What else can we afford?
Business economist (44): At the end of the month there is nothing left
05/29/2023, 1:25 p.m
Energy and food in particular have become significantly more expensive. Inflation averaged 6.9 percent last year. People from all salary brackets betray bei ntv.de what that means for their everyday life – what they earn, what they spend how much money on and what is left over at the end of the month.
A senior business economist in the public service
Surname: I want to remain anonymous*
Age: 44 years
Residence: Aachen city region in North Rhine-Westphalia
Education: Administrative clerk and studies in economics
Working time per week: 39 hours
Monthly gross salary: 5,695 euros (wage level 12.5 in the public sector collective agreement)
Holiday and Christmas bonus: a total of 4,556 euros per year
Marital status: married, three children aged ten and eleven years and 18 months
Household net income per month: 5,500 euros – that’s the sum of my own salary, the income of my wife, who works part-time as a school social worker, and 750 euros child benefit.
Rate for our semi-detached housethat we bought a year ago: 1,850 euros per month for repayment and interest
Electricity costs: 232 euros per month, including electricity for our heat pump and charging our electric car and our plug-in hybrid; With our photovoltaic system on the house roof, we produce part of the electricity ourselves.
How much these have increased during the energy crisis: On January 1st, 2023 from 28 to 39 cents per kWh (working price) – the discount still not, because we only moved in a year ago, so the actual amount has yet to be seen.
Additional fixed costs per month:
- Car: 150 euros plus leasing rate of 300 euros
- Cell phone: 20 euros
- Insurance and pension: 250 euros
Additional expenses for children: about 1,000 euros per month for food money at school, hobby dancing, clothes, shoes, bicycle etc.
The bottom line is disposable household income for groceries, hygiene, leisure, clothing, vacation etc.: 1,500 euros
How much remains at the end of the month: 0 euros for about a year and a half, at the moment I even have to fall back on savings for daily needs. There was quite a bit left before rising inflation, which inflation is now eating up. Since I work in the public sector, part of the salary increase that has just been decided will remain in the future.
How much more we have to spend on groceries today than a year ago: 50 percent more – I know that so well because I use an app in which I can view the purchase receipts and almost always buy the same goods; drugstore items are also included.
What we spend the most money on: the installment payment for the house, with variable expenses for groceries, namely at least 500 euros per month
The details of these most important incomes and expenses are based on self-disclosures and do not claim to be complete.
Exciting, isn’t it? If you would like to take part, please register via email participate[at]ntv.de
Where we already save: when going out to eat and during leisure activities such as visiting events, the zoo or similar.
Vacation Expenses: Around 4000 euros per year – we pay about a third more than a year ago, travel has become significantly more expensive.
Wishes to politicians: Implement the energy turnaround with less bureaucracy, for example like this: Photovoltaic systems are financed for all houses with a loan from the state, because the federal government will certainly get better conditions. The homeowner pays this back almost like ancillary electricity costs. The electricity fed into the grid is subtracted from the electricity from the grid and only the difference has to be paid to the electricity provider – so the electricity providers would have to take care of storage etc.
I’m against direct bans, such as certain heating systems, but in favor of ecological requirements – so the industry has to think about how to implement something innovative. Non-ecological products such as coal, nuclear power, etc. should not be subsidised.
*The name is known to the editors