In times of global uncertainty and general increases in the prices of energy, food, and all other costs of living, large families are in a particularly challenging situation. For the daily newspaper 24sata 3plus, the Stepančić Zanić and Čagalj families, both members of our association Obitelji 3plus, share their useful experiences with readers.
“Everyone announces that autumn and winter will be difficult for us, bills will be high, heating will be problematic, food prices have already skyrocketed. However, I don’t want to panic in advance. I like to solve problems as they come, one by one, and I always believe that everything will somehow work out in the end” , Ana Stepančić Zanić (38), a mother of five from Zagreb, told 24sata. She and her husband Ivan (47) have always wanted a big family, and over time they learned how to organize themselves well both time and financially. In 24 hours, they discovered their “tricks” to get through the coming period easier and hope that their rich experience in careful planning of spending money will help many people and that they will manage to save at least a little.
The Čagalj family also shared their savings tips with 24sata readers. “My husband and I know how to sit down and watch, it is not clear to us where the money is going anymore. We patch up the budget wherever we can, we try as much as possible to stretch the money over the whole month” , says Darija Samardžija Čagalj (42), who lives in Split with her husband Marin (38) and sons Roko (8), Duja (7) and Bepa (4). For the readers, she revealed the secrets of managing their household budget, what exhausts it the most, and how she and her husband, with three children, but also with many levies, with the unstoppable rise in the prices of food, gasoline, utilities and everything else, still manage to make it through the month and yes, as she says herself, the children lack nothing.
For 3plus families in increasingly demanding financial times, the use of the Family Card of the Family 3plus Association is a relief, and the Stepančić Zanić and Čagalj families also speak of the savings they achieve using the Family Card.
Both reportages, with advice from interviewed families, were published in the daily newspaper 24 sata, and are also available here (in Croatian):
- September 2, 2022: ‘We are saved by a pig, winter shelter and recording all expenses…’ (24 hours)
- September 12, 2022: ‘We buy targeted, combine celebrations and watch out for discounts’ (24 hours)
Family needs should always come first
Economic and financial measures to mitigate the wave of price increases should be adopted quickly, they must be concrete and easily applicable. In doing so, it is especially important to take care that family needs should always come first and should not be placed in balance with socioeconomic challenges. This message was presented by the vice-president of the association Obitelji 3plus Đurđica Mostarčić in an interview for Glas Koncila.
Parents with children will especially feel the financial “blow”, it is announced, in the coming months. One feels the fear of what will happen in the fall. Vice-president of the association Obitelji 3plus Đurđica Mostarčić tells how to help families get through this time. “It’s not easy for anyone, worries are getting bigger, but I still think that we should not talk about the fear of what will happen, but put our heads together and in this whole situation look for solutions instead of imposing a feeling of insecurity and fear. We need to turn to each other and help each other. To be grateful for what we have and to seek wisdom to manage exactly what we have as best as possible. Maybe such an opinion sounds pathetic to someone, but in fact it is the only right one! I remember a situation when my husband and I with three small children did not have enough money to cook lunch.
The entire interview for Glas Koncila with the vice-president of the association Obitelji 3plus is available HERE (in Croatian) .
