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What`s up, everyone?
I haven`t posted anything recently (for more than 4 years to be precise) and now feel like out of practice again. Before that I was really obsessed to get a job in my motherland where I could use
english in everyday work, and tried hard to keep my language at a good level, but it happened that there are only a few areas where they are really implemented. At my current job (logistics) we don`t really use oral much, we have lots of e-mails, applications, instructions written in English and that`s it... So I`ve decided to focus on making money by any means, not by the way of using all my possible skills.
Making money by any means is necessary to live fine in Russia. Being a lawyer by bachelor`s degree, I work in logistics, have some additional part-time jobs like deliveries (which became incredible popular here these days due to pandemic) and looks that I`ve finally decided to pull myself together and start my own enterprise. To be clear, to turn my status into "private enterpreneur" (Индивидуальный Предприниматель or ИП \ IP), so I can legally provide services to other citizens and companies. Just take a look: If you studied well to become a professional and have 5+ years of experience your salary (law, logistics, economies etc) would be smth like 45000 - 90 000 rubles (St peterburg, Russia, my own impression!) = $600-1200 \ months. The majority of professionals get a monthly wage of around 55 000 rub ($750) after taxes. Those young people who only became stuff members get 25000-35000 ($330-470). Taxi drivers get $540- $1350 for comparison (depends on how much they work, first number is more likely). Working conditions often sucks. Spend an additional hour or two at the office (or to get a phonecall with an urgent errand from your colleaguas at a weekend) is normal for Russian culture unlike Sweden, for example, where many people work 30-35 hrs \ week and don`t like those who stay late at the office
Now, the average russian salary haven`t changed a cent from 2007-2008. But, prices on food, gas, commodities go up all the time. Forget those times when you could buy a brand new vehicle for 450 000 rub (Ford Fiesta mk6, russian assembly in 2008 ~15 000 USD), or for example you needed 750 000 - 900 000 for VW Polo sedan (Russian Assebly, 13 000 USD - 16 000 USD) in late 2009, now the lowest price for a car with zero mileage is around 950 000 - 1000 000 rub - still 13 000 USD but here and before all the pricetags are written accordingly to RUB\USD which went from 30RUB\1USD in 2008 to 58 RUB \ 1USD in late 2009 and now is around 74 RUB \ 1 USD. (Remember, we get a payment in Russian Rubles!!!). Prices for gas (Petrol AI-95) went from 20 rub \ litre in 2008 to 44 rub in 2019 and now are 48-49 \ litre (I wonder when this is about to stop).
To summarize the written above, a single person like me in my opinion spends at St Petersburg at least 48 000 rub \ month ($650) for living (rent or leasing + food + lunches + gym membership + utilities + petrol + medicine + etc like chemicals or suddent repairment) - only necessities. I predict there are many of those who would argue that statement and tell that family with childer could easily survive on $300, but cmon, that`s my opinion of how much you need if you are rational enough not to waste money but still don`t want to eat pasta every day. For a really good living most of Russians in polls respond a number of 100 000 - 150 000 ($1351 - 2000) monthly wage, and I generally agree with them.
So, we don`t make much savings with such salaries, huh?
(to be continued if is in demand)
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Originally Posted by diogen_ 
