Many Romanians who have looked for ways to reduce expenses have come to the conclusion that one of the most effective solutions can be successfully applied in winter, but it also depends on the neighbors.
In Romania in the 80s, saving had become a general rule, imposed by the severe policies of the communist regime.
The 80s were the height of austerity
Former dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu’s ambition to pay off foreign debts as quickly as possible was paid by Romanians with sacrifices, most of them being subjected to a draconian austerity regime, especially accentuated during the winter, when the costs of maintenance and utilities were higher.
In the cold months, the circulation of personal cars was restricted, hot water through the centralized system was almost non-existent, with the risk of the pipes in the blocks freezing and bursting, the houses received electricity and natural gas on schedule, and the radiators remained decorative pieces for most of the year.
The walls, windows and walls of factories and plants, shops, institutions and other public places were studded with “motivational” but dry messages, in which Romanians were urged to reduce waste. Many of them had nowhere to go, Romania being then considered one of the poorest countries in Europe in terms of economy.
Currently, the reduction of expenses is justified by other rationales, quite different from those of the 80s. Lack of money is one of them, but some of the Romanians who aim to be more economical motivate their choices by the desire to reduce consumption, impulsive and unnecessary expenses, to be more efficient and prudent financially and even to be more friendly to the environment.
The classic term “stingy” was preferred to “frugal”, which calls for more attention to the use of resources and less to extreme savings. On social media platforms, such as Reddit, many Romanians have answered what makes them “frugal” and how they manage to save, and some of the most popular answers concern utility expenses.
Neighbors, appreciate when I turn on the power plant
The “trick” preferred by many Romanians to reduce seasonal expenses is to delay the start-up of apartment heating plants as much as possible, and the neighbors come to their aid, often unknowingly.
“The secret is for the neighbor below to keep the heat on. The warm air rises and warms your concrete. At the beginning of the cold season, the apartment below us was under renovation and they kept the windows open almost all day. You were freezing in the house and your feet were freezing. How they closed the windows and they also keep some heat, how warm it is to stay in a T-shirt without turning on the central heating during the day. But I live in a new block, isolated properly”, said a Romanian on Reddit.
Another Romanian says that he started to appreciate his neighbors, because, even though it is December, he did not use the heating plant.
“I think that many of those who don’t live in the attic or ground floor and “somehow” have over 20 degrees in the house (while at night they are below 5 degrees) without turning on the central heating should thank their neighbors. They didn’t have residual heat from the summer in the apartment. They have 20 degrees because the walls between the apartments and the floors are not thermally insulated.” says another netizen.
Someone else says that the radiators in his home are only warm in the evening, because then he perceives the cold better.
“I haven’t let go of the heat either, it’s 21 degrees in the house. It’s ok for me, I’m in a t-shirt and shorts”, adds another Romanian.
Someone else says that in Brașov, where he lived, all the neighbors on the block kept the power plants on for a long time, instead he only managed to do this for a few days in the winter.
“Sometimes I still woke up with the house smelling”, he remembers.
Another “frugal” Romanian says that he keeps the thermostat set at 20 degrees, and his heating plant only activates when the temperature drops below this level. The plant starts up by itself once or twice a day, rarely three times, he observed.
“I set the thermostat to a maximum of 16-17°C. But even for those bitter 16 degrees, I pay 600 lei/month for heat. Otherwise, if it’s too hot, mold forms on the walls and furniture, and I don’t want to stay all day moving the furniture to clean it.” says someone else.
A couple says they took the example of their neighbors, who are used to saving.
“If the neighbors are stingy old people who put on seven layers of clothes and don’t let the heat go, why can’t my husband and I survive a cooler temperature? We’ve settled in over time: we wear hoodies and thick socks around the house.” this one shows.
How do Romanians save money?
The less frequent use of the thermal plant is not the only thing recommended by Romanians to those who want to save. One of the netizens claims that he can cut costs if he only takes out the trash when the utility bag is full. He claims that this way he does not waste bags.
Someone else avoids unnecessary expenses and prefers to do home repairs themselves, so as not to call on “professionals”.
“After some experiments with the car, I have come to the conclusion that the legal speed limit is wallet-friendly, and the time saved by driving at high speed is often non-existent or far too small to matter, even over long distances. When you go fast, the wallet suffers, the risks of accidents increase, etc.”, someone else adds.
Some Romanians claim that they have reduced their expenses by treating food very seriously. Stop eating sweets or buying meat on sale. Other times they take home prepared food.
“I don’t buy water, I have a spring nearby and I take it from there. Once in a while, I throw away the 5L cans and replace them, buy new ones,” says another Romanian.
Some say they are not stingy, but try to live without wasting resources
“The most frugal thing was to take furniture and things that were going to be thrown away or were thrown by the dumpster. I saw my neighbors throw away a bookshelf in perfect condition. They were happy to give it to us instead of throwing it away. I found a corner piece of furniture by the dumpster, restored it (cleaned well + painted) and for two years it has been a very nice flower shelf.” says a young woman.
She adds that she could buy such things herself, but believes that when they are in acceptable condition they deserve another chance to be reused.
Someone else says that a good way to save money is to cut down on car trips.
“I never use cash, because instead of losing, not receiving, not taking the rest, I’d rather always pay with the card to get that unrounded amount fixed. Over time it adds up: 10 money with 20 money, little by little”claims another Romanian economist.
Some economists, however, argue that using cash instead of card purchases is a better way to save because spending is better perceived.
