2015
Know Your Money
FREE
FOLLOW THE JOHANSSON FAMILY
HELP WITH YOUR BUDGET
Advice and tips about
your finances
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Your finances
You’d like your money to last all month, every month. You have
something you’d like to save up for but you don’t know how. You’d
like to have control of your finances but don’t know where to start.
“Know your money” will help you get an overview of your finances
and make a budget so you can meet your goal.
In “Know your money”, you’ll follow Anne and how she
and her three children get their finances to break even on
one paycheck. You can read about the Swedish Consumer
Agency’s estimates for various household types and where
you can turn if you have problems with your finances.
Do you want to save more?
Then you can try to either increase your income or reduce
your costs. If you want to try to reduce your costs, you can
start with calculating how much you can save on various
cost items. In the Budget columns on page 23, fill in how
much money you’d like to put into the various cost items
instead. Now you’ve made a budget for how you’d like
your finances to look. Now the exciting work of trying to
keep to your budget begins!
What do you think?
Go to www.www.enkat.kov.se and help
us make “Know your money” better. It
will only take a few minutes to submit
your views. You can also access the
questionnaire via QR code.
Tips
How to fill in the tables
Fill in the table below, and the tables on pages 8 and 21. Transfer
the totals to page 23. Also fill in the other costs lower down on the
table. You now have an overview of your current income and costs.
You can easily see what you’re spending your money on.
Fill in and
calculate!
Income
Fill out the table inside
the dotted lines and do
the simple arithmetic.
Enter your household’s income in the table below.
Add everything up and enter the sum in the table on Page 23.
Monthly income, benefits, allowances and
compensation after tax
Household
member 1
Household
member 2
Total
Salary
Parental benefit
Child allowance
Maintenance support/child support
Housing allowance
Unemployment benefit
Study allowance/Training allowance
Sickness benefit
Sickness and activity compensation
Pension
Other income (allowances, scholarships, etc.)
Total monthly income after tax
After you have filled out the table, enter the grand total on the “Total income” line on page 23.
2
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Single parent with
three children
Along a bicycle path, just inside a
barrier gate, is the row house where
Anne lives with her three children.
Their neighbours live very close by,
and the playground is just outside their
front door. Co-operative and rental
flats are mixed together here, and the
children run in and out of each other’s
houses.
“It’s perfect for Dexter, my four-year-old! I don’t need to
worry about him playing in the street, because everyone
knows everyone here and cars aren’t permitted,” Anne says.
She is 40, and she bought this terrace house on the edge
of Oxelösund five years ago. The house is full by turns
when her oldest son Pontus, 20, and her daughter Emma,
18, live here. They live two weeks at a time with their
respective parents. Anne and her previous live-in partner
separated when the children were small, but both still live
in Oxelösund. They cooperate well around the children and
share all the costs. Dexter lives with Anne full-time. He’s
like a little rocket, and something of the family’s centre.
“We often end up at his level, all of us, on the floor
among his toys or on the sofa in front of an animated film,”
Anne tells us.
At the right place
Previously, Anne was studying to become a high school
teacher, but with a year left on her degree she took a
break to work. She got a job with the Swedish Prison and
Probation service, and is still there.
“I’m absolutely at the right place! My job is to see to it
that people who have been convicted get the help they need
to be able to live without criminality,” she says.
Anne bicycles the 25 kilometers to her job in Nyköping
and back three days a week during the summers. To
manage this, she’s bought a really great bicycle.
“It’s probably my best purchase! I keep in shape and I
save money on both petrol and workouts. In addition I save
time; I’ve already exercised by the time I get home,” she
says.
Since Anne bicycles so much, she’s supplemented
her home insurance with health and life insurance, as
increased economic security for her children if something
Dexter is playing with the neighbour children. The district is a car-free zone,
so Anne doesn’t need to worry about traffic.
should happen to her. When she was looking for the best
insurance, she found better conditions and a better price
for both her child’s insurance and for the car. She switched
immediately.
Great own responsibility
As a single parent of three children, Anne has always had
to fight to make ends meet. Both Pontus and Emma have
been allowed to manage large parts of their own finances
themselves for quite a while. Since they were 15, they have
been responsible for both clothes and mobile phones; if
their student grants weren’t enough, they had to earn their
own money. Pontus started working summer jobs after
high school, in the harbour where his father works. Emma
3
The family, gathered together. From left: Emma, Anne, Dexter and Pontus. Within two years, it will be only Anne and Dexter at the table.
Pontus will be studying abroad, and Emma wants to study at Lund University.
works as a waitress on the side while studying in high
school. She wants to afford skiing trips and going to parties
during her last year of school.
Anne and the older children’s father have helped pay for
activities such as sport and studies. Lately, there has been a
great deal of discussions about extra money when they are
out on activities with their friends. But Anne’s line is clear:
“They can get food at home.” If they want to eat out,
that’s their choice. Then they can pay with their own
money,” she says.
A sharp eye on the refrigerator
Anne is primarily the person who takes care of food. She
shops, determines the menu, and cooks. The children are
growing up, and since above all Pontus exercises a lot, food
is a major expenditure. This is especially noticeable during
school breaks, when the children aren’t eating at school
and preschool. To keep costs down, Anne always compares
prices and buys what’s cheapest. She tries to shop according
to the season, but ecological and locally grown are most
often too expensive. Since she has an eye on what’s in the
refrigerator, she doesn’t need to waste food; she cooks what
there is at home. But Emma doesn’t agree that Anne cooks
most of the food.
“When you were pregnant, I cooked everything,” she says.
Clothing circulates
Anne doesn’t put much money into clothing and shoes,
either for herself or for the children. Pontus and Emma
manage their purchases themselves, and Anne gets used
clothing from her friends for Dexter.
“I have two bags of shoes in the closet that he’ll grow into.
I often wonder if I bought anything he’s got on,” she says.
When the clothes are too small for Dexter, there’s often
someone in her circle of friends who’ll take it.
4
“Mom, you should stop working out”
Since Pontus finished high school and started earning his
own money, Anne has demanded that he pay for living at
home. Sharp discussions have broken out about how much
he is to pay. A while ago, Anne had enough.
“I gave Pontus and Emma a mini-calculate each, a bag
of candy and all the receipts, account statements, and bank
fees from the past few months. Here you go, calculate how
much you cost!
After a couple hours they were done, and a deeper
conversation about the family’s finances, the children’s
contribution to the household, and costs followed.
Pontus said ‘Mom, you should stop working out. It’s too
expensive!’ ”
The conversation has continued, but deals less with
finances and more about helping out at home with laundry,
cleaning, and washing up. More concretely, it led to Anne
buying her bicycle and starting to ride it to work. After the
fact, Anne regrets not having started to discuss finances and
paying at home earlier, during Pontus’ high school days.
“He and I would have been prepared then.”
Empty tank
The family has a car – a little 2008 Toyota Auris. Anne
bought it used from a car dealer for money she’d borrowed
from the bank.
“I’m pleased, it’s actually one of my better purchases! It
doesn’t break down like my earlier, much cheaper cars, and
it uses less petrol,” she says.
During the winter, Anne drives the car to work instead of
bicycling. Previously, she had to fill up frequently since both
Pontus and Emma used the car. The petrol often ran out.
This led to many discussions over the kitchen table. Anne
then changed tactics – now she only fills it up a little bit at a
time so that the tank is nearly empty when she’s finished.
KNOW YOUR MONEY
“Pontus and Emma can use the car, but first they have to
fill it up using their own money. It works really well,” she says.
Anne’s finances
New bank yielded lower costs
Monthly
income
Last year, Anne took up something she’d been putting off
for a while: investigating whether she could get the costs
down on her house loan. It ended with her changing banks,
as she got better conditions. In addition, the new bank
valued her house at a higher price. She could then borrow
more with the house as collateral, thus freeing up money to
pay off a large part of the expensive loan for her car.
“My monthly costs were approximately 1,500 kronor
less with the change in banks,” Anne says.
Apart from the loan for the house and the car, Anne has
student loans that she pays 1,250 kronor a month for. She
has no other loans, and no credit card either. She only uses
her regular bank card.
Anne’s wages after tax
Total Expenditures
23,100
23,100
Leaving home
Anne counts of the fact that within two years both Pontus
and Emma will have left home. Then she hopes to be able
to afford renovating the kitchen and bathroom. She’d also
like to increase her savings for retirement.
“If there’s money left over, I’d like to travel more in
the future. And someday I’d like to live by the ocean,” she
dreams aloud.
Anne’s tips
• Discuss finances with your children early on.
• Tell your children that they will have to pay to live at
home when they start earning their own money.
• Check if your bank offers a service that categorizes your
payments with a bank card. You’ll have a better overview
of where your money’s going.
Expenditures
Housing
Operating costs
Fee
Loan
1,100
4,600
1,200
Car
Fuel costs
Other car costs
Loan
700
1,300
1,000
Fixed costs:
CSN loan repayment
1,250
Child care,
child support payment
500
Other insurance
350
Unemployment and union fees 350
Media 300
Children’s insurance
250
Variable costs
Food 5,000
Savings 2,000
Clothing and shoes
1,000
Leisure/play800
Mobile phone
350
Personal hygiene
300
Doctor, dentist, medicine
250
Consumer items
200
Pension 200
Household appliances
100
Total Expenditures
23,100
Dexter’s preschool is on the way to Anne’s job.
5
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Housing
Read more
For most of us, housing is one of the largest expenses.
Here, you can read about various types of housing,
and what’s good to think about when you choose.
www.elprisk
ollen.se
www.ombo
ende.se
Renting
Subleasing
If you live in a rental apartment, the landlord is responsible
for maintenance and repairs to the apartment, and fixed
equipment such as a stove or a refrigerator. The landlord
must also see to it that the heating works and that the
apartment is in good condition when you move in. If you
have problems with the apartment, it’s just a matter of
contacting your landlord.
When you rent an apartment from another tenant, you are
subleasing. If the main tenant gives notice on the apartment
or is evicted, you must move out. You are thus dependent
on the person you’re renting from.
As a renter, you are responsible for paying the rent and
taking proper care of the apartment. If you happen to
break the bathroom window or scrape up the wallpaper
because you keep parking your bicycle in the entranceway,
you will have to pay the costs of repair. Read more about
renting an apartment at omboende.se.
A checklist before you move in:
• Make sure you have a written tenancy agreement before
you move in.
• Request that you and the landlord inspect the apartment
together and write down a record of any damages that
you both will sign.
• If you discover damages after having moved in, write
them down and request that these are also put into the
record. Otherwise, you risk having to pay for damages
that previous tenants caused.
Read more about subleasing at omboende.se.
A checklist before you move in:
• Ask to get a copy of the permit to sublease from the
person you’re renting from.
• Write a subleasing agreement with the person you’re
renting from. You can find an agreement template and
much more at omboende.se
• Inspect the apartment together with the person you’re
renting from and note all damages in a record that you
will both sign and receive one copy of.
• If you are renting a furnished apartment, make a list
of all the things in the apartment. Note if anything is
damaged. Once you are in agreement on the list, you
both will sign and take one copy each.
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Buying an apartment
If you buy an apartment, you are actually buying a share in
a housing cooperative. This share gives you the right to live
in the apartment. The cooperative owns the building where
the apartment is located, the land and the common spaces.
Expect that you’ll have to save up at least 15 percent of the
price itself and pay it in cash. For the remaining 85 percent,
you can apply to borrow from the bank.
You’ll pay a monthly fee to the cooperative, which will
cover costs for interest and loan payments, and to keep
the building in good condition. You are responsible for
maintenance of the apartment, such as wallpapering or
changing the floors. And if the stove, the refrigerator, or the
like break down, you are the one who must pay for it.
When you want to move, you will sell the apartment. If
you’re lucky enough to sell when prices are high, you could
make a profit. If you are unlucky and sell when prices are
low, you could lose money. It may even be that you have a
debt you have to pay back to the bank even though you’ve
sold the apartment.
Preparations if you’re thinking of buying an apartment:
• Count on being able to manage interest of 6 percent.
• Apply for a loan commitment from the bank.
• Read the annual report from the housing cooperative.
• Ask someone on the board which renovations are planned.
Major renovations could mean that the fee will increase.
• Check that the cooperative uses straight-line
depreciation on the value of the property. Progressive
depreciation methods may not be used. Find out more at
www.omboende.se
• Read the regulations of the cooperative, which describe
what rules apply.
• Read the apartment listing and check that there is not a
lien on your apartment.
• Use checklists for apartment buyers at www.omboende.se
Buying a house
When you own a house, you are the one paying all the
costs. For a homeowner, there’s always something that
needs to be fixed. Expect that there will always be costs
you hadn’t thought about. You will have expenditures for
things such as garbage collection, soot removal, gardening
equipment, home insurance and heating. You will also
have to pay annual property fees, registration of title,
the mortgage, and for the arrangement of new loans.
Homeowners need a buffer to be able to withdraw money
for unforeseen expenses.
When you buy a house, you must pay a cash deposit of at
least 15 percent of the price. For the remaining 85 percent,
you can apply to borrow from the bank.
If in the future you wish to move, you will sell the house. If
you’re lucky enough to sell when prices are high, you could
make a profit. If you must move, for example owing to
separation or your job moving, you may need to sell despite
prices being low. You then risk losing money. If you are
really unlucky, you may still have a debt to the bank you’ll
have to pay back although you’ve sold the house.
A lively four-year-old like Dexter will gladly be the focal point of the home.
Preparations if you’re thinking of buying a house:
• Go through your finances.
Can you manage an interest of 6 percent?
• Coordinate a loan commitment from the bank.
• Inspect the house carefully. A surveyor can be of great help.
• Use checklists for house buyers at www.omboende.se
Practical tips
How to save energy and money
There are many ways to reduce energy use and
to save money at the same time. One example is shut off the
power
to the computer and the TV – that is, not leaving them in
standby mode. Find out more at www.energimyndigheten.se and
test their energy estimate.
Keeping your expenditures on an even keel
Save the difference between what you pay at the current
rate of interest and an assumed rate of 5.5%. When the rate later
exceeds 5.5%, you can draw from the money you saved, and won’t
have to cut back on other expenses. (Another possibility is to pay
off the mortgage faster when interest rates are low.)
Switch electricity supplier and save money
Depending on your electricity consumption, you can save from a
couple
hundred to several thousand kronor per year by changing
electricity supplier.
At www.konsumenternas.se or www.elpriskollen.se you can read
about how to do it.
7
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Car
Read more
When you purchase a car, you can be sure of one thing – it
will cost you. At the same time, your car gives you a great
deal of freedom. Perhaps you could join a carpool, or rent
and only pay for the car when you really need it.
www.konsu
mentverke
t.se
www.bilsvar
.se
Buying a car
As a rule, it’s cheaper to buy a car from a private individual
than from a car dealer. The risk is that if something is
wrong with the car, you can’t make a complaint about it.
It is therefore extremely important to inspect the car and
check on the seller before the purchase:
• You can bring the car in for inspection at a garage or
vehicle inspector.
• Check that the seller is the registered owner and that
there are no debts on the vehicle. The Swedish Transport
Agency can help you.
• Write out a contract of sale. You can find examples at
www.konsumentverket.se
If you buy from a dealer, the Consumer Purchases Act
applies; among other things, it gives you the opportunity to
lodge a complaint against any faults.
• Request a declaration of goods on the car.
• Run an acceptance test when you pick up the car.
The checklist is available at www.konsumentverket.se
How much Anne’s car costs per year
Car model
Toyota Auris
1.6
More information at
www.bilsvar.se
Your own car
Model year
2008
Purchase price
224,000
Fuel
Gas
Fuel expenditure
8,800
Tax, inspection
700
Insurance4,400
Repairs, service etc.
7,000
Tyres1,500
Depreciation14,000
Total cost
per year
per month
per 10 km
37,000
3,000
25
Enter your car expenses in the table on page 23
8
If you want to drive, you’ll also have to fill the tank. This is Emma, who wants
to get away.
Economical driving
You can reduce your fuel consumption by more than 10
percent and save 1,500 kronor per year by driving in a
stingy manner:
• Drive in as high a gear as possible.
• Keep acceleration even.
• Use motor braking.
• Time your decelerations so that your car does not stop
completely.
• Don’t let your motor idle.
• Let up on the accelerator going downhill, accelerate
evenly going uphill.
Read more about economical driving at www.trafikverket.se
Owning a car
A car costs money even when it’s standing unused in the
parking lot. New cars in particular decrease rapidly in
value at the beginning, and you must also pay for:
• Taxes
• Insurance
• Inspection
• Service
• Repairs
• Maintenance
At bilsvar.se, you can read more about different makes of
car and calculate what various cars cost.
Tips
Join a carpool
You’ll have access to a car when you need it without it costing as
much as owning the car yourself. There are carpools all around the
country, often linked to landlords or tenant-owner associations.
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Telephone, TV, and
Internet
If you’ve tried switching providers, perhaps you’ve noticed
that it’s not entirely easy. There are many suppliers and
numerous technical alternatives. Services are often sold as
a package, which makes them difficult to compare.
Read more
www.telek
omradgivar
na.se
www.pts.se
www.konsu
menteurop
a.se
www.bredb
andskollen
.se
www.konsu
mentverke
t.se
Using your mobile phone abroad
When you’re at home in Sweden, you probably pay a fixed
fee for data traffic. If you are abroad, it will be much more
expensive to surf on your Swedish subscription. Within the
EU there is a maximum limit for how much it can cost to
call, send an SMS, and surf. To keep an eye on your costs,
you can ask your carrier to notify you when you’ve surfed
for a given amount.
When you travel abroad, keep in mind:
• Check with your carrier how much it costs to call and
surf in the countries you’re going to visit.
• Shut down apps that automatically connect to the
Internet. Shut down roaming as well.
• If your telephone is not locked into a given carrier, you
can purchase a local cash card to call and surf with.
Shopping from home
Shopping on the Internet, or via phone or mail order, is
called “long distance shopping”. Under the law, you have
14 days to change your mind about your purchase. This
applies even if the salesperson comes to your home or if
you run into a seller in a mall or on the street.
Telephone sales
It’s common to be called up by a telephone salesperson, and
the conversation can go quickly. If you change your mind
afterward, you always have the right to return it within
14 days. If you don’t want to be called up by telephone
salespeople, you can block your number to sales calls for
free via the NIX register: 077-228 00 00.
Tips if you’re called up by a telephone salesperson:
• If you’re not interested, decline the offer clearly and end
the call.
• If you are interested, ask how much you have to pay
in total and if you are committing yourself for a longer
period.
• Ask what the company is called, and ask for their
telephone number and address in the event you change
your mind about your purchase.
• If you get a bill for something you didn’t order, you must
write to the company that you didn’t order anything.
Keep in mind you’re not obligated to pay to send the
item back–the company is.
“My bank has an app that categorises my purchases. It’s easy to get an overview
of where the money’s going,” Anne says.
9
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Food
Read mor
e
When you pay for food yourself, you notice that it costs quite
a bit. Count on about 2,000 kronor per month if you’re an
adult. At the same time, food costs are something you can
affect yourself to a great extent though what you eat and how
you plan your meals.
www.slv
.se/matv
anekolle
www.slv
n
.se/mats
vinnskoll
en
We throw away large amounts of food
One big problem is that we throw away a lot of food
unnecessarily. The Swedish National Food Agency has
calculated that we here in Swede throw out thousands of
kronor of food per person annually. This is money you
could use for more fun things. Smell and taste food even
though the “best by” date has expired. The food is still
often edible.
How to get lower food costs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Make a plan of what you’ll eat over the week.
Write a shopping list of what you have to buy.
Buy only the things that are on your shopping list.
Buy fruit and vegetable according to the season.
Use frozen vegetables–they’re cheap and easy to cook.
Buy less meat, and more beans and lentils.
Make lunchboxes out of leftovers.
Small purchases are rough on your wallet
This is how much small purchases cost you in one year:
coffee at a café
bulk candy soft drinks
strong beer
cigarettes
snuff
magazines
Pack lunches save money
If you bring a pack lunch to work instead of going out to eat,
you can save approximately 1,200 kronor a month.
Anne often decides the food that will be served but sometimes even Dexter is allowed to join in and help.
10
once a week (ca. 50 kronor)
3 hg per week (6 kronor/hg) 1 per day (ca. 10 kronor)
3 per week (ca. 15 kronor ea.)
1 pack a day (ca. 53 kronor/pack)
3 tins per week (43 kronor ea.)
2 a month (50 kronor)
2,600
936
3,650
2,160
19,350
6,700
1,200
kr
kr
kr
kr
kr
kr
kr
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Insurance
You yourself decide which insurance you think you need,
but they provide financial security if an accident happens to
you. Be careful to read the pre-purchase information before
you purchase insurance. There is a summary of important
conditions and exemptions you should know about.
Home insurance
If you have householder’s insurance, you can get
compensation if your possessions are destroyed or
disappear. If you have to pay because you accidentally
destroyed someone else’s possessions, you could also receive
compensation. Legal protection is often also included, which
can give you compensation if you end up in a dispute that
must be resolved in court. Most householder’s insurance
also has travel insurance and assault protection, which
compensates you for medical care and lost wage income.
You can supplement your householder’s insurance with
all-risk insurance, which can provide compensation if, for
example, you accidentally spill coffee on your computer.
Sickness and accident insurance
If you fall seriously ill or have a serious accident, sickness
and accident insurance provides compensation beyond
the help you receive from the state via the Swedish Social
Insurance Administration. You can receive compensation if
you are permanently injured, and for health care costs.
Everyone who works and meets certain conditions
is covered by unemployment insurance. If you
become unemployed, you will receive relatively low
compensation–a base amount. If you are a member of an
unemployment insurance fund, you can receive somewhat
higher compensation based on your wages.
Read more on the conditions for an unemployment
insurance fund and how much compensation you can
receive on the website for your fund.
Through the website of the Swedish Unemployment
Insurance Board at www.iaf.se, you can find links to the
various unemployment insurance funds.
Checklist – what kinds of insurance policies do you need?
Householder’s insurance
Children who are permanently injured in an accident or
from illness receive relatively low compensation from the
Social Insurance Administration. Children’s insurance can
provide extra compensation.
Comprehensive
Car insurance
Sickness and accident insurance
Computer insurance and other product insurance
Often, salespeople will offer you the chance to purchase
special product insurance when buying something a little
more expensive like a TV, a computer, or a mobile phone.
But remember that you have adequate protection even
without product insurance. You have the right for three
years to make a complaint against something that breaks,
and most often the manufacturer provides a warranty
for a set amount of time. In addition, you can receive
compensation through your householder’s insurance.
www.kon
sumente
rnas.se
www.min
pension.s
e
Unemployment insurance and
the Unemployment Insurance Fund
Children’s insurance
If you own a car, by law you are obligated to have auto
insurance. If you cause an accident, your auto insurance
provides compensation for personal injuries and damages
to the other driver’s car and property. On the other hand,
you receive no compensation for damages to your own car.
For this, you need comprehensive cover or limited damage
insurance.
Help in
choosing
insurance
Tenant-owner
Home
Child and adolescent
Life
Unemployment insurance fund
Vehicle (car, motorcycle, moped, etc.)
Pension
Pet
Tips
Compare insurance companies
Through www.konsumenternas.se you can compare
different insurance companies.
11
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Save up for a dream...
Determine something you really want or would like to do.
It will then be easier for you to start saving. But save up a
buffer for unexpected expenditures first.
Emma has managed to get an extra job. She could therefore set aside money for a trip to the mountains last winter.
A buffer frees you up a bit
If you’ve managed to save up a buffer, you can more easily
manage a month with a lot of bills, or buy a new winter
jacket during the spring sale. You can live a little more
securely and a little more cheaply. Try to save 10 percent of
your income every month for a year to start. Then you’ve
come a good bit along the way.
Save up for something special
When saving up for the longer term, you have many
different alternatives. You can choose among things like:
• An interest-bearing bank account.
• Funds that can both increase and decrease in value.
• Shares that require great involvement and can increase
or decrease in value.
• Investment savings accounts, which make your savings
in funds and shares easier to declare on your tax return.
12
You can read more about savings and the various
alternatives on the Konsumenternas banking and insurance
website at www.konsumenternas.se.
Three savings tips
• Find something you really want or would like to do. It
will then be easier to save.
• Increase your savings when your income increases.
• Automatically transfer to your savings account
immediately when you receive income.
Tips
Transfer part of your salary automatically
to a savings account
You can set up automatic transfer to a savings account and make sure
the money is transferred immediately when your pay has come in. Think
carefully about what risks you’re willing to take with your savings.
KNOW YOUR MONEY
...or borrow?
Read mor
e
If you don’t have money left over to save every month, then
you don’t have money left to borrow any, either. Wait until
you have more stable finances instead.
Borrowing money costs
When you shop for money to borrow, you’re using money
you don’t have but you hope to get in the future. You must
always pay back the loan to whomever you borrowed
from. In addition, you have to pay interest.
Many alternatives
There are many different ways of borrowing money; some
are more expensive than others. Loans without collateral
are most often expensive, for example such as quick loans
or using the credit on a credit card. Take the time to look
at the different alternatives and conditions. You can find a
good summary of the loan conditions on the SEKKI form
that whoever is lending the money will give you.
Facts
Right to cancel a loan
Any loan you take out is subject to a 14-day cancellation period.
The period starts when you sign the agreement, or no earlier than
when you as the borrower are given written documentation of the
contents of the agreement.
Note that, so far, this does not apply to home loans.
Effective interest rate:
The effective interest rate is a comparative price on the loan
expressed as an annual interest rate.
It includes interest, the fee to open an account, payment notice
fees and any other charges. The lender is obliged to tell you what
the effective interest rate is.
Tips
Once you’ve found some good alternatives, you can try
negotiating for lower interest and fees.
Credit check
A lender will want to find out if you can pay back a
loan. This is called running a credit check. Information
about you from the Swedish Tax Authority, the Swedish
Enforcement Authority and other government agencies is
used to assess whether you can pay back a loan. This is
called a credit report. If you apply for many loans, many
credit reports will be registered on you. It will look like
you have a lot of debts. The lenders will be unsure about
lending money to you, and you will receive a lower credit
rating. You should therefore apply for a loan only if you
really need it.
Here’s how much it might cost you to borrow money
You borrow 20,000 kronor. You pay back 647 kronor
a month for five years. This is what you pay altogether:
Kronor
40,000
30,000
Borrowing cost:
18,829 kr
Effective interest rate:
34.49%
20,000
10,000
Loan
Total
payments:
38,829 kronor
A good rule of thumb
When borrowing money to buy something, try to repay
the entire loan before the item you purchased wears out.
www.kon
sumente
rnas.se
0
13
KNOW YOUR MONEY
About finances
as a parent
Read mor
e
www.fors
akringsk
assan.se
www.kon
sumentv
erket.se
According to Swedbank, having children costs 1.4 million kronor up
to their 18th birthday. It’s worth every krona, but it’s good to have
an eye on your finances if you’re going to have children. It’s also
important that parents talk together about how you’d like your finances
concerning children to be.
Count on lower income
When you have a child, you can apply for compensation
from Försäkringskassan to stay home and care for your
child instead of working. The compensation is called
parental benefits. If you take out the maximum parental
benefits, you can get around 80 percent of your wages.
With a child allowance, it will be a little more.
Go to Föräldrakollen on the Försäkringskassan website,
where you can calculate how your income changes when
you have children.
Pram,cot, and child insurance cost money
In the beginning there are a number of things you need, for
example a baby carriage, a child bed, and perhaps a child
car seat. If you want to keep costs down, you can buy them
used, or perhaps borrow from family or friends. Children’s
insurance, clothes and diapers are other things that you
may not think of but the child needs.
Children and safety
At the Swedish Consumer Agency website, you’ll find
tips on what to think about if you’re going to buy a baby
carriage, child car seat or other children’s products. You
can also read more about child safety at:
• www.dinsakerhet.se
• www.trafikverket.se
What you can do to improve your finances
• Take the opportunity to cook more of your own food.
• Invite your friends on parental leave home instead of
going out for coffee.
• Buy used, or borrow from family and friends.
When Dexter was younger, Anne worked part-time. The family then had to count their pennies.
14
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Your finances as
a young person
You don’t have a lot of money. But you want cool clothes, a new
mobile phone, and money for hanging out in town with your friends.
At the same time you dream of travelling, getting your driving licence,
and buying a new computer. How can you make ends meet?
Your parents pay until you’re 18–then what?
Your parents are obligated to pay for you until you turn 18,
or until you’re 21 if you’re still going to high school. But
count on paying to live at home if you’re earning your own
money. See what’s reasonable in the table on page 16.
You can increase your income...
If you’re going to school, perhaps you can get part of a
student allowance. If you have time after your studies,
perhaps you can get an extra job on evenings and
weekends. During the summer, there are usually a large
number of summer jobs.
could afford it by earning more money–that is, starting to
work? Can you get a job? Or if you already have a job, can
you work that much more?
Who has control of your money?
To sign an agreement, you must be 18 years old. This
means that if you are under 18, the salesperson has to
check that your parents approve the purchase. Otherwise,
your parents can demand that the purchase be returned.
If you have turned 16, you can control money that you
earned yourself.
...or reduce your expenses
If you start yearly, you can put together a large sum,
perhaps for getting your driving licence. If you start saving
when you’re 15 and save 200 kronor a month, in three
years you’ll have a good start.
Savings plan
Maybe you’d like to buy a new mobile phone that costs
500 kronor a month. What other things can you save on so
you can afford 500 kronor a month? Or did you think you
Emma’s finances
Income
per month
Study allowance
1,050
Extra job after tax1,000
Total2,050
Expenditures
Mobile phone
200
Clothes and gadgets
500
Dining out
250
Fun400
Gym250
Petrol150
Savings300
Total2,050
“The social things are what cost–doing things with my friends,” Emma says.
15
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Leaving home
Read mo
re
www.om
boende
.se
Finally, your own apartment! An end to all the nagging–now
you decide. At the same time you have all the responsibility–
for cleaning, washing up, and shopping. You’re also
responsible for paying the rent every month. Read more about
what costs you’ll have when you move away from home.
All joint costs will be yours
Living more cheaply
When you live at home with your parents, everything is
right there: kitchen things, electricity, food, householder’s
insurance, furniture and the vacuum cleaner. When you live
in your own apartment, you’re the one who has to make
sure everything is there–and you have to pay for it.
Perhaps you could split the rent with a friend, or move into
a collective and make new friends. Then there are several of
you sharing the joint costs.
Is the money enough?
Count up how much money you have left after your rent
is paid. Is it enough for food, electricity, householder’s
insurance and your mobile phone? Can you afford to buy
furniture, clothes and shoes, and to go to the gym? Can you
afford to save?
Live on your own or at home with your parents
Four tips
• Don’t buy everything at once; get a gradual feel for what
you need.
• Buying used furniture is much cheaper.
• Choose your electricity provider, have a look at www.
elpriskollen.se
• Get householder’s insurance, it costs around 100 kr a
month.
Examples of costs for a 20-year-old with own income, living in a medium-sized city
Living with your parents
Living on your own
Monthly expenditures
Woman
Man
Woman
Man
All food cooked at home except lunch on weekdays
Consumer items
Household utensils and small appliances
Media and telecommunications
Rent, electricity
Householder's insurance
Total household expenses
1,410
60*
160*
250*
1,840*
30*
3,750
1,860
60*
160*
250*
1,840*
30*
4,200
To pay at home
3,750
4,200
Other expenditures
Personal hygiene, incl. dental care
Clothing and shoes
Leisure
Mobile phone
Lunch out (20 times/month)
Local travel on public transport
Union and unemployment insurance fund membership
Total other expenses
520
390
600
580
640640
250
250
1,680
1,680
530
530
450
450
4,670
4,520
Total cost
8,420
8,720
*One-quarter of costs for the entire household, as the calculation is based on a household with four persons.
16
1,410
100
370
940
5,000
90
7,910
1,860
100
370
940
5,000
90
8,360
520
390
600
580
640640
250
250
1,680
1,680
530
530
450
450
4,670
4,520
12,580
12,880
KNOW YOUR MONEY
It could cost this much to equip your first
apartment*
One person
Kitchen
china, silverware, microwave oven
and other cooking equipment
5,500
Bedroom
bed, mattress, lamp, bedside table
carpet, blinds, chest of drawers, chair
and bedclothes
Living room
– sofa, bookshelves, coffee table, armchair,
carpet, ceiling lamp, standard lamp, curtains
and media equipment
Hall and bathroom
– mirror, lamp, towels, tools
and cleaning and laundry equipment
Total cost
3,200
16,000
3,100
27,800
*The examples are based on purchase of new furniture and
utensils, and assume that you choose the cheapest alternatives possible.
Pontus on his way home from working out, but also off to study abroad.
Checklist to use if you are planning to leave home
Report your new address to Skatteverket, the Swedish
Tax Authority.
Sign a householder's insurance policy. Compare
insurance policies at www.konsumenternas.se
Order telephone and broadband connections.
You can get impartial information from
Telekområdgivarna.
Find out more at www.konsumenternas.se
Facts
LIVING WITH SOMEONE
The Swedish Cohabitees Act applies to people who live together
as if they were married, not to friends who decide to be
roommates. The basic idea is that the joint household, including
furniture and other items, is to be divided equally if the couple
stops living together. It doesn’t make any difference who paid for
them. The only exceptions are items that were bought before they
started living together. In other words, it’s a good idea for you and
your partner to share household expenses.
Notify Radiotjänst that you have a TV. If you own a TV,
you are legally required to pay for a TV licence. You can
notify Radiotjänst at www.radiotjanst.se or phone
020-91 00 00.
The Act does not cover items that are not directly connected
to the residence such as savings, or cars and boats; during a
separation these items go to those listed as the owner. If you
want your possessions to be divided up differently, you can
arrange this by signing a cohabitation agreement. The agreement
overrides the regulations in the law.
Sign an agreement with an electricity supplier. If you
don’t sign an agreement, you’ll pay the “until further
notice” price, which is often more expensive.
Find out more at www.konsumenternas.se
and www.elpriskollen.se
People who live together without being married do not inherit
from each other. In the event of a death, the property of the
deceased goes instead to his or her relatives. That’s a good reason
for making a will.
Send your new address to family and friends.
Why not take the opportunity to invite them and
your new neighbours to a housewarming party?
If your partner has debts with the Swedish Enforcement
Authority, be prepared to prove which possessions belong to
you. Otherwise they might assume that the items belong to your
partner and confiscate them in order to pay off the debt.
17
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Personal guidance
What does a consumer advisor do, and what help can you
get from a budget and debt counsellor?
Everyone who lives in Oxelösund Municipality is welcome to visit Carina and Monica.
Consumer guide Monica Petterson receives visitors in
Koordinaten, the all-purpose building by Järntorget in
central Oxelösund. Carina Ceder, who works as a budget
and debt counsellor, is also part of this although she
actually has her office in the town hall. Everyone who
wants help with consumer questions or with handling their
finances are welcome to see Monica and Carina.
“For many, contacting us is a big step. Having financial
problems and needing to turn to someone outside can be
a very emotional situation. All kinds of people who need
help and who want to do their share come to me,” Carina
says.
Help with debt restructuring
The most common causes of large debts can be a divorce,
illness, or having sold a house or apartment at a loss. Many
turn to Carina to get help applying for debt restructuring.
It usually takes several weeks before Carina has a free
appointment.
“But if I notice that someone who’s calling is in a real
panic, I can often re-prioritise my work tasks to be able to
help out quickly,” she tells us.
The answering machine is always on
Neither Monica nor Carina work full time with consumer
guidance or with budget and debt counselling, but they
always have their answering machine on. If they can’t
answer immediately, they always call back later. And they
18
always answer their e-mails. Monica holds open consumer
guidance sessions two days a week.
“A common problem area people contact me about is
telephony. It happens sometimes that people come to
me after having been convinced to change telephone
subscriptions but the cancellation of the old subscription
hasn’t worked. Then the consumer is stuck with two
contracts to pay for,” Monica says.
Contact your municipality if you need help
All municipalities are obliged to offer budget and debt
counselling according to the law. Consumer guidance,
on the other hand, is not required by law, but most
municipalities in the country offer it.
Do you want to know how it works where you live? Go to
your municipality’s website, or find the right way via
www.konsumentverket.se
Monica and Carina provide tips on finances
• If you are going to hire help to alter your home, use the
Hantverkarformuläret (the “craftsman questionnaire”) from the
Swedish Consumer Agency.
• Always pay your household bills first. Prioritize your rent, electricity,
food, and householder’s insurance before anything else.
• If you have difficulties making your money last for an entire month,
you can divide it up by the number of weeks remaining until your next
paycheck. Save your “weekly money” in separate envelopes. Each
envelope should be enough for everything you need for one week.
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Free help from the
consumer bureaus
You can get free guidance on
telephony, TV, Internet, energy,
banking and insurance. You can call
or send an e-mail. You can read a little
more about Telekområdgivarna here.
Each weekday, specialists sit in at Telekområdgivarna and
answer questions by telephone, by e-mail and by letter. At
the Telekområdgivarna website, you can read about things
like different subscriptions and your right as a consumer in
TV, telephony and Internet.
“The web site is a first step to check if you have a
question,” says Camilla Brogren of Telekområdgivarna.
Common questions for Telekområdgivarna
The consumer bureaus provide general advice and help for
self-help, but never represent an individual person. Many
get in touch with Telekområdgivarna with questions and
complaints concerning, for example:
• Problems that arose at the time of purchase, in which the
consumer thinks the salesperson provided incorrect or
misleading information.
• Consumers who were moved to a new carrier without
having understood this.
• The right to cancel a purchase and binding periods for
contracts.
If you contact Telekområdgivarna, you will get an answer from a specialist.
Kristian Ramirez is one of them who answers questions via e-mail, letters and
telephone.
Contact the consumer bureaus
You can find all the bureaus at www.konsumenternas.se
Telekområdgivarna recommends
On the websites of these bureaus you can:
• Always read through all contracts carefully.
• Not to believe that you will get mobile phones and other
equipment for free.
• To get all oral promises in writing before
signing something.
• Compare different banking and card fees.
• Read about different electricity, gas, and district heating contracts.
• Compare auto insurance, review children’s insurance and calculate
various retirement costs.
• Read about contracts for TV, telephony and Internet.
“Also keep in mind that oral contracts are binding, which
is why calls are often recorded,” says Mattias Grafström,
CEO of Telekområdgivarna.
The four consumer bureaus
Behind the consumer bureaus are government agencies
and industry organisations. Their operations are funded by
businesses within the respective industries.
The bureaus have telephone hours every weekday between 9:00 AM and
12:00 PM.
Their task is to provide facts and information prior to purchase, interpret
and explain contract conditions, and explain how to go further if you are
dissatisfied with a decision from a business.
Telephone numbers for the bureaus
Bank- och finansbyrån: 0200-22 58 00
Energimarknadsbyrån: 08-522 789 50
Försäkringsbyrån: 0200-22 58 00
Telekområdgivarna: 08-522 767 00
19
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Consumer Agency
estimates 2015
Every year the Consumer Agency makes an estimation of what are
reasonable costs for households of various sizes. These figures can
be a starting point when you want to go through your finances.
You can also compare our estimates with your own.
What the costs include
Food:All food cooked at home. Food costs for all meals in the Consumer
Agency’s menu. This is a four-week menu, which covers daily calorie and
nutritional requirements for the respective age groups.
The menu includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and two or three snacks.
Individual costs per month
All food cooked at home
All food cooked at home except for lunch on weekdays
All meals at home except lunch on weekdays. Food costs except for lunch
five days a week. (Children eat lunch at school and adults eat lunch at a
restaurant). Other food costs, such as parties and extra coffee breaks
(whether at home or at a café) are not included. You must add those
costs yourself.
Children
Girls
Boys
6–11 months1
2–5
6–9
10–1314–1710–13
760
770
930
1,520
1,680
1,880
1,920
580
590
720
1,160
1,290
1,440
1,470
0
1–23
4–6
7–10
11–1415–1711–14
Personal hygiene, including dental care
500
430
150
110
140
280
400
210
Clothing and shoes
370
440
440
520
560
580590570
Recreation and play
80
180
180
400
620
710720710
Mobile phone
200240200
Child and adolescent insurance
130
130
130
130
130
130
130
130
Total costs, excluding food
1,080
1,180
900
1,160
1,450
1,9002,0801,820
* Due to free dental care, the total for 18 and 19-year-olds is approximately 65 kronor less per month
Consumer Agency Estimates
Expendable items
Household utensils and small appli
Media and telecommunications
Householder's insurance
big city
medium-sized city
small town
The calculations are based on a base need for goods and services and shows examples of costs for this.The
estimates assume that you have no disabilities or illnesses that require extra expenditures, for example medical
devices or medications. Another assumption is that you live in an apartment and do not have any expenditures for
gardening or repairs.
Enter your own figures in the table or use the Consumer Agency’s estimates if you aren’t sure how much you
spend. Then transfer your costs to the budget on page 23.
The amounts in the tables have been rounded to the nearest ten kronor.
Read more
If you want to read more about the Consumer Agency’s estimates, you can read Report 2013:1 and 2013:4,
which can be downloaded from www.konsumentverket.se
20
Joint monthly costs
Keep in mind that the estimates do not cover all household expenditures. Travel, health care, glasses, presents,
holiday, entertainment, alcohol, tobacco and gambling are some of the costs that are not included.
Total joint costs
big city
medium-sized city
small town
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Personal hygiene, including dental care:Applies to things like soap, toothpaste,
diapers, haircuts etc. and the cost of an annual dentist visit (examination) for
adults.
Clothing, shoes:One basic need is clothing and shoes for everyday use,
for leisure time and for more festive occasions. Handbags, watches, umbrellas
and other accessories are also included here.
Recreation, play:Common leisure time activities, toys, books, skis, bicycles,
membership fees, and so on.
Mobile phone:The cost for a telephone with a prepaid card.
Child and adolescent insurance:Cost for sickness and accident insurance for
children and young people. Also covers illness and accidents during leisure
activities.
Consumer items:Daily items primarily used for care and
running a household, such as laundry soap and cleansers, toilet paper
and paper towels, etc.
Household utensils and small appliances:Furniture, kitchen utensils, TV,
computer, etc. Freezer, dishwasher, and washing machine are not included.
Media:Cost for broadband, land line, radio and TV licence, daily newspaper, etc.
Householder's insurance:Costs vary depending on the amount of insurance on
the house and place of residence. Big city: over 200,000 inhabitants. Mediumsized city: 50,000–200,000 inhabitants. Small town: fewer than 50,000
inhabitants.
Women
Men
14–17 18–3031–6061–74 75+18–3031–60 61–74 75+
2,420
1,840
1,810
1,660
1,610
2,420
2,310
2,080
1,880
1,860
1,410
1,380
1,270
1,230
1,860
1,770
1,590
1,440
Consumer Agency
My
estimatescosts
15–17 18–3031–4950–60 61+18–3031–49 50–60 61+
250
520*
520
500
500
390*
390
390
390
580 600600600
600580580 580
580
720 640640640
640640640 640
640
240 250240230
210250240 230
210
130
1,920 2,0102,0001,970
1,9501,8601,850 1,840
1,820
1 member
100
iances 370
940
2 members
130
450
970
3 members
220
540
990
4 members
260
620
1,010
5 members
320
730
1,030
6 members
370
820
1,050
7 members
410
880
1,070
Enter your figures in the table on page 23.
My monthly household expenditures
120
130
150
160
160
180
180
90 100110110120120120
80 90 90110110110120
1,530 1,6801,9002,050 2,2402,4202,540
1,500 1,6501,8602,000 2,2002,3602,480
1,490 1,6401,8402,000 2,1902,3502,480
21
KNOW YOUR MONEY
If the money
isn’t enough
Read more
www.krono
fogden.se
www.konsu
mentverke
t.se
www.datai
nspektione
n.se
Your bills must be paid. Your loans, too. Food is expensive and your
winter shoes are leaking. The month has just begun but your money
has run out. Again. Does this sound familiar?
Everyone has problems sometime
Some months have more bills and larger expenses than
others. If you’ve managed to save up a buffer, you’ll still
make it. Or maybe you have a family member who can
help you out temporarily. If you think that otherwise, your
finances work, perhaps it will be enough to increase your
buffer savings somewhat.
Difficult to pay every month?
If you have constantly recurring problems with paying your
bills, you must change your situation properly. Otherwise
you could get notices of non-payment or be evicted from
your home. Hopefully, you can solve your problems in a
short amount of time and then get back on your feet again.
• Move to a cheaper house or rent out a room.
• Cancel your subscriptions.
• Sell your car and things you have at home.
You can get help
• Talk with whoever you got the bill from and ask to be
allowed to pay the bill off a little at a time over a few
months.
• Talk with the budget and debt counsellors in your
municipality, they will advise you for free.
Tips
Do you have debts?
Do you owe thousands of kronor on an expensive credit card? Try to
get a bank loan with lower interest and pay off all your credit debts.
Then cancel the card so that you aren’t tempted to run up new debts.
22
Record of non-payment
If you don’t pay a bill, you could get a notice of non-payment in the
credit reporting company’s register. This could entail problems for
you. For example, you could have a bank loan or a mobile phone or
Internet subscription rejected. You could also have problems renting
an apartment.
The path to a record of non-payment
• You get a bill.
• If you don’t pay, you get a reminder.
• If you don’t pay that, you get a collection letter from the company
or from a dent collection agency.
• If you don’t pay that, you get an injunction to pay
from the Swedish Enforcement Authority.
• If you don’t pay that, the Enforcement Authority establishes your
debt.
• You have a record of non-payment.
If the debt is incorrect, it is important that you protest in writing as
quickly as possible. Save your protest so that you can show it to the
Enforcement Authority if you get an injunction to pay.
If you lose control, it can get expensive
An unpaid bill will multiply right before your eyes.
Phone bill
600
Written payment reminder
60
Collection letter
180
Application to the Enforcement Authority
for a an order to pay
300
Collection company’s retainer
380
Collection fee
600
Total:2,120
KNOW YOUR MONEY
Your budget
In the table below, fill in your income and your costs in the
My current budget column.
To achieve your dreams, you might need to save more.
Make a new budget of how you’d like to spend your
money so that there is extra to save.
Go through all the cost items again and write down what
you want to reduce them to in the My new budget column.
What you take away, you can put into savings instead.
Now it’s just a matter of trying to live according to your
new budget! If you manage this, your savings will grow
every month and you’ll be taking yourself closer to your
dream, one step at a time.
Tips
Are you looking for additional advice about your finances?
Contact a consumer guide or budget and
debt counsellor in your municipality.
The contact details are available at: www.konsumentverket.se
Monthly income and costs
My current budget My new budget
Total income (from p. 2)
Costs
Food (from p. 20)
Personal hygiene, including dental care (from p. 20)
Clothing and shoes (from p. 20)
Recreation and play (from p. 20)
Mobile phone (from p. 20)
Child and adolescent insurance (from p. 20)
Consumer items (from p. 20)
Household utensils and small appliances (from p. 20)
Media (from p. 20)
Householder’s insurance (from p. 20)
Car (from p. 8)
Other insurance
Housing
Household electricity
Loans (principal and interest)
Public transport
Unemployment insurance fund and union dues
Doctor’s bills/medication
Other (e.g. candy, games, presents, alcohol, tobacco, pets, holiday)
Savings
Total costs
RESULT (Income minus costs)
Feel free to try out the Consumer Agency’s budget calculator at www.konsumentverket.se
23
HELLO
CONSUMER!
New information service
Independent guidance through the
Swedish Consumer Agency
Starting March 31, 2015, there will be “Hålla konsument” (Hello Consumer), a national information service for all consumers.
There, you can get answers to questions about purchasing goods and services, contracts, and complaints, or get help finding
the right consumer advisor, budget or debt counsellor, consumer’s bureau or government agency that can help you further.
You can speak with our guides via telephone, e-mail or chat and read more at www.hallakonsument.se
0771-525 525 00
hallakonsument.se
1. Make a budget based on the Consumer Agency’s budget estimate
You can also compare your expenses with the Consumer Agency’s estimates if you like.
2. Keep a record of your expenditures
Write down all your expenses for a month and you’ll get a picture of where you’re putting your money.
3. Plan your food purchases
Make a weekly menu with a shopping list, and keep to it when you’re shopping.
4. Pack your lunch
By preparing your meals at home and packing a lunch, you can several hundred kronor a month.
5. Review your TV, broadband, telephone, electricity plans, etc.
Do you really need all those television stations? Is there a cheaper way to make and receive phone
calls? Is there a less expensive electricity provider?
6. Ride your bicycle instead of driving
Driving a car is expensive. Ride a bicycle or public transportation instead.
7. Save energy
Go to www.energimyndigheten.se and run an energy calculation to see how much you can save.
8. Review your insurance policies
Do you perhaps have double coverage, or are you paying for insurance you really don’t need?
9. Review your loans
Get in touch with your bank and negotiate better interest. Perhaps it’s time to change banks?
10. Take a break from buying things
Try just buying the absolute necessities for a month. How much do you spend then?
Would you like to receive more brochures?
More brochures can be found at your municipality’s consumer guide and budget and deb counsellor.
They can also be ordered from the Consumer Agency website: www.publikationer.konsumentverket.se
Project management & text Joel Samuelsson Photos Øyvind Lund Design Universitetstryckeriet, Karlstad Printing Elanders
Konsumentverket, Box 48, 651 02 Karlstad. Telephone: 0771-42 33 00. konsumentverket.se
© Konsumentverket 2015 ISBN 978-91-7398-977-0
Ten financial tips