How to manage your household rationally in order to save both energy and money?

Cooking

Try learning how to plan your menu for the week ahead. If, for example, you have to have cutlets on Thursday, then you need to remove the minced meat from the freezer on Wednesday evening. This way you can save time, because you don’t have to wait for the meat to defrost or go to the store.

When shopping for the week on the weekends, make a clear list. Create a menu for your family from inexpensive and healthy dishes that can be prepared fairly quickly.

Semi-finished products are not an option for a thrifty housewife. Despite all the advantages, semi-finished products have one main disadvantage - they are very harmful to health. So make your preparations for the week on the weekend. For example, together with your husband, make dumplings or dumplings, prepare cabbage rolls, and hide the preparations in the freezer. This will solve the issue of time and effort, when after work there is simply no opportunity to cook something.

Learn to cook in a slow cooker, because this device allows you to save time and effort. Early in the morning you can prepare an inexpensive and healthy breakfast - oatmeal, spending just a couple of minutes turning on the multicooker. This miracle of technology will do the rest for you. A bread maker also helps save both time and money, because delicious hot bread or buns are prepared in it without the participation of the hostess.

Expert opinion

Lyubov Korshunova

Experienced housewife.

There must be a strategic supply of food in the house. Simple groceries are purchased for the month. These are canned food, cereals, sugar and salt, pasta.

What does a family budget mean and why keep it?

A family can be compared to a small state: there is a leader, an adviser and people who need to be helped, as well as items for expenses and income. The main tasks in this case are competent planning and distribution of the family budget. How to save money? How to properly distribute money in the family budget, but not give up everything you need? You need to draw up a table that takes into account the money coming into your budget and expenses. This visual form will allow you to see the whole picture and, if necessary, make changes to your spending structure.

Money is a fairly powerful tool in a person’s life. With their help, you can make your existence more comfortable and acquire everything you need. However, if handled incorrectly, money can be wasted without bringing any benefit to the owner.

Famous American entertainer Will Rogers once said: “Too many people spend money on things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like.”

Have you found that your expenses have become more than your income lately? Then most likely you find yourself surrounded by unpaid loans, debts and late monthly payments! If your expenses are constantly increasing, then it’s time to change the situation and distribute them.

“Money is just a tool. They will take you where you want, but will not replace you as a driver,” a phrase from a Russian writer who moved to the United States. Ayn Rand was personally convinced of the need to draw up a proper family budget.

Still in doubt? The following are three good reasons to start wisely distributing the family budget:

1. When allocating your family budget, you can set specific goals and start achieving them. In the absence of tasks, money is often wasted, it is impossible to save on unnecessary things, and therefore the purchase of a new car or a long-awaited trip to the sea is postponed every time.
2. A table that helps you distribute your family budget will save you from spontaneous purchases and instill the necessary habits for a buyer. Do you really need several pairs of similar shoes? Creating a budget plan will help you prioritize and get you closer to achieving your long-term goals.
3. A financial crisis can occur as a result of being fired from a job, divorce, or serious illness. Difficult situations can happen at the most unexpected times. Therefore, everyone needs a savings fund. In the family budget structure, a “savings” item is required - this will be your support, thanks to which you will be able to provide for yourself for several months.

Cleaning

To keep your home always clean and comfortable, you need to learn how to clean properly. But first you need to make a start - carry out a general cleaning of the entire apartment, in all closets and storage rooms. During spring cleaning, trash and things that cannot be repaired are mercilessly thrown away. If an item has not been used for a couple of years, then you should get rid of it, as it only collects dust and takes up space.

Next, for each item in the house you need to determine a permanent place. Things should not lie on sofas and armchairs - all clothes should be put away in the closet. Take this as a rule - every thing should have its own place. Then you won't have to spend a whole weekend cleaning your house every week.

So, how to properly clean? First, remove dust from the ceiling, corners, and cabinet lids. Also, chandeliers are wiped first. It is enough to do this once a month.

Expert opinion

Lyubov Korshunova

Experienced housewife.

If there are several rooms in the house, then the bedrooms are cleaned first. Then they put things in order in the hall, and the kitchen and bathroom are washed last.

Proper use of special detergents greatly facilitates the work of a housewife. It is much easier to wipe the glass with a glass cleaner, and if you wipe the furniture with a special polish, then dust will not settle on it for a long time. Any stains or dirt can be removed using modern stain removers in a couple of minutes.

Many housewives hang organizers for small items in the bathroom and kitchen. It is very comfortable. Scissors, notebooks, combs, shoehorns can be stored in such systems.

Ditch the grater in favor of a blender

I really don't like grating anything - it's tedious and dangerous for my fingers! And thanks to my mother-in-law - she gave me a blender. Now I happily grind cheese, garlic, herbs, onions for minced meat, nuts, berries and fruits in it, as well as make sauces and pureed soups (which would have to be ground through a sieve, what a horror!).

This device is inexpensive, depending on the number of attachments and manufacturer, and takes up little space in the kitchen. All removable parts are easy to clean in the dishwasher. You can also buy a food processor, egg cooker, pancake maker, toaster and many other devices - if you have enough space and money. But before you buy, think: how often will you use them?

Wash

In order to properly and effectively organize her life, every housewife must learn how to wash things according to all the rules. Smart washing will not only save time and money, but will also extend the life of clothes and other items.

First of all, you should not believe the advertising gimmicks of manufacturers who are clearly guilty of wastefulness. Using a minimal amount of laundry detergent or fabric softener is often enough to get items clean. Don't put too much detergent in your machine.

Of course, the advent of automatic washing machines has made life much easier for modern housewives. But still there is no escape from hand washing. For example, washing panties, socks and tights. They don't start the car for such small things. Such small items are often washed by hand. The easiest way to do this is at night: lather the item with simple washing soap and leave it overnight. In the morning, all you have to do is rinse your socks or panties - they will be clean. This way you can save money, your energy, and time.

The most rational way to do laundry at home is once a week. While the house is being cleaned, you can turn on the washing machine. But many housewives prefer to do laundry by clothing category on different days of the week. For example, on Saturday, during cleaning, bed linen is changed - it can be loaded into the machine first.

When washing, you should follow simple rules to prevent clothes from becoming unusable:

• It is best to wash all small items in special bags for automatic washing machines.
• It is necessary to follow the manufacturer's recommendations regarding washing, which can be found on the product label.
• Items that shed heavily should only be washed by hand in cold water.
• To make bed linen last longer and get dirty less, add a little starch to the final rinse water.

If you don’t have the extra money to buy special fabric softeners and starch agents, then you can simply rinse the bed and terry towels in a saline solution - this will give the textiles softness and help maintain the brightness of the colors.

After each wash, the machine should be wiped dry with a clean cloth so that the equipment lasts longer. Also, after stopping the car, they check to see if there are any small items left in it.

Wardrobe nuances

It is impossible not to note useful tips and tricks regarding clothing. If your jeans become saturated with an unpleasant odor, you should put them in the freezer overnight.

If your jeans become saturated with an unpleasant odor, you should put them in the freezer overnight.

Do your light leather shoes have dirt and dust embedded in them? It is worth mixing washing powder, soda and toothpaste, and then thoroughly clean the unpleasant areas with the solution, applying it to the brush.

But if your new shoes are too tight, you should put a bottle of water in each one, and then put the pair in the freezer overnight.

To prevent arrows from creeping up your tights, it is recommended to spray them with hairspray before putting them on.

Sweat stains are another problem. To prevent traces of them from leaving, you need to sprinkle the item with lemon juice before washing. This is especially true for gray products. But if something gets dirty with foundation or some other cosmetics, you should apply shaving cream to it and wash it off after a while. Knowing about such tricks, you can make your life much easier with your own hands.

Secrets of saving

Many housewives are interested in how they can save money while running a household. Every thrifty housewife should learn to save the family budget.

• When going to the store, you should make a list and strictly adhere to it. This way you can refrain from buying unnecessary things and unnecessary expenses.
• Promotions and sales are just store gimmicks. No successful seller will sell his product below the market.
• It is better to purchase washing powders, toothpaste, pasta and other goods in large, economical packages.
• It is much cheaper to prepare for the winter yourself - salt and pickle cabbage, make canned vegetables. It's both cheaper and much more useful.
• Wise housewives make major purchases only after thinking everything through. At the family council, they decide how necessary the item is and whether the family can afford such expenses.
• Some housewives keep notebooks where they write down tips on housekeeping and recipes for preparing cheap and healthy dishes.

Try to plan your family budget a month in advance. Part of the salary is put aside to pay utility bills, part goes to food, another part is put aside for vacation or in the family piggy bank.

Running a household efficiently and economically is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Listen to the advice of experienced housewives, and you will definitely put your house in order.

Every family has a household: how and why is this household organized?

It's no secret that most of the household chores fall on fragile women's shoulders. Does everyone like to do housework? The answers may vary, but this is necessary housework and there is no escape from it. In any case, proper organization and distribution of everyday problems minimizes all the troubles and possible accidents that may arise in the house.

How to run your farm rationally.

It is clear that housework is very difficult, but if you involve your children and husband in the work and divide all household responsibilities equally, it will become much easier for you. But whether you like housework or not, you still have to do it, and if you approach everything correctly, then very soon the most routine housework will bring you only joy, and guests will admire the ideal cleanliness and comfort that reigns in the house.

The family can do:

• Entrepreneurial activity.
• Business.
• Be the owner of a company.
• Have your share of shares in the ownership of a store, dry cleaner and factory.
• Family members often form the core of a farming enterprise.
• Engage in private transportation using personal transport.
• Have a personal subsidiary farm for growing vegetables, fruits, flowers, pets, etc.

Thus, family members act as:

• manufacturer;
• consumer.

Housekeeping includes:

• Caring for a house, apartment, cottage, land and surrounding areas.
• Home design, planning of premises, work surfaces, organization of premises.
• Managing hired workers, if any (this includes, in particular, calling a technician to repair household appliances, coordinating the time of his arrival with the schedule of family members; hiring and firing cooks, cleaners, gardeners, drivers and other hired workers).
• Organization of cleaning of premises or actual cleaning of premises.
• Design of surrounding spaces: flower beds, vegetable gardens, courtyards, playgrounds, pond.
• Safety assessment of structures.
• Budget planning and management.
• Car and garage maintenance.

Caring for home and people:

• Washing dishes;
• Laundry;
• Purchasing things and products necessary for the household;
• Design, sewing or repairing clothing (from sewing on buttons to designing suits);
• Caring for children or disabled family members;
• Children's education;
• Representation of family interests in various organizations (school, court, registry office, housing office, etc.);
• Preparation of family legal documents;
• Preventive measures to maintain health and coordinate medical care for the family;
• Appointment and organization of visits to doctors;
• Cooking food.

In addition, family members visit childcare centers, study at schools and institutes, go to doctor’s appointments, and use communication services and transport. Consequently, the family enters into economic relations with other members of society and various organizations.

Financial and economic problems

For an ordinary family with average salaries of its working members, saving issues are extremely relevant. As a rule, a woman is responsible for these questions.

There are life-tested rules:

1. You need to correctly assess your income and expenses and not allow expenses to exceed income.
2. Do not take out loans under any circumstances. Giving them is much more difficult than taking them.
3. Be able to restrain yourself so as not to buy the first thing you like. Then it turns out that you could live calmly without her.
4. If you decide to buy, then the thing should be very necessary and of high quality.
5. Each purchase must be carefully thought through and information about it must be collected in advance. Everything is on the Internet. You can ask friends and acquaintances.

You can save money on energy resources. LED lamps, although they themselves are more expensive, consume 7-8 times less electricity than conventional lamps with the same brightness. If you don’t waste water, then with a water meter installed, your bill will be half as much. A 15-minute shower is three times cheaper than a bath. If desired, you can reduce the water flow in the toilet cistern. If the mesh nozzle on the faucet is replaced with an aerator tip, the water consumption will be reduced by approximately half, and the consumer will not notice it. You don’t need to immediately throw away a faulty item, you should try to fix it. It's useful to know that a phone charger left in a socket also consumes electricity. A decent amount accumulates in a year.

PHOTO: YouTube.com Faucet aerator instead of the usual nozzle

Household types

Professionals identify five farm options, taking into account family ties between family members.

1. The first type will be a farm in which there is only one owner.
2. The second type of household connects close relatives who do not have marital obligations.
3. The third type of household is organized by a married couple with children.
4. In the fourth type, in addition to the married couple, there may be other relatives.
5. The fifth option involves a large-scale multi-family farm, which consists of several families.

The concept of environmental management

Rational environmental management is a type of relationship between a person and the environment in which people are able to intelligently develop natural resources and prevent the negative consequences of their activities. An example of rational environmental management is the creation of cultural landscapes and the use of low-waste and non-waste technologies. Rational environmental management includes the introduction of biological methods of controlling agricultural pests.

Rational environmental management can also be considered the creation of environmentally friendly fuels, improvement of technologies for the extraction and transportation of natural raw materials, etc.

In Belarus, the implementation of rational environmental management is controlled at the state level. To this end, a number of environmental laws have been adopted.

Among them are the laws “On the protection and use of wildlife”, “On waste management”, “On the protection of atmospheric air”.

Financial issue

In difficult economic conditions, the issue of family budget planning is especially acute. Strange things happen to money: it simply “floats” out of your hands. No matter how much money is brought into the house, they all disappear somewhere at jet speed. What to do? Gather for a family council and, together with your spouse, draw up a balance sheet in which you enter your income and expected expenses. Determine the amount you can spend per month on groceries, household chemicals, and clothes. Prioritize.

So, our first priority is traditionally the purchase of essential goods. This category includes food and household chemicals. We remind you: products are not only candies and seafood, but also sugar, salt, and cereals. The “strategic” reserve should always be at hand. A good housewife never runs out of salt and sugar, because supplies are always replenished. The same applies to powder, bleach, and other household chemicals.

Next in importance is paying off loans (if you have them). Make the necessary payments first. Late payments will lead to loss of reputation among banks

What does loss of reputation mean in modern conditions? And the fact that at the most critical moment you may find yourself without money

Late payments will lead to loss of reputation among banks. What does loss of reputation mean in modern conditions? And the fact that at the most critical moment you may find yourself without money.

Do you need to spend money on entertainment and recreation? Of course, but only in moderation. Plan your vacation on a budget. If you don’t have money for a “big trip”, go on a “small” one. That is, replace a holiday abroad or at sea with a trip to the nearest sanatorium. The same goes for entertainment. No money for a club? Take your child to the circus. This way you will save money and give your child a lot of fun.

Get rid of bad habits. Alcohol and smoking not only undermine health, but also create a huge hole in the budget. Don't let tobacco and alcohol manufacturers exploit you through your addiction.

Read more: Boomerang Children: Adult Children Return Home

How to distribute the family budget for the month

Planning a family budget is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. There are programs and special applications available to help you plan your income and expenses.

• A notebook and pen are the first thing people usually think of when they want to distribute the family budget.
• You can download a table for distributing money in a family in Excel using Microsoft templates and adapt it according to your own needs.
• Applications for mobile phones - you can quickly enter all expenses into the program; you just need to choose the application that is convenient for you. “Drebedengi”, Coinkeeper – are well suited for distributing and planning a family budget.

We offer a step-by-step guide on how to distribute the family budget based on an Excel spreadsheet, which you can download below and adapt to your needs.

Step 1. Define tasks

Saving for the sake of saving? Don't confuse stinginess with spending distribution. Strive to achieve your goal and get used to saving on non-essentials.

• The goal for the near future may be modern electronic equipment or paying off debt.
• The medium-term goal is to purchase a new car, travel to the sea or to the mountains.
• Long-term goals are usually based on questions about the future, for example, how to distribute the family budget taking into account the mortgage, how to help children and grandchildren.

Create realistic plans, correctly calculate your income and expenses. You can distribute family finances using an Excel spreadsheet.

Step 2. Let's count all the income and expenses of the family wallet

Now you need to examine your budget structure. First, write a list of all sources of income: salary, scholarship, pension, bank interest and other earning options in your family.

Spending consists of all the things you spend your money on.

Distribute all expenses between permanent and periodic payments. Fill out all the spending columns in the table for family budget planning, using your experience as a guide.

When allocating the family budget, do not forget to pay attention to the living conditions and needs of all family members. The table provides a short list of categories

Analyze the spending items that you will need for a better distribution of finances.

Frequently, profit points include:

• income of the head of the family (let's say it's the husband);
• General Counsel salary (wife);
• bank interest;
• scholarship;
• social payments;
• additional income (for example, tutoring).

Expenses are divided into constants: established tax payments; insurance; payment for communication services. There will also be 10% left in reserve for unforeseen circumstances.

Fixed expenses column:

• nutrition;
• health;
• petrol;
• clothes, shoes;
• communal payments;
• personal needs of family members (distribute separately);
• holiday gifts;
• tuition payment;
• leisure;
• spending on children.

If you want, the table can be supplemented or reduced by adjusting the items of income and expenses.

Step 3. Monitor expenses throughout the month

You won’t be able to draw up a family budget distribution table right away; first, you should find out where and how much money you spend. This will take a couple of months. In the Excel spreadsheet that you download, gradually enter your expenses and adapt it to suit you.

The task at this stage is to get a concrete idea of ​​the distribution of your family’s budget, see the totality of expenses and adjust them in the future.

Step 4. Separate needs and desires

When families begin to manage their expenses, they see large amounts of money being spent on useless things. Reckless, unplanned purchases greatly affect the family’s wallet, if wages are not so high, while several thousand rubles go unnoticed.

Postpone purchasing an item if you are not sure that you really need it. Wait a while. If you realize that you still need this item, then it really is a worthwhile waste of money.

Little advice:

Do not use credit or debit cards. Pay in cash so you can start saving faster. Psychologists have found that it is easier for a person to give virtual money rather than cash.

There is a table for download.