How to live on a pension of 8 thousand. Social experiment or how I lived on retirement (1 photo)

The size of the pension in Russia is the eternal pain of those who receive this same pension. Alas, the picture is no better in other nearby countries. We talked to several pensioners we know and collected the best people's councils about how to live on retirement.

Optimize your nutrition

Cloth

• Avoid impulse purchases. Take what you need in this moment. Choose what suits you in terms of quality, and buy the cheapest of these things.
• Buy clothes by size. If it is a little too small, it may wear out or tear along the seam; if it is too big, it will get caught on something else and tear.

• Try to master buying clothes online. The most profitable option is Chinese stores like Aliexpress and jd.com. If you definitely want to try it on, choose Russian stores, where you can order at a pick-up point with fitting, and then buy what suits you. The most famous of these are lamoda.ru and wildberries.ru.
• Buy clothes on sales. They occur after the New Year and from mid-summer. Each store has its own schedule. If suddenly your clothes or shoes fall apart at the beginning of the season, visit a stock or discount center. They sell collections from previous years at a discount.

Communal apartment

• If you have a meter with several tariffs, use washing machine after 11 pm. The same applies to other devices with high energy consumption.
• Find out if you are eligible for a subsidy. Each region has its own rules, but some pensioners manage to reimburse themselves for part of their housing and communal services costs.
• Give up your home phone. Now it’s more profitable to use a cell phone, but you pay for a landline every month. If you still have a radio point, turn it off too.

Energy saving

• Frequent cleaning of the vacuum cleaner. If the vacuum cleaner has not been cleaned for a long time and is clogged with debris, it will absorb more electricity. But, if you clean it more often, your vacuuming will end much faster and you will see the difference in savings from frequent cleaning.
• Removing scale from a kettle. Don't let limescale build up in your kettle. The more it is, the longer the kettle heats up and naturally absorbs electricity. If you need to heat enough water for one mug, do not fill the kettle full. Pour as much as you need. The more water, the longer it will take to warm up.

• Defrosting food on refrigerator shelves. The easiest way to defrost frozen foods is in the refrigerator. Then you will save on processor work, and it will save electricity.
• Using a plastic bottle saves on draining the water in the tank. First, improve your barrel. You can buy a new barrel with a button for separate drainage. But there is also a way out for old barrels. You will need to place it inside the tank plastic bottle with water. The mechanism will work the same, but drain less. The savings are significant.
• Unplug all appliances from outlets. Many people have the habit of leaving a charger, washing machine, hair dryer, TV, or microwave oven in the outlet. Even in this state, they slowly but surely “devour” electricity.
• Use of energy saving or LED lamps. Use energy-saving light bulbs and your significant costs will drop quite quickly. It is better to use class “A”; although it is more expensive, it will pay for itself very quickly, and you will notice clear savings in electricity and costs.

• Many pharmacies and supermarkets offer discounts for pensioners. And some also have loyalty cards - they give a discount or save you points so that you can pay with them later. In general, apply for all free cards everywhere - be it a pharmacy, a store or another institution, a discount won’t hurt.
• More often give your family and friends something made with your own hands. Such a gift is usually much cheaper.
• Under no circumstances take out credits, loans, or use installment plans. Living in debt low income- Very big risk. What if you find yourself without money?
• Set aside 10% of your pension for unexpected expenses if you have no savings. If you have savings, then perhaps you can spend all your income.

Budget revision

Alexander, Saratov, 65 years old: My wife and I have pensions of 10 thousand each. She moonlights as a cleaner, earning the same amount. Relatives who have their own house outside the city help - there are chickens, eggs, meat (pork). We constantly review the budget, recently abandoned "Tricolor" - saved a thousand rubles. Sometimes in the market you can buy spoiled fruits and vegetables- Frozen apples, for example, are given away almost for nothing, and you can make a good pie from them. We record all our expenses- even the purchase of a penny carrot is recorded, this makes it much easier to track gaps. We don’t carry anything for repairs - my wife sews very well(this, by the way, is another way to earn extra money - he will either sew someone’s trousers or iron a neighbor’s shirts), and, thank God, I can fix anything - from a fallen off shoe sole to plumbing fixtures.

Collective farm: collective and farm

Galina, Pestretsy (Tatarstan), 60 years old: I am a disabled person of the 3rd group, and my pension is almost 13 thousand. I’m lucky that I live with my husband: together we manage to live on one pension, and save the second, because we need to help the children! They are in Kazan, young, they have many needs! Our most important way to save money is purchasing goods at a discount: if there is some kind of promotion, for example on chicken, then we buy it and for the whole week we eat only chicken and derivative dishes. We can also put it in the freezer. The dacha really helps - We prepare all sorts of pickles, jams And so on. They used to grow potatoes, but now they have stopped - they are a hassle! Besides, sometimes they steal. Now we buy potatoes in the fall and in bags at once, we’re going to the village for this.

Emigration

Valentina, Udachny (Yakutia), 57 years old: My pension is 22 thousand rubles a month. It is absolutely impossible to live on this money in the Yakut region: prices in stores are incredible due to complex transportation (delivery only by plane), there are no farmsteads: there is semi-tundra all around. Is it only in the summer, at the risk of being devoured by midges and mosquitoes, that you can pick mushrooms and berries in the taiga. Utilities eat up most of your pension. Absolutely all pensioners work. At the age of 50–60, all people leave for the mainland, where you can live quite comfortably on a northern pension - that’s the main life hack.

Tinctures and housing rental

Alevtina, 64 years old, Kaliningrad: I get about 9 thousand, but my mother gets almost 40! Firstly, she is a hero of labor, secondly, a participant in the Second World War, and also a participant in the assault on Koenigsberg. But her 40 thousand is a unique case.

Previously, many lived by purchasing food in Poland. There was simplified entry for residents of Kaliningrad. Now visas have been introduced, but still a lot is purchased in Poland - from food to plumbing. Some even run a business organizing all sorts of shopping tours! Also, by the way, a way to break in.

Another way - production of homemade tinctures and liqueurs. Then you can use these bottles to pay plumbers and workers who can help in the garden. And some practice tutoring and apartment rental or rooms for rent on services like Airbnb.

Wholesale purchases

Irina, Novomoskovsk (Tula region), 60 years old: “Novomoskovskbytkhim” is a city-forming enterprise, the entire city is built around a chemical plant, and the careers of almost all residents are connected with it. And these are pensions (by the way, from the age of 45) with bonuses. Plus, in 1986, the townspeople were given the status of Chernobyl survivors - this is another increase. Most of my peers, even though they are already pensioners (I, for example, receive 15.5 thousand rubles), continue to work.

The savings are simple: within walking distance there are grocery stores and wholesale stores like "Metro". Accordingly, prices there are twice as low. But the quality is much higher than, for example, in Moscow - everything here is always fresh and tasty. Children bring both meat and fish home to Moscow! And almost everyone has a dacha - they were allocated in the 80s. Many people grow something there and close it for the winter. Grannies sell their harvests at the market, but this is more a way of life than a need. Still a profit though.

Maria, Krasnoyarsk, 81 years old: My pension is 20 thousand rubles. Enough! And all because I follow the budget very clearly. Every month I I outline upcoming expenses. 4 thousand for food (a thousand a week). The list most often includes chicken, cheese, milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, bread, cabbage, potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, chocolate candies and marshmallows covered in chocolate (there is always this in the house!), and ice cream cake. 3.5 thousand is spent on medicines - I buy them at the cheapest pharmacy, where I go once a month. 2.3–2.5 thousand - for an apartment (utilities), 400 rubles - for light and repairs.

And there is also a “fund” - 5 thousand, which I can spend on delicacies and just what I want to buy - fruits, chicken roulade, smoked chum salmon. From the same “fund” I pay for rare taxi trips and buy something for the soul, albeit rarely. Or you can spend this money on entertainment: when your granddaughter comes from Moscow, we’ll go to the restaurant we went to for our son’s birthday. There's such a kitchen! And the girl and the guy sing very well! I’m crying, otherwise my granddaughter is already spending money on a ticket!

And there is still 5 thousand left from the pension - this is for celebrating holidays and for gifts for relatives’ birthdays. This money is not completely spent, I save it - in 2016 I saved up 50 thousand. Even though I am over 80, I remember very well, down to the last penny, all the prices, even for those goods that are already more than a year I don't buy! And I always count the change that should be given to me in advance - in my head, right on the sales floor, when I have already decided on my purchases. And by the way, from time to time I catch sellers who accidentally or deliberately try to shortchange me - this is also a way to save money!

Diet food

Taisa, Rostov-on-Don, 62 years old: I get 11 thousand rubles. My most important survival secrets - discount shopping and summer preparations. Most chain stores, like Magnit and OK, constantly run all sorts of promotions like “buy two cans of peas and get the third one free” - so I buy it. Help out dietary lean soups: you add more inexpensive vegetables, do without meat, and your lunch for the week is ready. But meat is still full of cholesterol. Getting ready for winter in advance: I buy berries and vegetables at the market and freeze them, pickle them, make jam, marinate them - close them, in general.

Brand abandonment and bank deposits

Genrikh, Moscow, 79 years old: My wife and I are the same age, but our pensions are different. I have a long working experience - 50 years, and a pension of 17 thousand, my wife - 20 thousand (with an allowance for disability, for refusing medications and for work experience of 48 years). All our, as young people say, life hacks are V long walks : we go out in the morning and walk around the area for two hours, looking into shops - and such exercise is good for health, and we find cheap goods. When we choose something, we make sure to look at the ingredients so that it doesn’t contain any nastiness.

Another important way savings - purchase of a pharmaceutical reference book. It lists analogues of all drugs. The doctor will prescribe something for us, we will look in the reference book and buy the same drug ten times cheaper - the active medicinal substance is the same, but the name is different and the manufacturer is simpler. We do not overpay for the brand.

We also have a 50% discount on rent. There are savings made during work that you have to dip into and which, alas, are not very replenished. Although we came up with the idea of ​​transferring this money to different banks at interest. The profit, of course, is ridiculous, but at least it’s something!

Not for service, but for friendship

Natalya, St. Petersburg, 83 years old: My pension is 13 thousand. Children help, who, however, live far away - in Moscow. They buy me expensive medicines and clothes. And I also cannot live without theaters - I have a very busy Savor in St. Petersburg, that's why I'm not moving to Moscow. But it is completely unrealistic to buy tickets for a pensioner; numerous acquaintances help out - I have friends who work both in the largest theaters in the city and in smaller ones. Someone writes countermarks or invitations, and in some theaters they are quietly escorted through the service entrance. For some performances, several very cheap tickets are sold - you can buy one hundred rubles, and then, after the third bell, just change seats. I am an avid theatergoer, and this brings me great joy!

Optimism

Taisiya, Ladovskaya Balka (Stavropol Territory), 77 years old: I get 15 thousand rubles. I spend it mostly on food from the store. Previously, they grew all sorts of things in the garden, but most of them have stopped, since it is now easier to buy all this in the store. But still something for now We raise and still keep pigs, ducks and chickens, so that helps a lot. I won’t say that I have to save - it seems like I have enough for everything, and I’m also saving little by little for my grandson’s car. In general, I feel like a lady: all my life I did everything with my own hands, lived in a hut, and now I have a large brick house in the village, my own household, everything is at hand, there is running water and spacious refrigerators - what else do you need?

I have been a pensioner for 4 years now. My pension is not the minimum, but it’s simply unthinkable to live on it. About one third of it goes to communal services. Of course, you can live on the rest, but you will save on everything. A lot is spent on medicine and food. Buying clothes is simply not possible. That's why we have to work. After all, after you retire, you still have the need to dress, get treatment in a sanatorium, and give gifts to your children, grandchildren, and friends. And many other joys are left behind. Of course you can save money. For example, have a large freezer and freeze vegetables and fruits (more, of course, berries). Buy meat in bulk, make preparations such as frozen cutlets, stuffed peppers, dumplings, stews. Where to go? Natural farming helps a lot. Breeding cattle, chickens, rabbits. And of course, a vegetable garden is a good help. Our own potatoes, carrots, beets, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers.

If you live in a private house, this will solve all your problems. After all, a garden can give you a lot. Plant a little bit of everything and you don’t have to buy vegetables and fruits at the market. And this is a huge money saving. Also in private house you can have livestock. For example chickens. It will be both eggs and meat! Which is also very good. Considering that these products are now very expensive. If you live in an apartment, it’s more difficult. But on the balcony you can grow greens, for example, or the same tomatoes. A little bit at a time, but enough to eat for a change. You also need to prepare something of your own. That is, do not buy ready-made products, but cook yourself! This saves a lot of money. We bought a piece of meat. We made the broth and prepared the first course. And for the second we did something with meat. I've been eating for a few days now. Also make a list of products. Calculate what you need for the month and buy it at the store or supermarket. This way you can live peacefully all month and know that there is always food available. You can search Additional income. The same Internet. There is a lot of time, you can earn money on different forums. If you know how to knit, for example, you can do it to order. In general, there is always a way out, the main thing is to look around and a lot of opportunities will appear instantly!

Usually, retirement age implies the presence of any abnormalities in human health. And a lot of money is spent on medicines. Therefore, I would advise you to learn to do without a pharmacy and a hospital. And this means that it’s time (if you haven’t already started) to lead healthy image life: hiking fresh air, morning work-out, drinking regime(pure spring water up to 2 liters per day), healthy eating(without sugar and sweets, tea, coffee, fried, fatty, flour, sausage, smoked meats) plus positive attitude, plus spiritual development so as not to become attached to the material in this world. Believe me, a person needs very little to live. Talented is the one who knows how to get by with little. You also need to set your mind to the fact that you live normally, and not have complexes, and not worry about a small pension. Thank God for everything you have, enjoy life not materially, but simply human communication, the beauty of nature, doing something creative activity. A person will never have enough if he focuses on money. Try to find extra income in as a last resort. Don't turn on the TV (it consumes a lot of electricity) - better go for a walk or read.

Of course, it’s hard for a pensioner to live on one pension, so many, after retiring, also earn extra money. If you do not have the strength and health to do this, then you will have to save on clothes, shoes (you can buy this at second-hand stores), on medicines, buying cheaper analogues, and on food. If you have cereals, pasta, butter, replace it with margarine and vegetable oil, then food will be inexpensive. You can plant herbs and even tomatoes and cucumbers on the windowsill or balcony. Do not forget to salt white cabbage, it is not so expensive, and it contains a lot of vitamins. Buy carrots and beets. Beans will be used instead of meat.

I can answer the question using the example of my mother. She gets the most regular pension- 9000. Apart from this, there is no help. She lives on her own with this money and helps her youngest daughter, since her daughter works and her mother has to babysit her young children. When daughters are late in salary, the mother has to feed her grandchildren and pay for their school lunches using her pension. Of course, she doesn’t buy vegetables and fruits, because she grows them herself in the summer in the garden, and then cans them, salts them, and makes them fermented. cooks them for the winter. Clothes and shoes are only necessary and all other expenses are kept to a minimum. Mom just knows how to save money.

Well, now let's try to figure it out little by little.

Nutrition:
Firstly, it all depends on where you live. As the author of the answer already said before me, you can, for example, try to do it in a private house agriculture. Get chickens and ducks. They will give you meat, and chickens eggs, and consistently. You won't die of hunger anymore. But food for animals is like that. Let’s say you’ve removed corn from the field, go ahead and collect the remains if it’s really that tight. Chickens are just the most profitable animals. And the food will quickly pay for itself.
If you live in an apartment, then there is also an opportunity to save money. Try growing onions and other greens. Of course, in order to save money and eat only those greens, you need to grow greens in large quantities and scale. In my opinion, it’s not worth it, but for a pensioner... For example, my mother-in-law keeps chickens under a lamp...

Cloth:
I think that an ordinary pensioner will not be able to go wild in choosing clothes. But even this can save money. Try to limit yourself to buying cool things if you are prone to shopping.

Treatment: Can't argue with that. The author also wrote that exercise and a healthy lifestyle can help save on medications. But in part this is not true. This is already a pensioner, and even a healthy lifestyle will not return the lost health and strength, understand this...

Gifts: What are you, expensive gifts do you do it to your loved ones? For example, grandchildren? I don’t think it’s worth pampering them at all. Let them feel sorry for their grandparents, otherwise they will get used to it. Well, you shouldn’t forget about them.

Earnings: I think The best way making money for a pensioner is the Internet. A retired man can try to get a job as a watchman. There will be no income, believe me)

Preface.

Everything written here is social experiment. The author (that is, I) does not set himself the task of in any way forcing readers to do this, the author does not draw conclusions (you can draw them yourself based on the contents of your skull, or you can just forget), the author simply describes how you can ( and is it possible) to live on the minimum state pension V Russian Federation. The experiment does NOT pretend to be maximally objective due to the fact that the author is not a pensioner and is somewhat unaware of all the nuances.
The totals given in the experiment will differ slightly from the final amounts and calculations due to the fact that not absolutely all expenses are indicated here (for example, the purchase of bread, salt, deductions for some “trips” to public transport, additional purchase of small things like 1 carrot for 5 rubles), and the subtotals and final figures are taken from a bank statement, therefore more accurate.

So, let's go!

Reading articles and comments about the condition pension payments, about our parents (many of them are already pensioners), stuck in my head intrusive thought- well, how can you live on these pennies?
Over time, the thought transformed into a clear understanding that a bad head does not give rest to one’s hands, and one needs to conduct an experiment - to live at least for a month on the money that the state pays to its citizens in the form of pensions.

Let me make a reservation right away - I am not a pensioner, I work, I earn good money, so I removed some types of payments from my experiment, due to the fact that I need these expenses to maintain my earnings (maintenance of cars, for example).

So, I started by calling the local Pension Fund and inquired about the size of pensions in our region. A sweet voice on the other side said that today minimum payout equal to 8,801 rubles, the average is 14,500 rubles, and the maximum reaches 42,000.
Well, what can I say, of course you can live on 42, but try living on 8.801!

I waited until the beginning of the month, emptied one of the cards, and transferred exactly 8,801 rubles to it. Now this is all my money for the month. Actually everything. You can start mowing like a pensioner.

First of all, we need to set aside money for our beloved bloodsuckers from the housing and communal services sector. It should be noted that in general they are not that bad. average cost services per month are approximately 2,700 rubles for a two-room apartment with 47 square meters (a little less in summer, a little more expensive in winter). The yard is swept, the light bulbs in the entrance are changed, the entrance itself is washed, and the garbage is taken out.

Well, let's let it go stingy a tear, paid for housing and communal services and uuuuppss! They charged another 54 rubles as a “commission for translation services.” I didn’t even know there was such a thing before - everything was paid automatically. It seems like fifty dollars is nonsense, but money is already so little.

In general, I have as much as 6,047 rubles left (for mathematicians: 8,801 rubles - 2,700 rubles - 54 rubles = 6,047 rubles).
Inner voice obviously chuckled and suggested that we quickly finish with this nonsense and go to a tavern to eat steaks.

Ha! Russians don't give up! - I retorted and began calculations.

It turned out that I had as much as 195.06 rubles available to spend per day. Holy shit, so many! An inner voice whinnied tactlessly near my right ear.

So, I saw 2 ways.
The first is to go to a wholesale store and buy a bunch of everything at once with all the money, and then try to survive on it for a month.
The second is to visit nearby large stores (supermarkets) and inspect them for any promotions or discounts.

The second method was chosen. Promotions are good, and somehow storing perishable food in the refrigerator for a month didn’t excite me.
At first there was an idea to collect receipts and photograph them, but after I habitually threw a couple of receipts into the trash right in the store, the technique broke down. Therefore, some are from memory, some are based on an extract from bank card, something from surviving receipts.

There are 2 supermarkets within walking distance from me - one of the most large network and at the same time the most expensive, and the “supermarket for the poor” - the cheapest (if we take average prices). You can also get to the federal one by public transport, the prices there are so-so, but often there are promotions like 20-30-50% discounts, plus their own line of products “for the poor.”

Therefore, it was decided to graze these particular supermarkets, and for a trip to a “distant” (federal) market, it was decided to deduct 24 rubles from oneself (a trip on a municipal bus in both directions).

The first day of the experiment fell on a Friday, so the first thing I did was go to a distant supermarket to find good discounts (they are there every day on different products, but on Fridays it’s especially busy).

My instinct didn’t let me down and the market was full of signs with “20% discount”, but only for kebabs. However, what was interesting to me was that there was a discount of the day on chicken schnitzel. Only 202 rub. for 1 kg of this wonderful product. (Represents a broken chicken breast, rolled in breadcrumbs).

It was packed with 3 small schnitzels (costed 128.6 rubles), bread (I generally only snore Rye bread, but 33.80 for a “Darnitsky” flatbread is a little expensive for me now, so I took the cheapest bread, for 16.90), the cheapest pasta (26.90 for 500 g), 2 tomatoes (Chinese for 69.90 per kg, pulled by 28.40) and 1 cucumber (local) at 39.90 per kg, which pulled by 14.6 rubles.
In addition, a jar of tomato paste "Kubanochka" for 29.90 and a package of some kind of mayonnaise-type sauce for 24 rubles.
At the checkout, I was upset that I had gone beyond the daily amount - as much as 269.3, plus 24 rubles for travel, but the snack should have been enough for a couple of days.

Total, at the end of the first day of my retirement life I spent almost 300 rubles (293.3 to be exact) out of 195 available.

At home, I fried schnitzels, cooked pasta (as long as you eat it hot, you can eat it, but if it’s cooled down, it won’t look very good) and found out that the schnitzel is quite large, it can be divided into 2 parts, and in the end you will get 6 servings, which is three meals a day It fits perfectly into 2 days. And for 2 days, I can spend as much as 390.12 rubles, but I spent only 293.3, the profit is as much as 96.82! It just made me proud how thrifty I am [<- это был сарказм].

I spent the entire next week in the “supermarket for the poor,” which turned out to be greedy with discounts, but it had the cheapest promotional rice, at 29.90 per kilogram. Having suppressed the attack of the toad, I immediately packed a bag for a little over 4 kilograms (the local packaging is like this, apparently they pour it by eye and then weigh it), paying 129 rubles. Rice is a fairly economical thing; you throw in a glass, and what comes out is a small saucepan. True, eat it every day...
But there is also buckwheat and peas! And even oatmeal, which is “rolled oatmeal”, costs 19 rubles! In general, cereals are all our pension money, yes! It’s much more difficult with meat, but with chicken or fish there are no special problems - I came across a sale of chicken nuggets at 179 per kilogram, and immediately stocked up on two. There is even a whole chicken for 89.90 per kg, but I was careful not to take it (later it turned out that I did the right thing). Flounder for 79, pollock for 80, and pink salmon (on sale) for only 149 rubles per kilogram.

After 10 days, I recalculated the balance, checked the card and received a balance of 4,651 rubles. Holy shit! I didn’t even know that you could live for 10 days on less than fifteen hundred!
I decided to indulge myself and bought a whole kilogram of wonderful pork tenderloin - 380 rubles per kilogram. I ate for 4 days (fried, chop), saving and smacking my lips, snacking on rice and pasta (pasta at 35 rubles per kg - disgusting!).
I didn’t want to buy the “loin” part at 290 - a lot of fat, skin, bones. The 320 beef was also cut so skillfully that in any piece the bone occupied at least 30% of the volume, there is nothing to say about cartilage.

I bought a kilogram of bones for 60 rubles and cooked borscht. Cabbage - 15 rubles per kilogram, onions - 19, carrots - as much as 24 (Chinese, I couldn’t find it cheaper), beets - 19, potatoes - 16.90.
I thought about it and bought another jar of sour cream. 39 rubles for 200 grams. We, pensioners, love sour cream!
The 5 liter pan ran out in 3 days. I'll tell you - borscht without savory pieces of meat is so-so in terms of satiety. I ate a healthy plate, and 2 hours later I want it again.

On the 18th day the next recalculation is 4.012 balance. Not bad.

I bought 221 grams of smoked loin for 79.56, 800 grams of peas for 34 rubles, and started enjoying the soup. It would be nice to have more Koreans, but oh well, you won’t be able to run away much from retirement. Ate for 2 days.

I remembered that I didn’t buy vegetable oil for all 20 days - I used old leftovers. He immediately inspected the stores and, without flinching, laid out 220 rubles for a 3-liter jar of oil “for everyone.” The oil is so-so, but if you don’t overheat it in a frying pan, it will do.

On the 20th day, I bought myself a whole pink salmon, with the head on, but without the giblets. Rybina pulled out 190 rubles. I cut off the head, fins, tail and abdomen and put it in the refrigerator. I fried the fish in small steaks, it was quite good with mayanesique and rice. It was difficult to stretch it out for 2 days.

Day 22 - I have an earache! Yes, yes, from the same thing - head, fins, tail. I had to buy more potatoes and carrots. I'll tell you that the fish soup from all this, without the fish itself, is just so-so. I used up a three-liter saucepan in a day.

Day 23 is fishy again. I bought 1.5 kg of flounder and paid 117 rubles. A tasty piece of butter for 63 and a couple of kilograms of potatoes for 42. I had to buy a bag of flour. 0.5 kg for 23 rubles. More is cheaper, but I don't need more.
I ate fried flounder with potatoes for two days. It's tasty, but the flounder runs out faster.

Day 25 - another revision. 2968 on the map, there is some rice left, half a pack of peas, a lot of butter and vegetable oil, 2 carrots.

There is exactly a week left until the end of the experiment, and the money is almost 3 thousand!

I bought a kilogram of “homemade” minced meat (299 rubles per kg, cost 302 rubles) and a kilogram of chicken (220 per kg, cost 231 rubles). I bought some “fashionable” pasta (54 rubles/500g). I made meatballs, cooked rice - made meatballs, bought a loaf (6.90 for a small one) - made cutlets.

I ate for 4 days. On the 3rd day I ran out of pasta, so I bought more potatoes (39 rubles).

Day 29 2275 rubles on the card. The soap and snout accessories purchased before the experiment ran out, and I did not take them into account in my calculations.

Having cried, I inspected the markets, and it turned out:

259 rubles for 4 kg of the cheapest powder on sale
69 rubles for a hefty tube of the cheapest toothpaste
79 rubles per liter jar of liquid soap
2x18 rubles for laundry soap
89 rubles for a liter jug ​​of dishwashing liquid.
199 rubles on sale for half a liter of shampoo is more or less normal. Although you could save money and get a liter of some chamomile for 99.

Out of anger, I bought 374 grams of smoked ham for 120 rubles, 10 eggs in a paper cell (saving 5.99 compared to a plastic one) for 41.90, took 910g of rice (market packaging), already at 39, it came out to 35.5, a pack of normal spaghetti for 69 rubles, 400g of chopped and packaged normal cheese for 199 rubles (cheese in a supermarket for the poor can be found for 220-260 per KILOGRAM, but there is such cheese... I, as a newly minted pensioner, am not yet used to this), 2 schnitzels and 3 chicken cutlets ( schnitzel without a promotion is already at 260, cutlets at 220, pulled up to 133 and 101 rubles, respectively).

Now it’s all over anyway! There should be more than enough munchies for the remaining 3 days; you can invite your grandchildren to the feast. 3 times haha.

30th day. I grate the schnitzel and cutlet, pouring melted butter over them and snacking on sandwiches with cheese and ham. Yes, that’s the kind of gentleman I am!

31st day. I saw a version of carbonara on the chips - I immediately kneaded the eggs and cheese, trimmed the remaining ham, and went to the store for green onions (-14 rubles). But I’m not a fan of raw eggs, so I fried everything thoroughly.

I remembered that I didn’t buy sugar and tea - I drink all the old supplies. I drove it to the store again. 5 kg of sugar - 249 rubles, 100 bags (may tea lovers forgive me, I'm a pensioner) of not very disgusting green tea - on sale 149 rubles.

In total, the balance is 381 rubles, 1 chicken cutlet, 6 eggs, 2 slices of cheese, a ton of sunflower oil and a full frying pan of carbonara and the last day of my experiment.

In the evening, the electronic idiot (who is a smartphone) said that it would be nice to pay for the light. In! Exactly! Electricity. 331 kW for 97 (already 97!!!) kopecks = 321.07 rubles:(

First of August. I devoured the remains of the carbonara (delicious, by the way, I recommend it), and I’m writing a “report” on the work done.
60.53 rubles on the card, 1 cutlet in the refrigerator.

As can be seen from the above, a pensioner can live on the minimum wage without starving and eating quite normally. BUT! In my case, this does not include medications (!), and this is a very important component for older people.
A single pensioner with a minimum pension will not be able to afford to buy things without austerity. Banal shoes, trousers or a whole coat at once - for this you will have to squeeze in food (giving up all “expensive” products - meat, cheese, switching to cheap cereals and, as a delicacy, fish) and saving, saving, saving...
Pensioners have some benefits, but I didn’t bother to understand them - who is entitled to what and by whom, how much can be saved on this - I don’t know.

Well, for those who read to the end, but have already forgotten what is written at the top, let me remind you. The author (i.e., I) did not set myself the task of assessing or analyzing the condition of pensioners in the Russian Federation. The author does not know how many pensioners receive the minimum pension (he also does not know how many receive the maximum or average pension). The author does not draw any conclusions from the experiment, except for the obvious - it is quite possible to live on a minimum wage, but not a coat (which is generally obvious to any adult).

Based on everything, take care of your relatives in retirement (especially at minimum), do for them at least a little more than the state machine does, because for you they are a loved one. Let him be pleased.

Alexandra Vitalievna, on the pages of one of the online publications, shared her experience of how she manages to look so beautiful, and most importantly, how she manages to live on her pension.

After the last indexation, her pension is just over 13 thousand rubles. This money is enough for her to live comfortably and even for entertainment. A pensioner, she even allows herself to go to the theater or museum twice a month. And all this thanks to the rational use of your budget.

She divides her pension into four parts. The first is mandatory expenses, which include utilities and internet. This costs 5 thousand rubles. Tries to save on electricity and water.

Pensioners should under no circumstances have debts for services to utility companies. If you are late for one month, you will have to pay for two the next month. And this will take your entire pension!

The second part is intended for the purchase of non-perishable products and sanitary and hygiene products. With each pension, he replenishes his supply of cereals, sugar, canned food, vegetable oils, cleaning and detergents. Minus one and a half thousand rubles from the budget.

She leaves four thousand rubles for her current expenses: the purchase of meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, dried fruits for tea.

All that remains, in her words, is money for her own joy. New things and entertainment. True, in order to treat yourself to a new blouse or dress, you have to save money for several months. He buys tickets to the theater through promotions, for 300-400 rubles. And going to museums costs 100 rubles, fortunately the fee for this category of visitors is purely symbolic.

It is probably difficult to imagine how one can get by with four thousand in operating expenses per month, but Alexandra Vitalievna manages to fit into this part of her budget. Thanks to little tricks.

Firstly, he doesn’t go to the store every day, but every other day or two, and less often if possible. Secondly, with a list of necessary products. This insures her against unnecessary and useless purchases. Thirdly, he takes with him a limited amount, no more than 400 rubles. He tries to buy groceries in stores that offer social discounts for pensioners. In addition, retail chains often hold various promotions, which she actively uses.

Alexandra Vitalievna even has her own emergency reserve. She puts aside more than a thousand rubles on her card every month, which the state returns to her as compensation for utilities (if utility bills make up 22% of income, the pensioner is entitled to a subsidy). This is money for unexpected expenses - medicines, gifts for friends or relatives.
She can't afford big purchases. And there is no need for them. Alexandra Vitalievna prepared for the moment when she will not work. I updated all the equipment, made renovations in the apartment, and purchased bedding. He advises future retirees to do the same. People of pre-retirement age need to know that pensions are only enough for the most minimal needs of a person!