how much do you save?

[jcrow]

just curious

 

[ljmorgan]

We each save 10% of our own salaries pre-tax into our retirement accounts, and also save another 15% of our total after-tax income. So I guess we save around 25% of our net income, a bit more.

 

[jcrow]

whoops. i was suppose to mention not including 401 (k), ira, pension plans, etc. too late now

ah well, still pretty intersting data.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

I voted 20-25%. We each put in 15% (the max) into our individual 401k's, about 10% into our company's stock purchase plan, and then another 5% into our personal investment account. If we have a low-spending month, then we try to put funds into our ING accounts.

Overall, it's probably more than what I indicated on the poll. And sorry- I counted our 401k's!

 

[Independent Gal]

We save 13% in our employer sponsored retirement plan (5% from us, 8% from them). Then 10% of our after tax income into savings accounts + double principle mortgage payments most months. But for the next two years we''ll be on a rampage to save enough for a bigger home, so our plan is to plonk an extra 10% of our after tax income onto the mortgage for a total rate of savings of 13% of before tax income and about 22% of our after tax income.

And not to sound greedy, but we''re really hoping for some generous cheques for the wedding! Otherwise it will be years before we can afford a place with a second bedroom.

 

[piccolascimmia]

Interesting topic! It made me do the math and take a month's salary, adding up various expenses and savings during a typical month. Turns out that I save 22% post tax in an IRA or other brokerage accounts and 17% pre tax in a 401k. Taxes are 24%, insurance 3%, home fixed costs 21% and the rest (13%) I think disappears into the black hole of spending

So a 39% total savings rate makes me feel not so slouchy! I don't know if you ladies feel the same, but I was always the one who thought I wouldn't get married, so in order not to be the crazy and poor cat lady down the street, I had to prepare to support myself in old age because nobody else would...

 

[argh&stuff]

Jen gets on me about this all the time.

She saves really, really well. And she also has less bills, being that her student loan just got paid off. She also makes less than I do, which is quick to point out. Anyway, from every paycheck, she saves 25% into our account, and 10% into her own.

I am only saving about 10% from each paycheck into our account right now, and I only put into my own account when I can, at the end of the month.

Honestly, I''ve been really amazed at how quickly our account has grown. We opened it a month after we married, and we already have more saved than I ever had on my own. Knowing that sort of makes me want to save more, to watch it grow.

That and we''ll need it for our house.