The article explains that the interpretation of the “subsistence fund” concept by modern scientists is based upon the characteristics of its historical development and formation mechanism. In economic interpretation, the subsistence fund is regarded as a collection of various kinds of objects and services which people use in the process of their living. However, such a definition for the subsistence fund reveals neither its special (including consumer) nor social significance. Therefore, in order to identify the place of subsistence fund as an important concept of marketing and to emphasize the key role which it plays in determining social essence of consumer, the following marketing concepts were used: “need”, “good”, “interest”, “value”, "benefit," "motive," "income," "consumption," "savings," as well as "quality of life", "way of life", "lifestyle", "social reproduction", “customer behavior” etc. The article examines the structure of the subsistence fund and identifies two main parts (material and monetary ones) from an economic point of view. Besides, it was proposed to improve the structure of the subsistence fund, including the third part of its pattern - socially-reproductive one, which has the greatest influence on the formation of an individual as a consumer of goods and services. The article provides evidence that being a social asset the subsistence fund has interdisciplinary nature, since it is a subject of study of at least the following three social and humanitarian sciences, such as economics, marketing and sociology. As a phenomenon, the fund of life resources, in addition to material and monetary means, has a social constant, which consists in meeting the needs of an individual as a consumer, providing them with a quality standard of living and providing with desirable social status in society through enrichment and fund accumulation means of living