• Chef@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    165
    ·
    2 months ago

    Take care of your fucking teeth.

    Take care of your fucking teeth.

    And once more, for the folks who don’t get it…

    Take care of your fucking teeth.

  • BeefPiano@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    113
    arrow-down
    9
    ·
    2 months ago

    Start saving for retirement now. You can make literally millions by putting away 10% of your income early on. Do it automatically so you never even notice the money gone.

    If you are worried about making the wrong choice and your company doesn’t have a 401k, open an IRA somewhere (Fidelity if you need someone to make the decision for you) and pick a date targeted fund. Set up auto deposit. Never look at the balance.

    You can always make it better later but for now the best thing to do is start. Don’t let analysis paralysis get in the way.

    • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      47
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      2 months ago

      If 20 year old me put away 10% of her income, it would just mean borrowing more. Current me would just have more debt and be worse off than now.

      • Sanctus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        42
        ·
        2 months ago

        Yeah a lot of people in there twenties can’t even spare 5%. I’m thirty and I can’t.

        • Tak@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          2 months ago

          “Save money for retirement” Yeah so I can pick up painting? The only thing I’ll be able to paint is the ceiling if I want to retire.

        • Juvyn00b@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          2 months ago

          Some companies in the US have a deal to where they match on 401k. One such organization puts in 5% for your 2%. Two percent is low enough it wouldn’t be a hit to almost any cash in your pocket given that the money is taken out pre tax.

    • anon6789@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      40
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      2 months ago

      I don’t want to come off as insensitive, so I’ll try to phrase things carefully.

      If you have even the slightest spare money per pay period, like $30, and a 401k or 403b is offered to you, you really need to do it.

      That money comes out of your check before taxes, so you will be investing more money than what actually comes out of your check. By deduction 6% of a $15/hr full time job, you’re putting in $36, but your paycheck will only go down about $30-free money!

      Many places will match you some, say half of that first 6%, so now you’re saving $54 while only being out $30. You’ve almost doubled your money in one week!

      Come tax time, you’ve saved $1872, and you’ve been given a free $936. It doesn’t stop there though, because now you only are paying income tax on $29,328 instead of $31,200. If you get a tax rebate now, you will get even more back!

      So now you’re saving $2808 a year at age 20. Let’s put that in one mutual fund, a SP500 index fund. Over the last 10 years, that has returned 12‰, but let’s be conservative and call it 10. If you never make a cent more per hour, by age 65, you will have saved $84,000 and your job has chipped in $42,000, over a year’s pay! But with that 10% compound interest, you have $2,000,000! You are a multi-millionaire for $30/wk!

      If you get a raise or get a better job in the future, this number can be even higher.

      Please keep this in mind. Even if you can’t do it now, do it ASAP. Here are the same numbers, but starting at 30 instead of 20.

      Still amazing, but seeing this difference is why we older on ones tell you not saving earlier was our big regret.

      I hope this was helpful and doesn’t get taken as a “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” thing.

      • EuroNutellaMan@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        13
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        2 months ago

        Yes that’s cool and all but I have to pay rent and food and as things stand now the average salary is like enough to cover ⅓ of the rent