How much can you save in Switzerland?

Assuming you earn 80000 Francs a year and are single, living near Zurich (in an average neighbourhood), what is the maximum you can save per month?

Many thanks

1879.35chf

AYB

Realistic I reckon.

80k a year is that Gross?

That would be about 56000 nett.

That would be 4666 a month

Minus flat 1500, health ins 250 and food (insert amount here) transport costs etc etc...

You'd be looking at around 500-1000 chf a month

Whatever coins you manage to tuck away in a piggy bank.

0.

Works like that for me.

Tom

Thanks. Is it totally unrealistic to expect that you can live on 800-1000 Francs for food, transport etc and save 1500-2000 Francs?

In England, in a month I am not socially very active I can easily live on 400-500 pounds.

I can barely manage 1000 francs for food never mind the other expenses

In Geneva, the social service is assuming the strict minimum as 1250 CHF + 70 CHF in-city transport....if you can do it for less, then good for you (I doubt you would)

Switzerland is not England by any chance, life is becoming more challenging and pretty damn expensive everyday here

We have been here for 3 weeks.

Two adults and a 10 year old boy.

We never eat out.

We keep a log of all our grocery expenses.

So far we are averaging 31 chf per day (total for 3 people).

This includes inexpensive wine (3 or 4 chf per bottle) and inexpensive beer (Saint-Omer at 0.50 chf per 25 cl bottle).

This average is slowly going down because at the beginning we had to stock up on certain basic items.

No cars!

We bought bicycles.

Saving?

Yes, it is possible.

Life is good!

Ciao

If you were on Swiss Social Security you would receive the monthly rent for a 2 room simple apartment, plus your basic health insurance monthly premium, plus about CHF 900 for food and all your other costs (Transport, fuel, clothes, lottery etc. each month).

Over to you now for your personal budget calculation.

I think by food, we refer to the raw stuff you can buy in Denner and Aldi. Not the cooked stuff a servant brings to your table.

I have always saved 30% from net for over 30 years, make you budget accordingly.

It might be difficult to say an exact figure, as some parts depends on an indivisual. But if you plan, you might get success in saving 20 to 30% of your income.

The more one earns, the easier it must be to save that percentage. I can easily save 100% of my excess salary, over a certain point. BUt for someone on a lower salary, after paying the esentials of rent, food, insurance and tax, I imagine that saving even 10% would be very difficult - there being a limit to how little one can spend whilst still remaining warm, clothed and fed.

To the OP: considering the information you have given, I think you can easily save 1000 or more a month, probably more than that.

Ittigen, this is a great way to look at it!

Given Golfprostew's above figures for rent/insurance, we are left with 2500-3000 per month for food and other expenses. So if a person on benefits has to make do with 900, then it looks like saving around 1000 should be possible with our example income.

Don't forget the taxation, it might be 15% in some cantons.

Fact for me & my girlfriend in Vaud canton - living in shared appartment in cetral Lausanne, total expenses for 2 of us don't cross 2000 francs.

Costs included in this sum are: accomodation, health insurance (currently only mine, she's new here without work), travelling to work & around, food (simple stuff, we cook ourselves if at all, no need to be served somewhere as pointed before), all costs for maintaining car (BMW 330d) and buying fuel, weekends at Alps.

Not everything is included - buying that car for example, which is hardly part of regular budget

The queston is what is Your daily routine - going out? How do You spend weekends? You can save a lot or nothing in a blink of an eye here...

When I first came here I was single, had a relatively cheap apartment and my expenses would only be around 2200 CHF per month (after initial start-up costs like buying furniture etc.). I travelled a lot and ate out every day for lunch, but did not have a car.

With 80k you should still be able to save 1000-2000 CHF/month, depending on your lifestyle.

I only know how much I could save, not that I ever managed to do this :-).

For a couple of 2 our regular expenses are around 26500chf/year so 2200chf/month.

This includes all bills, insurances, one GA, one car, telephones etc.

Groceries are about 800chf/month, so a total of 3000chf per month for all basic needs.

As a single I would do fine with 2000chf/month for all of this.

You'll be paying your rent in Zurich so perhaps calculate 500chf more.

With 80k, so 55k nett, you could be pocketing 2000chf/month if you are focused on savings.

No, that's doable if you're cost conscious.