According to financial advisors, you can save on literally everything. You just need to be more thoughtful about your own and family expenses. Here we present only 30 points that will help you optimize your spending.

Renting an apartment. If you still don’t have your own home, and the owners with enviable consistency raise prices (or, on the contrary, with the onset of the crisis they do not want to lower them, like others), you should think about changing your place of residence. The good news is that with the onset of the economic downturn, the number of listings on the market has increased. Therefore, you have a chance to find housing cheaper and closer to your current place of work or the area where you would like to live. In addition, it is possible that the current owners, having heard about your intention to move out in order to save money, will reduce the rental price (especially if you are a pleasant, conflict-free and tidy tenant) - there are many such cases. Again, save money.

Public utilities. Installing water meters, a toilet with economical flushing, energy-saving light bulbs is not a complete list of what you can save on in terms of utilities. It is important, in principle, to change the approach to the consumption of electricity, gas, and water. Make sure that household members always turn off the lights when leaving the room. If you are cooking or dining, turn off the TV in the living room so that it does not run idle. Unplug your computer at night without leaving the lights on it and the modem on. Try to load the washing machine completely. Don't leave the water running. In a word, approach the issue wisely, and the savings will be significant - up to 30-40%.

Night clubs. Do you like it? But not every weekend! Moreover, the cost of entrance tickets often goes beyond reason. Maybe it makes sense to monitor prices and choose something cheaper or pay attention to the days and times when entry is free for girls?

Concerts, shows, cinema. There is such a wonderful thing as free invitations. Of course, your access to them depends on the company where you work, as well as where your friends and girlfriends work. For example, journalists always have a lot of free invitations. Similarly, you can take advantage of the situation when your company is an information (or other) sponsor of an event. You can always find out such information from your company’s PR specialists. It won't hurt to make friends with them. Then you will always be aware of the availability of free tickets.

Clothes and shoes. When they talk about saving on clothes and shoes, people begin to shy away and shout something about the “consumer demand” of Chinese clothes. In fact, no one is encouraging you to wear low-quality clothes. What needs to be “changed” is the approach not to the quality, but to the quantity of clothes purchased. I bet that even without updating, your things will last for a couple of years to come. So why buy clothes in “tons”? Why do you need four pairs of jeans, three pairs of fall shoes and two pairs of winter shoes? Count how many blouses and sweaters are in your closet - at least ten, right? Actually, I am not at all against such “biological diversity”, but the number of updates can and should be reduced a little.

Perfume. Perfume and eau de toilette must be good and expensive - everyone knows this. What can be done to save money in this matter? Firstly, in the line of your favorites, purchased from year to year, there are more expensive and cheaper ones. Give preference to those that are cheaper. Secondly, monitor prices in stores. As my friend, the owner of an online perfume store, says, choose perfumes in boutiques and order online so as not to pay a markup.

Accessories. Without another pair of gold earrings and a ring, you are quite capable of surviving. As well as without the tenth handbag. I’m sure you already have a suitable decoration for each outfit (according to style). If not, remember that jewelry is in fashion today. And also a hobby of making jewelry yourself (the latter is at your request).

Taxi. A taxi is an unaffordable luxury. Especially in conditions of regular public transport. Taxis should only be taken on special occasions, such as at night.

Food from the restaurant. Today, programs like “Eating at Home” with Yulia Vysotskaya are incredibly popular. First of all, because cooking yourself is several times cheaper than buying semi-finished products in a store. At the same time, it is important to create a menu in advance, and then buy in the store the products needed specifically for the planned dishes. According to experts, this saves at least 50%.

Cafes, restaurants. You can have coffee with a friend in a cafe or at your home. The difference is quite significant. For the money you pay for one cup in a good cafe, you can buy a whole pack of coffee at home. Of course, I am not calling you to a reclusive lifestyle, but the number of exits can be reduced. What difference does it make where to have a heart-to-heart talk - at a table in a cafe or in a cozy kitchenette?

Technique. Have you ever dreamed of buying a large TV? Keep dreaming. Analyze how much you watch this very “box”. Admit it, not so much. News in the evening, movies on weekends... Is it worth “upgrading” by emptying your own “bank”?

Beauty Salons. You can save here in different ways. Here are recipes from three of my friends. The first one started going to a cheaper hairdresser because her hair is long, and a haircut always comes down to just trimming her hair. The second one always signed up with the same master. As a result, they became friends, and my friend began going to her home for a haircut, “bypassing” the salon. Savings amounted to 30%. The third friend began to do pedicures herself, and instead of expensive cosmetic procedures, she bought herself a couple of peelings (analogues of cosmetic procedures).

Online stores. With the help of online stores, you can save not only on perfume (as I noted above), but also on the purchase of any other goods. What I like most is the “compare price” function, which is available on some portals. She “knocks out” a column of stores with increasing prices. So you can choose the lowest one. Of course, make sure that the warranty period is no less than in other stores, and that delivery (regardless of the price of the product) is free.

At full prices. I have a friend who never makes large purchases (equipment, shoes) at full price. She either waits, constantly calling and checking with the store, or uses discount cards (her own, colleagues and friends).

To be continued…

Last update: 03-08-2019

The main card on which money is stored, leave it at home and don’t use it anywhere – this is for safety.

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

By the way, cards charge from 6% per annum on the balance, 1% cashback is valid on all purchases, 5% for 3 categories to choose from, up to 30% on promotions. This allows you to not only conveniently track your expenses, but also save even more money in stores.

Keeping track of family expenses and adjusting them every week

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

This allows you to see the full picture and understand where you are overspending and where there is a reserve of money. It will not be possible to keep all the information in your head.

It is advisable to summarize 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, and prepare in advance.

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

Think about your diet

Reducing the consumption of meat foods or sweets for tea can bring significant savings.

Eg, At one time I kept track of expenses in sufficient detail and after a couple of months I found out that the expenses for buns and tea cakes take up 30% of all food expenses.

If your monthly spending on food is 9,000 rubles, then 3,000 rubles go towards baking.

Make sure everything is eaten

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

– What to do in this case?

It's simple. These are not the times when there were no products in stores. You can buy everything you need at almost any time of the day or night, and it’s fresh. At least in cities.

So you can take perishable products only when necessary, and do not make stocks of them.

Packaged and pre-cut foods may cost more or less

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

Larger packaging 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 involved in sales noticed that buyers were accustomed to taking a large pack in order to save money, and they used it to their advantage.

Although sometimes the opposite happens.

A few examples:

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

In general, be more careful. Such little things will allow you to save an extra penny, or, on the contrary, 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 your food budget per month.

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

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

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

Buy products in bulk

Although this point is not so easy to implement, it can save a lot of money on the family budget.

Buy the most popular products in your diet in bulk, 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 season, when they are much cheaper.

Now try adding up all the money saved from this category. How much do you make per month? What about a year?

10 ways to How to save money on grocery shopping

If you don't have a cashback card, then you're already losing money. , this card helps you save on average from 800 to 1500 rubles per month.

Go to the store with a shopping list - 100% guarantee

A banal rule, but it works. I’ve tested it many times from my own experience, and it takes much less time.

They came, they saw, they bought.

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

Get bonus and discount cards and don’t lose money

Most chain stores have long been offering their customers cards on which they 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 consistency of purchases, then a significant amount can accumulate over the same year.

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

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

Look for something simpler in terms of functionality - it will be cheaper and no worse

This advice applies to various techniques. Many people buy fancy electronics, but end up using 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 capabilities are the same, the quality is at the same 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 purchases in advance

1. Most stores hold promotions and sales at certain intervals; if you take your time and time it right, you can get a big discount.
2. Sometimes it’s better to wait for 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 the link for a more detailed review of the card).

An example from personal experience:

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

I decided to broaden my horizons and go study.

Before paying, did you check if Tinkoff Bank has any bonuses? I went into my personal account and saw that when you pay for courses on the website using a card, you can still get about 10% back, which is exactly what I did.

You can order a card on the official website using this link. Tested - an excellent card, with a lot of goodies (cashbacks, good interest on the balance, super service, access to useful services).

Rent of things, tools

It is better to rent things that are needed only once every few years for money or from friends.

Eg, a power tool (hammer, drill) is sometimes needed for one day, sometimes it’s easier to borrow from friends or relatives. Decide to buy, then get ready to shell out several thousand, or even more, if you need a high-quality tool that will last for years, and not throw it away after two uses.

Say no to new products and brands

As a rule, they are more expensive, wait a while and you can buy cheaper. Before purchasing, think about why you need the item.

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

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

A product with defects is not always bad

Even a small scratch in an inconspicuous place can reduce the price of the product by 2 times. There's nothing wrong with that. It's stupid to spend a lot of money when you can save money.

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 5,000 rubles- not bad.

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

Nowadays, joint shopping sites have become popular. This is when people together collect orders for a wholesale batch and receive a discount. You can find many products much cheaper.

• I bought sockets for my apartment, and they cost almost 100 rubles cheaper than in stores, and that’s per piece, and you need at least 10 of them for an apartment. Saving 1000 rubles.

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

• Eg, I found chocolate on sale during joint purchases, the same brand in stores was 20 rubles cheaper, and this does not take into account transportation costs, storage and the need to go to the place of issue.
• Or another example, I found a nozzle for mixing construction mixtures, it seemed to be 100 rubles cheaper, but after calculations it became clear that taking into account the waiting time for an order, payment of transportation costs and storage costs, such a purchase was not profitable.

8 ways to How to save money on tariffs

Compare service rates from time to time

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

Eg Having summed up my phone expenses, I came to the conclusion that a regular tariff with a monthly subscription fee would suit me, as a nice bonus - cheap Internet. Costs have remained the same, but opportunities have increased.

Avoid unnecessary services

Eg, it’s cheaper for me to make a long-distance cell phone call once a month than to have a home phone; the Internet makes these calls even cheaper.

Another example, got a second SIM card, after some time I noticed that the money on it had disappeared. I started looking carefully at the tariffs, it turned out that some options were paid or not, and they started charging me a subscription fee. It seems like 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

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

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

Paying in advance can save you up to 50%

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

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

Ask about discounts to save money

I've heard this method many times before: If you buy or order a service, be sure to ask about the discount. Do this always and everywhere. If they refuse you, it’s okay.

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

Also look for places that give out discounts. Eg, coupon site. You can find interesting offers there that are 2 times cheaper than if you go to the same store just like that.

Don't save money!

This advice may seem counterintuitive given everything described above, but sometimes the best savings is paying more.

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

Another example with shoes, I bought winter boots from the Ricker brand, they were more expensive than regular ones for 50, but in the end I wore them for about 5 years.

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

3 rules to How to save money on your travel vacation

Plan your entire vacation in advance

If you book trips in advance, buy tickets, etc., then a travel vacation can be significantly cheaper.

Eg, my wife and I bought a tour to Thailand, a week later the same tour cost 10 thousand more, and if we had bought it 2 months earlier, then could fly 15-20 thousand cheaper. This 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 a remote location, this will inevitably lead to unnecessary travel expenses. Abroad, this can be a significant expense.

List all the places you would like to visit and find a hotel that would be within walking distance to the maximum number of these very places. Give priority to those entertainments that you will visit 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. You eat once or twice, and then you will look for something more familiar, this is an extra expense. It’s easier to find online recommendations in advance where you can eat.

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

Vacationed in Vietnam, one of the local travel agencies was giving out free maps of the city. These cards indicated attractions and coupons with discounts of 5-10% in different establishments.

On the spot, never rush to buy anything or spend money anywhere. The first day, ideally, it’s 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 risks not eating, but paying good money.

It’s the same with things; on busy streets prices will always be higher than somewhere else. As a rule, prices are significantly inflated, so always try to bargain. If they refuse, it’s no big deal, but if they reject you, it will save you some money.

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

Many of us have faced the problem of saving money. Saving in modern society is a necessary measure, but not everyone succeeds. How to properly distribute your budget so as not to go into starvation, and how to save money in order to enjoy life in the future? This is the problem that our article is intended to solve.

How to save money is a question that many of us ask. Answer: you can save on absolutely everything! On food, clothing, entertainment, transport, housing, beauty, household appliances, technology, utilities and much more.

If you want to spend your money wisely and live in good conditions, then listen to our advice. You can maintain your budget and even increase it. Perhaps not all advice will be acceptable to you. But try to expand the list of things you save on.

Main expense items

We will start, perhaps, with the largest, most basic, mandatory items of expenditure.

Housing. Some of us are lucky enough to have our own living space. Those who do not have their own home can save quite a lot of money on renting it. It is not necessary to rent housing in the center or expensive areas; you can find affordable housing in a residential area. This will save you good money.

Public utilities. The basic rule for all types of services is the mandatory installation of a meter. Further:

• electricity. Turn off the lights if you don't need them. Install energy-saving lamps. Although they are more expensive, they will pay for themselves later. If there is no need, turn off the computer, TV, and other gadgets. Do not turn on the air conditioner and heater unnecessarily;
• water. Water shouldn't just flow. Turn on the washing machine only when there is a lot of laundry. Take a shower, not a bath. If possible, reduce the shower pressure. Check all plumbing fixtures for leaks. After all, sometimes a lot of money is wasted due to small leaks;
• heating. To save on heating, you must first invest good money in it. Insulate the walls, replace the windows with plastic ones. Turn off the heating at least at night and you will see that the house is still warm, and the money saved will warm your soul;
• rates. Review tariffs for television, telephone, and Internet. Now almost every day new tariffs are released that will allow you to use services and pay less.

Food is also a major expense item. To save on groceries, avoid restaurants, cafes, and convenience foods. Cook at home yourself. Buy products in a store or market. Shop once a week and take only what you need. Cereals, salt, sugar, flour can be purchased in large packages and in wholesale stores. For the winter, learn how to make your favorite jam, freeze berries, pickle vegetables and mushrooms. Do not buy products on various promotions; they are initially more expensive than regular ones.

Cloth. If you want to save a lot of money, always buy high-quality, good things that you can carry for several seasons. Stay up to date with promotions and seasonal sales. Try to get discount cards that accumulate discounts. Know how to mend your own clothes, mend your trousers or socks.

Transport. Save money on transport. Change to a public one if you took a taxi. If you have your own car, you can take companions on the way to work. This will not only reduce your expenses, but will even allow you to earn money. If you work close to home, then you can generally walk to work. Both cheap and useful.

Household chemicals. Good money will remain in your wallet if you review your arsenal of household products. You can buy cleaning products from affordable brands, the effect will be the same, but the price will be lower. Buy a universal product for all surfaces. It must be remembered that ordinary soda, vinegar and ammonia can clean all surfaces quickly and very cheaply.

Entertainment and beauty

What you can save on is entertainment.

Buy an e-book and you won't have to constantly buy new books. You can also download the book online. You can download movies and music on the Internet without having to buy CDs.

If you visit the gym, you can replace it with morning jogging, exercise at home or on special grounds.

Salon treatments can also be replaced with home treatments. You can buy masks, scrubs in the store, and do manicures at home. It will be even cheaper to use folk remedies. It will take you little time, but will save you good money.

If you calculate how many cigarettes you smoke per day, as well as how many packs you use per week, you will understand how expensive it is. Quit smoking or smoke less – it’s both good for your health and for your budget. The same goes for alcohol.

You can save on fast food. Control your immediate desires and get good results.

Cafes and restaurants. We put this expense item in first place, since it is usually not paid attention to, but it is precisely this that results in a significant amount at the end of the month. The authors also judge by themselves, since they quite often meet people in cafes and restaurants. In Moscow cafes, this costs at least 200–300 rubles. (a cup of coffee or juice with dessert), and if you sit in a restaurant in the evening - at least 500–700 rubles. If you calculate everything, this item can cost from 10,000 to 30,000 rubles per month. For people with relatively low incomes, this item is the first candidate for reduction.

Food. Food expenses are one of the important components of the family budget. At the same time, saving on food is associated by many with poverty, hoarding and loss of health. As a rule, this is something that people never plan to save on, and at the same time, it is an expense that needs to be reduced first.

According to surveys of people on the street conducted by various media, they have already begun to save, and specifically on groceries.

The secret of this phenomenon is explained simply: without taking into account expenses and income, it is difficult for a person to navigate which costs he has, which are redundant and which are easy to optimize. But they eat everything regularly. When our financial situation worsens, regardless of our diet, we automatically catch ourselves thinking about how to save on food. All methods of reducing food costs lead to an increase in time spent: on preparation (including in connection with the refusal of semi-finished products), more detailed accounting of products, etc. Therefore, if the share of food costs in the family budget is small, the savings are unjustified.

Now I propose specific steps that allow you, if not to optimize, then at least to estimate your expenses for this item.

Step 1. Is it really for food?

This is the first question to ask yourself if it “seems” that an excess amount is going into the toilet. First, look to see if there are any accounting errors.

• Allocating all small expenses to groceries. If you estimate your expenses in your head or your accounting system is not detailed enough, you may “write off” everything that is not a major purchase on groceries.
• Accounting for receipts from the supermarket in one amount.

Today's supermarkets and hypermarkets sell everything or almost everything. By assigning the entire receipt to groceries, you are unwittingly deceiving yourself. This approach does not allow you to analyze expenses and eliminate truly unnecessary things.

Step 2. Separate the flies from the cutlets.

This means separating snacks, alcohol and delicacies from food expenses - something that you can give up without harm, and sometimes even with health benefits. Exotic fruits brought from afar are not always full of vitamins and, in addition, are most likely treated with chemicals for long-term transportation.

Step 3. Revolution in the kitchen.

This step requires serious time investment (previous steps, in fact, boiled down to improving accounting). But if it arrives somewhere, it means that the same amount will disappear elsewhere. Menu planning and making a shopping list will help you truly reduce your food costs. This will prevent you from buying extra food that is likely to spoil in the refrigerator and end up in the trash. In addition, you should give up semi-finished products: preparing your own dishes will reduce food costs and at the same time add variety to the menu.

Step 4. Quantity does not come at the expense of quality.

Here we are talking about the need to replace the store where you currently shop with a cheaper one.

It is no secret that the cost of the same products in different stores is not the same. By switching to an economy class location, you can significantly reduce your grocery costs. At the same time, do not forget to take into account the costs of travel and back (the gain from the replacement must be preserved).

It is worth paying attention to other brands of products - cheaper products are not always of lower quality. We often pay extra for brand awareness, good advertising, etc. Of course, finding the optimal price/quality ratio may take some time.

Step 5. Sturgeon of the second freshness.

Reducing the quality and variety of products is a last resort solution, because in the end your health may suffer. This step may include finding cost-effective recipes, significantly simplifying the menu, etc.

If you remember Russian fairy tales, there is nothing tastier than ax soup. In addition, the domestic culinary epic offers soup made from processed cheese “Druzhba”, sausage grated on sandwiches and a tea bag that is brewed several times. These are the harsh methods of student savings from the “dashing” 90s. Unfortunately, they usually lead to gastritis.

Taxes. In most Russian families, the line “income tax” among the expense items can only be seen if the property was sold and the tax office sent a short but threatening letter. In other cases, the tax will pass by the family budget: the employer will pay it for the employee, the broker will pay it for the speculator on the stock market, the bank will pay it for the depositor, etc. But is it worth leaving an income item of 13% or more uncontrolled? The answer to this question is suggested by the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, which gives some taxpayers personal income tax benefits.

Tax deductions are tax benefits enshrined in the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. They are called so because the amount of the deduction reduces taxable income.

Who can take advantage of tax deductions?

First of all, to take advantage of the tax deduction, you need to know about it. But receiving it is a purely voluntary matter, and no one will remind you of the opportunity to receive a personal income tax refund.

Only tax residents of the Russian Federation (those who live in Russia for at least 183 days a year) can exercise their right to deduction and only on income taxed at a rate of 13% (salaries, income from the sale of movable and immovable property, etc.) .

What are the tax deductions?

Property deductions.

The most significant benefits can be obtained when purchasing real estate. Since January 2008 - this is 2 million rubles. This means that you can return the income tax previously paid on 2 million, or 260,000 rubles. If you did not manage to fully use the deduction within 12 months (for example, the income was less than 2 million rubles), it is transferred to the next year. Unfortunately, this benefit is provided to a person only once in his life.

If the property was purchased using loan funds, in addition to the specified deduction, you will be able to return 13% of the interest paid on the loan.

Tax benefits are also provided in case of sale of property. If you own real estate for less than 3 years, the deduction will be 1 million rubles. (tax will be reduced by 130,000 rubles). After the three-year ownership period, there is no need to pay tax. For other property, a deduction of RUB 125,000 is provided. when owning it for up to 3 years (tax savings - about 16,000 rubles) or complete tax exemption for a longer period.

Social deductions.

Tax benefits also apply to charity, education, medical treatment and pension contributions.

If a taxpayer transfers income to charitable purposes, he can return the tax paid on it up to 25% of the income.

If in the reporting year you spent money on your education and treatment or paid pension contributions, you can save 15,600 rubles on tax. The total deduction for such expenses does not exceed 120,000 rubles. It will not be carried over to next year.

You can also get a tax deduction for the education of children (RUB 50,000). This will give tax savings of 6,500 rubles.

To receive a tax deduction, you need:

• obtain an individual taxpayer number - TIN (if you do not have one);
• collect documents confirming the right to a tax deduction:
• for all types of deductions - payment documents: checks, receipts, bank statements. Additionally, for property deduction - an act of acceptance and transfer. For deductions for treatment - a certificate of payment for medical services (issued by a medical institution) and prescription forms;
• contracts - purchase and sale of real estate, for medical services or training;
• for a deduction for interest paid on a mortgage - a mortgage agreement and a certificate from the bank about the amount of interest received;
• when selling property - documents confirming expenses incurred during the purchase.
• receive a certificate of income from the employer in form 2-NDFL;
• make copies of the documents listed in paragraph 1 for submission to the tax office;
• fill out a tax return in form 3-NDFL (the program for filling out is posted on the website www.nalog.ru every year);
• submit a declaration and copies of documents to the tax office to which you are assigned. Write an application for deduction.

An application for a refund of overpaid tax can be submitted within 3 years from the date of payment of the specified amount.

Anyone who was too lazy to apply for a deduction before the crisis did not have time to spend it. This means that he may receive an unplanned replenishment of the reserve fund by submitting declarations for several years that have passed from the date of purchase (no more than three!). Previous editions of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation provided for smaller amounts of deductions than the current ones. Therefore, you should not count on a large replenishment.

Loans. Loan payments can eat up a significant part of your family budget. At first glance, it is impossible to save, you can only avoid making the situation worse - pay carefully and on time so as not to incur bank penalties and fines.

The only way to save on loan payments is to repay them early: this will reduce not only the final overpayment on the loan, but also monthly payments. I want to warn you right away: a bank is not a mutual aid fund, but a commercial enterprise that must make a profit. Therefore, give up hopes that he will accommodate your difficult financial situation and cancel payments, forget about penalties and fines. The reluctance of the borrower, together with the bank, to resolve issues of restructuring loans, including mortgages with the involvement of the state, usually leads to litigation or the sale of the collateral.

There are two extremes when it comes to loans. The first is not to consider having a loan and not being able to repay it as a problem. Representatives of this category are confident that the bank will meet them halfway and, unlike the landlord, will not kick them out of the apartment. The second is to get rid of the loan at any cost. For example, through insurance fraud. Such acts, firstly, are punishable, and secondly, they push you into an even deeper financial hole.

Savings on utilities and communications. The effect of saving on these expense items is possible only in the long term. To save on utilities, you can install water meters, gas meters and two- or three-tariff electricity meters. However, it will take several years to recoup the cost of installing them.

If utilities account for more than 10% of a family's income, there is a chance of receiving a government subsidy.

You can also save money by choosing a more economical tariff plan for landline, mobile and Internet. For long-distance and international calls, it is better to use alternative communications - computer or IP telephony systems.

“When leaving, turn off the lights!” The slogan of Soviet everyday life does not apply to energy-saving light bulbs, which shorten their service life if turned on and off frequently.

We optimize medical expenses. The worst thing is to save on your health: the consequences will affect not only your wallet, but also your life expectancy. Therefore, if you visit doctors quite often, you should use the services of free medicine or choose risk insurance that is optimal in price and provides the necessary medical services. It should be taken into account that most insurance companies do not insure disabled people of groups I and II - such people need to increase the reserve fund to cover planned and emergency medical care.

In addition, planned purchases of necessary medications will help you save money (prices for expensive drugs in different pharmacies can vary significantly).

If you still have your employer's health insurance from good times, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take advantage of it - in terms of examination and subsequent treatment.

Expensive purchases. It is better to postpone expensive purchases and projects during the crisis or reduce their budget (as a rule, these are expenses that are not of primary importance). The savings effect will be quite noticeable.

For example, replacing a vacation in the Maldives with a trip to Egypt will not only not deprive you of your annual vacation, but will also save you several thousand dollars. And deferred European-quality repairs will allow you to survive several months without work.

Rest. You can’t save money on vacation - everyone knows that. But you can choose a more economical option. If you are used to vacationing on distant islands (Maldives, Canaries, Caribbean, etc.), it is better to replace them with cheaper countries located not so far from Russia or the country in which you live. The savings can be quite significant.

Sport. Another item that you shouldn’t skimp on. Yes, it is necessary to play sports in order to be healthy and keep yourself in good shape. But here, as in the case of rest, you will have to moderate your appetites and switch from an elite gym with a subscription for 100,000 rubles. per year, in a more democratic one, in which classes are at least half the price. ()

Cell phones. There are two components to saving here. The first is the device itself. We have long come to the conclusion that the telephone is needed as a means of conversation, and not a camera or computer. Therefore, you should not chase after new products; It is better to use simple and convenient models. You may need other functions on your phone, but don’t overestimate their importance. Unfortunately, you often meet people with very expensive phone models... bought on credit. At the same time, the owner does not always know about all the functions of his “golden” acquisition. By the way, many wealthy people have the most common inexpensive mobile phones. They use them to talk. No more.

Another component is the tariff you use. How long have you had it? Perhaps since the time you bought your first SIM card? Then we strongly advise you to visit the provider and choose something new and more economical.

• tariff without monthly fee;
• the main conversations take place within the same network.

I was immediately offered a tariff that turned out to be cheaper than what I was currently using (although I regularly monitor new products and try to use their capabilities). Considering that three family members changed the tariff at once, the savings were quite significant.

Sometimes people spend 20-50% more than if they used a different tariff plan or the services of another cellular operator. To understand the need and possibilities for optimizing expenses, you need to ask for a statement for the last 5–7 months and analyze which telephone numbers of which regions and telecom operators you called most often; how many SMS were sent.

Trips. We are talking about air travel here. Now you can find a lot of interesting offers from air carriers, which will allow you to significantly save on tickets.

For example, can you imagine a flight from Moscow to San Francisco and back for $500? If you look at the websites of domestic companies, it’s difficult, but if you search around and find out the options of American carriers, it’s possible.

For example, one of our colleagues bought plane tickets from Moscow to India three times cheaper than regular fares, because she purchased them 6 months before departure. In general, there are options.

Promotions, discounts and loyalty cards as a way to save. To attract customers, manufacturers and retailers often offer discounts, promotions, etc.: two yogurts for the price of one, detergent plus rubber gloves, minus 3% on medicines, for nine flights Moscow-St. Petersburg the tenth is free. You can save in this way only in one case - if they do not stimulate excess consumption and with a discount it really comes out cheaper than in a nearby store. And if the second yogurt spoils and goes into the trash, you don’t use gloves, medicines at a nearby pharmacy are already 5% cheaper, and you flew to St. Petersburg for the ninth time for a free ticket, this is no longer saving money.

Therefore, soberly assess how much you need all these special offers and bonuses. So, if you often fly to visit relatives or on business trips, it is worth getting loyalty cards from various airlines. At the same time, the choice of flight should be approached from the point of view of economic feasibility: the cost of the ticket plus transfer to the airport. (Inconvenient flights are cheaper, but keep in mind that a taxi to the airport will cost more than an express bus.)

Loyalty cards usually do not offer discounts, but rather offer you the opportunity to accumulate points, miles, etc., and then exchange them for a gift.

A store discount card will only be needed if you regularly buy goods from it.

Perhaps there are some other saving secrets, and we are sure that some readers have them. In addition to savings items, there are also expense items that cannot be excluded from the budget.

What you shouldn’t save on during a crisis

We think no one will argue that you can’t save on your health. But what is included in the concept of HEALTH, if you try to break it down into specific expense items?

Medicines. If you have been taking Swiss medicines until today, and now, in order to save money, you decide to use the Russian or Ukrainian equivalent, such savings can cost you very much. Remember Zhvanetsky? “Why can’t our people make a medicine that would heal like the Swiss one? And the formula seems to be the same - CH3COC2H5, but for some reason the Swiss tablet fights the virus, while ours cooperates with it.” This is true, no matter how much we would like Russian pharmacology to work no worse than Swiss. Therefore, you should not replace Western originals with domestic analogues.

Food. It is dangerous to switch to cheap and not very high quality products. Although there is another side to the coin: you can save on groceries if you prefer to eat Italian bread for 300 rubles. and drink milk for 200 rubles. (there are such stores in Russia). In this case, switching to regular products will not have a negative impact on your health.

Rest. You cannot refuse to rest, otherwise your income will inevitably decrease (a tired person cannot work effectively). And again, the other side of the coin: you can save on your vacation by choosing a cheaper resort, but not by reducing the amount of time allotted to it.

Sport. This has already been discussed above - savings are possible not by giving up sports, but by using less expensive sports clubs and equipment.

Final conclusions

During a crisis (and not only), you need to CONTROL your money, and not focus solely on reducing expenses.

You can always reduce your expenses! But first they need to be analyzed.

Be careful about reducing health-related expenses: medications, recreation, sports.

You need to not only think about saving on certain items, but also look for ways to increase income.

Reference

Vladimir Savenok- a leading expert on personal money management, the first independent financial consultant in Russia, entrepreneur, writer. Bestselling author of How to Create a Personal Financial Plan. The path to financial independence”, “How to implement a personal financial plan, or How much money you need to be happy”, “Personal finance. Self-teacher."

the site thanks the publishing house “Peter” for the provided excerpt.

In difficult times and with limited funds, people think about how they can save money in their household and everyday life. Practice shows that the more you do with your own hands, the more money remains in your wallet. This applies to both the housewife, who can prepare dinner on her own, and the head of the family, who is repairing a leaking tap. The ability to purchase necessary goods cheaper is also a whole science.

Saving on food

Saving on food does not mean eating poorly or going hungry. You just need to reconsider the family’s diet from the point of view of the possibility of preparing certain dishes at home. Below are some practical tips on how and what you can save on at home.

Planning the menu for the next week. This is best done on a Friday evening so that you can make a list of necessary products for shopping over the weekend. It’s best to write down the list of dishes in a notebook or weekly planner, then you can check the availability of the necessary ingredients in the house and, if necessary, buy them in the middle of the week. This practice is not new; meals are organized according to this scheme in kindergartens, schools and health camps. For dinner, it is more profitable to cook large portions so that you can take the rest of the dish with you to work. It will be at least 2 times cheaper than lunch in a canteen or cafe.

Refusal of convenience foods from the store. In your free time, you can organize the whole family and, in a warm, friendly atmosphere, make dumplings, dumplings or cabbage rolls, which will wait in the freezer. You can also put pizza, pancakes and much more there. Store-bought semi-finished products are a separate matter: not only are they significantly more expensive to buy, but it is also unknown what they are made of. Having high-quality semi-finished products in the refrigerator can help out in case of unexpected guests or give you the opportunity to free up the evening for going to the theater or cinema.

Certain foods are healthier and cheaper to cook at home. For example, yogurt or kefir can be fermented in a thermos or in a special yogurt maker, which is inexpensive and will quickly pay for itself. It will be enough to purchase only milk and sourdough of your choice. At the same time, you can always be sure that the product is fresh and does not contain dyes or preservatives. The same can be said about baking: a homemade cake is healthier and tastier than a store-bought one, and besides, it’s one and a half times cheaper.

Using homegrown products. If you have a private house with a small plot of land, you can not only plant flowers in the front garden, but also grow a dozen or two beds of useful products: tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, cabbage. The safety of money in the family budget will directly depend on this, since for some time you will not have to buy individual products on the market. Even in an apartment, you can grow, for example, green onions or dill on the window, so as not to buy them at exorbitant spring prices.

Preparations for the winter. To avoid the need to buy “plastic” tomatoes in the middle of winter, it is better to take care of canning them in the summer, during the season of inexpensive vegetables. Preserves, jams, compotes, pickled cucumbers or tomatoes will diversify the table and become a source of vitamins in winter. In addition, frozen foods, which retain most of the nutrients, are extremely popular. To do this, it is advisable to purchase a separate freezer. You can freeze almost everything: berries, fruits, herbs, assorted vegetables for making soups.

Savings on purchases

Another area where Russians and not only Russians save money is thriftiness when making purchases. The ability to correctly purchase things and products is an entire art, some of the secrets of which are worth familiarizing yourself with.

It is more profitable to purchase long-term savings products in bulk or in small wholesale.

Potatoes, pasta, cereals, milk in special packaging - all this can be found at lower prices and stocked up for future use at markets or in supermarkets during promotions. It is also worth buying meat in bulk, for example, by cooperating with relatives or friends, purchasing a carcass or half-carcass from a farmer, and then cutting it yourself or asking a butcher to do it for a small fee. What you cannot save on is the quality of products; treatment will cost more.

A list of required product items in hand is an integral part of economical purchasing. Ideally, based on prices, you should take with you only enough money to purchase the products indicated on the list. This disciplines and helps to refrain from impulsive purchases.

All knowledgeable people recommend purchasing clothes and shoes during sales (out of season). In this case, discounts can reach 70-80%, and on average 30-50%. In addition, there may be discounts on certain items during the season. For example, a store owner reduces the price of sweaters in the hope that customers will purchase other items at full price in addition to them. It is very convenient to track such promotions on the Internet by subscribing to specialized mailings.

Don't chase popular brands. You should know that most shoes and clothing of famous brands are made in Chinese, Vietnamese and other Asian factories. As a result, a shirt costing 500 rubles will be worn just as successfully as one costing 2 thousand, only the tag on it will not be as “cool”. The cost of branded items can include up to 50% markup for the brand. Also, if you don’t chase trendy outfits, it’s better to buy clothes from old collections; they always sell cheaper. However, promotions and sales can become a trap for an unprepared person, as there is a desire to buy more and more of everything while prices are low.

Some things can be purchased at stocks or second-hand stores. This primarily applies to children's clothing. Often a child grows up without ever having time to wear a purchased or gifted item. Therefore, the practice of donating and reselling children's clothing and shoes is common in many countries around the world. A child, especially a small one, should not be dressed expensively at all, the main thing is that he looks clean and neat. There are also sites on the Internet where you can select and purchase any necessary item. By the way, you can sell your little-worn jackets and shirts using the same site, replenishing the family treasury.

In recent years, online trading has been gaining momentum. Prices on online platforms, such as the Chinese AliExpress, can be significantly lower than store prices; you just need to be able to find and select the required product.

Many stores issue discount cards to their customers, entitling them to permanent or one-time discounts of a certain amount or percentage. When going to shopping centers, you should take with you all available discount cards, since it is not known where you will be able to find the product you need.

Shopping should not be viewed as entertainment; going to the store should only be done with a clear understanding of what you need to buy. Every purchase should be carefully considered in consultation with your family.

Many experts advise paying in cash because it gives the feeling of “money well spent.” On the other hand, life does not stand still; payment by bank cards has firmly occupied its niche in the service market. Therefore, in order to always have up-to-date information about the amount of money in your account, it would be correct to download a special banking program to your mobile phone and regularly view the status of your accounts.