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 :D ).
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 :-) )
