Household Budget Expressions
Månadens sista vecka in Swedish — få det att gå ihop, små marginaler, vända på slantarna.
The household budget, month by month: the balancing idioms (få det att gå runt, vända på slantarna, dra åt svångremmen), the Swedish payday rhythm (lön den tjugofemte — pengarna tar slut innan månaden gör det), the buffer doctrine (stående överföring, sparbössa för dåliga tider), the two big posts — el (spotpris, diskmaskinen på natten) and mat (planera matsedeln, handla aldrig hungrig, laga stora satser) — through the abonnemang audit to the closing law: små vanor, stor skillnad.
- 1
få budgeten att gå ihop
to make the budget balance
Tip: lit. 'make the budget go together'.
- 2
få det att gå runt
to make ends meet
Tip: lit. 'make it go around'.
- 3
små marginaler
tight margins
Tip: lit. 'small margins' — a phrase in every Swedish news piece on the economy.
- 4
vända på slantarna
to count every krona
Tip: lit. 'turn over the coins'.
- 5
fasta kostnader
fixed costs
Tip: lit. the same.
- 6
levnadsomkostnader
living expenses
Tip: lit. the same.
- 7
pengarna tar slut innan månaden gör det
the money runs out before the month does
Tip: lit. the same.
- 8
månadens sista vecka
the last week of the month
Tip: lit. the same — pasta week.
- 9
få lön den tjugofemte
to be paid on the twenty-fifth
Tip: lit. the same — payday for most Swedes.
- 10
en buffert
a buffer for emergencies
Tip: lit. 'a buffer' — the standard advice is three months' expenses.
- 11
lägga undan pengar
to put money aside
Tip: lit. 'lay money aside'.
- 12
ett stående överföringsuppdrag
a standing transfer
Tip: lit. 'a standing transfer order'.
- 13
leva från månad till månad
to live from month to month
Tip: lit. the same.
- 14
dra ner på utgifterna
to cut back
Tip: lit. 'pull down on the expenses'.
- 15
dra åt svångremmen
to tighten your belt
Tip: lit. 'tighten the belt strap'.
- 16
en oförutsedd utgift
an unexpected expense
Tip: lit. the same.
- 17
elräkningen är brutal
the electricity bill is brutal
Tip: lit. the same — a national conversation topic since 2022.
- 18
matpriserna har skenat
food prices have gone through the roof
Tip: lit. 'the food prices have bolted'.
- 19
jämföra priser
to shop around
Tip: lit. 'compare prices'.
- 20
storhandla
to buy in bulk
Tip: lit. 'big-shop' — the Saturday supermarket run.
- 21
ett impulsköp
an impulse buy
Tip: lit. the same.
- 22
vara en slösare
to be a spendthrift
Tip: lit. 'be a waster'.
- 23
vara noga med pengar
to be careful with money
Tip: lit. 'be careful with money' — a compliment in Sweden.
- 24
en sparbössa för dåliga tider
a rainy-day fund
Tip: lit. 'a piggy bank for bad times'.
- 25
gå plus till slut
to be in the black at last
Tip: lit. 'go plus in the end'.
- 26
varje krona räknas
every krona counts
Tip: lit. the same.
- 27
man vänjer sig vid mindre
you get used to less
Tip: lit. 'one gets used to less'.
- 28
boendekostnaderna
the housing costs
Tip: lit. the same — the biggest line by far.
- 29
elpriset per kilowattimme
the electricity price per kilowatt hour
Tip: lit. the same — a national obsession since 2022.
- 30
spotpriset
the spot price
Tip: lit. the same — hourly, and checked religiously.
- 31
köra diskmaskinen på natten
to run the dishwasher at night
Tip: lit. the same — when electricity is cheap.
- 32
elstödet
the electricity support
Tip: lit. the same — the government payout.
- 33
maten är den rörliga posten
the food shop is the flexible cost
Tip: lit. 'the food is the variable item'.
- 34
planera veckans matsedel
to plan the week's meals
Tip: lit. the same.
- 35
handla med lista
to shop with a list
Tip: lit. the same — and stick to it.
- 36
handla aldrig hungrig
never shop hungry
Tip: lit. the same.
- 37
nedsatta varor
the reduced shelf
Tip: lit. 'reduced goods' — the orange stickers.
- 38
prisnedsatt på datum
date-marked down
Tip: lit. the same.
- 39
laga stora satser
to batch cook
Tip: lit. 'cook large batches'.
- 40
frysa in portioner
to freeze portions
Tip: lit. the same.
- 41
en genomgång av abonnemangen
a subscription audit
Tip: lit. the same — everyone finds two they forgot.
- 42
säga upp det du inte använder
to cancel what you don't use
Tip: lit. the same.
- 43
omförhandla försäkringen
to renegotiate the insurance
Tip: lit. the same — every year.
- 44
byta elbolag
to switch electricity supplier
Tip: lit. the same.
- 45
en köpfri månad
a no-spend month
Tip: lit. 'a purchase-free month' — a real Swedish trend.
- 46
märka skillnaden till våren
to feel the difference by spring
Tip: lit. the same.
- 47
små vanor, stor skillnad
small habits, big difference
Tip: lit. the same.