«You always want more». How Belarusians earning 5-6 thousand rubles spend their money

«On payday, I buy dollars — a minimum of a thousand a month»

Oleg is 31 years old, and he has spent almost a third of his life in sales: he started at 20 as a regular manager, grew to a department head, and now works at a consulting company helping other businesses build sales and internal processes. While his income used to be around 2-3 thousand rubles, over the last year it has grown to 5-6 thousand.

The man lives in Minsk with his wife and young child in their own apartment.

— Essentially, my wife's maternity benefits cover the child — approximately 1 thousand rubles a month. For our life with my wife, we budget around 1.7-2 thousand rubles a month. We also spend about 350 rubles on utility payments. Roughly speaking, a little less than 2.5 thousand rubles from my salary goes towards the family's basic needs.

Our biggest expense item is groceries. We might spend 800 rubles on them, or 1000. To this, we add ordinary household items: detergents, conditioners, bed linen, pillowcases, sometimes some dishes. These are not purchases that severely impact the budget, but they are constant.

We also buy clothes with this money. If we realize that something major will soon be needed — for example, a coat, a down jacket, or shoes for 300, 500, 800 rubles — we try to prepare in advance. We can save 200-300 rubles for two months, accumulate 400-600, and then calmly buy the necessary item. It's generally psychologically easier for me if I know about expenses in advance.

Sports used to be a separate item — about 200 rubles a month for two. But recently I set up a gym right in my office, so this expense specifically for me has disappeared.

Павялічыць

Everything that remains after mandatory expenses, we try to save. I usually just buy dollars on payday. My minimum goal is a thousand dollars a month. If I can buy more later, I buy more. If I realize that for this thousand in a specific month, I need to leave not 2000 rubles for living expenses, but, for example, 1700, 1600, or 1500, then we will try to cut back a bit. It's important for me not to fall out of the saving rhythm.

Currently, there's no specific goal for this money; rather, I just want to have a normal safety cushion. Times are quite unstable, plus we have a small child, so it's calmer for me to know that there's a reserve in case of anything. If over $10,000 accumulates in a year, that's already an amount with which you can think about something more serious: changing the car, doing renovations, buying a plot of land near Minsk, considering real estate — even if on credit.

Павялічыць

There was a period when we were saving for a specific goal — a plastic surgery for my wife, which cost about 18 thousand rubles (around $6 thousand equivalent). For about four months, we separately saved money specifically for it, and in the end, we did it. When I earned less, I could save $50, $100, $200, or even $300 a month.

I believe it's better to save something, no matter how little, than nothing at all.

Probably, that's why the increase in income itself hasn't significantly changed my daily life. If I started earning another thousand or fifteen hundred rubles more, the family would, most likely, barely feel it: I would save more than I spent. I would just buy not a thousand dollars a month, but, say, fifteen hundred.

Павялічыць

What I definitely don't want to save on is food. It's important to me that we have normal, quality products at home — not necessarily the most expensive, but a good selection of food for the family. I try to ensure there's enough protein in the diet, and then fats and carbohydrates, not the other way around.

The same applies to health. If vitamins, minerals, or any other health-related items are needed, we buy them. If I'm confident that a certain brand or product is truly high-quality and worth paying more for, I also see no point in saving.

And I especially don't want to save on the child. He is not yet 3 years old, and if he needs additional activities, developmental items, clothes, or anything health-related, the question of saving doesn't even arise for me.

Павялічыць

But entertainment is an item where we can definitely cut back. We don't particularly go to bars and restaurants; we might plan a movie, stop by a cafe, but not expensive establishments where you leave half your salary in a couple of hours. Travel is a similar story: lately, we mostly travel within Belarus. So, this is also a small expense item.

We do have one guilty pleasure, though — food delivery. And it's not even that we're too lazy to cook. Rather, it's an additional way to get enjoyment in the evening: we turn on a movie — and want to order pizza, wings, and so on. Separately, it seems inexpensive, but if you've ordered the same pizza ten times a month, you've pretty much eaten through 500 rubles.

Павялічыць

When it comes to personal purchases, I am, on the contrary, quite stingy. I can go a long time without changing clothes, gadgets, and generally not buying anything major for myself. I can live peacefully for two or three years without major purchases, and then suddenly something comes into my head. Once, for example, I bought a MacBook for about 4.5 thousand rubles. A couple of years later, I upgraded my desktop computer.

If my wife wants to change her phone, buy a watch, a fitness tracker, or jewelry, I'm usually not against it. The only thing I ask is that the purchase be useful in some sense.

According to Oleg, sudden expenses annoy him: the man is used to planning his budget at least a month or two in advance and understanding where the money will go.

— For someone, unforeseen expenses might be, for example, a car breakdown with a repair costing 3 thousand rubles. For me, even an unexpected trip to relatives, which will cost 500-600 rubles plus time, can be stressful. Or my wife thinks about a purchase for a while, says nothing to me, and then suddenly, before winter, announces that she needs a new coat, shoes, and something else. And you realize that the set is a hypothetical 1.5 thousand rubles.

Павялічыць

I'm not against the purchase itself; it would just be much easier for me if I knew about it a little in advance. Then I could prepare, gradually save money, and not cut into savings.

Overall, I believe that 5-6 thousand rubles and above is a good, comfortable salary for Minsk. But, in my opinion, what's important is not how much a person earns, but how much they have left. You can earn more and spend every last ruble, or you can regularly save something with a more modest income.

At the same time, I don't see a huge gap between a person who earns 2-3 thousand rubles and someone who earns 5-6 thousand. If both have a normal attitude towards money, they will go to the same stores, buy the same things, and lead similar lives. It's just that the latter has the opportunity to save.

«What does a man really need?»

Vladislav is almost 32 years old; he lives in Minsk and has been working as an in-house lawyer for ten years. He receives about 5-6 thousand rubles a month after tax. The man reached this income level about a year ago. They found out from him where such money goes and whether a high income made him happier.

— I live alone, renting a one-room apartment for a little over 1000 rubles a month. I could, of course, afford something more expensive, but why, if everything satisfies me? Good location of the building, good renovation — not new, but neat. It's not shameful to invite guests. Overall, I'm not particularly picky in this regard.

I don't have a car, and there's no great need for one. It's two metro stations to the office, and I buy a monthly pass. If I need to go somewhere further, I'll take a taxi. By the way, my only criterion for choosing a fare is almost always the price. What's the difference what class of car it is if you're traveling in the city for a maximum of 20-30 minutes? But of course, if I'm running late and a higher-class car arrives faster, I'll choose it, and a difference of a few rubles won't bother me.

Павялічыць

How much exactly I spend on food, I don't count — in my opinion, it's a lot. Instead of breakfast, I often only drink tea; I have lunch in canteens or cafes, and for dinner, I cook something simple (porridges, semi-finished products, salads) or order food delivery. I probably use delivery too often — a couple of times a week. Overall, I love good food, and on this, of course, I could save. But I'm usually too lazy to cook in the evenings; I just want to relax after work.

A couple of times I tried 'sticking' to healthy meal delivery (about 1.1 thousand rubles a month). In essence, it's good; taste-wise, it varies, but it's very inconvenient to wait for couriers: you can't go anywhere further than the trash can near your house. And chicken breast, though healthy, sometimes you still crave a juicy cheburek with pork. Therefore, I didn't last more than a month on such a diet.

Павялічыць

I order clothes on marketplaces. I try to choose everything high-quality, from verified sellers, but not very expensive. Recently, I bought a polo shirt for 80 rubles. I don't like shopping in stores; the most I buy offline is Belarusian underwear and T-shirts.

It's hard to say about household chemicals, cosmetics, and the like, because, well, what does a man need? 10-in-1 gel, toothpaste, deodorant? I have roughly this set plus cleaning supplies. The expenses for all of this are so minor that I don't count them. Once every few months, I order cleaning services, because I definitely won't clean better than them. This service costs about 100 rubles, but I don't mind spending money on it.

I rarely go out, except sometimes to concerts. Spending a couple hundred rubles on tickets or a hundred at a club bar is not a problem for me. I rarely go to cafes and restaurants, because all my friends work, are busy like me, some are married — try to gather them all! Once or twice a year I can afford to go to the cinema, if there's anything worthwhile (usually there isn't).

Павялічыць

Various subscriptions to internet services also eat into the budget: ad-free YouTube, a fast VPN, decent music streaming — these are must-haves for me. In total, about 100 rubles a month goes to this. I put a couple hundred rubles into my Steam wallet monthly to buy games I'll never launch.

I try not to take installments or loans, only if I need to make a large purchase. For example, about half a year ago, I assembled a computer, including the monitor and peripherals. I bought all the components without problems over two months — a few pieces from each paycheck. But for the video card, I did take an installment plan: it cost about 3.5 thousand rubles, and I couldn't pay such an amount all at once.

Павялічыць

Little by little, I'm saving money for a housing purchase. In a month, if there are no major expenses, I can save 1000-2000 rubles, and if I were more disciplined and cut back a bit, I could probably put 3000 into savings. I currently have the opportunity to earn more, but this would require spending my free time in the evenings and on weekends, and I still value work-life balance — and I advise everyone to do the same.

Overall, I consider my salary comfortable for one person's life. And if with such an income you also own your home, that's really good.

«You always want more»

Maksim is 38 years old; he lives in Minsk and works in the construction industry (for the last six years as a lead health and safety engineer), simultaneously collaborating with other companies in his field. After paying taxes and alimony, he has about 6-6.5 thousand rubles left per month.

The guy reached his current income gradually. A few years ago, he combined his main job with working as a courier, and later began taking on additional projects in occupational health and safety, ecology, and fire safety.

— The biggest recurring expense item now is the mortgage — 1700 rubles. Utilities along with internet in summer come out to about 100 rubles. There are also a few installment plans — for about 300 rubles a month, but they are already ending. Mainly, I bought some appliances and things for the apartment. In principle, I could have paid at once, but if they offer interest-free installments, why not use them?

I don't spend much on transport — about 100-150 rubles a month. I have a car, but I try to use public transport more often. With a car, expenses are generally hard to predict. You can drive calmly for six months and do nothing, and then in one month spend 1000-1200 rubles on repairs.

Павялічыць

On average, about 600 rubles goes to food. I can't say I save much: I try to buy good products, not to eat hypothetical sausages. At the same time, I mostly cook myself, because I like home-cooked food. I rarely use delivery — I might order pizza or sushi if I feel like it, but I don't like constantly ordering ready-made food. It's easier for me to buy, for example, two good red fish steaks for 30-40 rubles, cook them myself, and understand what I'm eating.

Another noticeable expense item is meetings with my girlfriend and friends. On average, 600-700 rubles a month goes to cafes and restaurants. Sometimes we might go out four times a month, sometimes less often. We just want to periodically go to a nice place, eat well, and talk calmly.

Павялічыць

Very little money goes to household items. I simply try to buy everything in bulk packages: for example, I bought 100 dishwasher tablets at once — and that issue is closed for three months. If such expenses are spread across each month, I think it would be about 30-40 rubles.

There's no fixed amount for clothes and shoes either. I don't buy things every month just for the sake of buying something. But I also don't wear things until they completely fall apart. I used to try to buy quality shoes, although now even a high price doesn't always guarantee anything. In July, for example, I didn't spend anything on clothes at all, and for August I budgeted approximately 300-400 rubles.

Павялічыць

After the mortgage, renovations now consume the most money. In July alone, about 5 thousand rubles went to it: stretch ceilings, wallpaper for one room, light fixtures, and other items. I bought the apartment with renovations, but I wanted to do everything completely to my taste. I also didn't particularly save on materials: if wallpaper, then Italian; if appliances, then built-in. Therefore, the renovation consumed a lot of money. Now, fortunately, only the final touches remain.

— Do you manage to save any amount?

— Previously, I tried to save, both for the down payment on the apartment and simply for some major purchases. But then at some point, I realized: life passes by. You can constantly restrict yourself, save money and look at it, but what's the point of earning then? So now I rather try to live for today. Not in the sense of spending my entire salary in a few days, but allowing myself what I truly want.

I also don't specifically buy dollars now. Previously, I would probably save money in currency, but now I don't see much point. I have an apartment, I have a car, there's no specific major goal that requires years of saving for.

Павялічыць

Perhaps the next big goal is a vacation. On that, by the way, I somehow always feel a bit reluctant to spend money. I understand I can afford a trip, but sometimes this 'frog' (a colloquial expression for stinginess/reluctance to spend) kicks in, and it seems better to buy something else for the apartment.

In general, with an increase in income, needs also grow, and the quality of life changes. Previously, you lived peacefully without a coffee machine and drank instant coffee, and then you realize you can buy a coffee machine. And so, gradually, many things appear that previously seemed unnecessary. Therefore, I would even say that earning money is sometimes easier than properly allocating the budget afterward. When you start earning more, you immediately want this, and that, and the other thing. That's the hardest part for me now.

— Is this a comfortable salary for you?

— You always want more. However, I've already been through a period when I earned about 7.6-7.8 thousand rubles, and I understood the cost of that money. It was very difficult; work started taking up too much time and energy. But I still want to have time for relationships, for my daughter, for my apartment, and simply for myself. Because if you completely dive into work, you'll have money, but at some point, looking at it won't bring joy.

Therefore, I now consciously limit my working hours. On weekends, I only take on work if something is truly urgent, and on weekdays, I try to finish by six or seven in the evening at the latest. It seems to me that I've finally reached a level where I no longer need to chase the next thousand at any cost. If an interesting cooperation offer appears, I'll consider it. But I don't want to specifically look for work day and night just to make the number even bigger now.

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