Why you should not go to the store on an empty stomach: expert tips on humane economy

Financial literacy is no less important than usual, because it gives us the opportunity to manage money rationally and not feel discomfort if it is not enough. Experts told how even with modest incomes not to feel poor and not to deny yourself important purchases.

If we talk about saving, then it can be characterized not as a refusal to spend money, but as a harmony between income and expenses. You need to start by fixing all the expenses that you make during the week. Mobile apps (by the way, they are free) can help you with this. You should divide all your purchases into necessary and impulsive ones.

What can be attributed to impulsive? This can be the purchase of sneakers that you did not plan to buy, but which you could not refuse, coffee on the way to work, and even "something for tea" purchased spontaneously, when going to the supermarket for toothpaste and paper towels.

Professor Alexey Goryaev, Director of the Master of Finance program at the Russian School of Economics, says this about everyday household shopping:

The scientist claims that saving is not a violation of oneself, but an opportunity to show creativity, to look at familiar things in a new way. Financial blogger and author of the book "Girl with Money" Anastasia Veselko advises to arrange a competition with friends, on the subject of who will spend less money, or who will survive 3 days without shopping.

Buy things that will go well with those that you already have. Choose unpretentious wardrobe items that do not require expensive regular dry cleaning. Wash it yourself, using not capsules, but the most ordinary powder. This way you will be able to accurately dose the consumption of laundry products, not only depending on the amount of laundry, but also taking into account its degree of contamination.

It is better not to send things to the dryer after washing, as this makes them lose their appearance faster and deteriorate. In addition, any, even the most economical clothes dryer, is an impressive cost of electricity, since the heaters of such equipment have a large capacity.

Stop buying products that are unclaimed and just lie in the refrigerator until they spoil and fly into the trash. Blogger Anastasia Veselko advises:

In order not to buy too much, it is better to come to the store full and with a list of planned purchases. This list is compiled thoughtfully, taking into account the weekly menu of the family. This way you can avoid unnecessary purchases that are made impulsively or "just in case".

When going to the store, use your own reusable bag and avoid packages. Be careful with packaged products — many manufacturers slightly reduce the weight in the packaging you are familiar with, without changing the price. Therefore, a package of sugar of a well-known brand may suddenly contain not a kilogram of the product, but only 850 grams.

Products with long shelf life are profitable to buy at wholesale bases in large packaging or in regular stores, but not in packaging, but by weight. Follow the promotions from the store and manufacturers-today it is easy to do this, thanks to the many mobile applications that almost every major retail chain has.

If you can't live without paper books, then try to buy them used on the Internet. Movies, performances and shows are also more profitable to watch online, and if there is a desire to visit the cinema, it is better to go to morning, afternoon or night sessions, cheaper. Coupon sites also help to save on entertainment: Groupon, KupiKupon, Biglion, Vigoda.

Do not forget that almost all museums organize days of free visits. It is better to wait for such a day and get acquainted with the expositions at no extra cost. Before going to a museum or an exhibition, you can get acquainted with information about key exhibits on the Internet — this will allow you to do without paid excursions.

Experts say that the contents of the cosmetic bag of any modern woman can be reduced by three times without much damage. Anastasia Veselko advises changing the approach to caring for your face, hair and body, not giving up important procedures, but acting rationally:

By the way, the blogger is sure that if you go to bed late or you have bad habits, it is useless to go to a cosmetologist. First of all, you need to start loving yourself and adjust the regime, and this can be done absolutely for free.

Be sure to put reminders on your phone so that you can send readings to the services in a timely manner and pay for housing and communal services on time. This way you can avoid penalties and not get confused in your own payments. Installing a two-or three-tariff meter will allow you to save on electricity, and in some cities, on water. An important way to save electricity is to abandon the habit of using the TV for the background.

When purchasing household appliances, pay attention to the energy consumption class. Buying a class A dishwasher for use in a large family will help save up to 15% of electricity, and this will justify the purchase in a year. It is better to replace all the light bulbs in the apartment with energy-saving ones, and the switches with models with motion sensors. This way you will save up to 25% of electricity.

Carefully review your mobile tariffs — there is a chance that you are not using the most profitable package of services. Every six months, operators have more favorable offers. When communicating on the network, try to use free Wi-Fi, where possible — change the settings of your smartphone so that the gadget itself warns you about the possibility of connecting or establishes a connection itself where there is no password.

If you are seriously thinking about buying a car, then you should remember that your expenses will consist not only of its cost. Gasoline, washing, maintenance, road tolls, parking fees, and, possibly, fines-all this translates into a solid amount in a year. Professor Alexey Goryaev advises to leave a reserve of 10% in the budget for such expenses.

If you are going to make a large purchase, collect money for it in advance. If the cost of a thing is significant and you are not sure that you can afford it for savings, consider buying a used one. Do not take the equipment on credit, because in this case you not only overpay the financial organization, but also become victims of fraud. Many stores, offering interest-free installments, have already raised the cost of the goods in advance by a certain amount.