In December we spend the most. First we buy Christmas gifts, then we save New Year's envelopes, and finally the heating bill comes.
„This is one of the best periods of the year – we get together with family and friends. It is very positive, but it can also be a challenge – there are some expenses that we generally have not budgeted for“=
This is what financial expert Georgi Zahariev commented to bTV.
What do we spend the most on during the holidays:
- 59% of expenses are for travel,
- 26% for gifts,
- 15% for meals and celebrations.
It is expected that about 500,000 Bulgarians will travel for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Of these, about 200,000 people will travel around the country, and the remaining 300,000 – abroad.
“When traveling, it is important to buy tickets in advance, at the last minute it can be twice as expensive“, the financial expert warned.
His advice is to think about whether we can postpone traveling and some purchases until January, when it will be much cheaper and more relaxed.
“The most important thing is not to make unforeseen expenses. For gifts, it is good to make a list and determine the budget for them in advance. Let's also determine what we will buy for ourselves, because this is a time of emotional purchases“, recommends Zahariev.
The expert's advice is not to buy gifts on installments, which will burden our budget for a long time to come, but only things that we can afford with the money we have available.
“It is good to think about Christmas and New Year's expenses two or three months in advance and set aside part of the budget, instead of wondering at the last minute where to get them“, added the financial expert.
BETL scam
In early December, it became clear that many people in Europe, including in Bulgaria, have fallen victim to a new scam related to the company BETL.
This is a company that promises a high return on investment for portable charging stations for phones and other mobile devices. devices.
BETL was registered last year in the United Kingdom. It is quickly becoming popular in our country and thousands are investing their money in it for a quick return. They have been promised a 3% return on a daily basis.
„All financial pyramids are similar to some extent. They have very aggressive marketing. People's greed misleads them - the desire to accumulate large profits in a short time, which are unrealistic“, commented Georgi Zahariev.
According to him, when we embark on such investments, we must ask ourselves the right questions - where does the money come from and how does this business work.
„Be careful when someone tells you that you will make some money very quickly, keep one thing in mind. A red light should come on when someone promises us a very quick return on investment - yes, two or three months. "In the business world, this is not possible," warns the financier.