Quantcast

US Financial Literacy Survey

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,654
7,331
Colorado
I rode winter park with him one weekend, he knows I am a failure.

Can't lecture stupid and think it will help.
You're good. You just need to do a better job of hiding the beer bottles next time.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,102
1,153
NC
I think a lot of people also have a problem seeing a number in their account and not wanting to buy something with it. If someone gets a check for $5k, usually you hear 'I'm gonna get a new TV', not 'If I invest this, it could be 50K in 20 years'....
Yeah, just a different consequence they don't want to consider. Same thing, though: this feel good now, thinking about later doesn't feel as good.

Whether it's a bad consequence like a credit card payment due, or just diminishing something good like a better retirement, most people suck at delaying gratification.
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,654
7,331
Colorado
Yeah, just a different consequence they don't want to consider. Same thing, though: this feel good now, thinking about later doesn't feel as good.

Whether it's a bad consequence like a credit card payment due, or just diminishing something good like a better retirement, most people suck at delaying gratification.
This. It's seriously hard to make good decisions when it comes to immediate gratification. I know what it costs me later for an impulse buy now, and I still make them. Side note: I really want to get another bike. I don't like my Look as much as I could.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,405
7,793
Yeah, just a different consequence they don't want to consider. Same thing, though: this feel good now, thinking about later doesn't feel as good.

Whether it's a bad consequence like a credit card payment due, or just diminishing something good like a better retirement, most people suck at delaying gratification.
:marshmallowstudygoeshere:
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
I know I'm guilty of shit like that, but I try to strike a balance between 'can't' take it with you, so spend it now' and 'working at Wal-Mart' when I'm 80.

I usually don't feel guilty about buying shit that gets me out of the house/lets the family have an awesome time together/makes memories, but obviously there's a line. Some people don't adhere to the line.
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
$1500 a month in daycare and a house payment in SoCal hinder my savings a bit...my best strategy is having everything taken out before I even get my hands on it. In all fairness, it is easier to save more when you aren't scraping by. So there is the Catch 22. IE, you could save 50% of your income and the remaining 50% is still multiples of what a lot of people make. My wife and I are middle class and I know that's the case for us.

That being said, most people I know that are in shitty financial situations are because they make shitty decisions. IE, that 5K check or tax return or whatever could go in the stock market and make money instead of buying a TV or obligating yourself to a newer car payment.
 
Last edited:

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
24,092
14,769
where the trails are
I'm saving about 30% gross. I'd be higher but so much of my income is dedicated to debt service at the moment.
I'm at about 25% (but make much MUCH less money than you do) and manage to stay comfortable with the 'wants' in my life. More free time would be priceless, but getting my finances in order is more important than that at the moment.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,847
12,835
In a van.... down by the river
<snip>

I'm saving about 30% gross. I'd be higher but so much of my income is dedicated to debt service at the moment.
I gotta say, being debt-free (mortgage debt non-withstanding) makes it all quite a bit easier. Even with 3 kids. Although it *still* is required to forgo things 'cause responsibility.

Middle kid *ought* to be big enough to inherit my bike by some time next summer... so... :monkeydance:
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,405
7,793
I'm at about 25% (but make much MUCH less money than you do) and manage to stay comfortable with the 'wants' in my life. More free time would be priceless, but getting my finances in order is more important than that at the moment.
As long as one's lifestyle fits in what's left after savings then the amount doesn't matter. It's all the ratio of savings to what's necessary per Trinity study or whatever to retire on.

With regard to amount, you also didn't have to wait until age 32 to really start work or have a pile of debt at baseline… :D (No, I'm not complaining, really. In fact, this will make later life much easier as our lifestyle as established at this debt-service level will be much more sustainable down the road.)
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,654
7,331
Colorado
That's an understatement.



http://www.financialsamurai.com/the-average-savings-rates-by-income-wealth-class/

I'm saving about 30% gross. I'd be higher but so much of my income is dedicated to debt service at the moment.
We're ~20% gross and that is a hard rate to maintain with Haley still being in school. Once she goes to public school, we'll be able to pull in an additional ~5% more.

We could do more, but the 'fuck it' aspect exists and we'll pay more to have something done for us. We also eat out/take out as a family probably 3-4 times per week and I'll get lunch 2-3 days per week. Our dining 'budget' is almost 1:1 with grocery shopping. There's real money to be saved there, but it's a lot easier when you price your time to what something costs.
 
Last edited:

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,405
7,793
We're ~20% gross and that is a hard rate to maintain with Haley still being in school. Once she goes to public school, we'll be able to pull in an additional ~5% more.

We could do more, but the 'fuck it' aspect exists and we'll pay more to have something done for us. We also eat out/take out as a family probably 3-4 times per week and I'll get lunch 2-3 days per week. Our dining 'budget' is almost 1:1 with grocery shopping. There's real money to be saved there, but it's a lot easier when you price your time to what something costs.
We spend a ton on food, too. Wife and kids are so wasteful of food: Mariko rarely eats much but my wife always presents her with a full plate of this and that, most of which goes down the disposal at the end of the day. Also see "buying berries out of season, always".

Oh well.

Debt service + 529 contributions + preschool tuition (at least for these expensive few both-kids-full-time) months ~= 44% monthly gross. Yeah, that'll feel nice when that elephant/those elephants is/are off my back. Some of those payments go to equity, of course, but it's still money that has to be budgeted for first and foremost.

The flip side of this math is that most months we can really live on ~10% gross. Bike purchases and the like are extra, and there always is an extra this or that each month, but that's heartening.
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
Just spent $2000 on a new pool pump and filter, so that sucks. But there's also the view of first world problems of having a body of water in my backyard that I can swim in for enjoyment. Enough water probably evaporates out of it each month to hydrate a small village. So there's that.
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,654
7,331
Colorado
We spend a ton on food, too. Wife and kids are so wasteful of food: Mariko rarely eats much but my wife always presents her with a full plate of this and that, most of which goes down the disposal at the end of the day. Also see "buying berries out of season, always".
I eat a lot of leftover hotdogs, mac and cheese, etc. I refuse to waste food when I can avoid it. Also, I'm now fat again, so... Maybe I should reassess that strategy.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,405
7,793
I eat a lot of leftover hotdogs, mac and cheese, etc. I refuse to waste food when I can avoid it. Also, I'm now fat again, so... Maybe I should reassess that strategy.
Yeah, I need to stop eating Mariko's leftovers and just pack 'em up… so that the wife can throw them out later when I'm not home. :D

No composting? Hippie fail. :disgust1:
Stapleton. They be all fancy and HOA out there.
The south part of Stapleton in which we were renting had compost service. Our newfangled area doesn't and I'm not going to have a compost heap in a corner of the yard so that the 1 year old can climb directly into it. :D



I live just north of the northeast-most blue area.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,847
12,835
In a van.... down by the river
<snip> Our newfangled area doesn't and I'm not going to have a compost heap in a corner of the yard so that the 1 year old can climb directly into it. :D
Yeah I'd recommend against a heap - neighbor across the street had his heap spontaneously combust and a visit from the local fire department was required. And a new fence.

The compost boxes are pretty cheap, though. At least I think it was. :think:

:D
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
Just curious... how many of you have a pension in addition to your 401K? I was the last generation of trainees in my company to get both, a 50% match up to 6% and a qualified pension. It makes saving easy.
 
Last edited:

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,405
7,793
Only defined contribution plans for me and my generation. Defined benefit plans are a relic, as nice as they were.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,102
1,153
NC
No pension here.

Between 401k/IRA/liquid savings, I was saving around 30-35% of my gross income. I'm assuming nothing is going to be left of social security by the time I retire, and will just be pleasantly surprised if there is.

@Pesqueeb Fi has been awesome. It's unbelievably nice to not have to seek out local SIM cards every time I switch countries. Plus, Fi just uncapped (or nearly uncapped) the data speeds while traveling, so I now have a lot of LTE and HSPA+.

Only hiccups have been no Wi-Fi calling in Thailand and Russia because of some stupid agreements, and in Mongolia, I had to keep forcing it back on one particular provider otherwise I lost data. Oh, and no coverage in Laos and Vietnam, but I knew that before I left.

Pretty much everything else is sunshine and roses.
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
Pension. 2.7%@55. I also pay into a city 457, a Retirement Health Savings plan, my own Roth IRA and have some cash in the stock market.
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,654
7,331
Colorado
Just curious... how many of you have a pension in addition to your 401K? I was the last generation of trainees in my company to get both, a 50% match up to 6% and a qualified pension. It makes saving easy.
They basically don't exist outside of public employment at this time. Private companies that have them tend to not adjust for inflation, so they effectively force people to pull their money into an IRA so as to avoid getting consumed by inflation.
 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,364
8,946
Crawlorado
I have a pension from my time at a former company. I started there in 2008 and was the last group to get that benefit. Current estimate = $400 monthly.
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,654
7,331
Colorado
I have a pension from my time at a former company. I started there in 2008 and was the last group to get that benefit. Current estimate = $400 monthly.
Which in 30 years will be a rounding error to your income.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,102
1,153
NC
I actually had a job ~10 years ago that had a proper pension.

The problem is, if I had remained at that job, I would have burned down the office.

Which would tend to affect my ability to collect said pension.