Save more, live well, give generously
The Tax Foundation just released new research that shows how much $100 is worth in each state. When accounting for living expenses, purchasing power, and taxes, the organization found that your money’s value varies greatly from state to state. In fact, if you have that money in Mississippi, it’s equal to about $115.74, when compared to the national average. Or, if you live in D.C., that only equals $84.60!
How does your state compare?
When I had nearly $40,000 in student loans, every purchase felt like an impediment to conquering my debt. It was debt on debt. A tragic snowball effect, each item cost more than the sticker price — every time. I didn’t think I could leave this cyclical world — doomed to mistakes for decades to come.
I was dissatisfied with my spending choices. For instance, after my first installment of student loans, I promptly bought new furniture for my apartment and splurged for a nice car (made possible by another loan). Oh, the humanity! I was making some horrible decisions.
I had entered the world of debt without an escape plan. And I just kept spending. Then, a major wakeup call hit me: debt could prevent me from living the life I want to lead. Excessive student loans would nearly force me into certain career trajectories, as well. I wanted to make a change, but still saw little hope of reducing my debt (while in graduate school).
With greater financial literacy and competency, I developed an eagerness to make some sort of change. One of the largest lessons in the personal finance world is compounding your gains via interest, dividends, and other regular income. Essentially, you earn a regular income from your investments, which can then build even more wealth. By using this method of saving and building income, your money will work for you. It’s a brilliantly simple way of making sure you continue to amass wealth. I wanted to make this happen.
Unfortunately, I was filled with dread, as I realized I was on the wrong side of compounded interest. My $40,000 in loans were actively earning interest for banks and the federal government — ranging from 3.5 to 6.8% APR. Money was working for someone else. I was fighting against a sinking ship of debt, which compounded every day. Every day, I ended with less money than I started — even if I didn’t swipe or spend a dime.
When compounded interest is working against you, it feels like the Pacific Ocean’s undertow. You step into that warm water (spend a little bit of money you don’t have), and it slowly takes you out to sea. At first, you don’t notice the gradual loss of sand beneath your feet (the bills beginning to add up). It can be pleasant — relaxing even — to swim (and spend). And as you swim, you lose sight of the shoreline. Suddenly, you’ve been sucked out to sea and it can be hard to see how you get back to square one.
A fluke — one-off — happened to me over the last year-and-a-half. I started Frugaling.org, recreated a rock-solid budget, made more money than ever, and began to invest. The debt was handily defeated. It was at a precipice in my budget — my net worth reached zero, again — when I realized the powerful hold that compounded interest had over me. I was now free from the undertow of debt, and I ran away as fast as I could.
We have a horrific, metastasizing problem in America today: student loan debt. What happens is that people in their late teens and early twenties begin to rack up massive figures before they see their future paychecks. It’s a recipe for disaster, and the country will suffer from this.
Unfortunately, there’s an even bigger problem from delayed income and growing debt: we delay saving and building for retirement. We eschew the benefits of compounded interest — in our favor — and suffer under the debt. This restricts our ability to become entrepreneurial, live healthily, take risks, and build a better future (for ourselves and future generations).
Today, I’m standing on the other side of compounded interest — the one where I steer and control my finances. I feel empowered by it. I don’t necessarily want more and more wealth, but I don’t want to be back in debt ever again.
I’m done with that undertow.
Paul Piff is enemy number one for those who hoard their money. He’s a researcher at the prestigious University of California, Berkeley. What he’s found is that social class predicts “unethical behavior,” and he can show you over a game of Monopoly.
Piff hypothesized that Monopoly could be a powerful proxy for real life — modelling wealth generation and headstarts. Essentially, some people are born into wealthy families, while others aren’t. In a lab setting, Piff gave one participant more money to start, with some wealth generation benefits. The other participant was forced to play with one die — mimicking the many constraints and disabilities that a person may suffer through life.
Despite these artificial constraints, wealthier participants tended to hoard their money and would often refuse to share in their winnings. They tended to enjoy and laugh at others’ troubles. Being poor was seen as a bummer that the wealthier individual needn’t change.
This all centers on a fundamental question about generosity. When you have more, you actually tend to give less as a percentage of your income. That can be shocking to find out, when people see tremendous dollar amounts being given from select individuals.
Nothing captures this phenomenon better than the preceding video. In it, Sam Pepper — a YouTube personality — attempts to get a piece of pizza from paying customers. After being told “no” multiple times, he decides to ask a homeless person. Despite having very little, that individual willingly obliges.
We need to fundamentally change our understanding of what it means to be generous and wealthy. Too frequently, we aim for wealth generation without thinking about the responsibility we simultaneously have to give back. People universally deserve equal opportunity for a better life if we are all considered equal as humans.
Making money cannot be the end goal, but what should be? What’s driving you to succeed? What motivates you?
Over the last year, I developed a budget, started making more money than ever, and used credit cards to hack travel costs. I’m more motivated than ever to save money. Using this tactful budgeting and planning, I now have a surplus of savings! After years of bleeding red to student loan debt, it feels deeply satisfying to see the positive, green numbers.
Now that a little nugget of savings has developed, I’m realizing a different anxiety. There are various market actions that can negate your savings plans, and it’s important to protect against them. It seems like every place I look, there are risks for your nascent savings. Today, I wanted to spend some time explaining a few of the risks that await your new wealth.
Pros. The classic paranoid and/or privacy-minded decision is to just stick your extra savings under your bed. My late-grandmother seemed to be deeply concerned about her possible access to funds — likely influenced by the Great Depression — and she would constantly have funds hidden away around the house. I thought this was rather bizarre, but appreciated her desire for some amount of cash in case of emergencies. Most importantly, you are not exposed to stock market risks or banking fees.
Cons. Sticking your little nest egg in a little home safe or inside your mattress comes with some risks, too. Not only is your money literally exposed to the elements (i.e., fire, flood, or other natural disasters), but saving your money at home may be put your household at risk for burglars. Lastly, this decision makes you completely vulnerable to inflation (which is a serious long-term concern), you don’t appreciate from interest, or gain stock market exposure that averages about 7-10% per year.
Pros. Take your paychecks, bonuses, and side income and leave it in your bank account. This could not be easier, and you don’t need to spend any more time deliberating and considering financial decisions. Although, if your money is deposited into checking account, I’d recommend transferring funds to a high-yield, online savings account. You don’t bear any of the stock market risks and there isn’t any risk of loss. All checking and savings accounts are insured through a government organization called the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). The deposit insurance covers each account up to $250,000.
Cons. Even if you’re using a high-yield checking and savings account, you’re likely receiving less than about 1% interest. Inflation is a nasty, hidden force that can eviscerate your savings. For the month of April 2014, inflation in America was about 2.0%. Effectively, just holding it in a bank account will cost you 2% or more if inflation becomes worse.
Pros. Benjamin Franklin really said it best, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Now that I have some savings, I’d like to make the most of it. I want to send my dollars out to work for me. I opened a couple financial accounts, one of which is an E*TRADE brokerage account. With low transaction fees and commission-free ETFs, this was an easy decision. I’ll be making about 7-10% per year, and attempt to invest in high dividend stocks. This method defeats inflation and puts it to work, as I build a little savings.
Cons. Of all the methods mentioned, this is definitely the riskiest. Investing is not free from thievery and scum; hell, I’d prefer a burglar sometimes, as they do less damage. The Dow Jones fell over 50% during the most recent bubble and crash. (Interested in getting an in-depth understanding of the crash? I highly recommend reading The Big Short by Michael Lewis.) Most investors were decimated by the stock market’s movement, which was caused by bubbling housing prices, credit default swaps, and a variety of predatory practices by big banks. By joining this arena, I’m exposed to criminals on the grandest scale.
There’s no perfect, safe place to store and build a savings. Every option contains risks, and it’s important to consider each and every one of them to make the smartest decision for yourself. For me, I’m taking risks and putting my money in the market. I’m young and looking to put my money to work as fast as possible.
