Depending on earnings, the approach to saving will be different. If the salary is basically enough for everything, but you want to spend a little less, that's one thing. There is always room for maneuver. And in case of miscalculation, nothing criminal will happen — there is money. Therefore, saving turns partly into a game, a fight with myself: will it be possible to postpone more, show willpower and discipline, understand that I am doing well.
Saving with a low income is completely different. There is almost no room for error here. An embarrassing waste can leave a family without food. And saving money is not entertainment at all, but a harsh necessity that significantly affects the quality of life.
That is why comments often appear under articles about saving: "What should I do? I have a salary of 15 thousand rubles." And indeed, not all recommendations are equally useful. For example, the following tips need to be adjusted.
By default, it is assumed that a person's income is enough to meet basic needs, and there is still a little left for entertainment and pleasant, but optional purchases. It is on the latter that they offer to save by saving 10% of the salary.
But if it is end-to-end enough only for food, travel and communal services, it will not work to pinch off 10% of the amount: this will greatly affect the quality of life. When the choice is between the options "save" or "don't starve", the second option is obviously preferable.
The airbag is still needed. And the lower the income, the more, because in difficult times, even modest savings can really save. You can form a stock with the help of unscheduled cash receipts. For example, gifts, bonuses and part-time jobs.
Indeed, large sets of anything are usually cheaper. And it is profitable to buy them, because washing powder or chicken legs are always in place. So this advice in itself is not bad. But with a low income, everything depends on the fact that there is physically no money for large bundles. A person would be happy to buy 20 kilograms of chicken at once, but then only this bird will be in the refrigerator. Therefore, we have to take smaller packages in order to eventually purchase everything we need.
Cooperate with like-minded people. A kilogram of goods from a huge pack will cost less than from a small one. So, you can buy a large package for two or three, divide it and save significantly on this.
And with some products, you should pay attention to joint purchases. In fact, this is the same scheme, only a special person is looking for like-minded people and coordinates the purchase.
Both tips are usually about losing control of finances. Some people find it easier to part with money by paying with a card, because in this case they perceive the funds as some kind of virtual bills, not seriously. For others, withdrawing cash from an account means saying goodbye to it. The bank sends messages about the account balance, which is alarming. But the bills do not shake the nerves — I took them off and forgot.
Be that as it may, both of these tips are hardly relevant with a low income. A person gets used to saving, so he is unlikely to be able to throw money down the drain solely because of the form of their storage.
Nevertheless, money, as they say, loves the bill. Therefore, it is better to store them so that it is well understood how much money is left and where they lie. If one part is stuffed into the pockets in the bills, the other is lying on the card, the third is rattling under the lining of the jacket, then you can miss what you have. And this is an unacceptable luxury. Financial discipline does not fail with any income.
With a low salary, it is easy to take such advice with hostility: where can I get money to buy unnecessary things in principle? It is obvious that a person spends only on what he cannot do without.
In fact, in almost any basket you can find products without which it would not have become worse. It is very difficult to simply evaluate them from the position of "necessary — unnecessary". For example, alcohol and cigarettes are perceived by many as something that absolutely cannot be dispensed with. Meanwhile, spending on bad habits can reach several thousand per month, which hurts the budget.
If you look at the cost structure from different sides, there will certainly be goods in it that you can save money on buying.
Marketing tools are designed to benefit sellers, not buyers. Promotions stimulate interest, force people to make unplanned purchases. However, such marketing works for those who have a free amount. A person with a low income, with all his desire, will not be able to buy a lot of unnecessary goods.
But it is the shares that can help you buy high-quality things at a reduced price. For example, a brand's warm jacket, which was not available at full cost.
Use stocks for your own benefit, analyzing them with a cool head. For example, the sale of "six things for the price of three" is obviously questionable: there is too great a risk that you will take some of the goods just to get into the conditions. But the seasonal discounts that stores arrange to free up shelves for a new collection are just what you need.
People with low incomes are often advised to do any work themselves — repair cranes, glue wallpaper, and so on. It is assumed that if your hour is cheaper than that of a specialist, it will be more profitable to spend time, not money.
But there is a nuance. What a professional will take an hour, an amateur will easily stretch for several days. Sometimes additional equipment is required. And the result is unpredictable. So this tactic is not always a good option to save money.
Soberly approach the assessment of your abilities and the result you want to get in the end. For example, to slowly assemble a closet on the weekend — why not. Mounting the kitchen for a week and a half is probably not worth it. Without furniture and appliances, the family will have to eat anything, and this is usually more expensive than food cooked at home.
It is often advised to pay attention only to the active substance in the preparation. They say that pharmaceutical companies and doctors are cashing in on you, because there are pills for 30 rubles and for 300 — why overpay. And this, in general, is harmful advice for people with any income. In medicines, not only the active substance is important, but also the composition in the complex. Sometimes even the specific plant where the drug was produced is important. As a result, the remedy may not work as expected, and it will take a lot of money to bring health back to normal.
It is better to do without amateur activity and check with the attending physician possible replacements. Usually doctors meet halfway and suggest how to save money without harm to health.
Total savings significantly spoils life. To change the situation, we need to think about increasing income — everything is right here. And therefore, it is often advised not to spare money for education, take courses and receive certificates.
But the problem, as always, is in the little things. Periodically there are situations when people take loans for all sorts of courses, and then they are left with a certificate without a number and with very mediocre knowledge.
Good paid courses help to get systematized information in a short time, ask questions directly to the teacher, make useful acquaintances and get a certificate that will not turn out to be a useless piece of paper. Bad courses just pull money out of students. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish one from the other.
But another important thing is that, unlike certificates, knowledge can be obtained in various ways, including for free. If money is tight, do not think that some courses will miraculously lead to a high salary. But the systematic acquisition of new skills and their application in practice can. So do not leave your family without food for lectures and webinars.
