"Let stores pay for food storage." Belarusians told us what and how they save on.

"Let stores pay for food storage"

Vladimir, 58, private enterprise employee

"My income level is not high, so I live within my means. Although I have a car, I try to use public transport within the city. I don't stock up on food; I only buy the freshest items.

I don't even have a refrigerator to store food. I decided that stores should pay for food storage. The upside of this approach is that I save on electricity, at least. In winter, by the way, the 'Soviet refrigerator' — a niche under the window, common in most Khrushchev-era buildings — helps me out."

Павялічыць

"In my diet, I constantly use poultry and fish, always lots of vegetables. For breakfast, I have traditional fried eggs on an 'onion pillow'; for lunch and dinner, I can prepare a side dish with meat and salad. I practically don't consume sugar, but I can allow myself a little good alcohol."

"I cook myself — I learned and I'm very happy with it. By the way, when choosing products, I use a formula that a very good person once shared with me. It says that you first need to identify the cheapest and most expensive item in a chosen niche, and then buy the one that costs a little more than the cheapest."

"I hardly spend any money on clothes now, I have everything I need. Except for shoes, which I have to buy from time to time. Recently, I bought leather shoes at 'Megatop' on sale for only 69 rubles, a price I'm completely satisfied with."

"The only thing I'm willing to pay full price for without reservation is quality tourist equipment. Plus, I'm into bike touring and don't save on bicycle parts; a single saddle for it costs 100 euros."

"Since I'm not a fan of talking on the phone, I use a basic tariff with Life operator, for example, which costs me 8 rubles per month. My main number is linked to MTS with the 'Blizki' (Close) tariff for 68 kopecks per month. I don't make calls from this number; I only receive incoming ones."

"As for home internet, I use byfly, and every year when renewing the contract, I get a 25% discount for a year — I think many people use this lifehack."

"Another way to save is by using bank cards with cashback. I have several of them, and each is designated for specific purchases. In total, I get back about 10-15 rubles per month this way."

"Overall, with age, I've become quite frugal. One could even say a miser. Even in my youth, I didn't consider myself a spendthrift, but back then there were many more temptations and deceptive goals. Now I've come to understand that true values exist — health and peace of mind."

"Therefore, the idea of ostentatious consumption of goods and services, flaunting one's acquisitions, is repulsive to me. And I've also stopped spending money to win the favor of the opposite sex."

"We practically don't buy fruits and vegetables, and instead of the sea, we vacation at the dacha"

Valentina, 63, pensioner

"I wouldn't say my husband and I ever saved heavily; we always lived in relative comfort. But over the years, we've developed habits that allow us to manage money more rationally. For example, we practically don't buy fruits and vegetables, as we grow everything we need at our dacha. Naturally, in winter, homemade preserves are used, not store-bought juices and pickles. I even make homemade horseradish and adjika myself."

"Since our youth, we've maintained the habit of choosing cheap but sufficiently high-quality products in stores: why overpay for the same bread and milk?"

"By the way, now that I have a lot of free time, I bake my own bread and have even learned to make cheese at home. Of course, the savings from all this are minimal, but they are still there."

Павялічыць

"More out of habit than for saving, I keep every rag and put any old scraps to use. For example, from old clothes, I sew patchwork quilts and bedspreads, and I use worn-out jeans to make large tote bags, which are now called shoppers."

"What I don't deny myself is skincare cosmetics — even at my age, I want to look attractive. So, I don't save on creams, balms, and facial cleansers."

"My husband and I gave up traveling quite easily. Considering that our combined pension is 1600 rubles per month, we could afford to go to the sea once a year. But we already have three grandchildren, and our son bought an apartment on credit. So, we try to help our children as much as possible, and instead of the sea, we vacation at the dacha."

"I save on practically everything to look good"

Kristina, young specialist, 24 years old

"During my student years, I didn't particularly think about where and on what I spent money. I lived with my parents, who bought groceries and also gave me some money for shoes, clothes, cosmetics, and entertainment. If I had any part-time jobs (I'm an English teacher by profession), I spent the money I earned on myself."

Павялічыць

"Now I'm in my second year of mandatory employment, living in a small district center in a rented apartment with another girl. Half of the rent is compensated for me, so I spend at most 80-120 rubles per month on housing plus utilities. However, my salary is still small — it comes out to approximately 1300-1400 rubles net."

"What do I save on now? Practically everything, to look good and stylish. Because one branded item, like a suit from Mango, can cost half my salary. For new clothes, I usually go to Minsk, sometimes I buy something in my hometown of Gomel."

"A decent manicure from a master once a week costs 30-40 rubles, and I try to go to a cosmetologist at least once a month. That's another minimum of 80 rubles. Plus, cosmetics, quality perfume (I prefer the Valentino brand) are not cheap."

"My parents, by the way, still help me financially. But overall, I live by the principle of accumulating funds, which are then spent on some serious purchases."

"Perhaps food is the most insignificant part of my expenses. I cook for myself depending on my mood, preferring to use inexpensive semi-finished products. Vegetables and fruits are usually brought by my parents, along with homemade preserves, cereals, and meat. And I constantly buy lunches at the school cafeteria — it's filling and relatively inexpensive."

"I don't spend money on public transport at all, as I can walk from my apartment to work in 10 minutes. This saves me, on average, 50-60 rubles per month. But I can't yet give up a cup of coffee at a cafe; it's one of the few joys in life. Perhaps over time, I'll buy myself a good coffee machine, but for now, I allow myself this luxury a couple of times a week for 5-7 rubles."

"Not ready to pay for food in cafes and restaurants"

Yevgeny, 53, manager

"Recently, I decided to conduct an experiment on myself — I'm trying to live a month on the minimum wage, which after taxes is 739 rubles, and save everything above that. What can I say? In August, the experiment ended in failure, but in two weeks of September, I easily managed to stay within 300 rubles and denied myself nothing."

"I'll start right away with what I'm willing to overpay for. Food. I don't eat much, but I like everything to be tasty. So, despite being a cook by profession myself, I prefer to buy ready-made meals, knowing in advance that I'll pay more for them."

"At the same time, I save time on their preparation — the most valuable human resource, in my opinion. However, I'm not willing to pay for food in cafes and restaurants — I don't see the point in overpaying for atmosphere and entertainment when you can just eat at home."

"What have I relatively recently started saving on? My car. There's nowhere special to drive it now, so fuel costs are minimized. Also, I practically don't buy new things for myself, as I have all the clothes and shoes I need. This year, for example, I only bought one T-shirt at the market for 20 rubles."

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