«We spend 30-40 BYN on food per day». How a family with an income of 3,000 BYN lives in Belarus
Natalia is a mother of a teenager. She lives in a regional center, works in an educational institution, earning about 1,500 BYN. Approximately the same amount is added to the budget from renting out an inherited apartment and alimony from her ex-husband. Together — 3,000 BYN. The Myfin.by publication asked the woman how this amount is spent.
«Exactly a third of the budget is literally eaten up»
The largest expenditure item is food.
«I once set a goal and calculated that my daughter and I need 30-40 BYN per day. That means around 1,000 BYN per month. It turns out that exactly a third of the budget is literally eaten up. I try to eat more or less healthy food, although sometimes I want something unhealthy. Then I buy sausage for myself and chips for my daughter. We are all human. I try to cook something myself more often than buying ready-made food from the deli.»
Natalia's refrigerator contains a fairly diverse set of products. She buys meat, fish, dairy: regular and soft cottage cheese, kefir, Greek yogurt. There should always be vegetables: bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and greens. And zucchini in season, of course.
«I buy clothes in stores, at markets, and in outlets»
While Natalia is rational about food, all economic filters are turned off when it comes to clothes. She likes to dress beautifully and fashionably, cannot wear the same things for years, and has to periodically buy clothes, shoes, and accessories.
«I buy clothes in stores, at markets, and in outlets. My daughter, unlike me, is calm about clothes, preferring a sporty style. Give her an oversized hoodie, sweatpants, sneakers — and she's happy. I am the main shopaholic in the house. I don't even want to count how much I spend. A lot. In June, I bought a suit and shoes — 400 BYN. In July — two dresses. One cost about 100 BYN on sale, but I found the other in a second-hand store for 16.»
«We take one set for two or three»
Natalia commutes to work by public transport.
«Every day I spend money on commuting to and from work; most often I take a shared taxi (marshrutka), which comes out to 84-88 BYN per month. But I save on lunch because I bring packed meals.»
Natalia very rarely spends weekends on the couch watching a TV series. She can't stay at home. Two or three times a month, she and her friends go "out on the town": a cafe, home gatherings, museums, theaters, or concerts.
«I try to go where tickets are inexpensive; I try to make my leisure time cheaper. When we meet at a cafe, I spend an average of 30 BYN. If, of course, we sit for longer, then it's 50 rubles. We like to sit in establishments during "Gastrofests," then we take one set for two or three, which turns out to be very budget-friendly.»
100 BYN on cosmetics monthly
Another expenditure item is cosmetics. Although Natalia doesn't use anything astronomically expensive, even the most essential basics cost a pretty penny. In her cosmetic bag are face creams and serums, foundation, powder, mascara, eyebrow pencil, blush, lipsticks.
«About 100 BYN goes to cosmetics every month. One thing runs out, then another — I have to restock. I love Korean cosmetics and our "Belita." The series I like is not budget-friendly — if you buy the whole line, it turns out to be quite expensive. I try to buy Korean cosmetics on sale. Hair requires a lot of care: shampoo, conditioner, balms, masks, oil, fillers, and heat protection. Oh, and I also need a vitamin complex for hair loss twice a year. Once a month I get my nails done — 50 BYN. My daughter hardly uses cosmetics, but if she goes out "for an event," she takes mine.»
Natalia and her daughter live in a three-room apartment. Last month, the protagonist paid 130 BYN for utilities, another 50 BYN for electricity, and 40 BYN for home internet. The phone bills are the same: 35 BYN per month for herself and her daughter.
«Went to Fix Price for soap, came out with a 40 BYN receipt»
If you add up all of Natalia's major and clear expenses, it comes to a little over 1,800 BYN. By the laws of mathematics, she should have more than a thousand BYN left in her hands. But she doesn't. Where does this money go?
«On expenses that are difficult to pinpoint at the moment. The child needs pocket money; I also give for movies with pizza, school supplies again. Teenager's shoes and jackets cost as much as an adult's, and they change every season. Large purchases are easy to remember, but small things like "went to Fix Price for soap, came out with a 40 ruble receipt" go unnoticed.»
Also included are trips to the pharmacy when sick, or a spontaneous birthday gift for a friend. The money simply goes towards living. It's as if nothing extra was bought, but there's no savings, just like before. Yet Natalia hasn't gone into debt. She lives in the here and now.
Where the money of a family with an income of 3,000 BYN goes (mother and daughter)
- Products: about 1,000 BYN per month;
- Utilities and electricity: 180 BYN per month;
- Home internet: 40 BYN per month;
- Mobile communication for two: 70 BYN per month;
- Commute to work: 84—88 BYN per month;
- Cosmetics and personal care: about 100 BYN per month;
- Manicure for mom: 50 BYN per month;
- Cafes, museums, theaters, and concerts: 30—50 BYN per outing;
- Clothes and shoes: amount varies.
Only food, utilities, communication, internet, travel, cosmetics, and manicure cost the family approximately 1,525 BYN per month. This amount does not include clothes, child expenses, medicines, gifts, and numerous small purchases.
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