Where does the money go and what to do about it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Familiar things make a hole in the budget, which is why we so often do not pay attention to them.

It happens that you get a salary, and after a couple of days only half of it remains on the card. Where does money evaporate if you do not spend it on gambling and do not suffer from shopaholism? Here are some suggestions.

1. They are being eaten up by rising prices

You buy approximately the same set of products, but over time you notice that by the end of the month you have less money left. It's simple: prices are rising, and wages … are also growing, but they do not keep pace with inflation. By the end of 2019, it will be 4–4.5%. The cost of products, in turn, has already increased this year by 1.7% and may grow by another 3.5%.

What to do

We cannot influence inflation and prices in any way. Therefore, it remains to choose budget brands of products, which are often no worse than more expensive options, and do not miss the opportunity to get a discount or cashback.

2. Do you enjoy eating out

It just seems that a cup of coffee or a trip to a cafe during your lunch break will not hit your wallet hard. Just think, a couple of hundred rubles. But in 20 working days in this way you can spend up to five thousand, and this is already quite tangible.

The same applies to any small but regular purchases. For example, if you take a chocolate bar for your child from the store every day.

What to do

If going to a cafe makes you happier and because of this you do not have to live up to your salary on buckwheat and water, you do not need to do anything. Food is not only about calories and micronutrients, but also about pleasure. However, if you want to save some money, at least sometimes take your lunch from home with you. It will be much cheaper.

3. You smoke

Another small, but systematic waste, which eventually turns into considerable monetary losses. If a pack of cigarettes costs an average of 100 rubles, a heavy smoker will lose a couple of thousand in a month. And over the course of a year, this amount will grow to over 20 thousand rubles.

What to do

The solution is obvious: quit smoking. So you will not only save money, but also stop poisoning your body.

4. You are not following subscriptions

Paying for books, music and convenient services is fair and correct. But it so happens that you first subscribe to applications or services, and then you do not use them. Or you forget to unsubscribe from a service you don't like after a free trial period. And they continue to withdraw money from your account.

What to do

Keep a close eye on your subscriptions and cancel unnecessary ones. This can always be done in the service settings.

5. You make rash purchases

Supermarkets are not created for our convenience, but so that we leave as much money as possible there. When we see shelves lined with groceries right in front of our noses, we have a deceptive sense of accessibility: "It is worth reaching out and it will be mine."

It's all to blame for dopamine, which makes us anticipate pleasure. And where there is anticipation, there is a desire to satisfy it. And so you, as if intoxicated, throw food, household chemicals and other goods into the cart.

Sometimes you wake up at the checkout and start putting something back out of the cart. But more often it is only after payment that you realize that you have picked up a lot of unnecessary things.

What to do

Before going to the store, be sure to make a shopping list and try not to deviate from it. Take a fixed amount of cash with you and leave your cards at home. And try not to come to the store hungry: appetite pushes us to rash purchases.

6. You take loans

Monthly payments and interest may not sound like a lot, but it will add up to a decent amount in a year or two. Especially if you have a credit card and use it regularly and thoughtlessly.

What to do

Do not apply for loans and credit cards unless absolutely necessary. And if you have already decided, carefully study the conditions and try to pay off the debt until the interest-free period ends.

7. You don't keep financial records

You just get paid and spend it anyway. And then you are surprised that all the money has disappeared from the card.

What to do

Each day, write down how much money you spent and on what. This can be done in a notebook, in a table on a computer, or in a special application. This way you will learn how to take into account income and plan expenses so that your financial situation no longer comes as a surprise.