44% of American households have less than $1,000 in savings

hammies

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Getting into the saving mindset young reduces or eliminates poverty in old age. Start putting a percentage of your paycheck into your IRA or Roth or 401(k) in your early 20s, do this for 40 years, and your golden years will be pretty bitchen.
 
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sussle

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Oct 11, 2009
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Pay yourself first.

Stay off Amazon and other "easy to spend" sites.

Learn how to cook, as in with raw ingredients, not trader joes processed crap that is deceptively priced relative to the serving size. Pack your lunch.

Get an app that tracks your spending like Mint, you'd be surprised. Whatever they do with your data is probably worth what you get back in your own knowledge about your habits (at least it is for me).

Buy stuff in bulk whenever possible. Better to go to Costco or whatever and buy enough for 2-4 weeks than smaller trips 2-3 times a week, especially if your local supermarket is pricey. That way you aren't going to the store every 3-4 days just to get "a few items" and end up spending far more than you thought you would. Gives you an excuse to be lazy and clean out what you have before going back to the grocery store, again.

A lot of people are perfectly capable of saving money with some discipline, even if you live somewhere pricey or don't make much.
Yup, all of this and more. I feel like I could at look at the average Joe's spending and find all kinds of things to slash - I'm like Suzi Orman, only bitchier. Stop eating out, cut your cable, dump your pricy cell phone plan, make a weekly grocery trip, stop buying junk calories, bring your kids down to earth about what they really need, lose your debt, stop hitting Starbucks every morning etc etc . It's crazy what Americans consider essential.
 

CutnSnip

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Sep 11, 2018
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Probably dropping in on you, California
Yup, all of this and more. I feel like I could at look at the average Joe's spending and find all kinds of things to slash - I'm like Suzi Orman, only bitchier. Stop eating out, cut your cable, dump your pricy cell phone plan, make a weekly grocery trip, stop buying junk calories, bring your kids down to earth about what they really need, lose your debt, stop hitting Starbucks every morning etc etc . It's crazy what Americans consider essential.
I think if most people set up a simple budget it would be a gamechanger. it was for me. knowing exactly what comes in and whats going out lets you set up a plan to save/ invest.

Ive kept the same budget as when I made alot less money. Every time I got a raise, i simply pretended I didnt and now thats all money in the bank.

My problem isnt the little stuff like starbucks, eating out etc. Its big stuff like surfboards, tvs, computer sh!t, etc. I convince myself i need something new that costs 1000+ every day and once that seed is planted in my mind - i gotta have it.
 
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r32

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And yet, housing in CA is booming at unbelievable rates. So much that prices in ghetto neighborhoods are outrageous.
 

enframed

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stop hitting Starbucks every morning etc etc . It's crazy what Americans consider essential.
Espressos are still one euro in Italy, maybe 1.2. I dunno what they are in France now. Spain was cheap too.

I don't understand why the fcuk espresso is $3+ in America, for shitty coffee, mostly. That we can support so many coffee shops is fucking retarded.
 

grapedrink

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And yet, housing in CA is booming at unbelievable rates. So much that prices in ghetto neighborhoods are outrageous.
There are literally 8 single family homes for sale in the city limits of SLO, excluding those that are contingent/pending. 1 is barely over $1M, 4 are between 1 & 2M. 9 in Morro Bay, only 1 under $1M.

We were always protected from the insane prices because there were so few well paying jobs that would allow you live in a million dollar house. Now with remote work that’s possible. Those days are gone :drowning:
 

r32

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There are literally 8 single family homes for sale in the city limits of SLO, excluding those that are contingent/pending. 1 is barely over $1M, 4 are between 1 & 2M. 9 in Morro Bay, only 1 under $1M.

We were always protected from the insane prices because there were so few well paying jobs that would allow you live in a million dollar house. Now with remote work that’s possible. Those days are gone :drowning:
You make a good point. Know some couples who make big money in the $300k-$400k range annually. They all work from home now and all of them have moved. They can now work from that dream location. And for many, the central coast is that dream location. :violin:
 
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Dekerwild

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Espressos are still one euro in Italy, maybe 1.2. I dunno what they are in France now. Spain was cheap too.

I don't understand why the fcuk espresso is $3+ in America, for shitty coffee, mostly. That we can support so many coffee shops is fucking retarded.
My work buddy would stop at a $5 coffee joint every morning and the jiffy mart for cigs. $3650 annual cost at a minimum for 2 vices. He didn't want to talk about his eating out at lunch or happy hour vices either but I'm sure all the business owners and employee's enjoy having some of their monthly bills paid by him on a daily basis
 

enframed

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My work buddy would stop at a $5 coffee joint every morning and the jiffy mart for cigs. $3650 annual cost at a minimum for 2 vices. He didn't want to talk about his eating out at lunch or happy hour vices either but I'm sure all the business owners and employee's enjoy having some of their monthly bills paid by him on a daily basis
I think in Italy and France cigarettes are a food group.
 
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hammies

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And yet, housing in CA is booming at unbelievable rates. So much that prices in ghetto neighborhoods are outrageous.
People are bidding up houses with multi-million dollar cash offers. Where the hell do they get that kind of money?