“We try to maintain our usual way of life and a sense of stability for the family.”
Alexander Openko, a well-known Narva guide, local historian, and director of the Sixth School, will pay 225 euros for heating in January. And this is despite saving by lowering the temperature of the radiators:
“Heating bills have really increased a lot, and I think this affects the budget of every Narva family, including ours,” Alexander told the website dv.ee. “There are three of us: me, my wife, and our daughter. We live in a three-room apartment. I want to say that the savings on heating are already noticeable. If before it was possible to walk around without slippers and feel comfortable in the apartment, now the temperature has been reduced, and to be honest, I am constantly cold. There is often some discomfort. It’s not an absolutely low temperature — about 20 degrees — but compared to previous years, I already feel cold.”
According to Alexander, not only utility bills have risen, but food prices have also increased.
“We try to postpone those expenses that are not urgent: some non-urgent car repairs, updating certain things in the apartment, minor household tasks that we could do right away before. Now we plan ahead more often and postpone some costs to a later time because daily expenses have increased,” Openko admits. Alexander notes that reality forces one to pay closer attention to every expense and to think more often about priorities.
“We try to maintain our usual way of life and a sense of stability for the family, but at the same time, we are learning to live a bit more economically and consciously, choosing what is truly important,” he says.
“The main task now is to maintain stability within the family when everything around is unstable,” echoes Narva public figure Elena Pazilina, supporting Alexander Openko.
Elena notes that there are many people in the city with lower incomes than hers. For them, heating bills hit much harder. But her family — consisting of her husband and two sons, not counting a dog and a cat — also has to save now. Moreover, the new consumption habits are not just for the heating season; they are becoming permanent.
Instead of trips abroad for vacation, now both in summer and winter, Elena and her family relax at their summer house in the forest by Lake Peipus. Instead of going to cafes and restaurants or ordering takeout, they now always cook for themselves.
“We stopped updating household appliances just because something new came out: if the vacuum cleaner works, it will serve until the end,” Elena said. “We only do not save on the children — this concerns quality food, vitamins, and extracurricular activities. I must say, Narva has a very favorable environment for children's development due to low prices. For example, hockey lessons for my younger son cost only 25 euros a month — and that includes three training sessions a week and all equipment provided by the sports school. I train my older son myself in the pool.”
The family fundamentally has only one car, and it is economical. Although Narva is a small city, with children, one still has to drive many kilometers, Elena shared. She also drives to the store — to the one with the best discounts today. Household items and sports equipment are significantly cheaper to order online. Elena Pazilina has also changed her approach to clothing in recent years — she prefers quality items that will last for many years. There are no more emotional, spontaneous purchases. The couple has also reviewed their paid subscriptions, keeping only the most necessary ones.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uRt2eIQdluA?si=d9MkxxUx754iO79Q" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
