Pay little elm: Paying your Citation | Town of Little Elm, TX

Water & Refuse (Solid Waste) Payments | Town of Little Elm, TX

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Pay Online

Access the new online payment system 24-hours a day, seven days a week! In addition to basic contact information, anyone paying a water bill will need their account number and pin number found on your water bill. Payments can be made by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or debit card. Online payments are processed immediately at no additional charge. There is no fee to pay over the phone. 

Setup ONE-TIME or RECURRING Credit Card Payments!

Paymentus 

Pay your utility bill any time of day by phone. Call 1-833-343-4844 to make payments using Visa, MasterCard, Discover, debit cards, and e-checks.

In Person

Payments may be made Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. , and on Friday 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the Town of Little Elm’s Water Billing Office located at 100 Eldorado Parkway, Second Floor, Little Elm, TX 75068.

We accept the following payment types when paying in-person. 

• Cash
• Checks made payable to the Town of Little Elm
• Debit card
• Discover

• MasterCard
• Money orders made payable to the Town of Little Elm
• Visa

Night Drop

The night drop box is located in front of Town Hall at 100 W. Eldorado Parkway, Little Elm, TX 75068, and indicates payments deposited after 8 a.m. are not processed until the next business day. To avoid penalties and/or service/reconnect fees from being applied to your account, your payment must be made in the office by 5:30 p.m. on the bill’s due date.

By Mail

Please allow five to seven business days for payment delivery. If you are mailing your payment, please remember to:

• Include your water bill stub, do not fold, staple, stamp, or write on payment stub
• Make check(s) or money order(s) payable to the Town of Little Elm
• Write your water bill account number on the front of the check and mail payment to:
  Town of Little Elm
  Water Department
  100 W. Eldorado Parkway
  Second Floor
  Little Elm, Texas 75068-5060

Contact Us:

Phone

214-975-0480 (main)
214-975-0482
214-975-0401
214-975-0485

Address

Town Hall, Second Floor
100 W. Eldorado Parkway
Little Elm, TX 75068

Hours
7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Monday-Thursday
7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Friday

After Hours/Emergency
214-975-0480

Government Websites by CivicPlus®

Little Elm Traffic Citations | Traffic Citations Defense

Get a dismissal or reduced fine by fighting a Little Elm traffic citation in court.

If the police gave you a Little Elm traffic citation, you must take action quickly. You have only a few days to either pay your traffic citation or request a court date. Your failure to do so will result in a warrant being issued for your arrest. Let me suggest an alternative. Don’t just pay your Little Elm traffic citation and don’t just do nothing at all. Instead, call attorney Todd E. Tkach. The attorneys at the Law Office of Todd E. Tkach, P.C. represent people who have received traffic citations in any jurisdiction throughout the Little Elm and Fort Worth metroplex. Our goal is to have your Little Elm traffic citation dismissed! Our team of attorneys and staff have the experience and skills to aggressively represent you to make sure that your rights are protected.

Why you need a Little Elm traffic citation attorney

Call the Law Office of Todd E. Tkach now to talk with one of our courteous staff members, who can explain the Little Elm traffic citation process, answer any questions you may have, and ultimately resolve your traffic citation case. With the attorneys of Todd E. Tkach, P.C. on your side, your worries are over. We’ll immediately enter a plea of not guilty on your behalf and set your traffic citation case for a court hearing. We’ll then promptly notify you of your court date and clearly discuss with you the entire procedure we’ll take to pursue a dismissal of your Little Elm traffic citation case or a negotiated plea agreement in your favor. Of course, we’ll be with you on the date of your court hearing to fight for a dismissal of the charges against you. If your traffic citation is not dismissed, we’ll aggressively negotiate for a favorable plea agreement with the prosecutor or take your case to trial. Even if a warrant has been issued for your arrest, we can help. We’ll post an attorney bond to lift (remove) the warrant and then get your Little Elm traffic citation set for a hearing. When the case is completed, we’ll promptly notify you of the result. You don’t even have to go to court, unless you want to. Don’t wait. Call Todd E. Tkach now at 214-999-0595.

Little Elm ticket dismissal, harder to get than it used to be

Why You Should Fight Your Little Elm Traffic Citation

Why is it important to fight your Little Elm traffic citation? Simply paying your fine for a traffic citation means that you agree that you are “guilty” of the charge. Being convicted of, or found guilty of a traffic citation can have serious consequences. There are at least four (4) major reasons to fight a Little Elm traffic citation.

First, Fight Your Little Elm Traffic Citation To Avoid Paying a Fine

If you are guilty, you must pay a monetary fine. Depending on the Little Elm traffic citation involved, the fine could be several hundred dollars. Hiring Todd E. Tkach to fight your traffic citation could result in a dismissal of the charges. In that event, you don’t have to pay any fine!!

Second, Fight Your Little Elm Traffic Citation To Avoid “Points” On Your Driving Record

The State of Texas has a “Point System” that affects your right to hold and maintain a Texas driver’s license. You are charged “Points” against your driving record if you are convicted of certain Little Elm traffic citations. The number of “Points” charged varies depending on the type of traffic citation you are given, but ranges from one (1) to six (6) points. A Texas driver gets 2 points for most traffic violation convictions (3 points if a crash is involved). “Points” remain on a driver’s record for 3 years. Accumulating points on your driving record can result in huge “surcharges” assessed by the Texas Department of Public Safety and a possible driver’s license suspension. Accumulating twenty-one (21) points in any three (3) year period will result in a suspension of your driver’s license. If that happens, you cannot legally drive an automobile in Texas. Let attorney Todd E. Tkach represent you on your Little Elm traffic citations and protect your driver’s license.

Third, Fight Your Little Elm Traffic Citation To Avoid Paying Surcharges

Convictions of certain Little Elm traffic citations can cost you “surcharges” imposed by the Texas Department of Public Safety. A yearly $100 surcharge is assessed for 6 Points on your driving record; with another $25 surcharge for each additional point. The surcharge continues to be assessed as long as the Points total 6 or more. Additionally, convictions for “no insurance” and “driving while license invalid” mandate a $750.00 surcharge each! Don’t risk being convicted of these Little Elm traffic citations. Call Todd E. Tkach now! We’ll fight for a dismissal of these traffic citations and the surcharges that accompany them. If we can’t obtain an outright dismissal, we’ll fight to get a dismissal through plea negotiations and keep the charges off your driving record.

Fourth, Fight Your Little Elm Traffic Citation To Stop Insurance Rate Increases

Convictions of Little Elm traffic citations can raise your automobile insurance rates. Many automobile insurance companies check your driving record before agreeing to insure you or renew your automobile insurance. Having “convictions” for traffic citations on your driving record can cost you a lot of money. Your automobile insurance company may increase your insurance rates when you apply for new insurance or for a renewal of your existing insurance. Avoid paying increased insurance rates! Call attorney Todd E. Tkach now to protect your driving record.

Little Elm Traffic Citations Are Class C Misdemeanors

All traffic citations, code violations and other municipal tickets are “Class C” misdemeanors, according to the laws of the State of Texas. At the Law Office of Todd E. Tkach, we handle all types of Class “C” misdemeanors, as well as all other criminal code violations. All Class C misdemeanors in the State of Texas, including Little Elm traffic citations, are adjudicated in Municipal Courts and Justice of the Peace Courts. Although these are the lowest level of criminal courts in the State, some Class C misdemeanors can have significant and long-term effects. For example, multiple convictions for disorderly conduct can be enhanced to Class B or Class A misdemeanors, which carry jail time in their range of punishment. A conviction for a charge of Class C assault/family violence can be enhanced and can prohibit you from owning or possessing a firearm. Don’t “go it alone.” The long-term effects can be devastating. Call Todd E. Tkach to fight your citations and make sure your rights are protected.

Do I Have To Be In Court On the Day Of My Little Elm Traffic Citation Hearing?

In most cases, it is not necessary for you to be present on the day of your Little Elm traffic citation hearing. Although it can help us get a dismissal and/or to negotiate a more favorable plea agreement, your presence is usually not necessary. If you can’t be in court on the day of your hearing either because of prior commitments, work, being out of the state, or you just don’t want to take the time, no problem! Attorney Todd E. Tkach can make the court appearance for you. Even if you’re not there, attorney Todd E. Tkach will fight to have your Little Elm traffic citation dismissed outright! If we can’t get an outright dismissal, we’ll aggressively negotiate to get the Little Elm traffic citation dismissed within a few months in the future to keep the citation off your driving record.

Not All Municipal Courts Are the Same

Each city, municipality and Justice of the Peace Court throughout the state has its’ own unique procedures and fine amounts for traffic tickets. The City of Little Elm is no exception. Knowing the procedures and guidelines for a Little Elm traffic citation is crucial to achieving a favorable outcome. The attorneys at Todd E. Tkach, P.C. know the procedures, the substantive law, the prosecutors and the judges so that we can effectively evaluate your Little Elm traffic citation case to fight for a dismissal of the charges. Call us now at 214-999-0595 to receive your free consultation.

Small, but your own! or How to build a business on needlework

For a long time, next to my house, there was a banner with the text “Small, but your own!” It showed a similar dog, with a tie. What this banner really advertised, I don’t even remember, in my opinion, lending to small businesses. But how exactly did the competent advertisers notice the essence! Do you also dream of working only for yourself and not depend on anyone?

So, a little preface. Firstly, this publication is based solely on my personal experience (it is to be judged by everyone in their own way), therefore, all arguments and beliefs, of course, are completely subjective and in no way imposed on anyone. Secondly, this article is not a business plan or a detailed economic strategy for a trading enterprise, it will be about how to grow from a needlewoman into a successful craftsman and business woman (mena, if you wish) in a free, close to chatter over a cup coffee, style.

In general, everything in life becomes very simple if you constantly ask yourself questions and find answers to them. Therefore, the entire article will consist mainly of specific, correctly posed questions, which you yourself can answer as you see fit, I will only share my solutions.

The meaningless eternal question: “What is the meaning of life?”. We’ll put it off for sleepless nights, let’s rephrase it: “What do I need to be happy?”

For me, happiness is family harmony based on love and trust, self-realization in work and society.

Let’s focus on self-realization. How do I see my work? My work should bring me joy and a good income. Can I earn with my favorite business at such a level that I can afford … (here you yourself indicate your standard of living). It is important to be honest with yourself, you need to weigh the pros and cons well. Perhaps your soul requires a creative process in the evenings, on a day off, while your main activity brings a good income that you cannot leave, despite the absence of a vacation, a wayward boss, and so on. In this case, you need to find a compromise with yourself. You need to soberly assess that if you make your passion for work, this will entail many other nuances that, against the background of the director and quarterly reports, will seem much harder.

Take a good look at the pros and cons, what would be more useful, better, more correct for you and your family? What does the mind say, and what does the soul demand after all?

Perhaps you will be able to combine business with pleasure, and you will find harmony in this. Most likely the first time, while you are only on the way to your goal, this will be the most ideal option. In my case, there was no choice, I started making jewelry for the soul when I was on maternity leave (and, in fact, unemployed), then it began to generate income for me. Now that my child has grown up, I objectively cannot find a job in my city that can compare positively with my already permanent business. There are also negative sides to this for me, but they lose significantly against the general background. Therefore, once again I repeat, this is all an exclusively individual matter.

Identify who you are. What do you want to realize yourself in: in your needlework or in sales? If you are good at selling, can you still go into trading? What process do you enjoy the most? Yes, an article about how to build a business from needlework, but this can be done in different ways. In this regard, I really liked Daria’s article about the four types of handmakers. If you see yourself as a master, with an admixture of any other types, then the following information will not make sense to you.

Where to start?

Start by choosing your needlework!

If you are just thinking about getting creative, start by choosing the type of needlework. If you have already started doing something, evaluate whether you have decided everything correctly, it is never too late to reconsider your views. You must choose one single direction in which to go on your path, choose thoroughly, as a future husband! With this needlework you will live, wake up and fall asleep, improve, grow, mature. God forbid one day realize that the choice was wrong. It is impossible to engage in all types of creativity at once, because you will not be able to develop and improve yourself in all directions, let other needlework sometimes remain, as a break from the main activity.

You need to clearly distinguish between what you want from your work, soberly assess your capabilities and decide what you will do? Something that is very much on the Internet and something that, of course, is in demand, or something rare, maybe even new. Both options will be good, you just need to decide, and there are difficulties in both. It would be correct to raise another important question:

Why does the buyer come to me?

If you come up with something completely new and incredible, then it is clear that if there is a connoisseur for this, then he will not come to anyone but you (until your idea goes to the people, her, of course, it will be possible to protect by a patent, but we will not go deep into this controversial issue). The question is, is there a connoisseur? How many will there be? How long will it take to tread the road in this direction? Can I become an innovator in anything? We form questions, answer them and dare!

It will seem much easier to choose an already proven, in-demand option. For example, you will sew Tild dolls! There are really a lot of such stores, you need to understand what it means and there is a lot of competition. Why will they buy from you? What can you offer? Perhaps you will bring a special zest to your dolls, an idea, perhaps you will start with low prices . .. There are a lot of options, think over the right, honest tactics. Because if you still decide to do business from needlework, then your dolls are should stand out , they should be the best of the best! (I’ll talk more about honesty in the section on advertising.) What can you suggest? Portrait resemblance, a subtle sense of color, perfect harmony in the chosen details, an interesting semantic load … Come up with something that will distinguish you from the surrounding offer, and do it masterfully, quality , with high demands on yourself!

We monitor the market. What is profitable to sell?

If you really want to earn money, and not just create for the soul, you need to think about what exactly they will buy better? At any time of crisis and difficulties, a woman will always be a woman, she will decorate herself, she will buy cosmetics, clothes, jewelry. The buyer may love leather paintings and may even buy one or even several paintings, one for each room, a special connoisseur will return for a gift, but this is the most ideal option. But the same buyer will buy leather jewelry many times in order to wear them with different dresses, creating different looks, and will change them every day. Materials for a leather panel will take much more than for a necklace, but the buyer is ready to pay much more for a necklace than for a picture, I have seen this more than once from personal experience. Here, of course, a lot of controversy can arise, and this example may not be very successful for someone, but I outlined the essence.

Price.

Your prices may be lower, but don’t forget about the notion of dishonest pricing. Yes, and evaluate your work and costs, do you want to spend more energy on something for which you will be paid less than someone else? In addition, such a policy attracts precisely the buyer who is looking for what is cheaper, from the proposed variety, this buyer does not appreciate you as a craftsman, but comes precisely because it is cheaper for you, and sooner or later you will come across an offer like “Make like this master, but at your price.

It’s a completely different matter if your work does not yet reach the required level in quality, for example, then you need to honestly admit this to yourself and not raise the bar while your skills are still at the beginning of the journey. Namely, about what the price is formed from, you can find a lot of information in the publications of respected colleagues, or in any economic article on the Internet, so I will not dwell on this issue in more detail. The main thing, in my opinion, the price should not be the factor due to which the buyer will come to you.

Author’s idea and own recognizable style.

The author’s idea is what only you have, in my opinion, the most important factor by which the masters queue for orders. You can sew dolls very beautifully, knit dresses and sculpt from polymer clay, just like everyone else, but the author’s idea and your own recognizable style entail great demand and respect as a master. Would you wait in line for your order for a long time if you can buy the same thing right now in another store?

How to find your own style?

This is a very difficult question, there is an indisputable truth that it is always easier to teach again than to relearn. I think it certainly is. If you start your journey by copying other people’s work, then you yourself will stop noticing that you are working in someone else’s style, this is the catch of the master classes, when you do exactly the same as the master showed. To create something of your own, your own, you need to draw ideas from the world around you, and not from the Internet, at least not from other works. If you want to make a flower, find its photo and figure out how to translate it into the material you are working with, do not look for such a flower from another master. In the world, a lot is still even invented, why limit yourself to someone else’s perception of it? On the contrary, try to do something that you have not seen yet, especially think about new solutions, which will then be found in all your works and be called your corporate identity.

Advertising.

Whenever we start talking about advertising, I don’t want to talk a lot, and most importantly, do it, because it’s better to put more effort into developing your own business, improving the quality of your products, improving their appearance in photographs. If a buyer has not yet come to you for stale work, evaluate first of all your work, and not how you are trying to sell it. There are many publications in the Masters Fair magazine on how to advertise and sell your product, I don’t want to dwell on this now. The administration of the portal has tried to give us more of these opportunities and has created collection galleries, thematic weeks, works of the day, thematic headings, keywords and so on for these purposes.

There are also covert advertising methods, which are also often written about in publications. Many of them I consider dishonest and unworthy. For example, black PR, offering yourself to other people’s subscribers, and so on. So much time is spent on all this, in fact, which you need to devote to your cultivation.

I would like to note that for the first 3 years, I did not look at the Journal at all. Once they wrote me congratulations that my necklace became the work of the day, and I didn’t even know where it could be seen. However, at that time I already had a large queue of orders.

But we are talking about business! Therefore, advertising, of course, will have to be paid attention to, respect yourself and your favorite business in this. The sale of your own original works does not like dirt, it should be “warm and sunny” around you, and your products should shine with such energy!

Moving to a new level.

Do not stop there, always step up, visualize for yourself the steps, the levels along which you will rise to success. Such transitions should occur with frequent intervals, at least once every six months. Let the next bar be low, let the cherished step be far away, for the time being step on those steps that you are able to overcome today. For normal “air circulation” in business, something must constantly change, be updated. Improve the appearance of the store, order a professional photo shoot, switch to better and more expensive materials, improve the level of skill, expand the range, it’s all possible to do in short periods of time. Strive for good tools that you could not afford before, your own workshop, your own retail or online store. Mark mentally or visually these stages and feel that you have climbed them as soon as you reach them. And do not forget about the grandiose breakthroughs in your business! For example, participation in international exhibitions, fashion shows, all-Russian and international competitions, set goals for yourself in obtaining some important title. Do not limit yourself to small desires! Anything is possible if you strive for it!

How do you know when it’s time to formalize your business?

The moment has come when you feel the strength to make a permanent job out of your needlework, namely your own business! How to define this moment? You have an already formed queue of orders, which you yourself limit in the period. Your finished works are not stale in the shop window, your monthly income can be compared with the average salary in your city, and you feel confident about tomorrow?

Now decide on your desires and choose a further strategy. Do you think I need to change something? Have I achieved everything I aspired to? Do I like being officially unemployed? Maybe you don’t need to change anything! A huge number of masters dream of growing up to your level, and quietly having additional income in retirement, for example, or on maternity leave. Perhaps you are a housewife at heart and you like that at the same time you can also earn money for your personal needs, without limiting yourself in anything. In this case, you should probably leave everything as it is, and this will be your balanced decision, which is correct for your situation.

If you still dare to create your own business and get out of the shadow of Internet sales, thus marking a new level for yourself, then, of course, you need to legalize your income. Namely, to officially register their activities. It is up to you to decide which form you choose, LLC, IP, this article is not tax advice, so you need to study all these questions on your own on the Internet or seek clarification from a specialist.

The taxation system also depends on your type of activity, are you going to trade in a retail store or only via the Internet? The taxable base for the simplified tax system also depends on how many expenses you have and whether you can confirm all of them. Personally, I chose the simplified tax system and 6% tax on the “income” taxable base, but a year later I decided to take a very thorough look at the patent. Buying a patent for the right to do their own thing for craftsmen is probably the most convenient way, you just need to correctly calculate how profitable it will be in comparison with your annual income.

What will I get if I register my activity?

Official status.

Now you can officially sell your work in stores, at fairs, in your own online store and so on. In general, to be honest, all this can of course be done without it, almost everyone will immediately think, but now you will be honest with yourself, and the status of a legal entity, in fact, will open up the possibility of entering new sales platforms . It is a completely different matter if it is not necessary for you, just today.

Seniority, pension contributions.

Now you are not an unemployed housewife! You are officially an individual entrepreneur (or founder of an LLC, director). From the moment of registration, your work experience began, paying contributions to the Pension Fund, you pay your own pension contributions, for me, as for a fairly young girl, this is an important fact, since I am still far from retirement, and some social guarantees from the state in I would like the future.

Position in society.

It sounds pathetic, but let’s not forget about the important social and public moments of our lives. The official status gives self-affirmation, respect, a sense of self-fulfillment, a feeling that you have become a full-fledged member of society. Perhaps these are trifles, but very pleasant. At least, articles about the attitude to needlework of others often appear in publications. And it took me a long time to win my place under the sun among relatives and friends. Now they proudly tell everyone that I am a sole trader, that I have my own business, and that my jewelry is bought from all over the world.

I don’t have the funds to develop my business. Where to find financial support?

Now that you have a small but your own… it’s time to ask the state for help. Yes, yes, in Russian legislation there are many programs aimed at supporting small businesses. Whom to help, if not you, a gifted craftsman, an artisan-manufacturer (whose type of activity, by the way, is a priority compared to ordinary merchants), who has finally decided to legalize his activity in order to honestly serve his country?

In fact, there are a lot of such programs. There is a subsidy from the employment center, there you need to be officially unemployed for some time and receive benefits before registering an individual entrepreneur. There are subsidies from the city and regional administrations for the development of existing businesses, there are all kinds of competitions from the state with decent winnings for legal entities, for example, a competition for the best entrepreneurial project.

If you decide to develop your own business, be sure to find out about all these opportunities in your city! Under a lying stone, as you know, water does not flow! Even in my city, for example, there are special municipal art workshops that are allocated to artists and craftsmen for paying utility bills. Naturally, not for nothing, for this you will have to work hard, write a business plan, justify your “usefulness” to the city as a master, whether it be mandatory exhibitions and reports of your activities, participation in cultural events of the city, it is possible to provide jobs, of course, payment taxes. For example, one of these workshops was allocated to our fraternal team “All Trades”, at first, I also decided to equip my small corner with my colleagues in it, but then I nevertheless realized that I needed my own separate space and it is today , should be within my house. What did I do? I decided to compete for a subsidy from the administration, applied for an individual entrepreneur, wrote a business plan, passed the competition, won a subsidy, for which I fully equipped my workplace. All this, of course, is not so simple; of course, they will not allocate money for a mink coat! You must follow the indicated indicator in the business plan, report every quarter during the year on the taxes paid, in addition to all documents that are legally executed correctly, you will be checked for the availability of everything purchased with a visit to the workshop more than once. Also, one of the conditions, for example, was the purchase of equipment at their own expense in the amount of at least 15% of the requested subsidy amount. Under the terms of the subsidy, you will pay taxes for the year about the same as you receive funds, but half of these taxes will go to your own pension, and you will not find such an interest-free loan anywhere else, of course. Therefore, of course, yes, such state support is undoubtedly useful and pleasant, you should not neglect it, even if you overestimate your strength and decide to turn your business into a distant box, then you will have the right to do this after the end of the reporting year.

There are other options, for example, sponsorship, loans, you can rob a bank, for example 🙂 But I only talk about what I know myself.

Is it possible not to pay taxes?

A delicate question. To which I have only one answer. Why then become a legal entity at all? Respect your country – pay taxes! Moreover, if your profit is low, then the amount of tax can still be reduced by contributions to the Pension Fund to almost zero. But if you show your profit, you can easily prove your solvency everywhere, take a loan, mortgage and arrange it all in your honest name, and not on your relatives. This, of course, is not the main argument, but a weighty one, since you have set off on your own, free swimming.

What to strive for next?

And then my experience will no longer be able to reasonably advise something. Because now I myself am standing at a crossroads. What exactly is my situation? I have a very large queue of orders and lately I have had the feeling that I am not working for myself. In the future, I plan to completely overhaul my work with customers. Probably, I will no longer accept orders, because because of this I do not have enough time for my own development, for the creation of new works, participation in exhibitions and competitions. Now, when demand is much higher than supply, there is something to strive for and there are specific ways of development.

What to do when demand is greater than supply?

In this case, I see three options today. Which, perhaps, need to be disclosed in detail in a separate publication.

1. Assistant training.
2. Sale of finished works only (sale of finished works from auctions with their assigned minimum price).
3. Price increase.

Masters who have reached this level, as a rule, go on to study, teach master classes and take unhurried orders for the soul.

It is imperative to grow, improve your skills, develop distribution channels, expand production. In fact, you have just moved to a new level, and there is still a very long way to go. Whatever path you choose in the future, the main thing is not to forget how it all began, whether you have reached your original goal, namely, we talked about happiness.

I wish you that despite the business streak that has appeared in your character, you remain a Master. A master who loves his work, does it with heart and soul, enjoying the process, continues to admire the world around him, feeling the line between beautiful and profitable.

Now you have a name and reputation, stay away from everything unworthy, get out of conflict situations with honor, do not get into “black PR”, love what you do for people who love what you do and you will be happy ! 🙂

Thanks to everyone who decided to read my publication from beginning to end!

Best regards, Svetlana Khramovskikh.

How does a pensioner live in the Voronezh region with a pension of 12,000 ₽

Anonymous

receives 12,000 R per month

About me

Age: 54 years old
Place: urban-type settlement in the Voronezh region
Family: I live alone in private house. On the same plot there is another house where a 32-year-old daughter lives with her family: her husband and three daughters. The eldest is five years old, the younger twins will soon be two years old. We have separate finances. My son is 28 years old, he lives alone, rents a room in the city
Position: I have been retired since January 2020. Prior to that, she worked for 23 years at the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology as a radiological engineer, and for another seven and a half years as a medical physicist at the oncological dispensary. For the last two years I have been working part-time: it is hard to go to work in the regional center. Resigned two months ago. In recent months at work, she received a salary of 15,000–20,000 R and a pension
Income: now my pension is 12,000 R, after indexing, three months after the dismissal, it will be 15,000 R
How much I save: there is nothing special to save from such a pension. After my dismissal, I bought 100 $⁣ (7336 R) and 100 €⁣ (7939 R) with the money paid. I also have 10,000 R. This was and remains my emergency reserve. I opened a savings account through Sberbank-online with a rate of 4% per annum and the ability to withdraw and replenish any amount. Now there is 3000 R
What I’m saving for: for life. I have health problems and I need money. A private house at any time may require the cost of maintaining heating, water supply, sewerage, etc. The heating boiler is malfunctioning, the washing machine has already been repaired twice. A computer, a smartphone, a favorite reader can also break down. And you also have to put on shoes and clothes. I am an inexperienced pensioner, but I understand that you cannot live without savings. And you have to work hard.

Monthly expenses

Food: 4500 R
Medicines, dietary supplements: 3000 R
Utility bills: from 3000 R in winter to 600 R in summer. On average, it turns out 2000 R
Phone: 550 R
Household goods and chemicals for small things: 500 R
Internet: 300 R

Spending on shoes I plan clothes, equipment in advance. While I live only on pension, they are not. If force majeure happens, I will spend from my savings.

How do I budget

My billing period is from pension to pension. Mandatory spending – an average of 10,850 R. From the pension remains 1150 R – this is the buffer for which I can afford something. This month I want to buy a pot in Magnit for stickers if self-isolation is lifted. For a 6-liter pot – 1100 R. I plan to transfer 1000 R to my sister for her birthday, because the communal apartment will be lower than my budget, and this thousand will remain.

I already stocked up on medicines, dietary supplements, and many products due to falling oil prices and self-isolation. So this month I have enough money for both a gift and a pot.

In income, I write down the pension and the available buffer from the last month, that is, everything that is not taken into account in strategic savings. Expense items are mandatory and contextual: the same pan and birthday. I keep a daily table of expenses and balances for food, medicines, dietary supplements and more. I pay special attention to spending on food. Previously, I was guided by 100 R per day, now I switched to 150 R: products are becoming more expensive.

With such accounting, you always know how much money you have and what you can spend it on.

This week, in conditions of self-isolation, my spending and consumption have some peculiarities:

1. I have a lot of free time.
2. Lots of free content.
3. There are stocks of food, medicines and household chemicals.

How to keep a budget

So that there is enough for everything and even leftovers. Twice a week we tell in our newsletter

Day one, Monday

Daily expenses: 831 Р

5:45. I wake up, I immediately get up. Morning ritual: I brew ground coffee in a mug, drink it at the computer, looking through messages and mailing lists. My favorite psychiatrist Andris Saulytis posted a recording of the stream. I like to listen or watch YouTube and knit, so I choose simple patterns. I am currently knitting an oversized pullover.

After coffee, when I finally wake up, I put myself in order. I don’t make my bed: my bedroom is an intimate place to sleep, read and eat apples. I don’t even raise the curtain there, and during the day it’s twilight in the bedroom. I dream of a blackout curtain. And I plan to crochet a curtain for the kitchen.

6:45. Breakfast. Yesterday I mixed Olivier from what I had. Not very useful, but satisfying and tasty.

9:45. I sew the shoulders of a pullover. I watch a video about crochet neckline. The work needs attention. I play a Tom Waits concert in the background. I also do housework to the music.

11:15 am. Daughter treated sauerkraut. I take a pork rib out of the freezer, cook cabbage soup. I turn on the laundry.

12:00. They call from a former job: they ask to consult on a contract for laboratory tests for radiation diagnostics rooms. The subject of the agreement is based on the regulatory framework for radiation safety. After my dismissal, nothing has changed there, and you can just look at the old documents. But in order to conclude an agreement, issue and sign payment documents, organize measurements and issue protocols, comply with the terms and conditions, experience is needed. The rules often change, and then everything has to be redone, and this is labor and time. It is easier to monitor these same rules.

13:25. I count the sleeve of a pullover. On an empty stomach I do physical therapy.

15:30. I dine with cabbage soup and frozen currants. I take it to my daughter. I self-isolated, but we pass some things on to each other. The son-in-law brings groceries. Our communication mainly takes place on WhatsApp. There I also communicate with my son. We rarely call each other.

16:15. I knit. The tabs open Maxim Ilyakhov’s video on infostyle, lectures from Harvard’s “Justice” series by Michael Sandel, Chet Baker plays in the background.

5:30 pm. I cook buckwheat. My son-in-law brings groceries from Pyaterochka. For three weeks now I have not gone far from home. About twice a week I write a list of groceries to my son-in-law on WhatsApp. He brings, and I transfer money to his card through Sberbank-online. I freeze bread. UHT milk also keeps well. Mayonnaise, eggs, cabbage… At the last moment I wrote to him about sweets. Bought a roll. I’ll eat it instead of porridge for dinner. −831 Р

Products from Pyaterochka Receipt

19:15. I am listening to a lecture by Michael Sandel on the Kantian theory of morality. The lecturer presents the material simply, with humor, attracts students to discuss the topic, asks to express their opinion. A third of the time passes in the form of a dialogue with the audience. Students are happy, free and relaxed, express interesting opinions.

Evening ritual: taking hormones, medicines, eating apples, reading in bed. I am reading the last of the 17 novels in the Harry Bosch series on a Nook reader. Written by Michael Connelly, former crime reporter. Although it is a detective by genre, both the hero himself and the environment in which he acts show our life without embellishment. It is felt that the author is familiar with the underside of the US journalistic, police and judicial world.

21:15. I extinguish the world. It’s time to sleep.

Second day, Tuesday

Spending per day: 340 R

5:45. I wake up, drink coffee with a roll, read mailing lists. There is nothing interesting in them.

6:30. I knit a pullover sleeve and watch yesterday’s issue of Vremya. Together with the Japanese, we launched the production of mobile laboratories for express tests for coronavirus. I remembered our mobile radiological laboratory from the period of my work in the sanitary and epidemiological service. After the Chernobyl disaster, we traveled around the Voronezh region, made a gamma survey of the area, took samples of soil, water, products, measured the content of cesium-137 and strontium-9 in them0.

7:10. I do small things: I feed the cat, sweep, wash the little things with my hands, put things in their places, admire the gooseberry bush from the window. Francisco Tarrega sounds: I love classical guitar.

8:45. I have breakfast with buckwheat with milk and sugar: I am sweet.

Watching Michael Sandel’s lecture on justice again

10:30. I drink tea with cheese and butter sandwiches baked in the microwave. I am aware that my diet is low in fiber. These are mostly apples. Sometimes cabbage, but I can’t stand it well. I add dietary supplements to the diet – psyllium husks. But what to do: fresh fruits and vegetables are expensive in spring. If I manage to increase my income, I will go to Gryadka and buy healthy products there.

11:00 am. I decide to take a walk around the house. Today is sunny and not very cold. The daughter comes out with the kids. The eldest granddaughter is now visiting another grandmother in the village.

After returning from a walk, I wash my hands and face, I perfume my phone. At one time, I bought cheap perfumes, and now the phone is fragrant.

In the garden

13:10. I drink iron and amino acids on an empty stomach. I do physical therapy. At one time, I bought several video complexes for the spine and leg joints. I regularly do exercises for the lower back, less often for the neck and joints.

I had a major operation a year ago. After her, she resumed classes only six months later. I had to start all over again. After another operation, there was a break for a month. I will never return to the level I once reached.

13:40. The fee for the Tele2 service package was deducted – I am replenishing the balance. I have an archive tariff “Very black”. I don’t want to change: the new tariffs are more expensive. I appreciate in it package minutes for intercity. I have friends and relatives in Moscow, Rostov, and it is convenient for me to call them without regard to the cost. −340 Р

14:00. For lunch – a hearty salad: boiled peas, sauerkraut, onions, vegetable oil. I don’t like wasting time on cooking, unless I want something tasty.

14:20. I knit and listen to everything on YouTube: news about the coronavirus, Valery Solovyov, Ekaterina Shulman, Dmitry Potapenko. The brain does not want to strain, and this content is familiar to it: everyone says the same thing. State propaganda suggests that everything is fine in the country, and experts literally scream about trouble: Nightingale about the political, Shulman about the legal, Potapenko about the economic.

I judge the situation in the country by my experience in the field of radiation safety. I had to participate in the creation of a single data bank of those affected by radiation exposure and a system for the physical protection of radiation sources. The conclusion from my experience is that the government system in the state is ineffective, you work not thanks to, but in spite of, forces and time are spent on overcoming artificial obstacles. And all this is not the result of malicious intent, but of incompetence.

I used to think that this is a feature of Russia – such bureaucracy and heavy management. And then I read how the Ministry of Red tape worked in Charles Dickens’ book “Little Dorrit”. How I laughed! And I realized that bureaucracy is eternal.

17:50. For dinner – bread with jam: you want something sweet. I study English using the free Duolingo app on my phone. I have been doing it intermittently for a year and a half just to train my brain and self-discipline. The service is comfortable: no need to think about rules, grammar. You are just doing tasks. If you make a mistake, the program indicates an error. No rules, just practice.

19:00. Time for evening rituals: eat apples, read, go to bed. I would like to finish the cycle about Harry Bosch and start Nora Gal’s book “The Living and the Dead Word”. This is the second time I’ve read about Bosch: I love the main character.

9:20 pm. I turn off the light.

Day three, Wednesday

Daily expenses: 0 R

8:00. I wake up with difficulty. I drink coffee, check subscriptions on YouTube, messages on Vkontakte, Telegram, Odnoklassniki, Facebook, Poems-ru. I watch the weather on Meteonova-ru. Nothing interesting. Today I want to start a series of three lessons on social media design. It’s free, but only for a few days.

After I retired, I took two free courses: on the psychology of highly sensitive people and copywriting. Both courses diligently outlined, did homework. I believe that after the psychological training I increased my self-esteem, and after the copywriting course I realized that this is a profession that needs to be mastered. If I had money, I would definitely go to a paid copywriting course. It costs 20 thousand for three months.

I signed up for today’s webinar on social media design out of curiosity. Maybe someday I’ll have to make my own blog.

8:55. I bathe in the kitchen: I pour water from a bucket, standing in a basin. The goal is to splash less water: linoleum is thin and the floor can rot. Before, before the coronavirus, I went swimming with my daughter. You get used to good things quickly. And once the whole family bathed in this kitchen. They carried water from the well, poured it out into the street, stoked the stove, the toilet was also on the street … True, we had more strength, because we were younger.

This kind of bathing is familiar and easy for me

9:30. For breakfast – buckwheat with milk and sugar. I went too far with sugar.

Daughter brings chicken pate. She did it herself. One chicken made too much, and she shared with me. It is dry – it is better to eat with butter.

10:30. I’m going for a walk. Dachas begin behind our house. Basically everything is abandoned. In the nineties, people took plots, and then gradually stopped coming. It’s colorful now, and you can shoot horror films at dusk.

There are ravines around the dachas. We love to walk there. There is a garden pond. This year, the ravines are burned out like never before – there is a lot of blackness around. Firefighters have already extinguished fires in suburban areas more than once.

Past the dachas Country pond

12:00. Until the evening, I work on the first lesson on social media design and complete the task. I have lunch right there, at the computer, sandwiches with butter and chicken pate.

During the lesson, participants work on the design service Canva. We learn how to remove the background, cut out image elements, retouch, use a photo stock and a website with fonts. The teacher shows some of the possibilities of these services.

The task in this lesson is to make a header for your group on Vkontakte dedicated to advertising design services. In the next lesson, we will fill the group with content. I don’t want to create a design group, I decided that I would have a group about writing articles. Designed and made a hat.

My first design work

I spent a lot of time looking for the right picture in the photo stock. I didn’t want to take pictures with a “head-on” plot as a basis: pens, pencils, writing people … I wanted creativity. And my slogan was born earlier.

At this point, I ran out of ideas: zero experience, nothing to generalize. I decide not to start a group for the time being, but simply to fix the material of the lessons so that I can use it if necessary.

18:00. For dinner I have the same as for lunch – hearty sandwiches with chicken pate and butter. No time to cook.

Calling my mother. We usually talk with her about her well-being – she has it bad all the time. We are still talking about the coronavirus. At the suggestion of the TV, she blames careless violators of the rules for everything. I tell her about children and granddaughters.

Mom lives alone in her own apartment in the regional center of another district. My sister and her husband live there in a private house. The sister brings groceries to her mother, washes the floor in the apartment and the entrance. Mom is still taking care of herself, but she is in constant pain, she moves slowly and does not go far. She used to work on a gas oven at a sugar factory. Shift work, heavy lifting. She says it’s her fault that she didn’t go to the doctors. And now all the joints and the spine crumbled. I think her illnesses are also psychosomatic: her father drank and fought all his life – no nerves can stand it here.

19:00. Getting ready for bed. I eat apples and read the latest novel about Bosch in bed.

21:10. I turn off the light.

Day four, Thursday

Daily expenses: 1850 R

6:40. I couldn’t sleep for a long time yesterday. There are a lot of plans and ideas in my head. I got myself a notebook where I write down the ideas of all the projects that I have. I think that I need to do one thing and bring it to mind, for example, web writing. My son dissuaded me from copywriting exchanges: he believes that this is an inefficient investment of time. By copywriting I mean the creation of selling, advertising texts, by web writing – articles in a broad sense. I haven’t looked for potential customers yet. It is necessary to analyze which Internet resources publish what.

8:10 am. I put away for storage some winter things that have already been washed: coats, hats, scarves. Three lines formed in my head:

I am packing my winter coat:
from the waist
only a belt remains.

Senryu is a genre of Japanese poetry. She immediately published it on her page on the Poetry-ru website.

9:20. For breakfast – sauerkraut with vegetable oil and bread.

10:15. I transfer my part of the payment for the communal apartment to my daughter: 1550 R for electricity, gas, garbage, 300 R for the Internet. −1850 R

We settled in this place 28 years ago. Then my husband built the house in which I live now as temporary housing in four months. A couple of years later, on the same site, he began to build a new house. The nineties were difficult: it turned out to be a long-term construction. It so happened that my husband moved out from me six years ago, and the new house was left standing “almost finished”. A year and a half ago, my son-in-law sold a two-room apartment in the city and invested in finishing the house. Now we live in the same area. We do not cultivate a garden: I have no health, my daughter has time. I think everything is ahead.

We have common gas and electric meters. I analyzed my payments for the time I lived alone and drew up a graph of gas consumption depending on the average monthly temperature. In fact, it turns out about a third of the total amount for gas. I pay for electricity according to the average value, and it turns out less than a third, because my daughter has a heated floor in the bathroom, an electric oven. My son-in-law installed fiber-optic internet for himself. I extended a twisted pair cable from them to me, it cost me 1500 R. The subscription fee – 600 R – is divided in half.

11:00 am. Walking with daughter and granddaughters. I tell her what I learned about the coronavirus from official sources, she is stories from blogs. I expect any scenario of development of events. She tells stories from her life.

12:20. Dinner.

Fried eggs with tomatoes and garlic

12:50. I outline the second lesson of the design course: how to create a welcome post for a group, universal for a customer, a beautiful picture, a gif, a primitive video. I don’t practice anymore, I just fix how to do it.

15:30. The son-in-law was treated to carps. He brings them to me so that I can fry for myself and for them. I fry to the music of Buxtehude.

I decide to practice photo processing: how to remove my native background and add another one. In search of the desired photo, I get into my archive – and hang in it for two hours. There are 136 GB of photos and folders of the tenth degree of nesting. I didn’t find the photo I needed. For a long time I want to put things in order in the archive, but I’m afraid to approach.

18:00. I eat fried fish.

My neck and back hurt because I sit at the computer a lot. The eyes are tired too. I have complex astigmatism and wear monofocal glasses. This is effective and expensive, but even with glasses, vision is only 50%: it is impossible to compensate more. I also have a cataract – I may need surgery.

19:10. Getting ready for bed. Yesterday I finished reading Bosch, today I’m starting Nora Gal’s book. I gave up paper books a long time ago: my eyes get tired. And on my reader I make capital letters and I can read at least all day long.

20:00. The son-in-law brings in more carps: his friends treated him again. Tomorrow I will again fry for two families.

21:00. Dream.

Day five, Friday

Daily spending: $0

5:55. I get up. I have a lot to do. Today is the last day of access to the third class on design, and I also want to work on a video posted on YouTube by psychiatrist Andris Saulytis. He gives important information on mental health, and I summarize everything.

7:30. For breakfast – sandwiches with butter and chicken pate.

10:40. The entire third lesson on social media design was devoted to advertising a paid course. It costs 10 thousand for the most complete module, but I don’t have that kind of money right now. I don’t know what I’m willing to pay for. My son taught himself how to program and even got a job as a programmer in the St. Petersburg branch of the Alidi company.

11:35. I’m frying the fish that my son-in-law brought yesterday. I take my daughter. Eat by myself.

Roasted carp

12:55. Watching and reviewing a three-hour video by a psychiatrist. Topic: “How to get rid of automatic thoughts and strive for awareness.” I put these streams above any content on YouTube. What could be more important than knowing how your brain works?! Andris helped change my life for the better. Not only have I become happier, I dare to think, I have also become a more pleasant person to talk to.

After working through the content on Andris’ channel, I saw a lot in myself. Other people’s thoughts that were once inspired to me, but I did not look at them critically. Other people’s attitudes, assessments that influenced my actions. Appreciated how badly I took care of the brain and body.

17:00. I called a friend in Voronezh to ask how her self-isolation is going. She works as a librarian. Everything would be fine, but they were promised to pay some absolutely minimum for sitting at home. It is not yet known how much he will receive. She also lives alone, and she has to pay for a communal apartment, buy food.

17:40. I have dinner with sauerkraut with vegetable oil and bread.

18:35. I do English. The theme of the lesson: “Food”. I didn’t walk today: I didn’t have enough time. It seems to me that since I retired, there has been less free time. Personal time I now have only after 19:00 when I read in bed. And sometimes I watch YouTube with knitting in my hands when I’m just lazy.

19:10. Evening ritual. I am reading The Word Living and Dead by Nora Gal. The book was recommended by the presenter of one copywriting course. It seems to me a monument of literature – such a rich language in it. I enjoy reading.

21:30. I extinguish the world.

Day six, Saturday

Daily expenses: R190

7:10. I didn’t sleep for a long time yesterday. I can’t wake up today. I feel bad: head, heart. For breakfast – eggs with ketchup.

8:15 am. Listening to a lecture by Mikhail Kuchin at Design Viewr. His approach is close to me – to do cases just like that, for fun, for myself, to see what happens. This is what freedom is. Anton Schneider also performs there. I fell in love with him at first sight – like a master. Everything he talks about resonates with my thoughts: how to strike a balance between “trying” and “working through”, how not to drown and budge.

10:50. I remove the carpet from the floor before winter. I laid it out for warmth: mice have gnawed through my house – both the floor and the walls. Even the ceiling in the kitchen has a hole in it, straw is pouring from the attic.

11:30 am. As long as there is a desire, I do the cleaning. I sweep the whole house, I wash the floor. Dusting. It’s more convenient to do this without a carpet on the floor: I don’t have a vacuum cleaner. Sounds like Albinoni.

I’m getting out

13:00. The son-in-law brings apples and eggs. Yesterday I wrote to him on WhatsApp and asked him to buy it. −190 R

14:00. My daughter and I drag the frame of the Singer sewing machine from the veranda and put flowers on it. And then the cat got into the habit of lying on all the window sills and sometimes drops pots of flowers. I have a “hodgepodge” style in my house, and “Singer” will not interfere with anything.

While she was freeing the car, she overstrained herself because of the heavy box. I’m done. Arrhythmia on the side, now my back and neck hurt. You should lie down.

The bed from the Singer sewing machine serves as a stand for flowers

15:05. For lunch – fried potatoes with milk and bread. I noticed: people love what they ate in childhood. Only milk and butter in my childhood were cow’s. Butter is ghee. Trees are big. And the grass is green, yeah.

15:30. I sit down to knit, turn on Michael Sandel’s eighth lecture on the theory of justice.

A friend from the US wrote that her son has COVID-19. He works as a doctor in Ireland, they don’t have enough protective equipment there – and this is the result. We don’t have enough either. My sister works in a polyclinic, in a children’s registry. She was given one mask for a week. She is a fatalist and does not bother herself – she lives as she lived. Anyway, he says, nothing depends on me. Indeed, she does her job. The administration should provide means of protection and disinfection, and establish a sanitary and epidemiological regime.

I think there are a lot of unknowns in this whole coronavirus story, from the behavior of the virus in different conditions to the lack of a global standard for keeping statistics. There is an opinion that a small part of the sick people are being examined in Italy, hence the high mortality rate. And in Korea, they examined almost everyone in a row – the mortality rate is lower there. As I understand it, the peculiarity of this virus is its survivability on various surfaces. And since there are many asymptomatic carriers, the epidemic is developing rapidly. In Russia, in April, only the beginning of the epidemic, I’m sure of it.

I console myself with the fact that sooner or later I will have to die anyway. True, I have such stocks of yarn…

17:00. Unexpectedly, the pension is transferred 12 days ahead of schedule. Probably due to the pandemic. +12 046 Р

I don’t understand why to transfer the pension ahead of schedule. If they just donated some amount, then it’s a different matter. I recalculate the budget for a longer period – for 41 days. I decide to allocate 150 R per day for food: food prices are rising.

Making hot chocolate, calling my daughter to come get it. She quickly runs with a mug – and immediately back. He says it smells good.

18:00. I’m watching lectures about design again.

19:20. Before bed is my personal time. I read Nora Gal. What an expressive language she has.

Seventh day, Sunday

Daily expenses: 0 R

7:15. I barely got up: yesterday I couldn’t sleep, I had to drink phenobarbital. All because of the heart: the feeling of a vacuum inside does not let you sleep. The pressure is reduced.

It is not clear what to do. It is now impossible for me to go to the doctor without self-isolation. It is necessary to make an appointment with a cardiologist at the Central District Hospital, wait in line for quotas for research: ultrasound, holter, biochemistry. Six months will pass, at least that’s what friends say. And I’m not sure that the insurance policy provides for a full examination. When I worked, I was treated in Voronezh, for a fee or by pull, because I myself have always worked in medicine. We have an outpatient clinic in the village, but there are only two therapists for 10,000 people. While the epidemic, I will not go anywhere.

I think it’s all from lack of movement. Before the pandemic, I went to Pyaterochka. The distance is large, the step is fast – that’s the load. Now this is not there, and I am too lazy to do exercise therapy. Perhaps it will pass, it happened before.

8:00. I drink coffee, scroll through the Vkontakte feed, pay attention to the design. Now I evaluate content from the point of view of not a consumer, but a producer. I listen to Bach.

8:30. For breakfast – eggs, sauerkraut.

9:30. I am listening to a lecture by medical journalist Alexei Vodovozov about vitamins. I was fond of alternative medicine for a long time, and now – evidence-based. The question of vitamins and dietary supplements is acute for me: I am a fan of this business. To save money, you need to understand them, but I can’t: there is conflicting information about many dietary supplements. Now I take vitamins D3, B12, C, omega-3, alpha-lipoic acid, iron, zinc, chromium, iodine, magnesium citrate, melatonin. Doctors prescribed me other dietary supplements, but I left only these, and they are included in my monthly expenses.

12:20. I am preparing an experimental cupcake from what I have. The base is yesterday’s chocolate. I share with my daughter. She said it was edible, but could be tastier. Well, it’s clear: I was greedy for oil! True, the twins have a good appetite, and they ate everything.

Niece brought pickles by car: sister passed it on. Now enough until summer

14:00. We discuss with my son my well-being, work at the computer, physical inactivity. He advises installing the free Nike training club app on your phone and choosing a 7-minute office workout there.

Installing. I’m starting to practice. Two exercises on the upper part are excellent, and all the rest are with a load on the knees. And they are arthritic: I can’t do anything because of the pain.