Latvian family's letter shows how €2,225 a month vanishes to zero

A news outlet has published a letter from a reader named Ilze, who described her family's monthly budget in detail. Her husband Kārlis works for the State Fire and Rescue Service, while Ilze herself is a primary school teacher; both hold master's degrees. The couple has three children, all of whom attend kindergarten.

Breaking down the monthly budget

According to Ilze's calculations, the family's combined net income is €2,225 — each parent earns €1,000, plus a €225 state benefit for having three children. From there, a series of unavoidable expenses follow: kindergarten meals for three children cost €235, groceries run about €600 a month, the apartment loan and utility payments take €700, fuel costs €150, medication €50, children's extracurricular activities €120, and insurance and phone bills €100.

After subtracting all of these, the family is left with just €270. But further costs still loom — seasonal children's clothing and shoes, plus the parents' lunches at work — expenses that can wipe out the remaining balance entirely and push the budget into the negative. The calculations also leave no room for unexpected costs such as dentist visits, winter tyre changes, or any form of leisure or travel.

The author's conclusions

Ilze points out that food and kindergarten meals alone account for nearly 37.5% of the family's total income, whereas economic theory considers spending above 30% of income on food a sign of high poverty risk. The letter's author expresses concern that this kind of financial strain discourages young people from staying in Latvia, pushing many to seek better living conditions abroad instead.