes, in just a couple of minutes, you can receive in the form of a discount the amount that you earn in a few hours or days. I think it's worth it.

Also look for places that give out discounts. For example, coupon site. On them you can find interesting offers cheaper by 2 times than if you come to the same store just like that.

Don't save!

This advice may not seem logical given all of the above, but sometimes the best savings is to pay more.

Example, I was looking for sneakers for training, I found rubles for 300, as a result, after the first lesson, they began to crumble. I had to buy others for 700 rubles, and for 300 throw it away.

Another shoe example, bought Ricker brand winter boots, they cost more than regular percent 50, but in the end I wore them for 5 years.

An example from the field of health. He treated his teeth for free under compulsory health insurance (4,600 rubles for two teeth), after half a year I had to redo it, but already in a paid clinic and it cost about 30,000 rubles.

3 rules to how to save money on vacation while traveling

Plan your entire vacation in advance

If you book trips in advance, buy tickets, etc., then a vacation with a trip can be much cheaper.

For example, with his wife bought a tour to Thailand, a week later the same tour cost 10 thousand more, and if they bought 2 months earlier, then could fly 15-20 thousand cheaper. Here is the arithmetic.

Find as much information as possible - this is important!

If the main activities are concentrated in one place, and you settle in the distance, this will inevitably lead to unnecessary travel expenses. Abroad, this can be a significant item of expenditure.

Make up all the places you would like to visit and find a hotel that would be within walking distance of the maximum number of these same places. Give priority to those entertainments that you will attend repeatedly. Build a route.

Also make a list of places where you will eat., this is especially true for Asian countries, because. local food may not be to everyone's taste. We ate once or twice, and then you will look for something more familiar, this is an extra waste. It’s easier to find recommendations online in advance where you can eat.

Entertainment guides from tour companies can cost significantly more, it may be easier to find places where they sell tickets. The more information you collect in advance the more money you save during your vacation.

Vacationing in Vietnam, where one of the local travel agencies handed out maps of the city for free. On these maps, attractions and coupons with discounts of 5-10% in various establishments were indicated.

On the spot, never rush to buy anything, spend money somewhere. The first day, ideally, it is better to just walk around and see where, what and how much it costs.

Don't buy large portions of foods you don't know. In Asian countries, this is fraught with the fact that you don’t eat, but pay good money.

With things the same thing, on busy streets, prices will always be higher than somewhere else. As a rule, the prices are significantly inflated, so always try to bargain. They refuse - it doesn’t matter, but if they throw it off, it will save you some money.

These rules will significantly save money while traveling. Add your options in the comments.

The problem of saving money is faced by every second person, and sometimes it is saving that determines the standard of living and development for each individual person. “How to learn to save money and save money with a small salary?” - the answer to this question will be given in the article, but for now it’s worth considering whether I’m using my earned funds correctly, or perhaps it’s worth reviewing some of the expense items that we are so used to.

How to learn how to save money and save a family budget? We will tell you how to save on food and electricity + examples.

In this article, we tried to answer the following important questions:

  • How to learn how to save money and save it today?
  • How to save money on food without harming your health?
  • How to save money with a small salary and what can you earn without investing?

Competent saving money in the family: is it really possible to earn and save money on this?

The most important thing to remember is that saving money does not mean a decrease in the standard of living, it’s just that it’s quite rational to use the money earned, this is especially true if the salary is not so big. It may be that spending money wisely will not only save you the extra money you need, but also get rid of certain unhealthy foods that have a noticeable impact on your quality of life.

After all, how does it usually happen? At first, people spend a small amount on things they don’t need, but due to the frequency of such expenses, over time, the amount increases many times, and thus hits the budget very hard. Saving money and smart spending money It is an art that everyone should master.

It is not for nothing that the strongest of this world and simply rich people teach that in order to become wealthy, every penny invested must work. And if you don’t think about it, then in a matter of time you can blow a fortune, no matter how much money you have initially. Therefore, in this article we will talk about how to learn how to spend correctly, what you can save on and what expenses should be abandoned without compromising your usual lifestyle.

It is also important to note here how important it is to have a specific goal or really want something: moreover, it must be remembered that the goal here is considered more global than the banal "I want a new phone" or "it's time to update my wardrobe." More global goals should be understood as the availability of funds for study (education), the desire to have their own, separate housing (this can be funds set aside or a regular mortgage), or capital investment to start their own business. Then, in each individual case, the person will subconsciously work with the setting “I’d rather save this money than spend it here now on an unnecessary, by and large, thing.”

In this case, when there is a specific goal, the most important thing is to understand where to start saving, then show a little patience, and finally, at the last stage, saving will simply become a habit. And when reasonable spending becomes a habit, life will become easier - it will be possible to give up everything unnecessary without any problems and choose only those products, goods and services that can actually be useful in the household, at home and in life.

By stages

In order to spend money wisely, it is necessary to do this in several stages, since right away, at one moment, it will be quite difficult to abandon the usual way of life and move on to saving.

So, to start the process of optimizing your expenses, you need to do the following:

  1. All expenses incurred by a person must be divided into 2 main categories: mandatory and optional. Mandatory expenses, as a rule, include utility bills, payments for cellular communications and the Internet, expenses for kindergarten / school, as well as various, all kinds of taxes and contributions. Mandatory expenses are obviously more difficult to adjust than optional ones, but this can also be done, the main thing is the desire. Optional expenses include such as clothing, food (extra), entertainment, spontaneous spending, etc. But more on that later.
  2. Once all costs have been broken down into mandatory and non-mandatory, costs such as utilities and communications will need to be addressed and possibly re-evaluated if possible. In general, you can reconsider your expenses that go to cellular communications, the Internet and electricity, because yes, you can save on this too - the main thing is to know how.
  3. After that comes the transition to saving on food. In general, speaking abstractly, food is one of the main items of expenditure, which, with a condoning attitude and thoughtlessness, can take about 40-60% of earnings.
  4. After optimizing food costs, it's time to turn to savings and start saving. Even if there is no specific goal yet, it will be possible to save 10-20% of income, which at any convenient time can be put into circulation or invested in an interesting, profitable business. Even if you leave about 5-10% of each salary, after 8-10 months you will notice how large the amount has been collected.
  5. And finally, counting. The saved amount can be spent on something more important and necessary, which, in the end, will bring more moral satisfaction compared to an unnecessary purchase.

Summing up all of the above, we can say that in fact, getting rid of unnecessary expenses is very simple, the main thing is to understand and accept the fact that saving does not make you sit on bread and water, it just allows you to redistribute finances to something more useful.

How to save on food (calculation and real examples).

Food is one of the most "insidious" items of expenditure, because under the guise of the necessary minimum, a person often gains so much extra food that, perhaps, it will be possible to feed 2 more families. Of course, some of these products are simply not eaten and thrown into the trash, however, one has only to calculate how much money is spent on this every month, so the hair stands on end. To prevent this from happening, it is better to listen to simple, but very effective tips that will help you save extra money on food.

  • Council number 1. Shopping lists and price comparisons.

The ideal savings scenario looks like this: a person makes up his diet for a week, thinks over what products he will need, checks how much of the list he has at home, and goes to the store for the rest. Of course, this happens extremely rarely, but still, it’s a great idea to think over your nutrition plan in advance. If there is no clear answer, you can simply decide what plan these dishes will be: soup today and tomorrow, a side dish with vegetables the day after tomorrow, a meat dish in 4 days, and on Friday there will be a fasting day. This example is just an example, but the idea seems to be clear. Those products that are missing should be listed and followed during shopping trips.

Now the era of information technology reigns in the yard, therefore, it is good that access to unlimited information resources of the Internet is truly unlimited. Thanks to this, in a matter of minutes you can find and install special applications on your mobile that help you make a shopping list. Such applications include: "Buy a loaf", "My economy" and many others.

The same goes for price comparisons. Every major supermarket chain now releases special electronic catalogs every 2 weeks (or even more often), which contains current promotions and discounts for various product groups. For comparison, you can download a couple of such catalogs and from time to time, compare prices for similar products in two or three different stores - incredible, but sometimes the difference is significant.

  • Council number 2. Avoid impulse purchases

Spontaneous, or otherwise they are called, impulse purchases are purchases that were not on the original list, but in the supermarket they suddenly began to seem vital. It happens, of course, that a person simply forgot to put some thing on the list, and when they came to the store, they saw and remembered it, but in 90% of cases this is not the case.

Impulse purchases can also include those products that suddenly have a discount, but which are completely unnecessary. For example, “Daikon today costs 10 rubles cheaper than yesterday, I’ll take it!” or “Oh look, just today you can buy 2 extension pilots for the price of one.” In most cases, having bought this thing and brought it home, a person suddenly begins to realize that he made a mistake and threw money away, but, unfortunately, the realization comes too late. Therefore, if you really want to buy something, you need to mentally ask yourself several times “Do I really need this? Where will I use it? and if within a few minutes, an unambiguous answer does not come to mind, then most likely it will be possible to do without this product.

Also, when shopping in a supermarket, you need to go through only those departments that are needed, and if you walk around the supermarket with nothing to do, the risk of making a large number of spontaneous, and in fact, unnecessary purchases, increases significantly.

  • Council number 3. discount cards

Now almost every store or supermarket has special discount cards that anyone can purchase. Often, for the issuance of this card you need to pay or make purchases for a certain amount, but you need to remember that this is a one-time expense. But it will be possible to use this card for a very, very long time, and this is another way to save money correctly.

In stores you can find price tags, indicating the full cost, as well as with the price, especially on a discount card. If the difference between prices for one product is not too big, then in the end, looking at the receipt, where 25-35 products are listed, the amount of the discount can be very impressive (sometimes the discount is 1500-3000 rubles).

By the way, now 2 types of cards are issued: discount and savings so you can choose either one. Discount cards usually provide a fixed discount on each product (or on a certain category), while a savings card does not give discounts, but instead credits a certain percentage on each purchase, which can be spent in the same way as regular money.

  • Council number 4. Look down

How to learn saving? – The answer is simple and often lies on the surface. One very good rule of thumb for merchandisers is that the most expensive items on the shelves should be placed at eye level. This is due to the fact that a person sees them in the first place, which means that a person remembers them faster. Often products of the same quality, but at a lower price, are located lower, so it is worth exploring the assortment that is presented on the lower or higher racks - perhaps you can find even more interesting things there.

  • Council number 5. Wholesale purchases and fairs

No one says to buy 20 kg of tomatoes and 10 kg of lemons at once - this is useless. However, there are certain categories of products that can be stored for a very long time and still not deteriorate at all. Such products include sugar, flour, cereals, salt, pasta, canned food, etc. And this means that such products can be purchased for future use, since nothing will happen to them.

This also includes the useful opportunity to periodically visit various agricultural fairs and purchase products there. Most often, fairs are held by farms and wholesale suppliers, which means that in addition to low prices, at such fairs it will be possible to purchase first-fresh products that were just picked from the garden.

Important! If you are planning a large purchase, you should always go to stores full. Scientists have proven that the brain of a hungry person works differently, as a person subconsciously thinks that it is suitable for a snack. Therefore, in this state it is very difficult to think and reason objectively.

Money Saving Experiment + real report and video

How to save money correctly? For example, save on groceries. Not so long ago, Alena, a resident of Tomsk, decided to conduct an experiment and try to spend 5,000 rubles a month on groceries. It wasn't easy, but she did it. In a nutshell, the basic principles of economy that Alena followed look like this:

  • Prepare food at home.

Refusal to visit catering establishments can save a lot of money, since the cost of renting the premises and the wages of the cook and waiters are included in the price of the cafe. But if a person cooks at home, then he can be his own chef and waiter, and you won’t have to pay rent. One lunch at home consisting of mashed potatoes, chicken fillet and pie will cost 65-75 rubles, but in a cafe you will have to pay 275-300 rubles for the same.

Breakfast, consisting of an omelet with cheese and two sandwiches, will cost 55 rubles at home, and 250 rubles in the most uncomplicated cafe.

Dinner, consisting of a salad and a glass of yogurt, at home will cost 30-35 rubles, and the cafe will cost the same 300 rubles.

Consequently, the amount spent on food per day is only 155 rubles, while in a cafe it will already be 825 rubles.

Calculating how much money is spent on cooking food with your own hands, you can be very surprised, because it turns out that a person will spend only 3,100 rubles on home-cooked meals (155 rubles multiplied by the number of days, that is, by 20).

  • Plan your menu in advance.

To avoid unnecessary expenses and know how to learn how to save money and save money with a small salary, Alena advises to plan the menu in advance, and you also need to do this wisely. For example, you need to cook from the products that are left in the refrigerator, and not go shopping every day.

So, if today there were cutlets for lunch, then tomorrow you can make soup with meatballs or meatballs from the leftover minced meat. Or if, for example, vegetables are left after the salad, then the next day you can cook stew. But in order not to spend too much in the store, you should always go with a list and, if possible, try not to deviate from it.

  • Choose cheaper stores

The cheapest vegetables and fruits can be found at vegetable bases. But, unfortunately, millet can’t get there that way - you also need to be a reseller or wholesale buyer. And there, the well-known chain comes into play: the more intermediaries there are, the more expensive the product will cost for the end consumer.

So, convenience stores, markets in the city center or "exclusively farm products" will cost an order of magnitude more expensive than the usual Auchan or Pyaterochka. It is better to spend an extra 15 minutes rummaging through the basket of onions in Auchan, but at the same time save twice on onions. Onions are given here just as an example: in fact, this applies to any category of products.

  • Buy seasonal and local produce

You can learn how to save and save with a small salary, for this you should pay attention to seasonal products. The most common vegetables and fruits are often considered “simple” food, as they are grown in Russia and are much cheaper than imported counterparts. If your goal is to save money, you don’t need to buy perfect-looking Chinese apples or Norwegian spinach.

It is better to buy local products, which will be more affordable and have fewer preservatives, even if the apple is not very beautiful in appearance. The same applies to cheeses, sausages, dairy products - all this is enough in Russia, so before chasing fashionable novelties, it is better to think a few times.

For example, local apples cost 45 rubles per kilogram, while Chinese imported apples cost 128 rubles per kilogram. That is, for 1 kilogram of Chinese apples, you can buy almost 3 kilograms of Russian ones - that's savings in its purest form.

In addition to apples, you can save on imported cheeses, chocolate, seafood, and so on - the difference will be noticeable in a couple of weeks.

By buying local food, you can also save up to 4-5 thousand per month. So, if you periodically buy domestic vegetables, fruits and dairy products, it will take another 1800 - 2000 per month.

Adding 3100 spent on homemade food and 1800 on fruits and vegetables, you get an amount of 4900 rubles per month. These were the main tips on how to save money from Alena, who nevertheless managed to achieve what she wanted and spent 4,900 rubles on groceries per month.

Of course, the calculations are approximate, and everyone has different needs and appetites, but the general concept is clear. Agree, impressive?

How to start saving money with a small salary? Practice-tested tips.

How to learn how to save money and save money with a small salary (income) - TOP-10 expert reviews

No. 1. Avoid cigarettes and alcohol

Whatever you say, bad habits are bad. Moreover, in addition to harm, they can cause other problems - “take away” the last money. The thing is that spending on this kind of entertainment like alcohol, cigarettes, fast food can be very, very decent. If you refuse such dubious pleasures, you can not only improve your health, but also save money.

For example, a can of beer costs 50 rubles, a pack of cigarettes costs 100 rubles, and a hamburger at McDonald's costs 250 rubles. Even if you buy all this 3 times a week, then it will already take 1200 rubles. And in a month it turns out 5000-6000 thousand, after all, it turns out a big amount, isn't it? Almost a monthly budget of some families.

No. 2. Live within your family's means and budget

Living within your means is perhaps one of the most important and useful tips that can be given to a modern person who wants to learn how to save money (salary). Unjustified expenses can significantly hit your pocket, and at the most inopportune moment. You should not jump above your head and try to live differently than you are used to, just to prove something to someone. It is better to save money and spend it on self-education or acquiring useful skills, rather than on unnecessary show-offs.

By refusing to dine in expensive restaurants and buy clothes in boutiques, you can save up to 10,000 rubles a month.

Number 3. Do not make loans and borrowings

Ah, that sweet word "credit". No matter how many beautiful tales banks, trust funds and trusts tell, they have the same essence. Of course, any loan must be treated rationally and understood that this is not a gratuitous gift, but a millet amount of money that the bank provided for a while, and which then must be repaid with interest.

In general, if there is such an opportunity, it is better not to seek help from banks, but to save money on your own (or).

For example, a refrigerator on credit, with a rate of 19% per annum, will cost 50,000 rubles, which is approximately 3,000 per month and 14,000 down payment. At the same time, the same refrigerator, but without a loan, will cost 35,000 rubles. This means that with only one refrigerator, a person will overpay 15 thousand rubles, then what about larger and more frequent purchases on credit.

No. 4. Do not buy expensive gadgets and equipment

If you sit down and figure it out, you can come to such an interesting conclusion. In most cases, there is absolutely no serious need to constantly buy the most expensive home appliances and other appliances and gadgets. There are many budget manufacturers that offer a product that is similar in functionality, but for much less money.

For example, a gas stove from the German manufacturer Kaiser HGG 62521KB will cost 52,000 rubles, while the Belarusian Gefest 6100-04 costs only 19,500 rubles. The functionality of both plates is absolutely identical, just in the first case, a person overpays for the brand.

No. 5. Pick up good quality used items

There is nothing wrong with stocking up on used items from time to time. For example, in Europe and America, it is a very common occurrence when a person goes to a good second-hand store and buys there an item of excellent quality at a bargain price. The same applies to clothes that someone offers with their hands, that is, for nothing.

No one says that you need to wear worn clothes all your life, but in difficult times, when there is a lack of finances, this can be a great help and help out in difficult moments.

No. 6. Do not buy expensive and unnecessary products and things

The advice “not to buy expensive and unnecessary things” does not mean at all that you need to walk around in tatters. Simply - simply, a reasonable and thoughtful economy comes into play here. Unnecessary things, as mentioned above, are most often spontaneous purchases, which means that, in fact, in 90% of cases, they do not carry any benefit. If you need to save money or simply cut costs, it is enough to refuse to buy interior design elements, the 14th dress or the second of the same shoes, supposedly “in reserve”. At first, such expenses may seem insignificant, but if you carefully sit down and calculate, you will get a very impressive amount. To learn how to save money and save money with a small salary, you need to follow all these simple, but very effective rules.

No. 7. Cooking and taking food to work

This advice is definitely the leader among those related to nutrition. Cooking at home is better for many reasons: such food will be tastier and healthier, and besides, it will save you big expenses.

For example, the cost of a full-fledged homemade lunch from ordinary products rarely exceeds 200 rubles, but the same full-fledged lunch in a restaurant or in the most unpretentious cafe will cost all 700-900 rubles.

That is why it is better to cook at home in advance, and then just lay out the containers and take the prepared dinner to work in the morning. An excellent option - whatever one may say!

No. 8. Save money on heating your house and apartment

Below will be described in more detail how to save on saving electricity, but for now you only need to go through heating issues.

The first and most useful advice is to purchase individual automated heating boilers. Their advantage is that they will spend exactly as much energy as needed to constantly maintain the right amount of heat in the room, no more. Moreover, many boilers have built-in thermostats, which greatly facilitates the work, as it allows you to spend much less heat than with conventional central heating.

In addition, in the off-season or warm weather, such a boiler can always be turned off, thereby reducing energy consumption, and conventional heaters and other energy carriers cannot simply be forced to reduce energy consumption.

No. 9. Use of corporate telephone communication from the employer

You can use corporate telephony mainly only in cases where it is implied in principle. There are some companies that provide an employee's workplace with a separate phone connected to the corporate network. If the work itself involves communication with numerous clients, and the employee has an unlimited package connected, then this opportunity can also be used for personal purposes.

This approach will not save a lot of money, but it will allow you to save at least some item of expenditure, especially if at this particular moment in time every penny counts.

No. 10. Prioritization of purchases and payments

There are many anecdotes and jokes about how a person who has just received a salary behaves (sybaritizes) and how the same person behaves one day before the salary (suffers). This, of course, is all very exaggerated, but it is certain that there is a rational grain in this.

Before you start spending money, you should always carefully consider the need for each purchase and prioritize them. So, for example, utility bills will be the very first, because you want it or not, but you need to pay bills, and it’s better to do it right away than at the end of the month, when all the money has already been spent.

Further, having dealt with mandatory payments, you will need to think about what to buy in the second place. If this is a thing, then you should look for where it is cheaper, the second thing should be left for the next month. After all, if you look, there is no need to completely update the wardrobe this very minute.

All this only clearly explains why the list of expenses should first include mandatory payments, then those that you can think about, and finally those that, by and large, you can do without. This is the only way to save a decent amount of money and not remain in debt.

How to save money in the family: a table of family budget expenses

Basic rules for saving money in the family

In order to start saving money, you must first present all your expenses in the form of a table. This will help to visually see where the bulk of the salary goes, and also, if necessary, get rid of unnecessary and unnecessary expenses.

For example, a table will be compiled in which all expenses are grouped into three main columns: primary expenses, secondary expenses, and those that can be dispensed with. Moreover, the last column can be easily abandoned without any damage to the usual way of life.

No. p / p

Essential expenses (immediate payments)

Secondary expenses (can wait)

Expenses you can do without

Payment of utilities (gas, electricity, cold and hot water, heating)

Purchase of furniture and interior design

Cafes and restaurants

Payment of expenses on loans (mortgage, car loan and other loans)

Purchase of small and large household appliances

Food

Fashion clothes and shoes

Gambling (online poker, sweepstakes)

Internet and telephone connection

Courses, trainings

Alcohol and cigarettes (sometimes fast food and other junk food)

Travel, including petrol costs

Visiting beauty salons (manicure, pedicure, hairdresser services)

Connecting additional services on the phone, installing paid applications on tablets and smartphones

Housing rental (if the apartment is not owned)

Hobby expenses (women's and men's hobbies)

Spontaneous and impulse purchases with no value

How to save electricity in a private house or apartment - energy saving tricks

We will try to give elementary rules that will help not to waste money, but to save it economically.

To get started, look at the basic tips on the poster ( image is clickable).

A real example of how to save on electricity in a house or apartment.

Rule number 1. Installation of electricity meters + recalculation of receipts

Electricity meters are useful and indispensable devices that allow you to take into account and, therefore, pay only for the amount of energy that has been spent. Therefore, if a person does not have a meter at home, and he pays the tariff for each registered person, but at the same time he himself is rarely at home, at the end of the month receipts come for such amounts that, in fact, the person did not use.

That is why the best solution would be to install electricity meters at home and after a couple of months, the difference in spending will be noticeable.

Rule number 2. Using Energy Saving Devices

Energy-saving devices include various adapters, special models of small and large household appliances, as well as energy-saving light bulbs. Before appearing on the shelves, all these products have undergone many tests, as a result of which their effectiveness has been proven.

Rule number 3. Turning off electrical appliances in the apartment and house

For example, multiple chargers that remain in sockets consume electricity even though nothing is charging at that particular moment. A computer, TV, laptop, tablets and phones, a lamp and many other electrical appliances will save money if you unplug them from the network when they are not needed. And in addition to saving energy, it is also a common fire safety.

Rule number 4. Proper use of washing machine and refrigerator

What is the correct use of the washing machine and refrigerator? First of all, this is a strict observance of the instructions that are indicated in each passport or user manual.

For example, if the washing machine is designed for 5 kg, then you need to load 4.5-5 kg ​​of laundry into it, but not more than 5. An excess of things leads to an increase in electricity costs by 10-15%.

The same goes for refrigerators: don't store too much food in there, overload the freezer, put food in the refrigerator that hasn't cooled down, or defrost the refrigerator at too high temperatures. All this leads only to an overspending of energy, which, in turn, negatively affects income.

Rule number 5. Switching from electrical to gas appliances: heating boilers, stoves, underfloor heating

Gas has always been cheaper than electricity, especially in Russia, where there is a lot of gas. Therefore, if you need to “find” another opportunity to save money, replacing electrical appliances with gas ones will be a great solution.

Instead of electric heaters that consume a huge amount of kilowatts, it is better to install one gas heating boiler and then pay only for the gas used, that is, for the actual use. This also includes the technology of underfloor heating and the replacement of electric stoves and hobs with conventional gas stoves.

How to save money correctly and make money on it: TOP-3 ways

Method number 1: Put money in the bank at interest

One of the main functions of the bank, as you know, is the preservation and increase of funds. That is why the bank is the most suitable place to.

Fortunately, now everyone can choose a bank, choose a deposit (ruble or foreign currency), familiarize themselves with the conditions and just start making money.

For example, a deposit with an interest rate of 12% per annum will allow turning 1 million rubles at the beginning of the year into 1.12 million at the end. It's great, isn't it?

Method number 2: Get cashback when shopping in stores

Now a lot of outlets have a cashback system, that is, the return of part of the funds, if translated literally. What does this mean? For example, Tinkoff Bank cards return to their customers up to 6% per annum on the balance of funds at the end of the billing period. But, if you think about it, you don’t need to do anything for this, it remains only, as always, to simply use your card, and at the end of the year also get money into your account.

If you search, you can find many more different services where the cashback system operates - the main thing is to spend a little time, and you're done!

Participation in promotions and sales

Shops and supermarkets regularly arrange various sales, the purpose of which is to increase customer loyalty to the brand. That's why there is nothing wrong with taking part in interesting promotions and sales - it's even good.

In addition, now you can find many different mobile applications that have collected dozens of interesting offers from various providers. Users don't have to do anything else but choose the app they like and start using it.

Conclusion + Video

In conclusion, I would like to say that everyone can learn how to save money correctly. The main thing is that there is a desire. The most important rule of successful saving is to change your attitude to the process of saving in principle. Do not constantly feel sorry for yourself, feel deprived, or treat saving as something shameful.

It's just that savings should be perceived as a useful impetus to change one's habits, and in this case, bad habits of spending are changed to useful ones - saving. And when saving and a reasonable attitude to finances become a habit, life will become much easier!

In the meantime, a video about how to save money!

Learning to accumulate money correctly is important for everyone, even those who receive a small salary. In order not to borrow until payday and be rich, you must follow simple rules.

Most people in Russia today are financially illiterate. This is constantly used by banks, credit firms, sellers, scammers and many more. Even people who, it would seem, receive decent salaries, fall into credit bondage, forever sitting without money. What can we say about those who have small paychecks - poor students, pensioners, young mothers ...

To break the vicious circle of lack of money, it is important in everyday life to use simple rules for managing finances, which will help to accumulate money.

Savings will protect you from emergencies. Plus, if you save money, you won't have to turn down unexpected exciting opportunities in life.

The basic rule of wealth is very succinct: "Spend less than you earn." Only four words. It would seem, what could be easier? But for some reason, for many, the opposite happens all the time.

How to save money even with a small salary

We will analyze what methods will help to implement the main rule of a rich person and start really saving money.

1. Keep track of your budget

If you are going to save money, it is important to start keeping a family budget. Don't mindlessly spend money on shopping and paying bills, but keep a record of all expenses for a month.

Thus, you can understand how much money was spent in vain, and what you can save on next month without much harm to the family.

In addition, in a couple of months you will know exactly how much money you and your family need for a normal existence, and how much you can save in a piggy bank.

2. Live on the same amount

If you have already calculated how much money your family needs on average per month for a normal life, then you need to fix this amount. It's no secret that we have easy money from time to time. Someone is given a bonus, others have additional earnings, or maybe you have finally managed to move up the career ladder, and the salary has increased slightly.

Rest assured that as income increases, expenses will tend to rise. Does that mean you can't save money again?

You need to set for yourself a fixed amount of money that you will spend on life every month, even if easy money appears. It is better to immediately put aside additional income, leaving only the necessary fixed amount for life.

3. Save 20 percent of your income

If it is difficult to determine the fixed amount necessary for a normal family life, then you can use a simpler way to save money. Immediately after receiving any income (including easy money), put aside 20 percent of the funds received in a piggy bank. And it is important to do this not at the end of the month, but at that hour! If you postpone this important matter until later, then be sure that the money that you planned to save will most likely have already been spent.

How to learn to save money to save?

Understand a simple thought: everyone is trying to make money on you. Even when you yourself earn money in the service, your employer profits from your work. In modern life, you are constantly hunted by those who want to take your money. Thousands of marketers come up with clever schemes to take your money in such a way that you are also happy when you part with your hard-earned money.

To avoid this, you should try to follow the following principles.

4. Simplify your financial life

The more complex your financial life, the more time and effort it takes. Along with this, the chance of getting confused and making a financial mistake increases.

The more loans and credit cards, the greater the chance of not noticing the loss of funds or missing the next payment.

Pay attention to the services of your mobile operator. Do you need all the connected paid features? If not, disable the extra ones.

Understand utility bills. Calculate the feasibility and amount of savings when switching from average tariffs to metering water, gas and electricity. Buy energy-saving light bulbs. They really lower your electricity bills.

See what other recurring “planned” expenses you can cut.

It is useful to do such general cleaning every few months.

5. Get rid of the highest interest loans

Try to refinance loans in other banks at a lower percentage.

Use an effective way to get rid of loans. Select the loan that has the highest interest rate, and start paying off this debt twice as fast, that is, in double payments. Do this until the debt is paid off. Then add the entire amount of money released, which was spent on repayment, to the payment of the second debt, until that one is also paid off. And so on until the liquidation of all debts.

6. Go shopping with a shopping list

A shopping list prepared in advance with which you need to go shopping will help you avoid spontaneous spending. The point of shopping lists is not only to remember to buy something, but also not to buy too much.

The easiest way is to make it on a regular paper sheet. For these purposes, you can adapt the “reminders” built into gadgets and, in general, any application where you can make a simple list.

However, it should be noted that today fewer buyers use this way of saving. Another method is coming into fashion...

7. Buy products with discounts and promotions

Each of us roughly knows what goods he uses in everyday life all the time. With a certain frequency, each family buys detergents for the kitchen and laundry, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper ... But you never know what else! These products do not deteriorate and will definitely be needed. Today you can buy them at a discount on promotions, saving decent money on this.

This type of consumer behavior in our country. People who are always on the lookout for promotions and discounts on items they purchase regularly are called Cherry Pickers. This word comes from English cherry picking, literally "picking cherries".

8. Stop using a bank card

Using a credit and even a debit bank card makes it difficult to save money. If you have a habit of paying in stores with a bank card, and not with money, then try switching to cash.

When we pay with a card, we do not realize the value of the money we give for goods - we entered the pin code and that's it. And now there are bank cards that do not even need to be inserted into the terminal. Paying is becoming easier, and, accordingly, saving and saving is becoming more and more difficult. In addition, there may be more money on the card than you would take to the store for purchases. There is a high probability of spending more than planned.

When you go to the store with cash, do not put more money in your wallet than you need for the purchases you planned earlier.

9. Use cashback cards

If you think that the refusal of a bank card is a return to the past, then at least use cashback more often. This word comes from English. cashback and translates as "cash back". Today, many Russian banks issue cashback cards.

The principle of its operation is simple. The buyer pays for goods or services with a bank card, and a part of the paid amount is returned to his account in monetary terms or in the form of bonuses.

As a rule, banks set different amounts of cashback for different groups of goods and services, and therefore you can choose the most profitable one. There are people who use cards from several banks with cashback for different groups of goods. So they try to get the highest possible discount. True, banks are trying to combat such behavior, considering it a fraud, and may limit the accrual of bonuses or refunds. Therefore, it is sometimes desirable to spend money on the card without receiving a cashback.

10. Buy through cashback services

Recently, cashback services have been gaining popularity in our country. These are aggregators of goods and services that enter into contracts with online stores. They attract visitors with advertisements or convenient services, such as the ability to select similar products and compare prices, and then redirect them to stores, receiving a percentage of each purchase.
Here, the money is returned not by the online store where the purchase was made, but by the cashback services themselves. They share their commissions with customers in the hope that they will come back again and again.

11. Use the 10 second rule for cheap shopping

Did you see something inexpensive on the counter and immediately wanted to buy it? Hold this thought in your head for 10 seconds and honestly ask yourself the question: do you really need this thing so much? Is it really impossible to do without it? Often these 10 seconds are enough to understand whether you really need a thing.

For expensive purchases, use the 30 day rule. If you want to buy something expensive, do not rush to spend money, but consider the importance of this acquisition for a month. Most likely, after 30 days, there will be no trace of your keen desire to buy this thing.

12. Estimate the cost of shopping in hours of work

In order not to make unnecessary purchases, calculate how much one hour or day of your work costs. Then, when you buy this or that product, think about whether the thing you plan to buy is worth the few hours, or maybe days of your work that you spent to earn this amount of money?

This principle works very well during the purchase of household appliances or other large goods, when time is no longer calculated in hours, but in days, or even months. Such financial "sobering up" helps not to commit stupidity in the form of buying unnecessary expensive goods.

How to save money


Now that we got rid of unnecessary expenses and learned how to save money from our income, we need to properly manage the funds

The path to proper money management

Divide the free money that appears as a result of all your efforts into several parts at once.

1. Create a financial reserve in case of unforeseen situations. Free money is needed to solve unforeseen problems that arise. It is better if it is cash, so that in case of an emergency you do not have to urgently run to the bank.

2. Open a deposit in any of the reliable banks, for example, VTB, with the possibility of replenishment and partial withdrawal of money without loss of interest. As a rule, expense deposits do not have a high interest rate, but on the other hand, you can set aside a certain amount to this account every month, and withdraw part of the funds at any time.

3. Make a term deposit at the best interest rate. This will be useful when you have already accumulated a decent amount. You will not be able to withdraw funds from such a deposit at any time, but you will be able to accumulate money. Open deposits in rubles, dollars and euros to get even more income if the currency grows in value.

4. Save money not for the sake of abstract wealth, but to achieve a specific goal. You can even draw up several accounts to save: for repairs, for a car, for a summer house ...