Chantal Hebeisen does the math: Where is my money really going?

Known and unknown things in my budget

The income part is easy to say: Let’s say, with a workload of 80 percent (including my 13th month’s salary), I earn a net monthly income of 6,000 francs. I can’t write my actual salary here because we don’t share it openly in the office. However, the figure is close to reality.

On the expenses side, there are four important items that come to mind every month:

• I transfer 600 francs a month to the account of my daughter, whose care I share equally with my ex-wife. We use this to pay for your health insurance, clothes, after-school care, and hobbies.
• The price of our three-room apartment is 1,400 francs; for electricity, gas and water is an additional 240 francs.
• 430 francs goes to my health insurance.
• 250 francs goes to my column 3a.

Total 2920 francs. So there’s still more than 3000 francs left. Where this money flows is lost in the fog of conjectures and maybes.

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Help with budgeting

When the new health insurance premiums were announced this fall, my forehead wrinkled more than it should have in my 40 years of life. I have to pay 43 francs more per month and I’m also worried about the way food and electricity prices are going.

Budget is a must! Because the secret feeling of “I don’t have money” has been inside me for a very long time. I have support from Christian Mannale. The social worker at Caritas Thurgau knows my problem, as well as my old habit of putting finances on my “must do” list. “Sometimes it can be annoying to see your income and expenses displayed in black and white,” says the 56-year-old actor. It’s generally considered a bit of a cash squeeze, and if the fees are good it’s unnecessary to keep track of every expense, no matter how small. “In our consultations we always see well-paid people with unstable financial situations.”

The average net income of approximately 4,000 budget negotiations held every year in Switzerland is around 6,500 francs, according to figures from the umbrella organization Budget Consulting Switzerland. That is, just below the current average wage in Switzerland. Managing director Philipp Frei notes that finances are currently a major concern for the public. “We have more calls and more visits to our website than in other years.” Unfortunately, many people seeking advice need to be patient. “Most counseling centers are fully booked for weeks or months.”

More comfortable holidays thanks to your home budget

I’m lucky and just a week after the first call I’m working with Christian Mannale on phone, broadcast and vet bills. Every month he asks me if I would put aside money for a holiday and for a new car in case my current car breaks down (my answer is no to both). We go through receipts from convenience stores and gas stations. And figure those out until I get an overview of my living expenses. “It’s important to adapt the budget to your personal situation, not just create it based on guidelines,” says Mannale. This is the only way to be realistic and achieve something.

In consulting, I learn that budgeting isn’t just a boring chore—it can also be liberating. So I tell Mannale about the difficulties I have in planning holidays because holidays are so expensive. «It helps to budget some money each month so you don’t have to worry about every expense. Holidays should be a joy.” The budget isn’t just restrictive. “It also ensures freedom and wish fulfillment.” This is important to prevent a gradual or sudden loss of savings, especially when personal changes are approaching, such as secondary education, early retirement or a couple’s separation.

Blind spots on the financial compass

And then, after two hours of stuffing numbers into an Excel spreadsheet, it becomes clear: I’m not sufficiently aware of how little wiggle room I actually have when doing the full cost calculation and also factoring in monthly provisions for holidays and annual reserves. unforeseen events. Only around 100 francs remained.

And I have two blind spots in my internal financial compass. First of all, I love giving small gifts to my friends and entertaining them – it’s worth it. And I’m not stingy when it comes to gifts, even from friends. During the consultation, I allocated a budget of 150 francs per month for this product. In October I spent 247 francs. This is actually 64 percent more than planned. Stinginess has no place in friendships. But wouldn’t a lovingly prepared meadow flower bouquet make you as happy as the beautiful bouquet you bought from the store?

The second blind spot is my passion for the beautiful life and Brockis. Because when I am in front of a treasure, my inner voice says: “You don’t buy a lot of clothes or cosmetics, you have a good salary – that’s all.” Of course, I usually think about taxes, insurance, the car, and groceries. But not because I buy gifts for 120 francs anyway. And soon this beautiful watercolor will be hanging in my living room for “only” 40 francs. As for this item of expenditure, the balance looks even more dire: I had not allocated any budget for “decoration, organizers and small furniture”, but I spent 406 francs on them in a month (see infographic).

Learn to save instead of taking advantage of savings

The result of my personal experience: If I think about how I can save money on my health insurance (keyword: switching health insurance) or electricity costs (don’t turn on lights unnecessarily and turn off those that consume electricity), it will only be of limited benefit. such as standby function if possible). If I want to avoid feeling like I don’t have enough money in the long run, I need to be clearer about exactly what a purchasing decision means for my overall financial situation.

Is it worth taking advantage of my savings for a comfortable life experience? Because no, Ms. Hebeisen, larger expenses are not casually included in the regular monthly budget. And I’m trying to avoid the local Brocki salons for a few months until I can finally buy nice linen curtains for 800 francs.