A Russian Teen’s Perspective on Spending1
Jhony Osorio
American:
So tell me Anton, what do you think about teens
spending their money?
Anton:
Well I think that life is short, so why not make the
best of it? Still, you should save your money for a special
occasion. Teens never think about their future, they just
think about the present.
American:
I can relate to that in many ways Anton,
American teens are the same way here.
Anton:
Yes, I heard about American teens not caring about their money and being so
obsessed with the impression they give on society.
American:
Are things over there dramatically expensive?
Anton:
Yes, but no. For example, our flour is up to 70%. That is ridiculous. But there are
reasonable things that have to be expensive. Some of the things brought from America to
here are expensive.
American:
Do you spend your money or save most of it?
Anton:
I'm not going to lie to you and say I save all of my money because most of it, I do
indeed save. I don't go crazy with money as other teens. I do try my best to save for school.
American:
What percent of Russians save their money?
Anton:
Only about 14% save their money, can you believe that? I mean, that is ridiculous. Do
these kids not think like me?
American:
We Americans love food as you know. Do you guys spend money on food like us
Americans?
Anton:
Yes, we love to eat as much as you guys do. We don't think about money when it
comes to food. Food has more spending than education! We spend 35% of our money on
food and just 4% on education. In fact, here is a link so you can see for yourself. Scroll down
to Russia and you will find our spendings described on a graph.
1
Thompson, Derek. "How We Spend Money—in China, India, Russia, Egypt, Brazil and the US."
The Atlantic
. N.p., 25 Mar.
2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.