After 401k investments, how much do you save a month for a cash reserve?

[The_Karen_Cooper_Incident]

I'm currently putting in 11% into the 401k and trying my best to save money in case the zombies come.  I'm putting about 15 to 20% of my take home pay, into a savings account as well (saving for a car).  I'm also buying a few ounces of silver a month.

Questions:

How much do you guys save monthly, percentage wise?  

Should I take my monthly savings and invest it somewhere else, even though it's short term savings for a car?

Is Page really a hippy?

Should I buy some gold?  You know this economy is eventually going to collapse.  You just know it is!

SF

[bikeman564™]

I'm not sure. I have 12% going into my 401k. The rest is direct deposited into the general fund. From that I pay bills, food, bike stuff, H&B. So what's left is what's left.

Short term you may try a CD. I believe you're safe w/ precious metals.

[petitepedal ★]

You mean after I pay the bills?

Seriously..I actually have 3 savings accounts...they are not huge...I am trying not to take from them for other payments..and let them build..one is just titled savings, one is vacation and one is auto...the auto is a small amount now... heck they are all small.... I am hoping in another year....to have enough saved to do flooring....

[ChrisL]

Other than 401K where I have 10% going in we really aren't saving much.  My wife was out of work for several months so we are paying down some bills that came up during that period.  We had the good fortune to receive two inheritance checks in the past 10 years.  Not enough to retire on but we stashed most of the $ away and have about a year's salary in reserve for a rainy day. 

[TrentonMakes]

We save what we can per month, but expenses are pretty variable so I don't think there's any kind of percentage, or even a percentage goal.

Do they say you should have six months' worth of income saved, just in case?  We're at maybe 3 or 4 months.  We recently sprang to upgrade the rest of the windows in the house so savings took a little hit with that.

I put 8% into my 401K and the company kicks in another 4%. 

[The_Karen_Cooper_Incident]

18 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

I'm not sure. I have 12% going into my 401k. The rest is direct deposited into the general fund. From that I pay bills, food, bike stuff, H&B. So what's left is what's left.

Short term you may try a CD. I believe you're safe w/ precious metals.

Damn you!  You are betting Couch regarding the 401k!  Now I have to put 13% in!

SF

[bikeman564™]

6 minutes ago, Shu Fang said:

Damn you!  You are betting Couch regarding the 401k!  Now I have to put 13% in!

SF

I just upped mine to 14% (not really). But I will up it in the future. I had 10% for a long time, but since I have no car payment I bumped it up.

[TrentonMakes]

5 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

I just upped mine to 14% (not really). But I will up it in the future. I had 10% for a long time, but since I have no car payment I bumped it up.

"I will up mine if you....."

[maddmaxx ★]

I'm on the other side of the hill.

[2Far ★]

10% into the(k) at the moment, 4 weeks in. 

Just came off of 13 weeks of being unemployed, 5 months of COBRA payments and Wo2 hasn't worked full time in about 5 years (none in the last 18 months). 

Have about 20 weeks of cash reserve at the moment. 

 

Gone are the the days of project O/T work. I maxxed (k) savings 2 years in a row & put 26 weeks into savings. 

Oh yeah, hip and heart cath expenses too 

[goldendesign]

Since my job has no insurance, 401k, or other benefits implied our while nest egg sits in a few investments. My wife puts max 401k that is still matched which I believe is 12%.

Our expenses vary too much to put a percentage equally throughout the year. But in general we put another 10% for municipal bonds, 10% for straight savings and I save all my commission checks in a refinance/vacation fund.

The commission checks are routinely 25% or more of my salary so as long as I keep hitting goals we are good on savings.

[Square Wheels]

I'm supposed to save?  I have a tiny 403b.

I had a decent amount saved in the bank, then the IRS felt we hadn't paid enough in taxes, so I lost all of that.  I had a friend who was working really hard to retire by 50.  She died of brain cancer in her late 30's never have really lived.

I am a little reckless, but I want to be happy while I am young and fit.  If I need to work a little longer, so be it.  There might not be a tomorrow.  I can only live today and control today.

[BuffJim]

12% into the 401 (k), 7% and 5% match.

Not a whole lot else. Hoping to turn the corner soon, but something always comes up.

[Kirby]

If you're saving for a car in the near future, I wouldn't put the money anywhere you could lose it to investment fluctuations.  As long as your savings account is paying some interest, it's probably fine.  If not, look into an online savings account that pays something - although none of the accounts are going to pay a lot in this interest rate environment.

I'd also suggest you look at your investment totals.  How much do you have in silver vs. your other savings.  Typically you never want one investment to be too high a percentage of your overall savings (although typically a more diversified investment such as a broad total stock market index or target date retirement fund, can be a higher percentage). 

[Dirtyhip]

20% in 403b, Plus maxing out 2 ROTHs, a hefty emergency fund, and paying boatloads to the house to pay it off within the year. We have really low overhead.  We've been thinking about buying a third house, but I sort of like the idea of not owing a person in the world, besides the bastards in the IRS and insurance people.  

Once we pay off the house, we can probably save 60% of our salaries or more.  

We haven't been traveling by plane lately, because we play with our trailer and camp.  Our only splurge is bikes and gourmet food, which I prepare at home.  We don't eat out.  We are simple people.

[Page Turner]

2 hours ago, Shu Fang said:

  I'm also buying a few ounces of silver a month.

 

Is Page really a hippy?

Should I buy some gold?  You know this economy is eventually going to collapse.  You just know it is!

SF

...all the smart hippies put their investment savings in index fund accounts, like Vanguard. Gold and silver is the investment advice for people who think the world will end soon, but have not clearly thought ought their end of the world strategy.  But if you feel the need to keep a bug-out bag over in the hall closet, I'm not gonna rain on your apocalypse.

[The_Karen_Cooper_Incident]

Just now, Page Turner said:

...all the smart hippies put their investment savings in index fund accounts, like Vanguard. Gold and silver is the investment advice for people who think the world will end soon, but have not clearly thought ought their end of the world strategy.  But if you feel the need to keep a bug-out bag over in the hall closet, I'm not gonna rain on your apocalypse.

I have 10,000 rounds, enough food for six months and enough silver coins to own half of California.

The world is coming to and end.  And it's all because of the hippies.

SF

[Page Turner]

...if you go on the Calguns board, and tell them you have 10,000 rounds, there are preppers there who will laugh at you until the tears roll down their cheeks.  Paying off the house is not a bad idea, though.

[Dirtyhip]

I just want to be debt free.  We have some food storage, but not that much.  I will be one of the early casualties. Being thin, will make one die quickly.

[Page Turner]

3 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said:

  I will be one of the early casualties. Being thin, will make one die quickly.

...you'll be out there on the street with all the Victoria's Secret models.

[Page Turner]

...I have no huge food stockpiles either, and figure we will just barbecue the neighbors. They should go well with beans, many of them being of ample girth.

[The_Karen_Cooper_Incident]

6 hours ago, Page Turner said:

...I have no huge food stockpiles either, and figure we will just barbecue the neighbors. They should go well with beans, many of them being of ample girth.

You bastard!   You would actually eat people? 

SF 

[bikeman564™]

6 hours ago, Dirtyhip said:

I just want to be debt free.  We have some food storage, but not that much.  I will be one of the early casualties. Being thin, will make one die quickly.

Me to, but I'm still a ways of paying my mortgage off, which is my only debt.

[Airehead]

403b filled each year.  We try to live on one income and save the other for a rainy day, large expenses like cars or septic systems, or such like that.  I think we do a varied portfolio that is not conservative nor aggressive overall.  You'd have to ask Einstein for the details.  M idea of income management is managing to remember to bring home my pay records and receipts. 

[petitepedal ★]

Let me introduce you to my accountants......Peter and Paul   I rob Peter to pay Paul  or well whatever......

[Randomguy]

9 hours ago, Shu Fang said:

How much do you guys save monthly, percentage wise?  

Zero.  I am deep in debt and no relief on the horizon.  Fml.

[Further]

Counting whats in the car seats?

[Page Turner]

36 minutes ago, Shu Fang said:

You bastard!   You would actually eat people? 

SF 

...how hungry am I  ?

[Airehead]

9 minutes ago, Randomguy said:

Zero.  I am deep in debt and no relief on the horizon.  Fml.

I promise you that it will get better as you get older.

[BR46]

Ever since our one and only son graduated college and moved away we are able to put about half of our gross income away for retirement. 

We are debt free and and always lived simple and cheep. It's not material things or a big house that make us happy but I do have some hobbies that I like to spend money on. 

We are toying with the idea of working part time or seasonal jobs in a few years so we can have more time to do what we like.  We been having fun traveling to different places for mountain and road biking. 

[Wilbur ★]

I like to have 3 years emergency cash and short term investments available.

[2Far ★]

2 hours ago, Airehead said:

I promise you that it will get better as you get older.

He is older. Now what?

[Road Runner]

11 hours ago, Page Turner said:

 Gold and silver is the investment advice for people who think the world will end soon, but have not clearly thought ought their end of the world strategy.

If civilized society collapses or even if the dollar becomes nearly worthless, who is going to want your silver and gold and what are they going to give you in return that will be of any value to you?  Precious metals won't help you when everything collapses and you are just concentrating on staying alive.

[maddmaxx ★]

3 hours ago, Tim Burr said:

If civilized society collapses or even if the dollar becomes nearly worthless, who is going to want your silver and gold and what are they going to give you in return that will be of any value to you?  Precious metals won't help you when everything collapses and you are just concentrating on staying alive.

You can pick up many history books and read about people in Europe selling off their valuables like gold, art etc just to stay alive.  It's amazing how little the "valuable" things became in terms of food.

[The_Karen_Cooper_Incident]

9 hours ago, Wilbur said:

I like to have 3 years emergency cash and short term investments available.

Can Couch live in your basement? 

Dad! 

SF 

[Square Wheels]

I would survive for a couple of weeks, then I'm eating cat food.

[Guest]

Currently we each save 15% a month. On top of that we have an emergency savings with about 5K in it. We also have close to 18 months worth of expenses in a separate savings. When we first started really budgeting our money 10-12 years ago we had some pretty lean times but it's really paying off now. Not that we have a ton of disposable income but we're pretty comfortable. Thanks Dave Ramsey.

[Chris...]

We max out the matched contributions on 401k and also on Roth IRA's. Sometimes I feel we are investment poor. I hope I don't die before I get to retire.

[Wilbur ★]

1 hour ago, Square Wheels said:

I would survive for a couple of weeks, then I'm eating cat.

Cat food is too expensive. 

[Chris...]

1 hour ago, Zackny said:

Currently we each save 15% a month. On top of that we have an emergency savings with about 5K in it. We also have close to 18 months worth of expenses in a separate savings. When we first started really budgeting our money 10-12 years ago we had some pretty lean times but it's really paying off now. Not that we have a ton of disposable income but we're pretty comfortable. Thanks Dave Ramsey.

Same here with the Dave Ramsey