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Saving money at home. Lessons in saving at home

Saving money at home. Lessons in saving at home

Limit your purchases of unhealthy foods (such as hamburgers, hot dogs). Sure, buying one or two hamburgers a month won't put a huge strain on your household budget, but if you eat them every day, you should know that you're spending your hard-earned money on clogging your arteries with cholesterol plaques. Eat homemade and healthy food to not only save money but also maintain your health. Being healthy means saving on medications, since illnesses are always associated with additional costs.

Save on groceries and other items by purchasing them at a discount during supermarket promotions. You'll be surprised how much you can save by purchasing items at a discount or with coupons and special offers. There are now many sites on the Internet where you can find out about promotions in stores in your city.

Avoid visiting shopping centers unnecessarily. Their interior is designed so that visitors spend as much money as possible there. Good lighting, bright shop windows, pleasant music - all this makes us buy a lot of things that we do not need at all. If you don't need to buy something there, just don't go there.

Buy clothes in online stores. As a rule, clothes in online stores are cheaper than in regular brick-and-mortar stores. When you buy clothes online, you can also save money with coupons and discounts.

Give your friends and family handmade gifts. You can make them yourself or buy them in online stores that sell very beautiful, often unique and very inexpensive products.

Do not eat out often in cafes or restaurants and do not order food at home. Working outside the home and a busy schedule very often force us to eat in a cafe, and after work, order food to be taken home. If you add up all the amounts that you leave daily at public catering outlets, the monthly total may amaze you with its size. Try to plan your day so that you can find time to prepare food at home.

Buy clothes in classic styles and neutral colors. If you often look at your wardrobe and cannot find a blouse (shirt) or pair of shoes that matches your trousers, this advice is just for you. Classic clothes in neutral colors will also save you from the everyday dilemma of what to wear? It is enough to choose fashionable accessories and jewelry for such clothes and you will not need to buy new things every month.

Buy clothes from second-hand stores. This advice may not be to everyone's taste, but these stores can actually pleasantly surprise even the most demanding customers with good quality items. Cheap doesn't mean bad at all.

Buy only high-quality equipment from well-known brands. By buying cheap electronics and equipment, you only save money at the beginning. As a rule, such equipment consumes a large amount of electricity and breaks down quickly.

Buy products in small wholesale. This will allow you to save a lot of money and have a large supply of food at home (which in conditions of inflation, that is, constantly rising prices, is another good way to save). Supermarkets sell goods in small wholesale at lower prices and also offer discount cards to such customers.

Carpooling or ride sharing is a great way to save money while commuting to work or traveling. Moreover, car sharing will reduce the harmful effects of exhaust gases on the environment.

Replace incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs. LED light bulbs consume less energy and last much longer than conventional ones. You will not only save money, but also make your personal contribution to environmental protection. Double win!

When going to the store, make a list of necessary purchases. This is the golden rule that all those who want to save money should follow. By shopping according to the list, you won't have to throw away food that you bought too much of and won't have time to eat before it goes bad. And one more tip: never go to the store on an empty stomach. Scientists say that a hungry person tends to buy and spend much more money than a well-fed person.

Try making one day a month a “no shopping day.” Do you remember the last time you didn't spend a penny all day? No, then try not to spend a penny on the day of your choice and you will see for yourself that it is not so difficult.

If, despite all our advice, you still don’t have enough money until your salary, then the thought of a loan becomes very tempting. However, in order not to fall into a credit “trap”, you should follow the following rules.
First, calculate how much money you actually need to borrow. Don't be tempted to take on more than you planned.
Secondly, in order not to wake up at night from nightmares, you must take out a loan for such an amount, the monthly payment for which will not exceed one third of your family’s income (in case of job loss, illness, etc.).
Thirdly, remember that the fewer documents a bank or credit institution requires from you to issue a loan, the higher the interest rate will be on it (i.e. the loan will be more expensive).
Fourthly, if you decide to get a credit card, compare the offers of different banks, since some of them offer their clients such favorable conditions as returning part of the money spent or interest-free use of funds for up to 50 days, which will allow you to save a lot of money .
Fifthly, pay your loan payments on time, otherwise the bank will start charging high interest for late payments and then you will have to take out another loan to pay off the previous one - this is how people fall into the credit “trap”.

If expenses exceed income, but there is no way to increase earnings, you will have to reduce expenses! Make it real.

During the crisis, it has become difficult for many families to make ends meet. If you still can’t increase your income, you need to look for new ways to save. Let's start with utilities. Here, it would seem, everything is clear: turn off the lights when you leave the room, turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, and wash in large batches so as not to waste the machine. But in fact, these are not all sources of savings in the household; there are many more effective ways and effective recipes.

Ways to save energy

The most expensive electricity is consumed by heating devices: boiler, iron, fan heaters, heating water in a washing machine. Try these recommendations:

Take grandma's large thermos from the mezzanine and fill it with boiling water in the morning. Prepare the tea leaves in a small kettle. During the day, you practically don’t have to use the electric kettle: just pour a little tea leaves into a cup and add boiling water from a thermos. You can also pour boiling water over food at the beginning of cooking, which is very economical: even to boil a liter of water, an electric kettle uses less electricity than an electric stove.
Insulate the outside of the boiler with at least simple thermal insulation, which is sold in any hardware store. It will cool down more slowly, and as a result you will have to turn it on less often.
The same goes for the bathroom: if you cover the entire outer part of the bathtub with thermal insulation or carefully cover it with sheet foam cut into the shape of a small rectangle, it will retain the high water temperature noticeably longer, and you will be able to use both water and the boiler more economically.
When you cook food, for example, potatoes, you can safely turn off the electric stove ten to twelve minutes before it is ready: potatoes have the ability to “reach” the desired level of boiling thanks to their ability to maintain temperature for a long time: it is not without reason that it was recommended to use it in grandmother’s inhalation recipes.
Make sure that your refrigerator is located, if possible, in the coldest place in your home: the cooler the environment, the less electricity it spends to create a low temperature inside the chamber. If you have an enclosed balcony, this is an ideal place for a refrigerator. At the very least, it is wise to place it as close to the balcony door as possible.
Set your computer to go into sleep mode every time you don't use it for more than five minutes: you'll be surprised how often your computer is left idle. Meanwhile, it consumes electricity during this time, especially if you have an old, bulky monitor.
If the washing machine has the ability to manually supply water, this is your chance: after taking a shower, use the remaining warm water: washing machines have thermometers, and if the water in the water is at a sufficient temperature, the machine will not turn on the heating.
If possible, replace the incandescent lamps that you use more often and longer than others with energy-efficient lamps. Contrary to rumors about their unprofitability, they actually consume much less and last longer.

Saving on clothes: new from old

In order to save noticeably on clothes, you don’t need much: just desire, a creative mood, and a little experience in. Review all your clothes and select uncomfortable, unnecessary, old, and simply boring things. Here are some directions for creative flights to savings in the household:

Boring, outdated, unfashionable or uncomfortable “formal” suits can be repurposed into simple shopping bags. Their thin, but durable and easy to sew fabric is perfect for this. This way you won't have to pay for the package every time.
Clothes made from wool and wool blends are real treasures. They can be converted into simple vests, house shoes - “chuni” and “sleds”, leg warmers, which are now fashionable, and a warming belt for the back. You can also sew a very cute and practical sundress dress for a preschool girl from an old woolen skirt. To do this, you need to make a simple pattern for any child’s T-shirt or T-shirt, lengthening the sundress to the knees. You can decorate the finished product with beads or lace, but a small flower made of wool looks especially impressive, created by taking only 15 minutes, and is the most budget-friendly way to decorate any clothing and headdress. You can also make according to our MK or a simple applique.
From various unnecessary clothes, you can also make wall organizers, rugs, chair mattresses, and rugs with your own hands, which will also help save extra money.

SPA salon at home: economical and pleasant weekend

Do you want a budget option for a whole range of cosmetic procedures? Easily! All you have to do is choose a day off and prepare funds in advance. You will need what you already have in the kitchen and someone willing to give you a massage. Although the second is not necessary. The list includes cleansing, moisturizing and nourishing the face and hair, peeling and anti-cellulite treatments for problem areas, a relaxing bath and massage with homemade oil.

To prepare your face for peeling, moisten the entire surface with cotton soaked in hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide perfectly loosens the layer of dead cells, which will make the peeling agents work more effectively.
First, use coffee grounds as a peeling agent: they contain a larger fraction that removes the first rough layer of unnecessary deposits on the skin. Rub the coffee in a circular motion from your forehead to your chin, spending at least 5 minutes on this procedure.
To gently cleanse your face in the second stage, use a teaspoon of baking soda and five tablets of activated charcoal. Prepare a paste from these ingredients, which you also rub into the skin for 5 minutes.
Then make a nourishing mask of your choice: oatmeal and honey, eggs and fruit pulp, sour cream and cucumber or any other mixture.
To do this experiment: wash your hair without shampoo, but with dry mustard, then make an egg mask, and finally, rinse it in nettle decoction.
To peel problem areas with an anti-cellulite effect, use a mixture of dry mustard and honey - apply it to the skin with patting movements and massage for five to ten minutes. Then wrap your thighs and stomach with regular cling film, lie down under the blanket and watch a movie. After this, wash off the mask.
After filling the bath with warm water, dissolve half a glass of sea salt in it, adding a few drops of your favorite one, and immerse yourself in pleasure for half an hour.
Homemade massage oil is made like this: 250 ml of olive or high-quality vegetable oil is kept in a water bath for half an hour with the addition of a handful of dry St. John's wort. This oil has a specific characteristic smell, but is very good at making the skin elastic and firm.
Do not buy cosmetics in expensive stores; many products without loud nonsense are cheaper. We have already written about that.

Very cheap DIY materials for children's creativity

To prevent activities with children from ruining the family budget, try replacing purchased materials with homemade ones. They are not only cheap, but also environmentally friendly.

Modeling mass – salted dough. You need “extra” salt (regular table salt will not work), flour, and PVA glue. Mix a glass of flour and half a glass of fine salt thoroughly. Add a tablespoon of glue. Knead the dough carefully: it should not stick to your hands. For younger children, you can divide the dough into pieces and add different food colorings. Older children will find it interesting to paint dried crafts by hand - with gouache. Learn more about this technique, and when you master sculpting, try it.
Homemade paints for . Pour PVA glue into several small containers and add food coloring to each. After this, you can apply the resulting paints onto a plastic bag or film and leave it to dry. After two days, you can easily remove it and attach it to any glass surface: the translucent and bright design sticks to itself.
Colored semolina for relief design. Divide the cereal into portions, add a little water tinted with food coloring. Next, spread the semolina in a thin layer and let it dry in a very warm place. After this, you can make it flowable again if you simply rub it with your hands. Now you need to apply a thin outline of glue to any surface and generously cover the stripes with semolina. Next, shake off the design over the tray and admire the beautiful craft: the colored semolina will stick to the glue, making the image applied in color and relief.

More tips on how to save for children are waiting for you.

How to decorate your house for the New Year without money

Home decor for the New Year is a hot topic in the pre-holiday bustle, but it’s better to spend money on delicacies and make decorations with your own hands. Several ways to do this as economically as possible:

Everyone knows about paper snowflakes on windows, but this technology can also be used for a wonderful atmospheric candlestick with a real shadow theater: on an ordinary half-liter glass jar, glue “snowdrifts” (wide wavy stripes, glue at the bottom) and “trees” cut out of paper, for example, ate. You can cut out entire contour landscapes with animals at once. When you light a candle inside the jar, you will have beautiful patterns against the fire and beautiful shadows.
Garlands made from scrap materials: walnut shells, glued together again with the addition of a loop of thread, painted with gold paint, are very decorative. Dried citrus peel hearts are also fragrant. All kinds of beads from scattered beads, natural materials from pine cones and chestnuts to acorns, updated with old nail polishes or gold paint, are perfect.
New Year's compositions: snowmen made of a variety of materials, from white plasticine to salt dough and cotton wool with PVA glue. Beautiful Christmas trees made of cardboard in the shape of a cone, decorated with a garland of beads or beads. Gold stars made from ordinary cardboard or foil.
Wreaths made of natural materials, from branches of evergreen or deciduous trees, effectively gilded or silvered with varnish of the desired color.
New scented and colored candles from leftover old candles. You need to collect the remains, divide into parts and melt separately, adding to each portion a small piece of wax pencil of a different color and a few drops of aroma oil. Then a thread wick is placed in a transparent glass, and layers of different colors are poured one by one. Of course, the previous layer must have time to harden, otherwise the candle will have a marble appearance, and not the appearance of a zebra stripe.

As you can see, finding sources of savings in the household is not at all difficult, the main thing is to be smart and creative in the process.

Many housewives are forced not only to take care of household life and raising children, but also to manage the family budget, be able to save and put money aside for all sorts of unforeseen circumstances, and of course for themselves.

But not many housewives know what they can save on, how to manage their household rationally, so that by the time their spouse receives their next salary, there will still be money left in the family.

Today I’ll tell you what you can save on in everyday life, how practical housewives save, and I’ll also reveal several possible ways to save.

In modern terms, today I offer several life hacks for housewives about home savings.

What can you save on when running your home?

Yes to everything! You can save in almost all matters that are inherent in every housewife. Save on groceries, save on utility bills, save on laundry, save on cleaning your apartment. You can even learn to save your own time by properly distributing your household responsibilities.

Life hack 1. Reduce food costs

I have already described in detail how you can save on food (I recommend following the link and reading this article). Now I will give you a few simple rules and tips that will help reduce your family expenses on groceries:

We arrange comprehensive trips to the store no more than once a week. Let's say we go to the store on Saturdays. But this only applies to products with a relatively long shelf life. We go for products such as bread, milk or cottage cheese as needed.
Before going to the store, we conduct a thorough audit of the available food products.
We are putting together a sample menu for the coming days. That is, we need to figure out what we will cook in the coming days. Do not forget to listen to the wishes of your household members.
We make a list of products based on the compiled menu. In the list, be sure to indicate the type of product and its weight or volume. Having a list and strictly following this list will allow you to avoid purchasing products that you do not need.
We go to the store full. You also need to feed your husband before the trip. Hungry shoppers buy 10–15% more food than their family needs.
You can't go to the store after work. The reason is similar to the previous point. If you are tired and arrive at a store where there are also a lot of people, you will not walk around with a list and choose the necessary products, but simply buy the first goods that come to hand, and hurry to go home to rest. Accordingly, your account at the checkout will increase significantly.
If possible, do not take children to the store - as a rule, you have to buy all sorts of unnecessary “goodies” with them, which will also increase the total amount on the receipt.
Choose the products you buy carefully. It is necessary to check each time not only the expiration date, but also the declared weight. And compare prices for similar products, maybe on the next shelf a similar product is a little cheaper.
Buy products only from the list. Going beyond the required products will increase your costs.
Don't buy more food than your family can eat. You will have to throw away the excess, but you have already paid money for it.

Life hack 2. Save on utility bills

We turn off all electrical appliances that we are not currently using. Well, why keep the TV on in a room where no one is in for a long time?
We turn off the lights in all rooms that are currently unoccupied.
Installing two-tariff electric meters allows you to significantly save on electricity. If you have such a meter, and, accordingly, a cheaper tariff at night and on weekends, you can even save a lot. For example, we run the washing machine and dishwasher at night. We iron clothes after eight o'clock in the evening or on weekends. Postpone baking in an electric oven until the weekend.
Installing water meters allows you to save on payments for water and sewerage. You can read more about this here: Why is it necessary to install water meters, and what are the savings from installing water meters.
Carrying out timely verification of water meters also allows you to avoid overpaying.
Do not forget on time, and preferably at the same time, to transmit readings from metering devices (water, electricity, heating meters, etc.) to your management company. If your readings are submitted in a timely manner, you will not have sudden “differences” in payments in your utility bill.
Paying utility bills on time allows you to avoid accrued fines, which can significantly increase the amount on your receipt.

Life hack 3. Save on cleaning and household cleaning products

Any housewife knows that the less often the house is cleaned, the more cleaning products may be needed.

In my opinion, the most problematic places in the apartment are:

a kitchen where people constantly cook and where traces of grease remain on the kitchen surface and household appliances;
a bathroom or shower stall that suffers from soap and shampoo residues and water stains;
the toilet, which should also always be clean.

These are the main areas in the apartment that spend the most cleaning money. To keep them clean, and, of course, to save cleaning money, here are a few tips:

Wipe down all kitchen surfaces immediately after cooking. The fat formed during the cooking process has not yet dried out and firmly adhered to the kitchen surface, and can be easily washed off with a regular damp cloth. It will take no more than two to three minutes, but cleanliness is guaranteed. Even if you used a kitchen cleaning product for this, you will need only a little bit of it - a little more than when washing stubborn stains.
The same applies to washing microwaves, ovens and other household appliances. Cleaning household appliances is easier and faster before food or grease residues dry out. And yes, in this case you will also need much less detergent.
Train yourself and your household to rinse the bathtub or shower stall after each use. Wash away any remaining soap or shampoo that has accumulated on the walls of the bathtub or shower stall. This makes subsequent washing very easy.
Get into the habit of cleaning your toilet regularly, for example once every two days, with a plumbing cleaner. It's very simple. I treated the inside of the toilet, left it for a while, and then just flushed it away. And the toilet is clean, and cleaning time is reduced.
A clean hallway is the key to cleanliness throughout the entire apartment. It is from the corridor that the main dirt from the street comes from. Train yourself to wet-clean the hallway every day, for example, in the morning. This is especially true for the “dirty” time of year. And believe me, by spending five minutes cleaning the hallway, you will reduce your time cleaning the entire apartment.

Lifehack 4. Save on laundry

The basic rules for saving are:

The washing machine should always be fully loaded. Insufficient or excessive loading leads not only to useless or increased waste of electricity, but also to unnecessary waste of washing powder. And excessive loading of the machine (above the norm) may lead to the need for repeated washing - the machine simply cannot cope with such a volume and will not be able to wash the laundry properly.
There is no need to pour in too much washing powder - this will not make the laundry cleaner. Actually, too small an amount of powder will not allow you to wash the laundry, and you will have to rewash it.
Sort your laundry before washing. This is especially true for colored and fadeable laundry. Otherwise, you risk being left, for example, without your favorite blouse.
Underwear is always washed in a laundry bag to avoid some parts falling out and their subsequent getting stuck somewhere in the depths of the washing machine.
The same goes for sharp objects in the pockets of clothes being washed. Accordingly, before loading the item into the washing machine, you need to check all the pockets.
If you have two-tariff electricity meters installed, then it is best to turn on the washing machine at night. The night electricity tariff is much lower than the daytime tariff, which allows you to save on electricity.

Life hack 5. Save housewife time

Time is a matter that flows out of our hands too quickly. It seems like just yesterday you got married, and today your baby has already taken his first steps. Or, just yesterday your husband took you from the maternity hospital with your first-born, and today you are sitting at the graduation party of your son who graduated from school...

Agree, I really don’t want to waste my time on constant washing, ironing, and cleaning. This time is best spent communicating with your family and your children.

But the apartment also needs to be kept clean!

Therefore, a few more small tips - life hacks for a housewife, already on the issue of saving your personal time:

Plan your time. Get a notebook or a cute diary in which you will write down all your plans for the week. Even if these plans are repeated day after day, it is better to write them down. The very fact of planning gradually accustoms you to discipline and achieving your goals.
Set aside 15–20 minutes for yourself once a week. For example, on Friday. And distribute your time over the next seven days.
The plan must include time for cooking, time for cleaning the apartment, and ironing clothes.
If there are small children in the family, the distribution of time is carried out taking into account their children's needs.
Don’t try to do a thorough cleaning of your apartment in one day; it’s better to do it gradually. Today one room, tomorrow another. Etc.
Preparing food for two or three days also saves the housewife time.
And stop constantly surfing the Internet or talking on the phone. Is it worth it? Or maybe you could use the time spent chatting on more useful things?!

A sufficient amount of financial resources is the key to prosperity. It is money that allows us to maintain a decent standard of living. The lack of a family budget is increasingly becoming a pressing problem for many people. The reasons for this are regular increases in prices for food products and recalculation of tariffs at a stable level of wages.

At the same time, many people are excellent at earning enough money to satisfy all their needs. However, not everyone can save this money. That is why the question began to be asked more and more often: what are the sources of savings in the household? Many are surprised by how some families, even with a small budget, manage to live without getting into debt and at the same time not denying themselves anything. And all because they skillfully use the secrets of home savings.

Food

Satisfying nutritional needs is one of the primary tasks of a person. Naturally, spending on food takes up the lion's share of the budget. Therefore, many people prefer to start saving from this point. But proper and high-quality nutrition is the key to health. Then how to eat inexpensively and healthy?

First, you need to create a menu in advance and determine a clear set of products that will be needed to prepare the planned dishes. This is necessary to immediately allocate a certain amount.

It is best to shop in large supermarkets or markets. At the market you can always bargain and purchase products of maximum freshness. And by shopping in large supermarkets just once a week, you can avoid the temptation to make an extra trip to your local store.

Secondly (this has long been a well-known fact, but it is impossible not to remind it), you need to go shopping with a certain amount and only when you are well-fed.

You should buy seasonal vegetables and fruits. After all, there is still no benefit to tomatoes and cucumbers in winter. So why spend more? It is also worth giving up all kinds of semi-finished products. It is much cheaper to make them at home.

The most devastating to the wallet are harmful, although so desirable, products - sugary waters and various snacks. But the most important advice for those who want to know what are the sources of savings in the household is to give preference to home-cooked food. After all, a fairly large share of the budget is lost on cafes and the purchase of ready-made products.

Cloth

To buy cheap clothes, you need to know the time when the cost of a particular item is at its lowest. Of course, these are the sales seasons. It’s worth paying attention to last year’s collections, which often have few sizes left, but this does not mean that they are in any way inferior to today’s.

Naturally, everyone has different ideas about what methods of saving in everyday life should be and what are the sources of saving in the household. Some people feel that the cheaper they found an item, the more money they saved. But as they say, the miser pays twice. Sometimes it’s better to wait a little and save up for a really worthwhile, high-quality item that will last more than one season. Also, don’t bypass online stores and second-hand stores.

Payment of utility services

One of the main problems remains how to reduce utility bills. Nowadays, many household appliances are used that require large amounts of electricity, water and gas. What to do in this case? No, you don’t need to switch to coal or replace lamps with candles at all. There are a huge number of little things that are usually not paid attention to, but they are quite significant.

Saving energy at home comes down to a few small rules:

replacing conventional light bulbs with energy-saving ones;
using a gas stove instead of an electric kettle;
refusal to install electric heating equipment.

To save water you need to:

take a shower instead of a bath;
tighten the taps tightly;
wash your face by collecting water in a container, not under running water.

To save on heating costs, you should install double-glazed windows and insulate the doors.

It is also advisable to install personal meters for each type of service.

In addition to basic utility bills, there are those that are not used, but fees are charged for them (for example, a landline telephone). The same applies to additional mobile communications offers.

Gadgets and entertainment

Serious savings cannot be achieved without limiting yourself in gadgets and entertainment. These things are mostly surplus and momentary fads. Most often, they cost a decent amount of money and satisfy a person’s immediate desire. Giving up on them is quite difficult, but quite possible.

If you can’t forget about these joys of life, there is another way out. You can buy gadgets from last year’s models, and you can also save a lot by purchasing equipment that has minor cosmetic defects and is incomplete. As a rule, the price will be quite reduced. You shouldn’t neglect used equipment.

You don’t have to completely give up entertainment either. After all, you can go to the cinema in the morning, when tickets are much cheaper. And even better - throw an interesting home party, maybe even a themed one. Getting out into nature won't cost you much either. And in the city there will certainly be several free and interesting events.

Budget planning

To plan a budget, you need to take into account only your basic income. If it is not constant, that is, in one month a significant amount can be obtained, and in the next the salary will barely reach the subsistence level, then it is worth either calculating the average amount for the last six months or a year, or taking into account the minimum earnings for the same period.

Let the additional income remain in reserve, because it is always necessary to set aside part of the budget for unforeseen cases.

Debts and loans

Many, making thoughtless purchases, rush to apply for a loan, thereby imposing many years of obligations on themselves. Before you take out a loan, you need to think carefully about whether this thing is now worth the interest that you need to pay for it. After all, you can also make a worthwhile purchase for them, and not “feed” the banks. It is much better to save this money and spend it happily without going into debt.

Medicines

All people get sick from time to time. Even those with strong immunity cannot always avoid colds during periods of mass morbidity. And by today's standards, being sick is not a cheap pleasure.

So, firstly, you need to maintain your general health at the proper level. It is not necessary to go to the gym; they can be perfectly replaced by morning jogging or a set of home exercises. Secondly, if the disease does strike, you should not self-medicate. Expensive drugs, in addition, in most cases can be successfully replaced with domestic analogues, which are much cheaper. After all, medications are great for your wallet.

Important little things

What are the sources of savings in the household as a whole becomes clear. However, there are many other tricks that will save your budget:

It’s better to pay with cash rather than with a card - a credit card doesn’t give you a tangible feeling, and money is spent much easier;
You shouldn’t fall for brands, because the name most often costs more than the thing itself;
give up bad habits that empty your pockets and ruin your health in the long run.
developing the ability to invest in yourself - you should strive for useful investments and to ensure that money works and does not lie as a dead weight;
use of discount cards from various stores;
reusable containers instead of plastic bags;
out-of-season purchases (for example, an air conditioner in winter and a heater in summer)
quality items that are lying around unnecessarily but remain in good condition can be sold using online sites.

In general, the art of saving (and it really is an art, if we talk about saving that does not affect the quality of life) is not so difficult to learn.

Economical, contrary to the popular saying that came to the people through the light hand of a well-known political figure, should be not only and not so much the economy of the state, but the personal economy of each person and each family. This becomes especially obvious if you understand the terminology and find out that the ancient Greeks, who at one time coined the word “economy” itself, put two semantic components into it. Translated from ancient Greek, οἶκος means house, and νόμος means law, that is, economics is, in essence, the rules of housekeeping. Whether it’s at home or on a larger scale depends only on the circumstances. The principle remains unchanged: resources, regardless of their quantity, must be spent rationally and thriftily, in one word - effectively.

But modern realities make their own adjustments to any theories, regardless of their validity and fundamentality. And their mechanisms do not always work as intended, and sometimes do not work at all. For example, savings practically lose their meaning when inflation eats up everything accumulated. Or spending a smaller amount on the purchase of a particular item in the long run results in the unsatisfactory quality of this item and entails only new expenses instead of the expected savings. In other words, life shows that you should not focus solely on clear rules and standards described in economics textbooks and home economics reference books. Intuition and experience are much more important, allowing you to navigate financial waves better than anything else and manage your household economically.

Household saving rules
Each of us, deep down in our souls, is sure that we know how to save and increase our capital. And he even willingly gives advice to friends/neighbors/co-workers, and at the same time comments on economic processes in the state no worse than financial analysts. But when it comes down to it, that is, real life, there are many obstacles to the successful implementation of reasonable reasoning in life. Either an increase in prices, or a delay in salaries, or some unforeseen expenses... And now, instead of saving, we again get into debt and expenses, promising ourselves and others that next time we will definitely be smarter and more rational! Let’s better remember right now and analyze the rules that we are used to following in managing our personal and family budgets. To make sure they are useful. Or vice versa.

Recording income and expenses in writing. Making a list of necessary purchases for the month ahead and checking all expenses against this list. Surely you have heard such advice from older relatives and as a child you have more than once watched how dad or mom at the beginning of the month, having received a salary, sit down to make a list, surrounding themselves with a checkered notebook, a barn book, pens with red and blue ink and a pile of receipts for payment of utilities. Many people, ever since childhood, shudder at the need to do something like this and let accounting for the home budget take its course. Others, having matured, selflessly try for a while to follow the example of the older generation, but later also abandon this activity.
In fact, compiling such lists is costly both in terms of time and effort. It brings certain benefits if you adhere to accounting in a disciplined and systematic manner, and allows you to clearly see what was, what was spent on, when and how it happened. This is precisely the information that can be so difficult to retain in your head and subsequently recall from memory. But the main thing in this mechanism is not the formal compilation of one or two lists, but maintaining a balance of income and expenses, that is, maintaining basic home accounting. Not everyone has enough time, patience and skill for this, and therefore the recommendation, which is basically good, remains a useless waste of time, and over time it is completely forgotten as unnecessary. But you can try using modern computer programs that have replaced barn books. Calculations are made automatically, and the information is securely stored and conveniently displayed in tables and graphs.
Avoiding unnecessary expenses and purchases, which you can easily do without. Also good advice for those who have iron willpower, whose reason always prevails over emotions and who have at least a bit of asceticism. For everyone else, this recommendation remains something akin to parents’ advice to eat less sweets and wash your hands before eating, that is, reasonable, but impossible to implement. The main difficulty here lies in strictly distinguishing between what is necessary and what is not so necessary. For example, in winter you can do without buying a swimsuit, because new gloves are much more relevant, and you can wear a bikini no earlier than six months later (then buy it). But an inner voice immediately whispers that “then” these bright rags will cost five times more than now, on sale. Therefore, the division into necessary/unnecessary is very conditional, and it can only be realized if you clearly understand all your needs and your family, including in advance. And for this, it won’t hurt to follow the previous point, the pros and cons of which we discussed in the paragraph above. Although, with regard to impulsive purchases, you can and should educate yourself so that every evening you are not surprised to find an empty wallet in your wallet, which seems to be quite plump in the morning.
Search for additional sources of income. This rule, perhaps, could be called the leader of the list and put it in first place. But we will leave it as the third point for one simple reason. Most of our compatriots are not sitting idle anyway, and some are already busy in more than one job. Therefore, they simply have neither the time nor the energy to search for additional income. A radical change in the type of activity, although it promises tempting prospects, can result in a completely opposite result of the loss of existing stability. And therefore, many prefer not to take risks, but to be content with the established order of things and level of income. Although you shouldn’t refuse the opportunity to earn extra money. They can be dropped off by relatives, acquaintances and even random interlocutors. Sometimes it is precisely this unexpected help from fate that comes just in time. And in any case, unplanned, but not extra money can always be used according to the next rule in our list.
Regular procrastination a small but constant amount in reserve. A lot depends on how much money you can afford to save. If we are talking about a more or less significant amount, then opening a deposit bank account can really be considered a good way to insure yourself against a rainy day or save up for a major purchase. But meager savings in the bank will bring almost imperceptible profit, and houses in the nightstand risk simply depreciating due to constant price increases and currency fluctuations. In addition, there is the opposite rule, according to which money must be in motion so as not to stagnate and multiply. And even though there is a fair amount of esotericism in this approach, it cannot be denied justice. So the optimal tactic would be to create a nest egg based on your own capabilities, but not to elevate it to a cult and not to replace it with other ways to optimize the home economy.

As you can see, even in the most dogmatic rule, upon closer examination, gaps are revealed. That is, blindly following stereotypical recommendations in order to truly run a household economically is unlikely to work. Instead, you will have to be creative and show dexterity and ingenuity. But as a result, you will definitely be rewarded both financially and morally, feeling like a real master, if not of life in general, but at least of what concerns your personal living space and family budget. And this, you see, is already a lot for a comfortable life in peace with yourself, your household and price tags in stores.

How to save money on shopping and housekeeping
All this seems understandable in theory, especially after the most established myths about economical housekeeping have been debunked. But life rarely completely coincides with theory; it happens here and now, requiring quick decisions and their immediate implementation. Therefore, as the next steps in mastering the difficult but important business of economical housekeeping, we invite you to at least briefly (as far as the volume of the article allows) consider the most common situations in which we are usually required to have that very rational approach to expenses. And for ease of perception and, we hope, subsequent use, we will divide them into thematic sections:

Food. According to all sociological surveys and pyramids of needs, this is the first and largest item of expenditure for every person. You can save on buying groceries, and even without much damage to the quality of food and the variety of your diet. You just need to know where, what and when it’s best to buy. For example, there is a category of products that do not spoil for a long time and which you can buy for future use and thereby save yourself from the risk of rising prices and from the need to spend a little from your daily or weekly budget on them each time. These products include pasta, cereals, flour, sugar, and salt. Economical or so-called “family” packages of such groceries are cheaper than small packages. The same goes for dry and canned pet food. Canned fish and meat, compotes, jams can also be classified in this category if your home has suitable conditions for storing them. Often small wholesale quantities are sold in special hypermarkets for private entrepreneurs, where tax is not added to the price of the goods. It makes sense to take advantage of this opportunity to purchase food for a large family and/or for yourself for future use.
Perishable foods, which include meat, fish, dairy and fermented milk products, fresh vegetables and fruits, can be bought once a week at the market, where in the morning prices are usually lower than all week in a supermarket in the city center. If you have the opportunity to go early to the farmers market and load your trunk with natural and fresh produce, then such a purchase will not only cost you less, but will also bring a lot of pleasure and benefit from the products themselves. All food grown on local land by agricultural firms and state farms, as a rule, is of higher quality and cheaper than that brought from afar (at least you do not overpay for its transportation and storage). At the same time, some vegetables can be stored in the freezer even when their season ends and the price rises. This applies mainly to peppers, carrots, onions, peas, zucchini, eggplants and other fruits that are dense enough to maintain their shape. Fruits (apples, pears, apricots, cherry plums) and berries (cherries, currants, cranberries) are also perfectly stored in a deep-frozen state.
To avoid unnecessary expenses, do not go to the grocery store on an empty stomach and do not take children with you. It is best if you write a shopping list in advance and move from department to department according to this list, without being tempted by the appetizing smells from the confectionery and bread departments, which, by the way, are always deliberately located so that it is difficult to pass by them. It is difficult to explain to children why this time you are not planning to buy an extra chocolate bar, so in order to avoid whims and the risk of giving in to persuasion, it is better to just go grocery shopping without the kids. But this advice won’t help much if you yourself have a sweet tooth and can’t resist a kinder surprise with a Disney princess inside. And in general, remind yourself more often that the healthiest food consists of simple ingredients and minimal processing. And such products, as a rule, are cheaper than the delights of the food industry. The inaccessibility of proper nutrition is an ingrained and dangerous stereotype created by marketers of food brands. Eating during fasting and on fasting (in terms of quality, not quantity of food) diets demonstrates this very clearly.
Cloth. The second largest (although for many fashionistas - the first) item of expense. Dressing stylishly and inexpensively is possible and necessary. First of all, that's what sales are for. Practical Europeans and Americans, for example, with the possible exception of celebrity millionaires, consider buying clothes from new collections to be an unreasonable extravagance and always wait for seasonal discounts. Stocks are also a storehouse of branded and inexpensive items that end up there immediately after updating the assortment in the boutique. Subscribe to the newsletter and/or create a regular customer card, and you will always be aware of new arrivals so you can buy your size. Secondly, high-quality clothing from Western brands is now easily available for purchase via the Internet. Its price compares favorably with the store price, especially since not all inexpensive brands are represented in our country. Delivery is carried out all over the world and is often free or costs very symbolic money. If you are afraid to place an order yourself, there are hundreds of intermediary entrepreneurs at your service who are engaged in purchasing such items to order.
Thirdly, the best way not to spend extra money on clothes is to have good taste and a sense of style. Build a solid basic wardrobe based on classic, good quality items that don’t go out of fashion, can be combined in different combinations and fit perfectly on your figure. After this, it will be enough from time to time to buy missing and not very expensive accessories that will refresh your look and correspond to seasonal trends. As for children's clothing, it is already considered good practice all over the world to buy and/or exchange it on special auction sites. There you can also find toys, furniture and much more for your beloved children, who are quickly outgrowing their previous size. And, of course, custom tailoring never goes out of style. This is an expensive pleasure if you use the services of a tailor, and significant savings if you become your own tailor. This advice is not suitable for everyone, but if you have the gift and skills of cutting and sewing, then you definitely don’t have to worry about your wardrobe and wallet!
Life and utilities. Regarding the purchase of many household items, household chemicals, consumables such as light bulbs and matches, as well as napkins/towels, the same rules apply as for food products: wholesale is cheaper and more profitable. In addition, please note that many large retail chains produce such products under their own brands and sell them much cheaper than third-party analogues. At the same time, the production capacity of a promoted brand and a private store label may be the same, but there is no markup for the name and resale. A shopping list compiled in advance also doesn’t hurt, especially since sometimes you can forget that you already have a supply of toilet paper at home, and accidentally add more when money is already tight. When paying at the checkout, use cash rather than bank cards. On the one hand, this way you won’t have to pay a commission, albeit a small one, to the bank. On the other hand, a specific amount in your wallet disciplines you and keeps you from making unnecessary purchases, unlike a universal credit card. Finally, do not neglect the opportunity to get a savings or discount card at the supermarket where you often shop. Even a 5% discount on total costs is a significant saving over time.
Installing household water, gas and electricity meters pays off and allows you to save on paying for these services. Because the conditional standards of management companies can sometimes be three times higher than your real needs and costs. Especially when you leave home on a business trip or vacation. Not to mention central heating, for which bills arrive much more regularly than it is supplied to residential buildings. In the long term, many owners admit that installing an autonomous heating system turns out to be a very profitable investment. But this advice will be relevant only for those who can afford to spend a significant amount at once and return it gradually over two to three years. But energy-saving lamps, although more expensive than conventional incandescent light bulbs, are affordable for almost everyone. They last a long time, and actually use much less electrical energy.
Entertainment belong to the category of not obligatory, but additional costs, so it is quite possible to save on them. It all depends on your habits and lifestyle. For some people, going to the cinema is already an event, while others feel deprived without a weekly nightclub binge. But in a general sense, we can say that you can save on movie showings through special “wholesale” screenings, when on weekend evenings three films are shown at once for the price of one ticket. Premiere shows are always more expensive than current ones. Morning ones are cheaper than evening ones. And, of course, a romantic dinner is much cheaper to prepare and eat at home than to order in a restaurant. An alternative option is to order food at home. Even trendy and expensive Japanese and Italian cuisine, if delivered, is often 25-30 percent cheaper than at a restaurant table. As for entertainment events, concerts and exhibitions, open airs have recently become very popular, which are much cheaper and more fun than indoor festivals. Also, inquire about special services in your city that provide discounts and flyers for attending various events. They often provide the opportunity to see and hear a lot of interesting things, if not completely free, then much cheaper than the standard entrance ticket price.
Holidays and travel– an important part of a full life, personal development and inner harmony. But it’s extremely expensive, and the further you go, the more so. You can save on travel in two ways: through transport and through housing. This topic is very broad and worthy of a separate article, so we’ll just give a few pointers. You can save on transport by purchasing tickets from low-cost airlines, ordering them online and printing an electronic ticket yourself. The second option is to monitor seasonal offers and movements of charter flights, which can be significantly cheaper than basic fares. Instead of renting a hotel room, look for an inexpensive but comfortable hostel. These establishments are often located in the very center of the city, but are aimed at students and young travelers, so accommodation is inexpensive (cheaper than a hotel room or a separate apartment). Ready-made package offers from tour operators, as well as trips to multi-star hotels with an all-inclusive program, are always more expensive than independent travel along your own route without standard mass excursions. At the same time, they allow you to get much more impressions and memories than expensively lying in a comfortable sun lounger by a heated pool with a tenth calorie cocktail in your hand and boredom on your face. So the choice is yours and your budget, which you are willing to spend on your vacation.

To summarize, it remains to say that the entire vast sphere of the home, and personal, economy is built on one little secret. It lies in the fact that people whose consumption culture is at a high level are best able to manage their household economically. And what to include in this concept - everyone decides for himself. For some it is a gradual but constant increase in income, for others it is a reduction in expenses. But in the end, balance and rationalism are important in everything, from finding a democratic alternative to catwalk innovations to purchasing noodles until the next paycheck. But at the same time, we must not forget that saving for the sake of saving does not bring either joy or benefit, subjugating all your thoughts and preventing you from enjoying life. Therefore, from time to time, allow yourself optional, but pleasant little things that will decorate your life, lift your spirits and fill every day with meaning. After all, happiness is not found in money, no matter how banal it may sound.