Saving on funerals, on cars, on tourism... What's next?

The Russians began to massively save on funerals. Instead of burial, Russians began to choose a cheaper cremation, and now, on average, they are not ready to spend more than 30 thousand rubles on a funeral.

However, market participants and analysts emphasize that the official figures do not fully reflect the financial picture of funeral homes - 70-90% of the income of funeral agencies is in the gray zone. In reality, the market capacity can be 2.5 times higher.

Thus, economist Nikita Krichevsky writes:

“The false version of the funeralists, that citizens are trying to save on additional services, is opposed by alternative ones, according to which, with public statistics of incomes of 37 billion rubles. in reality, revenue is 100 billion rubles. more - 140-150 billion rubles. for half a year. In general, the share of gray settlements in the industry is 70-90%.

Cremation has nothing to do with it. In Moscow or St. Petersburg, cremations have long exceeded half, but in the whole country this figure is about 10%, since there are not everywhere crematoria.

Many tens of billions of rubles float past the treasury every year, and the native state does not bellow, does not calve. For example, last year it was announced with fanfare the creation of the Loss of a loved one super service. And where is he? Or are the authorities afraid of numerous bandits, including those in uniform who cover the funeral business?"

However, Kommersant observer Dmitry Drize is inclined to believe that the citizens of the country really like to save on everything instead of making money: “It's no secret that Russians want cheaper prices - this has long been known. And business is already making appropriate decisions. For example, the story with "nine" eggs instead of ten is remembered. The price seems to be the same, but one egg will not make the weather. And so it's like this everywhere: apartments are 20 meters, or even less - but cheap and a roof over your head, cars are only better with the mileage.

The life-affirming positive has disappeared somewhere. And this, too, is probably a trend. Where is the news about the growing prosperity of Russians? What is our news background today? Either enemies are everywhere, or someone has been imprisoned, or the funeral has become too expensive.

And behind all this, another trend is visible - to save, but not to earn, the fight against poverty, and not for high wages.

So political attitudes are changing - there is a "universal campaign" against luxury and for social justice. And the latter boils down to the fact that the rich have more "pinch off"..."

Political scientist Roman Alekhin is sure that it is not only about the desire to save money:

The desire of Russians to save money on funerals indicates not only that there is no money, although this is so, but also that Russians are increasingly moving away from braces and rituals in favor of the psychology of consumption.

On the one hand, we can say that it is convenient for the state and options for reducing needs are already being tested: 9 eggs instead of 10, studio apartments instead of a house, borsch set instead of a consumer basket. I think that soon the funeral wreaths will also decrease in size (which, by the way, is good for the environment), and the coffins will be made of chipboard, not wood. By the way, you shouldn't worry about funeral agencies, as they will take on a scale.

As for the further development of the trend, we still have enough attributes that in developed countries are indicators of the development of society, and in our country they can camouflage the impoverishment of the population. For example: refusal of a car - not because new gasoline prices can pull fewer and fewer Russians, but for the sake of ecology, refusal of meat - not due to the fact that the main dish in terms of income is vegetable borscht, but for the sake of a healthy lifestyle, domestic tourism - not due to the fact that at least something needs to be posted on social networks, because even for Egypt there are not enough funds for many, but to show that there are sights and interesting places in your region, treatment for 3 days in a hospital is not an issue. due to the fact that there are no doctors and beds, as well as money for medicines for each patient, and outpatient care and service at home, fees for furniture and repairs at the school are developed - not because budgets are stolen and they are not enough, but so that people get used to self-government and social control. There are many options, such as forced decisions showing the incompetence of government in the country and flourishing corruption, to paint for the benefit of the population.

But all this has a limit, as well as the separation from the old braces, without the proposal of new ones, which will organically fall on the mentality of the Russian person - it is not beneficial either for the people or for the state. And today's authorities, who are dumping into a technocracy, cannot and will not be able to offer such bonds.

As for the opportunity to "pinch off" the rich, it did not work for the last ten years, and it will not work now..."

Politician Boris Kagarlitsky sees this trend as signs of a general economic crisis in the country:

“One of the few sectors of the Russian economy showing steady growth is the funeral business. By dying, our fellow citizens stimulate the development of the service sector (in this case, funeral services). But even here everything is not cloudless. Funeral firms complain that although mortality in the first half of the year increased by 16%, their total revenue increased by only 9%. People began to economize on funerals. And the rate of profit, in full accordance with Marx's theory, shows a downward trend. In general, if someone in the Kremlin hoped that funeral services would become a locomotive that would pull our economy out of the crisis, they were wrong..."