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Money Saving Tips in Switzerland


I have lived in Switzerland for the past 16 years, possibly the most expensive country to Earth. 

According to the Big Mac Index in January 2019, a comparison of the price of a Big Mac in USD, Switzerland was the most expensive:  https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/199335/umfrage/big-mac-index--weltweiter-preis-fuer-einen-big-mac/

Still, I have managed to save more living here than other places I have lived in. Moving there soon or already living there, you might find my top tips for saving in Switzerland useful:


1.      Don’t spend more than 30% of your gross income on Housing. Earning 120k that is 3k a month. Rents are currently are at their lowest levels in 20 years due to negative interest rates. Most leases factor in interest rate rises, so you’ll be paying more should interest rates increase too.

2.      Food – our biggest expense. I have stopped eating out just because it is more convenient. The weekly Chinese takeaway was costing us upwards of 80 CHF – just for the convenience of not cooking on a Friday evening. Now my daughter also wants to help in the kitchen, so we cook instead of getting take-away. We still do nights out for fun rather than just because it is convenient. The waiting around in a restaurant is also time where everyone but the cook could be busy with something else. On holiday recently, we waited an hour for food at lunchtime that meant we had to run on our hike to fit everything in. The next morning I bought bread rolls, meats, and cheese and we had a picnic in between booking the mine tour and taking it.

3.      Don’t spend a fortune entertaining kids. Movies, 2 kids and no change from 50 CHF. The Swiss Transport Museum, 2 Adults and 2 kids 156 CHF. There are lots of hikes and bike trails around and Park im Grüene, Sihlwald and the Waldnisparks in Zürich and Langnau are totally free, you only pay for parking.

4.      Save on Insurances. Look up online at Comparis.ch to compare prices in your Kanton every year. You can move you basic insurance by the end of the year by giving written notice. Be sure to look at which options you actually use and increase your deductible/franchise if you don’t visit a doctor regularly.

5.      Always compare prices. Stores in Switzerland isn’t obliged to give you a refund if you find it cheaper elsewhere and you might be stuck with a store credit. Always read the T&Cs for online orders: a “.ch” domain can ship from outside Switzerland and delivery of a new fridge only to your house door but not inside your kitchen, known as “Bordsteinkante”, will end up costing you a re-delivery or an on the spot charge. I use Toppreise.ch for comparison and Brack.ch or nettoshop.ch for electronics.

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