Are you Really Saving?

Filed in archive on February 16, 2006

Lately there has been some news that has been quietly circulating concerning the state of the saving rates of Americans. Are you aware that we are spending more than we make for only the second time in american history? We are actually at a -0.5% savings rate. The last time this occurred was during the great depression.

What's even more interesting, I found some pundit talking on a show the other day that was giving all the rational reasons why this was okay, even found some online clowns advocating the same thing. Don't worry, just keep spending more than you make or take in. Now unless you have some taxing authority.... You get the point.

Here's what is said at Free Money Finance in reference to the same thing?

"I've said over and over again that the key to growing your net worth lies more in controlling your expenses, spending less than you earn, and saving money than in making more money, maximizing your investments, and the like. Unfortunately, saving money is much less exciting, so it doesn't get as much attention. However, the good news is that it's much more controllable than growing your income -- which is great for those of us who truly want to maximize our retirement savings."

I've talked about this recently concerning the fact that all of the stories we hear about investing really focus in on what we should be putting only a small amount of our funds in. Why? They tend to deal with what draws eyeballs, what attracts attention. While that's fine if you want to be entertained or enjoy the writing, it's another thing to take it as something that you should put a whole lot of your funds into. Investing just shouldn't be that exciting. If it is you might as well go to Vegas.

Quoting Motley Fool here's how it's summed up:

"Of course, I don't want anyone out there to think I'm advocating lackluster investing. In the best of all possible worlds, you save like crazy and you earn like crazy, too. But the point remains, for beginning investors and retirement savers, the real key to future riches is finding money to save from yourself, not finding a couple of extra percentage points worth of market returns."

I couldn't say it better myself!