The expert talked about ways to control the family budget

The family budget must be controlled by planning expenses by category, analyzing them, and setting limits. Yulia Tarasova, an expert on consumer behavior of the Orange payment service, told Izvestia on February 17.

According to the expert, one of the simplest but most effective ways to control the budget is to allocate funds into categories: groceries, transport, leisure, household expenses, and so on. The main advantage of this approach lies in its adaptability to personal needs in different time periods. For example, in the cold season, it is worth setting an increased budget for travel, while in the warm season, it is possible that spending on leisure will be higher.

In addition, special attention should be paid to the analysis of the cost structure. So, at the end of each month, it is important to study your expenses and pay attention to the categories and to what extent the amount of money spent reflects the priority of a particular budget item.

According to Tarasov, it is also necessary to set limits. For example, applications of banks and payment services allow you to impose restrictions on expenses in general or by individual categories.

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"This does not mean that you will not be able to spend more funds if necessary — the limits can always be changed. However, you will be aware of the excess of the initially planned amount and will be able to more rationally assess the need for a particular purchase. Treat this tool as an assistant in conscious spending, and not as a way to force yourself into a framework," Tarasova said.

In addition, it is important to choose cashback categories in banks, join loyalty programs, and analyze which card is more profitable to pay for products and which for beauty industry services.

"Allocate a budget for mandatory expenses on a monthly basis, and plan flexible expenses for a certain period of time, without setting strict limits. For example, the phrase "go on a trip in the summer" without reference to a specific month increases the chances of catching a suitable and profitable moment to pay for a trip," she said.

Tarasova clarified that the mandatory expenses include basic needs: food, housing, transportation, medicine. Flexible means everything that is not required to maintain a basic comfortable standard of living: traveling, changing cars, buying a new phone model, and other items from the wish list.

"Saving doesn't always mean choosing the cheapest option. Evaluating the service life, quality, and real benefits of a product helps avoid repeat purchases and reduces costs in the long run. Therefore, when optimizing the budget, it is important to strive not just to spend as little as possible, but to consider each purchase comprehensively," Tarasova concluded.

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Alexander Grif, a financial expert and chairman of the Committee on Digital and Technological Sovereignty of the CIS and the Russian-Arab Council of the CIS, told Izvestia last November that it was unsafe to keep savings based on old habits: geopolitical changes, currency fluctuations and the growth of digital instruments required a review of financial strategies.

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