Small choices in everyday life mean Kim and Miriam spend less money on the extravagant - NRK Rogaland

price enemy. price library. Spending shock.

Researchers call it “animal time,” an interwar term for a period that saw prices skyrocket.

The proportion perceived as “financially secure households” has fallen to levels not seen by SIFO researchers since they began measuring financial security.

The sum of the large individual costs means that almost all Norwegians have to adapt.

This also applies to the Dubland Vikman family in Ålgård, who earn an average income and pay an average mortgage.

We are obviously influenced by the stories we see on television and read about in the newspapers. We sympathize with those who struggle to make things work, says Kim Kristoffer Vikman (37).

Also Read:- All I want for Christmas is a Christmas card and an eraser

Take action to lower your electric bill

According to SIFO researcher Christian Pope, the price of electricity is the single item that has the greatest impact on people’s finances.

According to Bobby, two out of three families are stressed just to be able to afford the electric bill.

The most common is to reduce electricity consumption and use electricity at strategic times during the day. This is also the case with the Dubland Vikman family.

– The heat pump temperature has been adjusted to 18 degrees. Some rooms are defined as cold rooms. We also have an app to manage electricity and try to run the dryer when the electricity price is lower, says Fickman, the father of the family.

According to the report The time of the animal during ascentFour out of ten families made stricter food purchases. The most common strategies are to reduce expenses by buying cheaper items and shopping where prices are lower.

At home in Ålgård, the family started by eating dinner from boxes of food delivered to the door.

– Then we don’t have to go to the store so often, avoid unnecessary small purchases and food waste. Plus, kids like fish lunchbox dinners better than the ones we usually make, says Fickman.

Dubland Vikmans has taken steps to cut costs

interest rates: The family tied the mortgage interest rate before the Corona pandemic to protect itself. For a period they had a higher interest rate than most, but today they are happy to have an effective interest rate of 3.45 percent.
fuel: The family depends on a car to survive on a daily basis. Teacher Miriam drives the electric car to work in Stavanger, while Nurse Kim Christopher drives the shorter way to Sandnes in the petrol car. This keeps toll and petrol costs lower than they could be.
ClothesChildren Vårin and Hannes mostly wear clothes that come from inheritances and gifts from friends and family. Children’s suits and new rainwear are bought.
Food box: By going to the store less often, the family avoids small purchases and food waste.
Stream: heat pump at 18 degrees. Some rooms are defined as “cold,” which means the door is closed. The family uses an energy management app and uses the dryer during periods of low electricity prices. The family cut down on the children’s use of the bathtub.
Subscriptions: The family spends around NOK 1,200 per month on Altibox with its associated services, such as Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify.

Also read: People hoard expired goods: – There was a lot of gas here

Cuts “nice” subscriptions

Another coping strategy that some – 14 per cent – use in difficult times is cutting costs related to television and mobile phones.

I asked NRK Sparebank 1 if animal season had an effect on the number of canceled agreements, and got the answer:

The number of canceled subscriptions through online banking rose 27 percent from September to October nationwide — to 6,142 canceled agreements.

– Increasing electricity costs, increasing food prices and increasing interest rates, which are now in full effect, mean that these are a natural consequence of the times we live in, says Ole Gilje, Regional Director at Sparebank 1 SR Bank.

The subscriptions most bank customers terminated were TV 2 Play, Viaplay, VG+ and Spotify.

Interest rates have risen from 0.5 percent in February to 2.5 percent now. It is the steepest yield curve we have seen in modern times. This means that many bank customers are now experiencing problems.

– We see that some clients who received a certificate of financing this summer are now struggling with the requirements in lending regulations to afford a five percent interest rate increase, says Gilje.

This means that many of the bank’s customers are now unable to renew their financing certificates for the purchase of a home.