How to eat in retirement. Pensioner's budget or how to live on retirement in Russia? The smaller the pension, the better it should be considered

Reading time 8 minutes

Most of every person’s life passes in the daily cycle of worries and constant bustle. Some enjoy constant work activity, while others look forward to retirement. For both the former and the latter, life after retirement changes dramatically. Such changes can often cause stress. In this article you can find material on how to live happily in retirement, as well as make this period of life joyful and productive.

How to prepare for retirement

If someone doesn’t know what “retirement” is, then you can explain what it means: to do in peace and quiet only what you want, but only to do this you need to become old enough. © Tove Jansson

Like any important event in life, retirement requires some preparation. First of all, we mean moral attitude. Many perceive the age of 60+ as the end of life, write themselves off in social activities and do not know what to do with themselves during the retirement period.

Therefore, it is extremely important to regard life after retirement not as a decline, but as a long-awaited vacation and extra time to realize your desires. A happy retirement depends solely on your inner attitude. Have you always wanted to go traveling, but didn’t have the time? Or have you dreamed of learning to play the harmonica? Or maybe it's finally time to write your memoirs? Retirement gives every person a huge gift - time. Time for yourself, for family and friends, friends and acquaintances. We need to find a way to rationally use this priceless gift.

If you plan in advance how to spend your life after retirement, then leaving work will not be perceived as painful. Many begin to prepare for the retirement period in advance: they purchase and prepare summer cottages, and decide on a hobby. It depends only on your inner mood what your old age will be like - active and happy, or spent in despondency in front of the TV screen.

How to survive on retirement - the financial side of the issue

In European countries, when a person retires, he often already has cash savings that are quite capable of ensuring a comfortable old age. Unfortunately, for pensioners in the CIS countries, the situation is such that if you do not save capital in advance, then it is almost impossible to survive on pension contributions. For modern pensioners, there are two ways out of a comfortable old age:

1. Help for children and grandchildren. Proper upbringing, love for your children and grandchildren is, in a way, an investment in a comfortable old age and decent life retired. After all, if you are lined up with the younger generation trusting relationship, throughout life, respect for elders was instilled, family traditions, then such upbringing is a guarantee that parents will not be abandoned to the mercy of the pension fund.
2. Self help. Initially, you need to think about your security in old age even before retirement, setting aside a small capital. But besides this, you need to remember that life after retirement is not the end of a person’s working life. Modern retirees find an opportunity to earn extra money, for example, by mastering the Internet and doing remote work. The opportunity to earn extra money is available to everyone, you just need to find a suitable business. For avid summer residents, this could be the sale of home-grown products; for those who like to knit and embroider, it could be the sale of clothing self made. A hobby that generates income is the right option, which will not only solve the issue of additional income, but will also take free time pensioner.

A striking example is a pensioner from China, who at the age of 79 conquered the podium for the first time. Wang Deshun is a real star in the fashion world and at 80 years old he is not going to stop there.

It’s not at all about your intelligence or age, even if nature determines them. The fact is that you yourself are able to determine how old you are and what you can do and what you cannot do. Old age is in the head, not in the body. © Wang Deshun

Ideas for additional income for retirees

In Russia there are also examples of retirees in the modeling business. For example, Tatyana Neklyudova, a woman who worked all her life as an engineer, did not even suspect that at 61 she would become the face of fashionable St. Petersburg brands, and would even advertise underwear Petrushka company.

1. Work of a watchman or concierge
2. Internet sales
3. Running your own blog
4. Vegetable garden or summer cottage (crops for sale)
5. Sewing clothes or selling knitted products
6. Writing articles, dissertations and coursework for students
7. Nanny, home organization kindergarten
8. Sale of homemade baked goods
9. Tutoring
10. Private transportation (if you have your own transport)
11. Dog walking
12. Raising animals or plants for sale
13. Work as a photographer or videographer (if you have certain skills)
14. Cleaning, minor household repairs
15. Mystery shopper
16. Guide

A fun retirement - ways to spend leisure time in old age

Retirement is much easier for those people who already have a favorite activity outside of work. But what should those who haven’t found an interesting hobby do?

Pensioners abroad

Life after retirement differs for people depending on where they live.

For example, in Turkey there are practically no nursing homes. Old age is held in high esteem among the Turks, so close relatives will never leave old people alone and without a livelihood. Pensioners in Turkey most often spend their leisure time lazily and leisurely - in coffee shops and visiting each other.

In Germany, on the contrary, it is not customary to support elderly parents; this is considered bad manners. Therefore, there are a lot of houses for retirees in Germany.

Switzerland is different high level life, so older Swiss people have enough money in their account to enjoy life throughout their retirement period. Music, painting, dancing, literature - there is no cultural niche in which Swiss pensioners cannot realize themselves.

For Poles, life after retirement takes on a quiet, peaceful hue; many of them find themselves working on their plots. Payments for utilities in Poland are extremely high, so travel is not possible for them.

But it’s extremely difficult to call retired French people sedentary. In France, retirement time means new life. Traveling around the world, active lifestyle, going out – distinctive features life after retirement among the life-loving French.

Extreme life after retirement

And old age is full of pleasures, if only you know how to use it. © Seneca Lucius Annaeus

It has been proven that active pensioners live much longer than those who prefer to spend their retirement period in prostration in front of the TV. There are even some individuals whose activity is so extreme that even young people admiringly call them crazy pensioners. A calm old age is not about them. Skydiving, surfing, hiking - all this is available even at the age of 60 years.

For example, Yakut pensioner Pyotr Naumov ran a marathon, covering 3850 km. Englishman Leslie Carver, at the age of 72, gathered a company of his peers and made a round-the-world motor rally, during which a documentary film was shot. Pensioners and extreme sports fans want to donate the proceeds from the collection of the film screening to help starving children. But one American distinguished himself by deciding to celebrate his 90th birthday in the air, but not just by jumping with a parachute. He flew while standing on the wing of a small plane. But the undisputed championship in the list of crazy pensioners is won by the British centenarian Doris Long. With the noble goal of raising money for a local hospice, a woman, aged 101, abseiled from the 94-meter-high Portsmouth harbor tower. This courageous descent earned Doris the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Life after retirement became unexpectedly active for Doris. Moreover, the centenarian began to engage in mountaineering at the advanced age of 85 years.

Life in retirement can be even better than before. Since there is time and opportunity to discover unknown resources within yourself, to try to realize yourself in new areas of life. Find the right way to live happily in retirement and spend this period of your life usefully and positively.

Pensioners in our country are one of the most poorly protected categories of the population. Despite their impressive work experience, many receive a small pension, which is not enough to cover basic needs. Today we will tell you how to live on a pension in Russia, who needs to save, and what payments to expect from the state.

What pensions are there inRussia: who gets how much

There is no concept in the law minimum pension provision, but there is the concept of PMS - pension subsistence minimum. In 2018, the average minimum payments amounted to 8,703 rubles, taking into account indexation by 3.7% from January 1. Those who for some reason were unable to receive insurance pension, which they formed for themselves, will live on an average of 8,500 rubles per month. In 2019, the PMP is 8,540 rubles.

The amount of the accrued pension depends on the social category, length of service and other factors. For example, from 2018, those who have worked for at least 9 years and scored at least 13.8 pension points will receive an insurance pension. And others will be able to receive an old-age pension, a survivor's pension, or other types of it. At the beginning of 2019, the average pension amount was:

🔹 8,807 ₽ for disability;

🔹 8,875 ₽ for the loss of a breadwinner;

🔹 11,873 ₽ for Chernobyl victims.

Also, the size of pensions greatly depends on the region. There are more than 40 million pension recipients in our country. For 2019, it is planned to increase the average pension amount to 15,400 rubles. Residents of large cities receive the largest pensions: for example, Muscovites - 17,500 ₽, residents of St. Petersburg - 13,600 ₽, Rostov - 10,500 ₽ on average. The highest pensions are for civil servants, former military personnel and those who worked in the north.

How do pensioners live?Today? It’s hard to live even on the average Moscow pension of 17,500 rubles: utilities alone can take up to a third of income. And in addition to paying for utilities, pensioners must spend money on medicines, food, purchasing household chemicals and household items, clothing, and entertainment.

Do pensioners need to limit themselves in anything?

It all depends on whether you have enough money. If you have a large pension and have enough for the usual food, clothing, household items and utilities, there is no need to save. If you get average pension provision and you have savings, you also don’t have to deny yourself anything. But remember that savings can run out at the most unexpected moment.

If you receive the minimum or average pension and it’s not enough for the usual life , you can find additional sources of income.

💼 Get a job.Despite the common stereotype that retirees are not eager to be hired, you can find something to do to your liking. For example, get a job as a librarian, watchman, cleaner, janitor, or salesperson. And if you have knowledge in a narrow field, you can start training young specialists, for example, give lessons, help advice.

📱 Pay attention to freelancing.If you don’t want to get up at the same time every day, get to work through traffic jams, and report to your boss, pay attention to freelancing. Freelancing - remote work: performing certain tasks for third-party employers. For example, you can call clients using a pre-collected database, write articles if you can and want to do this. Available vacancies can be viewed on sites like fl.ru or freelance.ru.

👵 Take up a hobby.By engaging in an interesting hobby, you can kill two birds with one stone: earn money and borrow free time. time . When you retire, you will be able to do things that you refused before, for example, sculpt with clay, weave with beads, sew clothes, embroider paintings or icons, knit woolen items, and so on. Remember what you were interested in before, or choose what your soul is about now. The results of the work - embroidery, clothing, decorative items - can be sold online, on social networks or in stores if you agree with their owners.

🌷 Take care of the housekeeping.Those who live in a village or rural area can take up their free time and earn extra money. For example, get 20-30 chickens: this way you will stop buying eggs in stores, and you can sell the surplus. Plus, you'll always have meat on hand. You can also start some pigs, turkeys, ducks and other farm animals. Another common activity is gardening: grow fresh fruits and vegetables on your plot. You'll spend much less money than buying it and get fresh, quality food.

Tips on how to live economically on retirement: staying within budget

Start planning your budget

How to live on retirement, if you recently left work and have not yet found your bearings, will there be enough money? The first thing you need to do is plan your expenses. Take a piece of paper, a pen and calculate how much you need to live.

⭐ payment of utilities - if you don’t pay, they may turn off electricity, gas, water, heating;

⭐ food products - cereals, meat, milk, bread and so on;

⭐ household items, household chemicals - washing powders, soap, personal hygiene products;

⭐ medications that need to be taken every day, for example, for hypertension, tachycardia, chronic diseases.

Optional expenses are all those that can be postponed, for example, buying a new collector's edition of books, purchasing household appliances, expensive clothes, and so on.

When you calculate how much money you need for essential needs, you will be able to understand how much is left. If your pension is not enough for essential needs, look for additional sources of income.

Save money everyonemonth

Pensioners and life in retirementunpredictable: circumstances may arise that require money here and now. With a planned budget, any unforeseen expenses significantly worsen the financial situation. Therefore, it is better to prepare for force majeure in advance.

If possible, set aside a small amount of money from each pension, at least 200–500 rubles. You can keep them at home or open a special checking account. If you had small savings, open a deposit, periodically replenish it and receive interest: this will bring additional income, and in case of troubles it will help to correct financial situation.

Take advantage of government benefits

Question, how to survive on retirement, older people don't care one year . The state provides assistance to pensioners, for example, additional payments for those whose pension is below the subsistence level.

The most common assistance for pensioners is benefits for utility bills. For example, disabled people of groups I and II, as well as single pensioners over 70 and 80 years old can receive a discount on the cost of major repairs in the amount of 50% or 100%. In addition, if the amount of utility bills exceeds 22% of the pension, you can apply for a subsidy: the state will transfer money to your current account.

Pensioners are entitled to the following assistance from the state:

📝 compensation for the cost of tickets to a vacation spot for those who work or have worked in the far north;

📝 free flu vaccination for all people over 60 years of age;

📝 providing special means for rehabilitation, movement for disabled people and pensioners in need of care;

📝 discounts or free travel on public transport;

📝 financial assistance in the amount of 1,000 ₽ or more, depending on the region;

📝 supply of food, free medicine, clothing and so on.

Social programs, as well as the conditions for receiving assistance, depend on the region and your financial situation. Contact local branch social protection population: a specialist will tell youhow to live on a minimum pension in Russia, and will offer to participate in all available programs.

Change your diet

If you were previously accustomed to eating delicacies or purchasing only semi-finished products in order tosurvive on a pension of 8-10 thousand, you will have to change your habits. Buy cheaper products:

🍉 buy vegetables and fruits in season - you can buy apples all year round, it’s better to buy cucumbers and tomatoes in the summer, and cabbage in the winter;

🌭 refuse semi-finished products, canned food, sausages - finished products always cost more;

🌾 buy more cereals: a breakfast of porridge with butter or milk will cost less than a breakfast of a sandwich with a boiled egg;

🐔 instead of beef, pork, lamb, buy poultry meat, for example, chicken is the cheapest;

🐟 refuse expensive varieties of fish - they can be replaced with pollock, capelin, catfish steak.

Once a month, you can buy food for several weeks in advance: pasta, cereals, frozen meat. Every day it is worth buying additional perishable foods: bread, milk, dairy products, fruits, vegetables.

Take advantage of discounts from retail chains

Many stores offer discounts for pensioners, for example, in the Pyaterochka retail chain you can get a discount of up to 10% if you purchase before lunch on weekdays. In addition, keep an eye on promotions: large retail chains reduce prices on certain groups of goods every day. This will helplive on a small pension- you can only buy promotional items, then you will spend 10–30% less on your grocery basket.

To avoid going around stores looking for deals, use special sites and apps that help you save. For example, you can install the “Edadil” application and return part of the money from purchases in regular stores if you scan your receipt.

If you often visit certain stores, participate in loyalty programs: get a bonus or discount card, take part in seasonal promotions. This will also help you save money.

Buy from manufacturers

All products in accessible retail chains are sold at a premium. If you buy some goods directly from the manufacturer, you can save a lot of money.

How can a pensioner live economically and practically?? Look for opportunities to buy clothes, household goods, household appliances almost no extra charges. Even the biggest discounts in retail chains involve a markup, so it’s better to refuse them. Go to well-known sites, such as Aliexpress. Contrary to popular belief about the “Chinese” quality of goods, you can find good goods at a cost 2–3 times lower than the market price.

For example, you can buy on Aliexpress much cheaper than in stores:

🔺 craft supplies, if you are into it;

🔺 cases and other accessories for smartphones, laptops, tablets;

🔺 skimmers, sets of spoons, salt shakers, other kitchen items;

🔺 clothes, you just need to pay special attention to the sizes;

🔺 many other products.

If you decide to buy something directly from Chinese manufacturers, pay attention to the seller’s rating and reviews. The more positive feedback- the higher the chance that the goods will arrive on time and without defects.

Another option to buy regular goods at discounts is to visit wholesale stores. For example, you can use them to buy groceries once a month. This way you will save up to 20–30% of your budget.

Save utility resources

To pay less for utilities and resources, install individual meters. If they are already there, try to spend less resources - then you will have to pay less for utilities.

Here are some common ways to save on utilities:

📌 install everywhere energy saving light bulbs- they do not heat up and actually consume less energy;

📌 unplug devices you don’t use from the network - even in standby mode they consume energy;

📌 use electricity at night if a two-tariff electricity meter is installed;

📌 give up your home phone, radio points - they are practically not needed, and cellular communications are cheaper;

📌 clean the scale in the kettle, the dust collector in the vacuum cleaner - this way they consume less energy;

📌 defrost food not in the microwave, but on the refrigerator shelf in advance.

Such clever tricks will helplive on pension as a single womanor a man, without overpaying for utilities.

Shop correctly

Modern marketing is designed to force consumers to buy as many products as possible. For example, in large retail chains, expensive products are located at eye level, and departments with the most popular products are located far from the entrance.

To avoid falling for the tricks of marketers, go to the store correctly. Always write a list before you go shopping. Write down everything you want to buy and don't give in to impulsive desires to buy something else. For additional security, you can take with you as much money as you need for your planned purchases, no more.

It’s even better to shop a couple of times a month at wholesale stores. Prices there are usually lower than in retail stores. In addition, you can buy a lot of products at once for several weeks in advance and not burden yourself with daily trips to the store. This way you can buy only perishable products every day - cottage cheese, milk, bread, pastries or anything else that you don’t want to give up.

Give up credits and loans

If you want to buy something expensive, travel to another country, spend a lot of money on entertainment, it is better to save the necessary amount. If you take out a loan, you will have to pay not only the principal amount, but also interest.

Set aside at least a small amount every month as an emergency fund. Then you won't have to borrow money or take out a loan to buy something expensive. If the situation is unforeseen and requires urgent solutions, look for the most profitable programs. Compare the conditions for obtaining loans for pensioners from different banks and choose a loan with a lower interest rate, and then try to pay it back faster: this way you will overpay less. It's even better to use credit cards with interest-free repayment terms. Usually it is 50–55 days; Alfa Bank has a credit card with an interest-free period of 100 days.

Don't give up on entertainment

Many people don't know How to live in retirement is interesting, and think that all fun ends with achievement retirement age. This is not so: pensioners can also live an interesting life if they approach the organization of entertainment wisely.

For example, you can join a hobby club and do what you love there, communicate with other people, and learn new things. Available free entertainment is a walk in the nearest park, along the embankment, or just along the streets: you can enjoy your vacation and not rush anywhere. And if you have a free pass, you can visit remote areas or other settlements you have never been to before.

If you can't do without exits out into the world, you can visit public places sparingly. For example, entering many museums for pensioners are free or cost a symbolic 50–100 rubles. And tickets to the theatre, concerts, and exhibitions can be purchased on special offers, with big discounts for pensioners. Or with coupons, with cashback - there are special sites that offer discounts, for example, biglion.ru.

Conclude a rental agreement

If you are single, your financial situation is very difficult, and you cannot work or engage in hobbies due to health reasons, try concluding an annuity agreement with lifetime maintenance. This is a deal under which you leave an apartment to a person, and in return he undertakes to provide for you and look after you, for example, bring food, buy medicine, do cleaning.

We recommend compiling rent agreement with a notary so that you are not deceived. The contract usually stipulates the conditions for caring for pensioners, a certain amount of funds that Human will transfer or give you, as well as the conditions for the alienation of the apartment. Be careful: re-read all the terms of the contract.

Entrust your care to those in whom you are confident. For example, neighbors distant relatives, acquaintances. Think about it carefully: there are many scammers on the market who can deceive single pensioners.

In our country minimum pensions start from 8 thousand rubles , and the average is not much higher than the minimum wage. It is possible to live on such a pension, but you will need to choose one of two things: either work part-time so as not to deny yourself anything, or try to save on everything in order to cover at least basic needs.

Once again, we don’t need to talk about how people live in retirement. The situation that Russians find themselves in when they reach the age of incapacity cannot be called enviable. And it seems that the size of social benefits increases every year, but inflation also grows along with it, which literally eats up all the increases. Why, at the end of their days, are people forced to fight for existence and survive, having decades of work experience?

How to live on a pension if it is barely enough to feed you? Many older people, after retirement, find themselves practically below the poverty line. Old people who are helped financially by their children are in a more advantageous position. But what should single pensioners with a minimum payment do, how to live further?

Pension in our country

The size of the minimum old-age payments in the regions of Russia is just over 8,700 rubles. In Moscow, this figure is slightly higher and reaches almost 12 thousand rubles. Due to their length of service and work experience, many receive an amount exceeding the so-called minimum wage. Their monthly pension can reach 10-15 thousand rubles. But be that as it may, for most people, retirement seems like a terrible nightmare. How to live so that this money is enough until the next payment?

The current generation of pensioners is significantly different from the people hardened by Soviet communism. And although even today one can hear lamentations about how good life was in the USSR, it is no secret to anyone that in those conditions, when one retired, one also had to learn the basics of survival. Modern Russian pensioners have Soviet roots, which only means that they did not grow up in “greenhouse” conditions and led an active lifestyle. Thanks to constant work, aspirations and perseverance, they acquired the ability to survive in not the most favorable conditions. The love of life shown by representatives of that generation can be the envy of today's youth.

So, how to live on a pension if it is within the subsistence level? With this amount it is quite difficult to satisfy even the most necessary, vital needs of any person. Because of poverty, some begin to drink alcohol more often and get sick more often, which only aggravates an already difficult situation. And besides, there is a type of people who, no matter how much they pay, they still won’t have enough. As you know, there is never too much money. Therefore, first of all, you need to pull yourself together and do everything not to break down psychologically. Experts urge you to give yourself positive attitudes in order to try to change the circumstances that have arisen for the better or adapt to them. There is no other way out.

Benefits and subsidies

Instead of oohing and aahing, endlessly asking yourself the question of how to live on a small pension, you will have to be optimistic and be active. In the end, psychologists always advise to rejoice at a glass that is only half full, rather than look at it with despondency and melancholy, considering it half empty. You need to take the positives out of everything and not give up.

Local authorities are striving to implement regional projects, the ultimate goal of which is to improve the standard of living of people of disabled age. If the funds provided by the state are barely enough to survive, the pensioner must:

• find addresses and contacts of social protection services on the websites of local administrations;
• find out about current and planned social programs, provision of humanitarian aid, holding events, registration lump sum payments, usually confined to public holidays;
• obtain complete information about the conditions for applying for a subsidy for utility bills;
• make sure that all merits and awards that qualify for benefits are taken into account.

Thus, the right to issue a “Veteran of Labor” certificate, which gives good privileges to pensioners, arises for citizens who have a certain work experience, as well as those who started labor activity as a minor during the Second World War. Some retirees continue to work to gain the missing years of professional experience required to receive a preferential title. Here you need to be persistent and curious: rewards and additional payments will not appear on their own.

In addition to municipal authorities, the Red Cross charity organization provides support to the elderly. The workers of this society know how retired people live. For people in distress, the Red Cross not only helps morally, but also assists those in need in obtaining expensive medical care, medicines, essential items, food packages.

Profitable change of living space

Since the most significant expense item for today's retirees is paying utility bills, it may be worth considering changing your place of residence. Many people solve their financial problems in this way. There are several options, and each of them is possible in a specific situation.

The easiest way is to sell your home and buy a smaller living space, and put the rest in a bank deposit. This will allow you to receive double benefits every month: on the one hand, the pensioner will have an increase in income due to interest on a bank deposit, and on the other hand, the cost of paying for utilities will be reduced. Thus, a one-room apartment is much more economical in terms of maintenance than a two- or three-room apartment.

The second solution is to move from your own apartment or private house to a rented apartment with a smaller area. At the same time, you will also have to rent out your property to tenants. The profit is obvious, but it is worth considering all sorts of risks. It is possible that after the tenants will have to make repairs. In this case, all proceeds will be spent on restoring a comfortable environment. The tenant can protect himself and rent out housing with the requirement to maintain the safety and integrity of the property by concluding an agreement and receiving a security deposit. If the condition of the home at the end of the lease is unsatisfactory, the deposit is not returned to the tenants. In addition, when deciding to rent out your own apartment, you need to find out as much as possible about the potential tenant.

“I may just be starting to live, I’m moving on to retirement...” - who doesn’t remember this phrase from Pechkin from probably everyone’s favorite cartoon? And this is exactly what most older people think, because having escaped from vicious circle“home-work”, they finally get the opportunity to devote more time to family, grandchildren, and household chores. The only thing that darkens the idyll is the lack of finances. What to live on after retirement? This question pushes retirees to decide to rent out one of the rooms in their home. This option is suitable for those who have no particular desire to settle in a new place. However, this case also has its significant disadvantages:

• Moral discomfort. Many older people find it difficult to put up with the presence of strangers in their own apartment, so you should think in advance whether you are ready to take such a step.
• There are no guarantees about the integrity of the tenant. This issue requires careful consideration: letting the first person you meet into your house is not a good idea. Ideally, the tenant turns out to be a good friend.

If permanent cohabitation with a stranger is not possible, you can try renting out a room by the day (for example, for people on a business trip). Many retirees have found this method of generating income suitable for them.

Other budget accommodation options

Very often, for older people, the pressing question is not where it is better to live in retirement, but with whom. It's no secret that surviving together is much easier than surviving alone. Consequently, many come to the conclusion that it is necessary to create a profitable union on a semi-commercial basis. Elderly people often find soul mates and decide to live together. This allows you to combine pensions and receive income when renting out a vacant apartment.

Retiring in the city is difficult due to high food prices. Is it the case in the village: in rural conditions You can buy food at a relatively low cost or grow vegetables and fruits yourself. Don't neglect the opportunity to go to live in the countryside for the summer. In retirement, you can pay more attention to your dacha garden and harvest in the fall.

Modest diet for a pensioner

Most old people see the only way out for themselves - saving on food. Russian pensioners are alien to waste. However, a limited diet is not only a way to save money, but also one of the secrets of taking care of your health in old age. When forming a daily grocery basket, it is important to take into account the needs of the body. It is advisable for pensioners not to overdo it with sweets, eating fatty, smoked foods, mayonnaise, etc. To live longer and get sick less, it is better to focus on natural, healthy and light foods.

Example menu

Understand how pensioners live on pensions and at the same time lead healthy image life, one of the daily menu options will help:

• Breakfast. Rice or oatmeal porridge in water, seasoned with a spoon of butter. In the absence of the latter, plant-based is quite suitable. Black, green or herbal tea. Loose is cheaper, but before use it must always be doused with boiling water.
• Lunch. You can eat a banana or drink a glass of low-fat kefir. It is better to completely avoid flour products, but if you really want sweets, it is better to eat a piece of dark chocolate. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford good coffee, but there are good budget varieties of this drink.
• Dinner. A simple and inexpensive soup made from chicken by-products (muscle stomachs, hearts, liver, necks). To create a rich broth, meat ingredients can be used separately or all together. First, the giblets are boiled, after which the water is drained and the broth is boiled again. Before adding potatoes, the offal must be thoroughly chopped or minced. Then cook the soup as usual, adding rice, cabbage, other vegetables, and dressing.
• Dinner. Potatoes, beans or peas, lentils, rice or buckwheat porridge, durum wheat pasta are suitable as a side dish. Any vegetables, as well as baked or stewed meat and fish go well with the side dish. However, you should not combine legumes with meat dishes - an excess of proteins is not the best in the best possible way affects the health of older people.

How and where to buy food cheaply

Great way constantly save on food - periodically monitor prices, follow promotions held in supermarkets, which are accompanied by advantageous offers for certain categories of goods. By purchasing products during promotional periods, you can save up to 50% of your budget. Most chain stores constantly offer discounts. It is profitable to shop in large hypermarkets where “1+1” promotional programs operate: the buyer pays only for one product, and gets the second, identical product for free.

Many people appreciate the benefits of buying in bulk. Not everyone has the opportunity to immediately spend a significant amount on groceries. However, such purchases are more than worth it. In large cities, grocery stores and wholesale stores are within walking distance. If you purchase goods in such places, their cost is much cheaper.

For example, in a retail store a pack of tea will cost 50 rubles. The price is the same in wholesale, but if the buyer takes 3 packs at once, he will pay 120 rubles for them. Thus, one pack of tea at a wholesale price will no longer cost 50 rubles, but 10 rubles more. less. In addition, the quality of products at wholesale centers is in no way inferior to retail. Over time, people adapt to this type of shopping, choose the most suitable product items for themselves, and give preference to brands of individual manufacturers. The only drawback of purchasing in bulk in order to save money is that in a hypermarket it’s hard not to give in to temptation and buy too much.

Many pensioners advise shopping at the market. To ensure that every penny counts, you should record every expense you make. Even the purchase of cheap onions or beets must be recorded - this will allow you to track all the gaps in expenses. You can find fairly affordable price tags on the market, especially if we're talking about about spoiled fruits and vegetables. Thus, many sellers give away slightly frozen apples in winter almost for free, but they can make an excellent tea pie.

To live on a pension in Russia, you need to prepare for winter in advance. And again the market comes to the rescue: here older people often bring their own goods for sale at a low price. Experienced housewives know how to live on retirement. Women buy berries and vegetables at the market, freeze them, make jam, compotes, pickle them, and marinate them.

Is it possible to work in retirement?

Advantages go to those pensioners who, upon reaching the age of incapacity, still remain in service. If your health allows you to continue working in the same position, that’s great. The security of a pensioner’s job largely depends on the loyalty and understanding of the employer. Undoubtedly, the opportunity to continue working cannot be missed. But in no case should you work to the detriment of your health. In old age, stress on the body is much more dangerous than poverty.

How to live without a pension? This question does not concern a person who continues to work. But what should those who gave theirs do? best years and health, earning experience, and now forced to be content with an amount that hardly reaches the subsistence level? Even if you feel like you don’t have the strength to work anymore, don’t throw away the idea of ​​working at home.

Some people don’t even think about how to live without a pension. With proper activity, you can always find a way to improve your financial situation. In addition, these days there are many directions for self-realization, so you need not to give up and take on board following tips.

Earning money from home

Is it possible to live on a pension without additional income? Today, old people have a lot of opportunities to get a good increase without even leaving their apartment. We invite you to familiarize yourself with several options for part-time work and choose the one that suits your capabilities:

• Earning money on the Internet. People who have minimal computer and typing skills can earn extra money by creating custom articles. To understand whether the work of a copywriter is suitable for you or not, it is enough to remember whether you encountered any difficulties when writing school essays. Today you can earn good money from this.
• Call center operator, taxi dispatcher. These are in-demand jobs. The work is carried out remotely, that is, at home. The employee's job is to answer telephone calls.
• Network marketing. Distributors are individuals who distribute the company's products and receive a percentage of sales. This type of work is suitable for people with experience in trading. It is important not to let your guard down, since in the field of network marketing it is easy to fall for the bait of scammers who profit from gullible pensioners.
• Floriculture. Breeding indoor plants and growing seedlings during the planting season can provide a decent income. The goods can be given to flower shops and greenhouses for sale. This option for part-time work is suitable for retirees living in a private house.
• Homemade baked goods. The products of good chefs are always in demand. Pies, all kinds of pretzels, buns, cheesecakes - every housewife can do this. Why not make money from this?
• Minor clothing repairs at home (sew on a button, hem or shorten trousers, alter a dress, iron a shirt, etc.). The main thing is to do the work efficiently so that demand does not keep itself waiting.

Farming

It is impossible to predict how much time is allocated to each of us. But regardless of how long people live in retirement, everyone tries to spend their final stage of life in prosperity, doing what they love. It is not surprising that for some, the onset of disability marks the beginning of a new life - quiet, measured and calm. After retirement, many pensioners begin farming, raising ducks, chickens, pigs, cows and other livestock. Keeping livestock requires a lot of effort and time, but even the smallest farm will provide pensioners with year-round natural products: eggs, milk, cottage cheese, butter, meat, etc.

Household staff

A good option for older people is informal part-time work for hire. In the “domestic staff” category, vacancies are always in demand. How pensioners live on pensions without any additional income is unclear, but one thing is clear: by getting a job as a nanny, housekeeper, governess, watchman or gardener, a person loses nothing:

• Firstly, such work differs little from running a regular household, and therefore no special skills are required for employment (with the exception of nanny work - employers give preference to applicants with a pedagogical education).
• Secondly, employers often allow service personnel to live on the premises of their home and provide workers with food. Thus, the pensioner not only maintains his salary and pension, but also saves on paying for utilities, buying groceries, etc.

Internal migration

How to live on a pension, which is about 25 thousand rubles? One answer suggests itself: without any particular difficulties. This amount seems substantial, especially for residents of the European part of Russia. But in Siberia and the Far East it is absolutely impossible to live on this money. The thing is that prices for products in stores are extremely high due to the expensive transportation of goods - they are delivered only by plane. In addition, the majority of the land in these territories is unsuitable for subsidiary farming. Utility payments account for a large portion of the pension benefit. How to live on retirement with such prices? Therefore, northerners either continue to work after reaching the age limit, or leave for the regions of Central Russia. There you can live quite comfortably on their pension, without denying yourself almost anything.

Learning to plan expenses correctly

There really is no one-size-fits-all way to live on retirement. No matter what country a person lives in, no matter what his income, he will always have difficulties with income due to the inability to plan a budget.

It is advisable to detail upcoming expenses before each month. Set aside part for food, the other part for medicine, for rent, for clothes, for gifts for grandchildren, for a “rainy day”, etc. When making purchases in a supermarket, you must always recalculate the amount in advance - this rule will help protect against dishonesty of sellers.

Since older people often get sick, it is important to learn how to save on medications. And we are not talking about refusing treatment. Some pensioners have found a simple way not to overpay for foreign medications: they purchased a pharmaceutical reference book that lists analogues of modern medications. The same drug with the same active ingredient can cost several times less simply because it has a different name and is produced at a domestic pharmaceutical enterprise. Why overpay for advertising and branding?

It’s not easy to live on, but those who plan their expenses wisely manage to save and even make a profit by creating deposits in the bank. If you want, then even with minimum pension you can provide yourself with cultural leisure, periodically visit theaters, museums, philharmonic societies and have a rich social life. Despite the high cost of tickets, some manage to purchase them at a low price with the help of friends, while others attend performances and exhibitions with free invitations and counterfeits.

A huge role in the well-being of pensioners is played by their own adult children, who either show active participation in the lives of their parents and help them financially, or, conversely, are indifferent and indifferent to the problems of their fathers and mothers. Don’t forget about your parents for a minute, take care of them while they are around...

72-year-old Alexandra Vitalievna, it seems, time has no power over her. Youthful, elegant, always tastefully dressed, a cheerful pensioner looks 10 years younger. She former doctor and got used to always being in shape.

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 last indexing 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!

Preface.

Everything written here is a 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 total figures 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” on public transport, additional purchase of small things like 1 carrot for 5 p), and the subtotals and final figures are taken from the bank statement, therefore more accurate.

So, let's go!

Reading articles and comments about the state of pension payments, about our parents (many of them are already pensioners), an obsessive thought stuck in my head - well, how can you live on the pennies described?
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 nice voice on the other side said that today the minimum payment is 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. The average cost of services per month is 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, after shedding a few tears, I 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 still have 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 method broke down. Therefore, some are from memory, some are based on bank card statements, some are based on preserved receipts.

There are 2 supermarkets within walking distance from me - one from the largest chain and also the most expensive, and a “supermarket for the poor” - the cheapest (if you 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. (It is a pounded chicken breast, rolled in breadcrumbs).

It was packed with 3 small schnitzels (costing 128.6 rubles), bread (I generally only eat rye bread, but 33.80 for a Darnitsky flatbread is a bit expensive for me these days, so I took the cheapest bread, for 16.90), the cheapest pasta (26.90 per 500 g), 2 tomatoes (Chinese at 69.90 per kg, increased by 28.40) and 1 cucumber (local) at 39.90 per kg, which increased 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’s quite possible to divide it into 2 servings, and in the end get 6 servings, which is 3 times a day. nutrition fits perfectly into 2 days. And for 2 days I’ll allow the expense of 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 bought two at once. 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. Very good.

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 soap 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 eggs and cheese, trimmed the remains of the 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.