Saving from your salary
In today’s economy, have you come to wonder whether it would be possible to sustainably save and put away a portion of your wage but felt like it wouldn’t be comfortably possible without short changing yourself? Or maybe you have and are committedto doing so, but just aren’t quite sure how you should work out just how much would be a reasonable goal.
It would be difficult to give a specific answer to this question that would apply to all; simply because everyone’s financial situation is different. The amount you could potentially save depends on a variety of factors, like your age, your general financial goals, your outgoing expenses, and your debts – if you have any.
So, how much is just enough to save?
In general, it’s a good idea to save a portion of your wage each pay period. Experts recommend saving at least 20% of your income, but this could end up to be more or less depending on your financial situation. If you are just starting out and have a lot of debts, for example, you will likely need to save less than 20% in order to meet your monthly expenses and make debt payments without leaving yourself short. On the other hand, if you are in an older demographic and have fewer debts, it is quite possible that you could be able to save more than 20%.
How do I work out how much I can save from my wage?
There are several things that you can do to help determine how much you should be saving from your salary:
- Set out a weekly/monthly budget: to do this compare your incomings and outgoings. This will help you understand how much money you have coming in each month and how much you are spending. You can use this to determine how much you can reasonably afford to save.
- Set financial goals: Think about what you want to achieve financially in the short term (e.g., pay off credit card debt) and the long term (e.g., retire comfortably). This will help you determine approximately how much you need to save to reach your goals.
- Evaluate your expenses: Take a closer look at your monthly expenses to see if there are any areas that you may be spending unnecessarily and where you could cut back on those spendinv habits. This will help to free up more expendable money that you can use to save.
Remember, it’s important to save for the future, but it’s also important to enjoy your present. Be sure to maintain a balance between saving and spending so that you can live a comfortable, fulfilling life without overly limiting yourself.