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?

  • OceanSoap
    5·
    2 months ago

    I can currently cover a $1000 expense, but if something else happens that costs that much I’ll have to use my credit card, and if a third thing happens I’m fucked.

    My relationship with money isn’t good (“not wise” might be a better term), and now that I know my parents as an adult, I understand that both of them are terrible with money. Do I blame them? I try not to, but sometimes that’s hard when I see how they continue to make poor $$ choices. My mom constantly made over 6 figures for a good portion of her later life, but now can’t work, and she has nothing but social security to live off of. Through the years she’s used up all her retirement and savings a few times on things like saving houses she eventually loses anyway.

    My dad just dropped the news that he owes 80k to the IRS because he’s been pulling from his retirement for years now to sustain his lifestyle in a high-cost area.

    Myself? I didn’t really get my shit together financially until I was in my mid 30s. Mostly my fault, though there were a few things that happened outside of my control that forced me to “start over” financially. That’s life.

    My relationship with money now is respectful. I take the time and care to slowly work my way through understanding what to do and how to do it. I only have one credit card and it’s a low amount, so it can’t get wildly out of control but it’s there if I need it.

    Right now I’ve got around 1.5k in savings (not including my 401/Roth). My plan is to save up to 10k for an emergency fund and then start to invest what I save up after that.

    I listen to a lot of Caleb Hammer on YouTube. It helps, haha.

    • Wes4Humanity@lemm.ee
      2·
      2 months ago

      Same… Except my parents were teachers, so we were poor, because society is crap and doesn’t pay teachers what they should be getting paid

      • OceanSoap
        2·
        2 months ago

        My mom was a speech therapist in schools and my dad was an aerospace engineer. Theoretically they should have a very cushy retirement life. Nope.