this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2024

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115

How are you doing financially? (lemm.ee)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I read that half of Americans couldn’t cover an unexpected $1,000 expense. This sounds crazy to me. I understand that poverty exists, but the idea that an adult with a job doesn’t even have that amount saved up seems really strange.

What’s your relationship or philosophy with money? What do you credit for your financial success, or alternatively, what do you blame for your failures?

For the extra brave ones: how much savings do you have, and what are you planning to do with them?

(page 3) 38 comments

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

No debts, but I burned through all my work coping mechanisms on the way to paying them off, burned out badly and now I can barely look after myself, let alone do things for someone else.

Luckily, if you can call it luck, at least one of the benefits agencies of my country (can't really say government as they don't change much if at all when the government does) agrees with my self-assessment and is providing me a pittance to live on. If I still had a mortgage (or rent) though, I'd be f--ked. Then again maybe I'd qualify for some other kind of assistance. I don't exactly want to have to find out.

One of the other agencies largely implied that all I needed was a nagging wife and I'd be A-OK. Yeah, no, that's not how mental illness works. Pretty sure at least one of us would end up in the ground. Probably just me, because I don't think I could bring myself to harm anyone else.

But, to drag this back on topic, I have some funds put by for emergencies, which might cover me a couple of times. After that, well, I try not to think about it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

It is crazy given my healthcare costs are 2k. I pretty much have a monthly nut of 6k and my wife and I do not live a lavish lifestyle oh and I won't be able to work much more before I will have to figure out retirement. I will be in ruin if I can't produce thousands a month.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Started paying off debt, saving, and investing consistently over 25 years ago. It has really worked out, and my wife and I are more financially secure than most. Even still, we're one health crisis away from potential bankruptcy, because we live in the United States.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Average at best.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

we're fiiinnneeeee. could be better

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I'm tied down by one financial anchor and have opted to add two more smaller ones on top of that for giggles. I live very comfortably paycheck to paycheck, if I need to save for anything I can fairly easily put away around 3k a month. I can afford a random 1k expense without issue, currently anything above 2k would be a bit tougher, but still manageable.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Are you saving for retirement?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

every time I read one of those statistics, I feel the same way.

I'm doing very well relative to that statistic.

I live fairly simply, but I don't consider myself particularly frugal.

I like traveling, learning, eating, watching and reading stuff, and making things, which are all pretty cheap interests.

If I were to credit anything with my financial success, it would be a practiced awareness of financial opportunity and persistently learning about and attempting every viable opportunity I'm interested in to gain a practical knowledge of cost-benefit streams.

I've tried many ways to make money and work less, and some of them worked out.

I'm traveling this year, so I save most of my income, and with the IRS' FEIE I don't pay income tax(up to 120k).

I have a few investments and some ten thousands accruing interest.

i don't have immediate plans, but I want to buy some land at some point, basically so I have more area to build stuff and make stuff, sign up for cryonics and get a new electric bike or the Aptera if it every goes into production.

c'mon aptera.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (3 children)

It’s a difficult subject to discuss without sounding like you’re either bragging or talking down to those less well off.

I recently bought a new-to-me truck. I paid in cash, and if I wanted to, I could’ve bought two more. If I liquidated my investments, I could have bought three more, so six in total. I’m self-employed now, but I built all my wealth while working for a (plumbing) company where I was surrounded by people earning twice as much as I did. Yet, these are the people who need to finance their cars, have massive mortgages, and are always in a bad mood due to stress.

I understand that some people have been really unlucky and struggle to improve their financial position despite their best efforts, but these aren’t the people I’m talking about when I wonder how a working-age person can’t come up with a thousand bucks for an unexpected expense. I hardly even consider that a lot of money.

but I want to buy some land at some point, basically so I have more area to build stuff and make stuff.

I feel you there. What kind of things would you like to build? For me, it’s things like a rainwater harvesting system, solar/wind power, a pond with a pier and sauna, a chicken coop, a heated workshop with a car lift, a root cellar... I basically have an infinite list of projects I'd like to pursue.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (6 children)

I have 1k euro left. No job, 35 years old. I wanna kill myself sometimes.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Barely surviving, but not from everyday expenses. Got two kids in college and this year FAFSA decided not to give any help to anyone so all expenses are on me.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

It sounds crazy to you because you have apparently had success handed to you through no work or special virtue of your own. Maybe get out of your comfy bubble a bit

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