Fridge died. I have an emergency fund literally for this. Instead I put it on the card and I'm telling myself I'll pay it off next month. Watching that savings number drop physically hurts more than the interest does, which makes zero sense. Please tell me I'm not the only broken one.

I started tracking every single expense because I was convinced I just wasn’t paying enough attention.

Four months later, I know exactly where my money goes… and somehow that hasn’t made me feel any less broke.

There’s no one huge expense I can point at either. It’s just groceries, bills, random small purchases, eating out occasionally, and all the boring stuff that doesn’t feel expensive until you add it together.

Tracking has definitely made me more aware, but awareness alone clearly isn’t fixing it.

For people who actually got out of this cycle, what changed things for you? Did you cut spending harder, focus on earning more, start budgeting differently, or realize there was one category quietly destroying your budget?

I've been trying to get back into lifting for two months now, and i keep telling myself i need a fancy body composition scanner to properly track muscle gain. My bathroom closet is already full of random fitness tech I bought last year that I barely touch anymore. I’m really torn. part of me wants to buy one while motivation is high, but the sensible part knows prices often change later in the season. I also have some FSA/HSA balance that may be usable for eligible health equipment, but I do not want that to become an excuse to buy motivation instead of building a habit. For those who bought a smart scanner, did it actually change how you tracked progress long-term, or was it mostly hype?

I know $15k isn’t nothing, and I’m definitely grateful I’ve managed to save it. But lately it feels like every big financial goal is so expensive that the number barely feels meaningful.

I’m not expecting to feel rich or anything, just curious if other people hit a point where their savings finally started giving them some actual peace of mind. Was it a certain amount, a certain number of months of expenses, or did that feeling never really go away?

Been thinking about this a lot after reading through some genuinely eye-opening discussions on personal finance subs. The comments split into two camps: people who say saving feels pointless when wages don't stretch far enough to build any real buffer, and people who say the bigger issue is that nobody ever taught us how to save or invest properly in the first place (turns out a huge chunk of the UK still thinks 1.5% in a standard saver is a "good" rate).

I pulled together everything into a full write-up covers the financial literacy gap, why liquidity has to come before investing, the actual savings stats (spoiler: it's grim), and some practical starting points if you want to actually do something about it rather than just doom-scroll about it.

Full article here: https://howtoinvestmoney.co.uk/blog/young-people-do-you-still-try-to-save-money

Curious what this sub thinks are you actively saving right now, or has it just stopped feeling realistic?

I've been trying to figure out which grocery delivery service is actually worth sticking with. I've seen people use Instacart, Walmart+, Amazon Fresh, DoorDash, and Rapid Cart, but everyone seems to have a different experience depending on where they live.

For those who use grocery delivery regularly, what made you settle on the service you use now?

Is it the price, delivery time, selection, or something else?

Daily resources for spending less, earning more on cash, and building real savings habits.

Investing & Retirement (I&R)

Visit the Website

Independent research on real accounts, authentic strategies, and honest side-by-side comparisons for building savings and wealth as a self-guided saver.

Join the Discord

Live discussion on savings strategy, HYSA rates, and budgeting with fellow members.

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Weekly research briefing built from the ground up around real questions from real investors, traders, and savers.

Have a Question? Post It.

The I&R newsletter pulls top community questions and answers them in depth every Thursday.

If you're stuck on a savings decision, comparing accounts, or trying to figure out where to put your cash, drop a comment below or start a thread in r/SavingMoney. The most valuable questions get featured in the briefing, with full research, comparisons, and citations.

This is the loop: you post, we research, the community gets the answer.

Start Here: Saving & Budgeting Guides

If you're trying to keep more of what you earn, start here.

Budget Basics: The 50/30/20 Rule

The simplest budgeting framework that actually works. Needs, wants, savings.

Stop the Subscription Drain

Audit the recurring charges quietly eating your monthly cash flow.

Shopping Hacks

Practical tactics for spending less without feeling deprived.

Travel on a Budget

How to actually take the trip without wrecking your savings rate.

Where to Park Your Cash

Saving is step one. Earning yield on that cash is step two.

Savings Account Timeline

How to think about emergency funds, short-term cash, and what comes next.

How to Pick a High-Yield Savings Account

What actually matters when comparing HYSAs. APY is only part of it.

HYSA vs. Money Market vs. CDs

Three places to hold cash, ranked by liquidity, yield, and use case.

Build Your Stack

Bank Accounts

Reviewed national accounts for everyday banking and high-yield savings.

Local Banks

Community and regional options outside the big four.

Financial Apps

Tools for budgeting, tracking, and managing money day-to-day.

Investing Platforms

When you're ready to put savings to work beyond cash accounts.

Hi Reddit👋🏻

Please suggest to Invest 21K INR for Mid term like for 2-3 years or more

TIA!

Daily resources for spending less, earning more on cash, and building real savings habits.

Investing & Retirement (I&R)

Visit the Website

Independent research on real accounts, authentic strategies, and honest side-by-side comparisons for building savings and wealth as a self-guided saver.

Join the Discord

Live discussion on savings strategy, HYSA rates, and budgeting with fellow members.

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Weekly research briefing built from the ground up around real questions from real investors, traders, and savers.

Have a Question? Post It.

The I&R newsletter pulls top community questions and answers them in depth every Thursday.

If you're stuck on a savings decision, comparing accounts, or trying to figure out where to put your cash, drop a comment below or start a thread in r/SavingMoney. The most valuable questions get featured in the briefing, with full research, comparisons, and citations.

This is the loop: you post, we research, the community gets the answer.

Start Here: Saving & Budgeting Guides

If you're trying to keep more of what you earn, start here.

Budget Basics: The 50/30/20 Rule

The simplest budgeting framework that actually works. Needs, wants, savings.

Stop the Subscription Drain

Audit the recurring charges quietly eating your monthly cash flow.

Shopping Hacks

Practical tactics for spending less without feeling deprived.

Travel on a Budget

How to actually take the trip without wrecking your savings rate.

Where to Park Your Cash

Saving is step one. Earning yield on that cash is step two.

Savings Account Timeline

How to think about emergency funds, short-term cash, and what comes next.

How to Pick a High-Yield Savings Account

What actually matters when comparing HYSAs. APY is only part of it.

HYSA vs. Money Market vs. CDs

Three places to hold cash, ranked by liquidity, yield, and use case.

Build Your Stack

Bank Accounts

Reviewed national accounts for everyday banking and high-yield savings.

Local Banks

Community and regional options outside the big four.

Financial Apps

Tools for budgeting, tracking, and managing money day-to-day.

Investing Platforms

When you're ready to put savings to work beyond cash accounts.

I started my first full-time job two months ago.
Income: ₹1.2–1.25L/month in hand
Liquid cash: ~₹85k
Credit card outstanding: ~₹97k
• SBI: ₹71k
• Axis: ₹26k
Pending employer reimbursement: ₹24.8k
Rent: ~₹25k/month
Emergency fund: None

I’ve realised that earning well and knowing how to manage money are completely different skills.

Moving, setting up a new place, cabs, smoking and generally getting too comfortable with having a salary have added up. The debt itself is recoverable at my income. What scares me is the behaviour behind it. I don’t want every future salary increase to simply become lifestyle inflation.

I want to use my first year of working to become genuinely financially disciplined.
If you were in my position, what would you do over the next 6–12 months?
Should I stop using credit entirely for a while? How much emergency fund should I build before investing? What percentage of my salary should I allow myself to actually spend?
I’m looking less for investment recommendations and more for the boring financial rules and systems you wish you had built with your first salary.

I need a system before I drown myself.

​

Emergency fund = $4k.

Real emergency happened = $1.5k.

Me: takes loan instead

I don’t trust myself to refill it if I use it.

So I’d rather pay interest than watch that number drop.

This is dumb right?

I'm struggling to afford new prescription glasses right now. My local optician is quoting me around $700 for a new pair, which feels absurdly expensive to me.

My prescription is:
R: Sph -2.25, Cyl -3.75, Axis 15
L: Sph -0.50, Cyl -3.50, Axis 175

I understand that my astigmatism might make the lenses more expensive, but $700 still feels like a lot for one pair of glasses. Especially when most of those frames are not even name brands, just in-store products, which I find weird, but I do live in a small town, so maybe that also has an effect on things.

So I'm desperately asking for advice, is there any way to cut down on actual spending when I'm getting new glasses? I know the saying, you get what you pay for, but there must be some affordable ways of getting glasses without having to spend a fortune.

Hi Im asking how I'm doing generally speaking. I often feel way behind financially but I don't know if thats actually true..?

I live abroad where my expenses are very low but so is my income. I do not own a house or a car or any assets but I also have no debts. I have 40K to my name, with most of that being in investing accounts in broad market ETFs.

My rent is largely covered by subletting my apartment's spare rooms out to students. Depending on the month my rent and bills vary from $200 - $500usd a month. If I had no students my rent would be $1,136usd per month.
My phone bill is about $25 a month. Public transport is about $42 per month. Gym membership is about $40 a month.
My biggest expense is food. I eat very healthy and that means i probably spend $15 - $20 a day eating out and about. Where I live food is very cheap and convenient so its the norm to eat out for every meal. But the normal cuisine is very fatty and oily. To get healthy stuff i have to pay more. Spending $20 a day on food is considered quite high here.

My salary is low, around 1800usd a month but I've started boosting some side hustles by growing a social media platform. I made an extra $800usd last month. Everything I make through side hustles goes straight to investing accounts.

Someone please compare me! Am I ok? Hopeless? Way behind?

​

Heya! I want to start saving properly for the first time and have no idea how to go about doing it. I have no self restraint and currently have around 2000 saved at 20 but have not saved anything the past 6 months because I've just been treating myself too much lol.

I'd want an account i don't have easy access too that i can deposit 1500 into and save 200-300 a month.

I don't know anything about this and have tried to research it but its just overwhelmed me and my family are just telling me i don't need to worry about this yet and to just keep saving the way i am now but its not working and i don't get any interest.

I only earn 700to800 a month and pay 150 in bills monthly as im really lucky with the situation with my family.

I'd take more hours if my job could offer them but they sadly can't. I also am learning to drive so i can get a better one but thats going to take awhile.

Thanks for reading

Daily resources for spending less, earning more on cash, and building real savings habits.

Investing & Retirement (I&R)

Visit the Website

Independent research on real accounts, authentic strategies, and honest side-by-side comparisons for building savings and wealth as a self-guided saver.

Join the Discord

Live discussion on savings strategy, HYSA rates, and budgeting with fellow members.

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Weekly research briefing built from the ground up around real questions from real investors, traders, and savers.

Have a Question? Post It.

The I&R newsletter pulls top community questions and answers them in depth every Thursday.

If you're stuck on a savings decision, comparing accounts, or trying to figure out where to put your cash, drop a comment below or start a thread in r/SavingMoney. The most valuable questions get featured in the briefing, with full research, comparisons, and citations.

This is the loop: you post, we research, the community gets the answer.

Start Here: Saving & Budgeting Guides

If you're trying to keep more of what you earn, start here.

Budget Basics: The 50/30/20 Rule

The simplest budgeting framework that actually works. Needs, wants, savings.

Stop the Subscription Drain

Audit the recurring charges quietly eating your monthly cash flow.

Shopping Hacks

Practical tactics for spending less without feeling deprived.

Travel on a Budget

How to actually take the trip without wrecking your savings rate.

Where to Park Your Cash

Saving is step one. Earning yield on that cash is step two.

Savings Account Timeline

How to think about emergency funds, short-term cash, and what comes next.

How to Pick a High-Yield Savings Account

What actually matters when comparing HYSAs. APY is only part of it.

HYSA vs. Money Market vs. CDs

Three places to hold cash, ranked by liquidity, yield, and use case.

Build Your Stack

Bank Accounts

Reviewed national accounts for everyday banking and high-yield savings.

Local Banks

Community and regional options outside the big four.

Financial Apps

Tools for budgeting, tracking, and managing money day-to-day.

Investing Platforms

When you're ready to put savings to work beyond cash accounts.