What did the Soviet people save money for?

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In our age of abundance and diversity, you can easily buy any item you like - appliances, interior items, cars and even housing. For those who have difficulties with large sums of money, a variety of loans, loans and installments come to the rescue. And in the USSR it was very difficult to find scarce things, and they had to save up for them, saving part of the money from each salary. One thing is good - prices then changed extremely rarely, so it was possible to collect savings for a long time, without worrying that the value of the goods would increase. What was the object of dreams of Soviet citizens? What did they scrupulously and methodically save their savings for?

Savings books

“Keep your money in a savings bank,” said the hero of a famous film. This is exactly what they did in the USSR. Every second family had a savings book. Often there were even several of them. Depending on the level of income, tens, hundreds or thousands of rubles could lie on it. Money was saved on savings books for purchases, family celebrations, or just for a rainy day.

Small sums were set aside for a transistor or bicycle. Medium-sized deposits were intended for the purchase of a Czech set, a refrigerator or a half-woolen carpet. The most significant savings were made for the sake of buying a car or joining a cooperative.

Automobile

The car was the most popular item for which the inhabitants of the USSR saved up. In terms of importance, it was even more important than the apartment, since there was a chance to get it for free, and the car was bought only for the money earned. True, the right to purchase had to be earned.

They stood in line for 7-10 years, and not everyone could get into it. Most often, they were formed at enterprises and were followed by representatives of trade union committees. There were also unspoken patterns - for example, a plant engineer had a much higher chance of getting a car than an employee of a research institute or a trade worker. Pensioners and representatives of a number of professions were not allowed to buy cars at all.

In the mid-80s, car prices varied in a serious range. The most affordable was "ZAZ-968M" - it cost 5600 rubles, and the most expensive "GAZ-24", for which you had to pay 11200 rubles. The average salary at that time was in the region of 180-200 rubles.

After standing in line and accumulating the required amount during this time, people received postcards from the auto shop and went to pick up their long-awaited "swallow".

Carpet

The carpet in the apartment of Soviet citizens combined several functions. He decorated the wall, retained heat, created additional noise insulation, was a sign of wealth in the family. Sometimes it hid the lack of wallpaper or their shortcomings. If there was a carpet on the wall, and there was crystal on the table, then one could safely assume that life was a success.

Carpets from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia and Dagestan were considered the best. They were also taken from abroad - from Poland, Germany. A product made of natural wool could be purchased for 60-80 rubles, with an average income of 120 rubles. The most valuable was a carpet with a long and thick pile. The colors were different, but the design was identical - there was a large drawing in the center, repeating patterns and contrasting edging along the edge of the product diverged from it.

There were also queues behind the carpets. The more prestigious and richer the carpet was, the more difficult it was to acquire it.

Crystal chandelier

A large crystal chandelier with many hanging elements, horns and details was a sign of wealth, good taste and useful acquaintances. The Bohemian glass chandelier was a real chic of the time. Such chandeliers were appreciated and bragged about.

With a certain frequency, this piece of furniture was disassembled and washed, after which it was carefully returned to its place. In Soviet families, it was a whole ritual to which everyone put their hand.

Color TV

Every Soviet family tried to get a TV. The best option was the large, colored Rubin-714. TV has always been in short supply. They got in line for him for an average of 3 years. A black-and-white TV in the 80s cost from 200 rubles, depending on its class.

The average wage was the same at that time. A color TV “Yunost” could be purchased for 430 rubles, for 450-470 rubles - a portable model “Electronics”. A tube color TV cost 700 rubles.

Service

Beautiful sets for 12 people were the pride of the average Soviet family. They were put on the table on major holidays and only for dear guests. The most popular was the Madonna service. Brought from abroad, these sets ended up in thrift stores. And then - into the sideboards of the Soviet people.

It is interesting that the quality of the images and the subjects themselves left much to be desired, but at the same time the service was the personification of sophistication and sophistication for an entire era. Most often, the service was placed behind glass doors - so that dust did not fall, but at the same time it was visible to everyone.

"Wall" from Yugoslavia

These cabinets are a kind of symbol of that time. They saved money on them and stood in lines. And if it was possible to acquire the "wall", then the happy owners managed to put it even in the smallest apartment. It is very prestigious to be the owner of Yugoslavian furniture. The quality, appearance and functionality of the "walls" were at their best, which added value to them in the eyes of Soviet citizens.

Also in the USSR, people tried to buy Finnish sanitary ware, a Minsk refrigerator, and a Typhoon vacuum cleaner. They also set aside money for jewelry, watches, French perfumery, radiolas and mink hats.