How to live well in conditions of economy. Stop being a spender! Tips for a frugal, practical and dignified life

“The smart ones save, not the poor” - this motto is becoming more and more popular today. You can learn how to live economically not only from financial analysts but also from people who adhere to a lean lifestyle.

How to save at home?

You need to start an economical life with control and planning. By tracking your spending, you can see where the funds “leak” and understand how to run the economy more economically.

Saving tips for home and family:

installation of meters for all consumed resources (water, gas, electricity, heat) helps to reduce their costs by 1.5-2 times;
unused electrical appliances, chargers and lamps should be turned off, even in standby mode, appliances consume a lot of electricity;
if there is no great need for the Internet on the phone, it can be turned off, which will significantly reduce payments, and in an emergency, you can go to a cafe where there is free wi-fi;
for the whole family you need to find one mobile operator with a free family tariff;
saving on food allows the rejection of ready-made meals - fast food, sausages, yogurt, canned food and any semi-finished products;
instead of buying bottled water, you can put quality filters.

How to economically play sports, buy, relax?

An economical life does not mean giving up purchases, you just need to approach them wisely. A lot of goods today can be purchased through, where they are noticeably cheaper. You can go to ordinary stores during sales periods, and if you buy clothes not before the start of the season, but closer to the end, discounts on many collections are maximum. It is advisable to buy in grocery stores discount cards And don't forget to use them.

To buy things that are purchased for a long time, you should prepare. For some things, you can wait for discounts, for household appliances, telephones and other devices, you should study the reviews. Outerwear and shoes need to be purchased of high quality - they will last for several seasons, which, as a result, will be cheaper. Some people, by the way, buy tourist shoes, jackets, pants and backpacks - they have a much higher margin of safety.

Instead of gyms and fitness centers, any person has free jogging in the park, swimming in the river, on the lawn in the garden. Rest in the resorts is very profitable on "burning" tours or out of season. Tourist bases, sanatoriums and children's camps in winter, spring and autumn often offer vouchers with discounts and various bonuses. In addition, you can travel by car within 500 km from home - there are probably many sights around that few people know about. And if you really want to visit a restaurant, cinema or SPA, you can always find an institution that offers good discounts today.

If you are reading this article, then you are also concerned about the question of how to live economically and practically, and you are trying to find the answer to it on the Internet. Many people think that trying to save money is a sign of greed, but is it?

What is saving

Savings is the ability to correctly allocate available resources in order to achieve your goals. Oddly enough, but the ability to save is characteristic of all rich people. They are rich not because they earn a lot, but because they know how to properly use the money they earn and distribute it wisely.

Try to remember your successful (materially) acquaintances, do they have ill-considered spending? And vice versa, remember those who often do not have enough money. Do they really lack because they don’t earn enough, or do they most often just spend it unwisely?

Well, for reasonable savings, of course, you need to know your income and basic expenses. Without this, it is simply impossible to apply the right savings strategy.

Again, it is no secret that a large part of the family's expenses are food and housing costs (this includes utilities, internet, landline and mobile phone, cable TV).

Cost accounting

Since it is difficult to grasp the immensity, let's try to start with the possibility of saving food costs. Do not limit these costs to any specific figure. It is better to consider food expenses as a percentage of total income. The most common percentage of spending on food is 30%, while the optimal figure is 20%.

But initially, it is necessary to put cost accounting at the forefront, but the occupation is tedious, but uninteresting. But how else can you find that black hole into which your money is flowing?

Try to keep records for at least a month, and you will see how much money is spent on all sorts of nonsense that you can do without. Count the costs of sweets, chips, chocolates, eating out, and you will be horrified.

How to keep records is up to you. If you want - write in a notebook, if you are at home with a computer - keep a spreadsheet in Excel or use specially designed programs. Programs can be easily found by entering relevant keywords in a search engine.

There are programs online (search the Internet yourself, I first gave a link, but now it is no longer valid) or those that are installed on a computer, you can find it here - http://www.keepsoft.ru/homebuhl.htm. But, if you use the search, you can find others, because there are more and more of them every day.

Try to systematize your expenses, I understand that it’s difficult because you didn’t have such a habit, but understand correctly, until you instill such a habit in yourself, you won’t be able to get out of the constant lack of money.

After all, all the media (television, radio, newspapers and periodicals) educate consumers in us, we constantly want to buy something, including from food. Someone does not have enough to buy chicken, and someone buys foie gras or baked nightingale tongues. So if the expenditure of finances is not controlled, they will constantly be missed.

Do I need to save on food

Everyone decides for himself. What is more important for you, every day to eat tasty and from the belly, or to raise money for the education of a child abroad? Or solve an old housing problem? After all, by pike command, nothing happens. All you have to do is work hard. Even saving family budget is also labor. Let's see what savings on food can bring.

The ability to save money for long-term and expensive purposes.
Eating sparingly is likely to be healthier. If you refuse smoked meats, semi-finished products or sprats, your stomach will surely be happy about this. And if expensive imported vegetables are replaced by local cabbage, beets and carrots, then any doctor will support such a replacement. Saving on food is not a transition to low-quality products, but rather the purchase of quality products at a reasonable price.
If you learn how to save money and feed your family efficiently, this is a very important skill for a woman-hostess. A woman who is not afraid of crises and possible troubles.

How to save in practice

Replace convenience foods from stores with homemade food. Reduce the consumption of sausages, sausages, store dumplings and fish sticks, as well as cookies, sweets and sweets. Try to cook soups, borscht, salads, sauces and gravies, pies and charlottes on your own.
Do not snack between meals of chips, buns, crackers.
Use the available products as rationally as possible. Don't throw anything away. It is very easy to make croutons from stale bread, we make pancakes from sour milk, marinades from tomatoes and cucumbers can be used in pickles, juice and fat from cooked meat can be used to make sauces.
Try not to eat out. What you cook at home will be much tastier, cheaper, and most importantly healthier. Yes, you will need to spend more time at home cooking, but you will save your health and save money.
Try to buy vegetables and fruits only in season. February tomatoes are not only expensive, but also consist of almost only water, without a tomato flavor. In winter, the assortment of vegetables is of course less, but in summer you can turn around.
In the season of cheap vegetables, you can prepare them and freeze them in the freezer. Help your economy and home canned food and pickles.
Before you go shopping, write a list. With a list, you get what you need and don't buy what you don't.
Analyze prices in nearby stores and determine which store is the most affordable in terms of prices and where it is better to shop.
Compare the weight of the product with the price per package before purchasing prepackaged products. It is better to choose one whose price per kilogram is less, all other things being equal. And think about it, why overpay for packaging, even a very beautiful one? After all, throw it away anyway.
Nuts, seeds and dried fruits are best purchased by weight, packaged ones are more expensive.
Do not buy exotic juices, they are all made from concentrates. Natural juices at best can be birch, apple and tomato, the rest are just water and concentrate. It is better to cook compotes, the harm will certainly be less.

Now you have read the material on how to live economically and practically, and I hope that this will really help you learn how to save money and achieve your goals.

Must know how to live economically and practically. Even having received a solid inheritance, a spendthrift person will very soon become poor again. Therefore, the Russian proverb "a penny saves a ruble" carries a very deep meaning.

Many do not like to deny themselves something, arguing: what a joy then to live? At first glance, saving looks like cutting back on your capabilities. However, the opposite is true.

Savings should be a means, not an end in itself. Therefore, you need to choose the golden mean: save money without feeling deprived at the same time. The following rules will help you live economically and practically:

Determine exactly the level of your income: how much goes to the budget every month.
Calculate what monthly deductions and expenses exist. Assess what can be eliminated or reduced. For example, it may be worth abandoning cable television if it is rarely watched by anyone, turning off unused electrical appliances. Summarize: how much money you need to pay monthly payments (internet, water, electricity, gas, garbage collection, rent).
Subtract from the level of income the average amount of permanent monthly deductions. This is the money that you can dispose of at your discretion. Part of the amount will go to food, hairdressing, transportation, and other expenses. List and write down each item. On the contrary, put down how much money you are supposedly willing to spend on these needs. Did you hit the amount? Often it even exceeds what we have. Go back to the list, define the items of your spending in more detail. Gradually eliminate or reduce spending until you come to the best option. Count again, how much money is left? Whatever the amount, divide it in half. Set aside half it will be savings. The second half can be spent on entertainment, unexpected purchases, gifts, and other things at the behest of the soul.
You can always find new opportunities to manage money economically and practically. Notice it daily. Take care of things. Never throw away what can be fixed! By the way, even millionaires do not consider it shameful to darn socks. Or wear an old dress for many years. Just be neat, occasionally refreshing your wardrobe with new functional things. Think about whether you really need a new cool phone, a coffee maker, other curiosities of modern household appliances. Perhaps they will simply become trash in the apartment, taking up space and collecting dust.
Know how to restrain your desires. To live economically and practically, make only planned purchases, do not do it spontaneously. Even if you spend money, you can save. Find a cheaper store, find a good discount. However, do not save on quality, in the end it will be more expensive: the thing will turn out to be of poor quality and it will need to be replaced. In general, he who lives economically and practically always gets more and spends less.
Protect your savings. They must be very hard to spend. Do not tell anyone about them, otherwise there will be many hunters to borrow. After that, the occupied will either not be returned, or will be returned in parts that will disperse imperceptibly. Borrow only money from the other free half of the funds, that which you can afford to lose.
Set yourself a goal: why do you need savings, what do you want to get in the end? The ideal would be to create passive income. Consider the options yourself. You can buy an apartment and rent it out, buy a share of a business (investment), or simply exchange your savings for gold (which is constantly growing in price). Savings will guarantee a comfortable existence in old age.

By gradually practicing, everyone will understand how to live economically and practically. We just have to keep in mind that the saved money gives us new opportunities. They say, saved - so earned!

Thank you, Nadezhda, very practical advice, but I can’t save money, although every time I understand what I need. There is such a remark, the rich save, and the poor always spend up to a penny.

It so happened that in my family my dad has a "head with hands" and everything is maintainable :) For example: a washing machine has been in service for 14 years, some spare parts for it, in order to save money, are bought in a regular auto store. In principle, we live far from economically, but there are times when you have to pay attention to finances. For example: in that month, expenses, in two or even more times, exceeded income. In addition, they do not repay debts, our business works on the principle: first we do the work, and then only the money. And so it happened that the money was earned, but we do not have it. At the end of the month, there was only 1 thousand rubles, and even then, they were able to live for a whole week without spending a penny.

As Masha says from the cartoon: "Oh houshki oh" Hope, although the recommendations are good, but I can't do it. I've already tried this and that. The infection is not rushing, money is always melting, so we will live as we lived. And what do we have to lose besides our shackles. You know how they say: “Why, when we receive a salary, we immediately spend three days, we spend half. And we try to stretch the rest for a month. This is exactly about our people.

In principle, all the recommendations are sensible, it will press - and darn socks, I probably will, but in this moment I think it's better to buy new ones. Why can't I afford basic things? But this is not some kind of dispute, just personal feelings. Thrift, of course, should be. Otherwise, there will not be enough money - not thousands, not millions.
This is absolutely true. But this does not mean denying yourself everything, does it? How to do without small pleasures? Especially women. For them, the best relaxation is shopping. Is it possible to refuse?

Savings will be effective only if the savings go to increase income. Otherwise, a vicious circle. Type - the economy should be economical. The goal in itself is to save for the sake of saving.

Remember the episode with the underground millionaire Koreiko from the Golden Calf.
Some times he allowed himself a visit to a restaurant, but the next day the millionaire regretted the money spent.

I try to keep myself from spontaneous purchases, for this I have a note in my wallet with the words: Do you need it?)))
And it often works, if I can leave and not buy, then in many cases I don’t come back.

The economy should be economical and be better aware of its costs. My husband and I used to collect and keep checks and, of course, receipts. So for several months we analyzed our expenses for food, clothing and communal payments. After half a year they stopped, but it was already a long time ago, now the prices have changed upwards. We should return to the topic of saving, thanks

Hope, have a good day. Good way put things in order in your finances - keep their records. There are many home finance programs, both paid and free. I drove for several years. It helps to answer the question: how much money was there and where did it go. And get rid of reckless spending.

1. Hello, initially you had an attempt to divide the costs into fixed and variable, but I must note that food, travel, and even clothing are not so variable. The family is still on average - spends on food, clothes, travel, and much more - all the time. The Internet, communication, fuel and so on are also constant.
In business, these costs are variable, but for the family budget they are fixed.
2. Darn socks - a story (it's like a pro: I bought one apple for 50 cents, washed it, polished it on my sleeve and sold it for $ 2, and repeated it again, and then won the lottery - that's how I became a millionaire).
My time is very valuable to darn them.
On average, an hour of my work, for example, costs 4-5 dollars. In order to darn socks, it will take me 20-30 minutes (if it is darning on a light bulb or "fungus" - as I imagine it). Socks cost 0.5-1 dollar.
In my free time, I have to rest, otherwise I will not earn 4-5 dollars per hour.
3. The other side of clothing repair. For example, repairing shoes is not shameful, because I love expensive shoes, and I repair them not only because it will save me from spending on new ones, but because I like these shoes. And the economy has nothing to do with it.
4. Unplanned purchases. You know, Nadezhda, the less time passes between the impulsive desire to buy and the purchase itself, the more positive emotions you get.
The more hormone of happiness you receive, the more desire you have to live, work and earn. Earning is a tool. And the purpose is to live.
5. I don't mind scratching out the extra "cheesy" but darning socks...wearing an old dress? Fi! I personally would not want my wife to go in an old dress - a man is judged by his wife.
6. Savings is killing me. I remember how I came to the first department (where I became the head). All personnel were brought into total economy mode. Economists and the cash register have not received a bonus for more than half a year. For internal workflow, they used drafts and offset paper (as a result, they ruined the drum on the printer and all the contracts were black, paint was falling off them - and it looked like after a fire), they saved on "technical equipment", as a result, not a bank, but a shed - which repels customers. Old computers, non-working air conditioners (we saved on maintenance and service). And much more - you won’t look without tears.
I am not used to saving on myself, and on the first day I gathered the team and announced to them that we are not obliged to save - we are obliged to earn more. So that we can ask for new appliances, furniture, air conditioners in the end. But as long as we are unprofitable, we will live in a barn - and no savings will save us. Only if we are profitable, we will receive bonuses and bonuses, I will personally initiate an increase in salaries, positions and other things, only if we focus on earnings, and not on savings.
The result was not long in coming:
http://www.savostin.com.ua/moyo-rezume/ - there is a graph, income dynamics.
Therefore, if you want to "debug", you need not to save, but to know how much you need to earn, so that you still have more.
6. We have already talked about tactical and strategic goals (you wrote something like this: set a goal to earn 10 thousand, earned ... then 100 thousand ... if you succeed, you bet a million - just like a weightlifter, but you won’t pull it .. .) and I then wrote that you need to set a goal of 1 million. for example, for 5 years, and already look at the results, plan / fact.
Now let's think about it:
To earn a million (exclusively working on weekdays) for five years (1200 days), you need to earn 833 hryvnia per day.
Please tell me - will savings help you earn more? Where can savings lead and what to save on? On books? On the Internet? In touch? On the news? On food, clothing and medicine? In the end, God forbid. This is the road to nowhere.
There are concepts of profitability and efficiency. There is an economy - this is economic management. And the economy...
Savings is bullshit! Sorry, of course.
In production, it is possible to use the used water for technical purposes, to build a workshop from galvanization and not from brick, and more.
But that doesn't work in a family. It's like a wife instead of a fur coat - a down jacket, instead of Turkey, a hostel, instead of pork for barbecue - udder.
And there is no opportunity here.
If you are efficient, you eat well, you rest well, you dress well, you save. If not, saving will not save you.
7. In general, I reject the phrase - economically and practically.
Inexpensive shoes are impractical, darning socks is impractical, denying yourself cable just because you only watch it on Sundays is impractical. Cutting your family expenses is impractical.

1. Nothing is simple. Everything is complicated. It is simply not visible, but that does not make it simple. Moreover, the world and the entire Universe is certainly not simple.
2. Sew up the sock = waste time. And time is more valuable than money - an axiom.
3. I am not against weightlifters.

And what is the topic, by the way, the exchange rate is growing, the ruble is falling, we will all save, both economical and not very ...
Item number 7 is already an investment!
But not to lend, in my opinion, this is already ethics or the psychology of behavior. Although sometimes people borrow because it is a pity to withdraw their deposit.
In general, there are a lot of ways to save money, for example, do not take products in expensive packaging, throw them away anyway, in stock markets there is quite a good benefit. Buy transport tickets electronically. So everyone should think about it. Thank you.

Here such chic talks are about spending and other things ... well, I just can’t help but insert my five kopecks, especially since for two months now I’ve been earning money not only to pay off debts and cereals and peas, but already on what something nice for yourself.
Make something for yourself pleasant shopping(but not spontaneous, but planned in advance) - this is a must. At the moment, I already know for myself what kind of pleasantness I will get for myself at the beginning of December and, of course, on New Year(I love this holiday and this year I won’t pass by my beloved one in my life).
Here Evgeny Savostin wrote a huge comment... you know, I largely agree with him. Darn socks? What for? So that they constantly rub in place darning? I'm already silent about the time spent on this darn itself.
Yes, for example, I can now be accused of changing the winding on my electronic cigarette myself, and not buying ready-made evaporators. But here it’s different ... it’s like frying a barbecue ... you find your own “branded” marinade, you catch the level of burning firewood, this is that aroma in the process ... and most importantly, you know that everyone here is already salivating nearby - this pleasant languor. It's nice. And darning... I didn't come across people who get a big buzz from this process or at least have a rest. But from the process of cooking barbecue - buzz. And for me, from the replacement of the spiral (I'm experimenting here with taste, by the way, too) - the buzz is simply incredible.
By the way, I have a little sister who loves to embroider. That's a thrill for her (I'd have turned up). I tell the fool, sell it - we even have a shop that buys hand-made and sells it very, very well for good money, you don’t even have to look for a buyer ... no, everything gives away. This is the thrill!
In general, for me personally, the rule "I'm not so rich to buy cheap things" returned again. But even here you can save money. For example, I stupidly go to the 501 store, select jeans for myself, take a picture of the article - and order exactly the same jeans in an American online store. Together with delivery, customs clearance and who knows what it costs 2 - 2.5 times cheaper than if I bought exactly the same jeans this very minute in our store. I don't mind waiting. Now already paid for warm winter jeans are coming to me, in a week they will already be with me. But I just made a fuss and ordered them even when it was warm and didn’t even smell of cold. Prepared, so to speak, a sleigh in the summer. But I know that they will not have to be thrown out after a season, they, excuse me, will not rub between the legs.
I used to have that still Scrooge character ... to spend something on myself? no, no, it is necessary to postpone, it is necessary to save ... so that later it all turns into candy wrappers in one moment? No, thank you, passed!
Of course, spending every penny is not ice either. And here the most interesting begins, which, in fact, is the cause of all these disputes: the truth is somewhere in between. It's everywhere, as far as I can see. A total "yes" is no better or worse than a total "no". The truth is somewhere in the middle. (by the way, here's a great topic for you to think about in the blog - oh, not enough for one post)

I believe that everyone should live within their means. If you want to live luxuriously - earn more or find funds for this, and if you cannot, then you need to hold back your ardor. Many want to show off, but there is no money. So it turns out - they received a salary and squandered it in a couple of days, and then again in debt until the next one, and so on in a circle. And money should be treated in a businesslike way, not to make thoughtless purchases. I remember how a friend said that she bought some thing (I don’t remember which one) spontaneously, but she doesn’t know what to do with it. I asked why I bought it, she replied: "Everyone took it and I took it"

Not everyone knows how to rationally distribute their finances. A lot of people, coming to the supermarket, buy more than half of the extra goods there. Thus, the money goes very quickly and completely to the wrong place. Raising the necessary amount for something important will be extremely difficult. Therefore, in order to correct this situation, it is necessary to learn how to live economically.

How to learn to live economically and save money?

At first glance, this may seem extremely difficult, because no matter how much money there is, it always seems that there is not enough of them. But there are many things that you can do without, especially if you are planning some important purchase for which you need to save up a tidy sum.

Cook at home. First of all, refuse food in cafes, restaurants,. It will be much more economical to cook at home. When you go to work, take your lunch with you. If you take food with you every day, instead of the usual trip to a cafe, then in a month you can significantly save on this alone.
Lists. When you go shopping, make a list of the essentials at home. Approximately calculate how much money you need to take for this product and do not take more than the prescribed amount with you.
Healthy foods. Buy only those products that will benefit. Give up chips, crackers, sweet water and confectionery. Instead, buy fruits and vegetables. Do not buy any semi-finished products. Cheaper and better to buy desired products and cook by yourself.
Piggy bank. Try to buy only the most necessary things for a month, and save the money that you did not spend on the usual goods or services. At the end of the month you will see how much has accumulated.

How to learn to live very economically on a small salary?

You can learn how to properly distribute your finances even with small incomes.

Give up expensive goods, which can be replaced with a cheap one and it will be no worse in quality. Here, for example, you can save a lot if you buy soda and instead of expensive detergents. They are not expensive and are able to clean almost any surface in the house.
Try to save on utilities. Do not leave the lights on, where there is no one, and so that the equipment does not work when it is not needed.
Don't buy too many products at once. Make sure they don't spoil.
Check out sales in your city. They can buy good clothes at discount prices. But again, buy only what you will actually wear, and do not throw it far into the closet. Try to choose versatile clothing so that it goes with many things and shoes.