Experts have explained how low-income Russians can improve their financial situation.

According to a study conducted by one resource, 42% of Russians estimate their income to be average. They have enough money for food and clothing, but they need to save up to buy something more substantial (like a car or household appliances). Meanwhile, 13% of Russians experience difficulties shopping for things other than food.

It's fair to say that these 42% are lucky; they have enough for both food and clothing. Incidentally, there are timeframes for changing your wardrobe. Specifically, the recommended lifespan for shoes, if cared for properly, according to the standards included in the consumer basket, is six pairs lasting 3.2 years. There are also recommendations for updating winter clothing.

So, they're clothed and shod. And they're not rushing to microfinance institutions to borrow 5,000 or 10,000 rubles before payday at exorbitant interest rates. The question is, what's beyond those 42% who can't afford a major purchase? How are the remaining 58% doing?

Things are different for them. According to Rosstat, Russians are divided into five equal income groups, each with 20% of the population. The top group consists of high-income citizens who can afford everything, including villas and yachts. 42% and 20% equal 62%, who live quite comfortably.

That leaves 38% of Russians. This includes the bottom twenty—the poorest segments of the population. Those living below the poverty line—the subsistence minimum, which this year averaged 17,733 rubles per month in Russia. According to Rosstat, this group accounts for approximately 8% of the country, or 11.9 million people.

Citizens earning around the minimum wage (22,440 rubles this year) aren't technically considered poor, and the state is obligated to provide financial assistance. However, they still struggle to make ends meet: paying utility bills and shopping for groceries at discounted prices. So how can they live while teetering on the brink of poverty? What advice do experts offer?

Financial analyst Sergei Drozdov suggests that the lowest-income groups live in the regions. This is not the case in large metropolitan areas, he says. In Moscow or St. Petersburg, even couriers earn over 100,000 rubles.

- But is there anything you can recommend to these people?

"Ask something easier. In situations like these, they usually urge you to save money. But what if you're already barely making ends meet? I wouldn't count on government assistance; it's all a matter of personal choice. If you want to change your life, and you absolutely must, then you should probably move to another city where the pay is better. In any case, anyone can become a courier; you don't even need to retrain.

- But people say that moving is worse than a fire...

"Not always and not everywhere. For example, in America, people don't get tied down to one place like we do. Over the course of their lives, people move from five to six cities, looking for where they feel most comfortable. Even wealthy people who don't deny themselves anything move to another state if their business taxes are lower there. We need a paradigm shift; I don't see any other option."

Financial analyst and economics PhD candidate Mikhail Belyaev believes you need to learn to live within your means and never take out loans: they've never saved anyone. A loan might save you once, but it'll ruin you in the long run.

"And, of course, try to improve your financial situation," he explains. "Get some qualifications, a profession that's in demand. Young people can hold two jobs. I'm sure there's no problem finding one, even in Russia's regions. At least you can find part-time work on weekends. Many people do that."

"What about government assistance? People work eight hours a day, but their wages aren't indexed, and prices are rising. The government needs to solve this problem somehow!"

Unfortunately, we have a category called the "working poor." Ideally, someone who works shouldn't be poor; they might not be rich, but they're not poor. However, we do have such people. The government helps those most in need: it introduces benefits, exempts them from certain taxes, transfers direct payments... However, a large number of citizens find themselves without government support. Nevertheless, I would note that many Russians officially considered low-income actually have additional sources of income that we don't know about. And there's no precise data on this matter.

This phenomenon needs to be studied. And when it becomes clear that a significant portion of citizens are illegally taking advantage of state support, the freed-up funds should be directed to those who truly need it. This is true; not everyone lived a life of luxury in the Soviet Union either. This has been forgotten. Many categories of people had meager salaries and, correspondingly, equally meager pensions. Before retiring, people tried to buy something for the future—warm boots or a warm coat—knowing that their pension payments would not allow them to do so.