My three children motivate me to save. I want them to have the financial freedoms I did not have growing up. I don't want anything to prevent those dreams from becoming realities for my kids.
Poverty in old age motivates me to save. I haven't been able to save much, so I anticipate having to continue working probably into my seventies. The various jobs I've had throughout my career haven't offered retirement plans, so I've tried to save on my own. It's a little harder to do that than I anticipated. Sometimes I feel like I'm on the Sisyphus savings plan. In short, having not enough is motivation to keep trying.
The short answer is: many things! First is retirement. We are looking to move to a more rural area about an hour away and I want to have a house that's paid for. I have a good bit of equity in our current home, but I want to buy something I can pay off within 10 years. Also, I don't carry a balance on credit cards, so I have several saving funds for car repairs, home repairs, vacation, etc. My goal is to be able to cover expenses as they come up without using a credit card or going into long term savings. Bottom line is that money saved represents freedom & security to me!
I added a comment earlier, but just realized it had to be at least two sentences! Hoping this comment can replace my earlier one.
I'm motivated to save by knowing the peace that comes from being debt-free. I also know that the stress created by debt plays out in my attitude at home; my children don't deserve an unhappy, preoccupied mom. And, of course, my children's future is a great motivator to save.
I did read the previous post but like I said, when corn is added I'm sure this affects the ratio of sugar you would need for just a sugar wash. Will 5 pounds of sugar give me a high alcohol content in 5 gallons? I have read that people are using 3 pounds to every gallon. In essence, about 12 pounds of sugar to a five gallon bucket that only hold 4 gallons when you add sugar.
But these high amounts of sugar have all been for moonshiners who are using bread yeast. I am using a turbo yeast. Is that why you gave me such a low ratio of sugar?
Among other things, SaveUp has actually been encouraging me to save! I've been playing there for a few months now and I love it! No wins yet though. :(
What motivates me to save is witnessing the struggles of my parents (and other relatives) who never saved. It is really heartbreaking to see. I went to college (on a scholarship) determined to break the cycle of poverty and I have done really well so far. I graduated and starting working right away. My earnings aren't very substantial, but I live within my means and stick to a budget, still contributing the maximum to my retirement plan and placing money into savings every month. I want my own family to start off right, and debt free...beholden to no one.
Saving, to me, has always been hard! It is something I thought I couldn't do unless or until I made a ton of money. In my 20's I always said "I'll do that when I get a better job" and even though I've gotten better jobs the practice of saving never really developed. Living in NYC for several years I developed "savings" techniques, which I think are pretty common in NYC. These techniques were't actually savings but sacrifices in order to spend money elsewhere. For example I'd bring my lunch to work everyday so I could go out 3-4 nights a week, not to actually put any money in my bank account.
To be honest nothing really motivates me to save but I have been trying to manage my money better over the past few years. On a ski trip to Colorado last year, I overheard a conversation about mindfulness. I was so intrigued I looked for everything I could find on mindfulness and how I could bring this practice in my life. Regarding financial matters it meant changing old habits and most importantly my perspective regarding money.
I sat down and took a look at all the things I wanted in life and how mindfulness came into play. I realized I really enjoyed cooking, I wasn't making any sacrifices bringing my lunch everyday I just really enjoyed cooking. I also noticed that I didn't need everything ever made!!! I could probably reduce everything I have by half a honestly not notice. What I need is what is useful to me. That soda making machine is super cool but I don't really drink soda and my tiny kitchen has no room for that. I drink coffee not soda so what's more useful?
One morning I happened to catch Suze Orman on the Today show and she said something I could actually understand. She said we should get as much enjoyment out of saving as we do spending! Simple yet very effective and powerful concept. Eating out all the didn't make me feel good. I often felt like I was wasting money on so so food when I was perfectly capable of cooking for myself. That's not to say I don't really enjoy going out, I do, but I try to go out when it's worth it. When I was shopping all the time, I didn't feel great either. I had yet another thing to stuff into my tiny apartment. Do I need this? Is a question I ask myself all the time and I try to be 100% honest. Again, I do fall victim to a good sale but I'm mindful of what I need and how this item would be useful in my everyday life.
Saving does feel good when it's not looked at as a sacrifice. Instead I feel it is more like doing your due diligence, cleaning the bathroom or washing the sheets. A clean bathroom and clean sheets feel amazing. It's not easy but it's necessary. Taking a mindful approach to spending having a new perspective of money has helped immensely. It's also like most things an ongoing practice.
I am motivated to save because money means respect. I love to see the look on peoples faces when I make a large purchase (such as a vehicle or property) and they say "lets do the paperwork and we'll get you financed" and I get to say "I don't need financing, I'll be paying cash." When I bought a piece of (investment) property I thought the realtor was going to pass out when I told him I was paying cash. It's also a really, really good feeling when I walk into a store and I know that I can buy what ever I want and I won't be going into debt for it.
I'm extremely motivated to save by having clear goals that I KNOW are reachable in the next X amount of months if I save X amount of money. We have been using Mint.com to put pictures and names to these goals and every day we check it to see how close we are getting. Our goals are as early as 4 months from now for our Anniversary trip, and 5 years from now for our first year with a baby or purchasing our first home.
GREED is the basic driver for my savings. My whole life I've spent money as soon as I thought I could get something cool with it. After starting to work and receiving a couple of bonuses, looking at a savings account that to me felt big was exciting and now I can't get enough of watching it grow.
Sure it sets me up with financial security but when that switch triggered in my brain, I think something primal kicked in and I can't help myself anymore.
I also grew up like most people that have commented on this string in a stressful situation. I am currently not at a point where i can save, i am struggling to just pay the bills and feed my family. I am becoming very familiar with wise bread to find more ways to live on a frugal budget.
For me, savings are a byproduct of my lifestyle. I get a lot of satisfaction from living a simple lifestyle and trying to consume less and less. Being rich in time and space just seems to painlessly create savings.
Honestly, what motivates me to save are concrete goals (like the fact that I'm traveling every month June-October this year) and fear of the unknown (having my emergency fund, because I'm going credit-free and if I don't have it, I'm hosed!)
We made several bad financial decisions over the last ten years--turning our old house into a rental instead of selling outright, and then re-financing at the height of the real estate boom. We are currently saving as much as we possibly can so that we can pay off the capital gains tax when we sell this rental property . . . and can be free of all the hassles of rental ownership and simplify our lives.
# 10 is so true. When we went to Ireland, we planned where we were going to stay...traveling to a new location via car every day. We had a few basic things we wanted to see, but we mostly winged it. We walked along coastlines, found little roadside shops, ate at little cafes, shopped in grocery stores. Oh, it was so memorable. :)
I have many factors that motivate me to not only save, but save efficiently, two of them are paying off my student loans before I graduate from college and the other is to own my home before I am thirty. This is a tall order, but with sound investments, I can use my profits to circulate through CDs, that mature and recycle every six months. Another way that I save for my goals is actually simple, every Friday, I put twenty dollars in a stash, and my pocket change in the bank. This may seem trivial, but I always have a cushion, either for emergencies or gift shopping for my family.
It is quick, easy, and I rarely have to worry about my money, I let it do the work for me.
My car has 189,000 miles on it and it died on me while on a trip with just me and the kids. My husband drove to get us and towed it back home but I know at some point we will have to replace it. I am motivated to save by never wanting to go through that again.
My three children motivate me to save. I want them to have the financial freedoms I did not have growing up. I don't want anything to prevent those dreams from becoming realities for my kids.
Poverty in old age motivates me to save. I haven't been able to save much, so I anticipate having to continue working probably into my seventies. The various jobs I've had throughout my career haven't offered retirement plans, so I've tried to save on my own. It's a little harder to do that than I anticipated. Sometimes I feel like I'm on the Sisyphus savings plan. In short, having not enough is motivation to keep trying.
The short answer is: many things! First is retirement. We are looking to move to a more rural area about an hour away and I want to have a house that's paid for. I have a good bit of equity in our current home, but I want to buy something I can pay off within 10 years. Also, I don't carry a balance on credit cards, so I have several saving funds for car repairs, home repairs, vacation, etc. My goal is to be able to cover expenses as they come up without using a credit card or going into long term savings. Bottom line is that money saved represents freedom & security to me!
I added a comment earlier, but just realized it had to be at least two sentences! Hoping this comment can replace my earlier one.
I'm motivated to save by knowing the peace that comes from being debt-free. I also know that the stress created by debt plays out in my attitude at home; my children don't deserve an unhappy, preoccupied mom. And, of course, my children's future is a great motivator to save.
I did read the previous post but like I said, when corn is added I'm sure this affects the ratio of sugar you would need for just a sugar wash. Will 5 pounds of sugar give me a high alcohol content in 5 gallons? I have read that people are using 3 pounds to every gallon. In essence, about 12 pounds of sugar to a five gallon bucket that only hold 4 gallons when you add sugar.
But these high amounts of sugar have all been for moonshiners who are using bread yeast. I am using a turbo yeast. Is that why you gave me such a low ratio of sugar?
Among other things, SaveUp has actually been encouraging me to save! I've been playing there for a few months now and I love it! No wins yet though. :(
What motivates me to save is witnessing the struggles of my parents (and other relatives) who never saved. It is really heartbreaking to see. I went to college (on a scholarship) determined to break the cycle of poverty and I have done really well so far. I graduated and starting working right away. My earnings aren't very substantial, but I live within my means and stick to a budget, still contributing the maximum to my retirement plan and placing money into savings every month. I want my own family to start off right, and debt free...beholden to no one.
Saving, to me, has always been hard! It is something I thought I couldn't do unless or until I made a ton of money. In my 20's I always said "I'll do that when I get a better job" and even though I've gotten better jobs the practice of saving never really developed. Living in NYC for several years I developed "savings" techniques, which I think are pretty common in NYC. These techniques were't actually savings but sacrifices in order to spend money elsewhere. For example I'd bring my lunch to work everyday so I could go out 3-4 nights a week, not to actually put any money in my bank account.
To be honest nothing really motivates me to save but I have been trying to manage my money better over the past few years. On a ski trip to Colorado last year, I overheard a conversation about mindfulness. I was so intrigued I looked for everything I could find on mindfulness and how I could bring this practice in my life. Regarding financial matters it meant changing old habits and most importantly my perspective regarding money.
I sat down and took a look at all the things I wanted in life and how mindfulness came into play. I realized I really enjoyed cooking, I wasn't making any sacrifices bringing my lunch everyday I just really enjoyed cooking. I also noticed that I didn't need everything ever made!!! I could probably reduce everything I have by half a honestly not notice. What I need is what is useful to me. That soda making machine is super cool but I don't really drink soda and my tiny kitchen has no room for that. I drink coffee not soda so what's more useful?
One morning I happened to catch Suze Orman on the Today show and she said something I could actually understand. She said we should get as much enjoyment out of saving as we do spending! Simple yet very effective and powerful concept. Eating out all the didn't make me feel good. I often felt like I was wasting money on so so food when I was perfectly capable of cooking for myself. That's not to say I don't really enjoy going out, I do, but I try to go out when it's worth it. When I was shopping all the time, I didn't feel great either. I had yet another thing to stuff into my tiny apartment. Do I need this? Is a question I ask myself all the time and I try to be 100% honest. Again, I do fall victim to a good sale but I'm mindful of what I need and how this item would be useful in my everyday life.
Saving does feel good when it's not looked at as a sacrifice. Instead I feel it is more like doing your due diligence, cleaning the bathroom or washing the sheets. A clean bathroom and clean sheets feel amazing. It's not easy but it's necessary. Taking a mindful approach to spending having a new perspective of money has helped immensely. It's also like most things an ongoing practice.
I am motivated to save because money means respect. I love to see the look on peoples faces when I make a large purchase (such as a vehicle or property) and they say "lets do the paperwork and we'll get you financed" and I get to say "I don't need financing, I'll be paying cash." When I bought a piece of (investment) property I thought the realtor was going to pass out when I told him I was paying cash. It's also a really, really good feeling when I walk into a store and I know that I can buy what ever I want and I won't be going into debt for it.
I'm extremely motivated to save by having clear goals that I KNOW are reachable in the next X amount of months if I save X amount of money. We have been using Mint.com to put pictures and names to these goals and every day we check it to see how close we are getting. Our goals are as early as 4 months from now for our Anniversary trip, and 5 years from now for our first year with a baby or purchasing our first home.
What motivates me? Knowledge that I will someday not be able to work anymore. Knowledge that disasters happen everyday. You know, good ole fear.
GREED is the basic driver for my savings. My whole life I've spent money as soon as I thought I could get something cool with it. After starting to work and receiving a couple of bonuses, looking at a savings account that to me felt big was exciting and now I can't get enough of watching it grow.
Sure it sets me up with financial security but when that switch triggered in my brain, I think something primal kicked in and I can't help myself anymore.
It's totally a new way of lif for me.
The possibility of increasing the quality of life for either myself or my family is why I save and invest money.
I also grew up like most people that have commented on this string in a stressful situation. I am currently not at a point where i can save, i am struggling to just pay the bills and feed my family. I am becoming very familiar with wise bread to find more ways to live on a frugal budget.
For me, savings are a byproduct of my lifestyle. I get a lot of satisfaction from living a simple lifestyle and trying to consume less and less. Being rich in time and space just seems to painlessly create savings.
I'm motivated to save by a goal. When I reach it, I find a new goal and save some more.
Honestly, what motivates me to save are concrete goals (like the fact that I'm traveling every month June-October this year) and fear of the unknown (having my emergency fund, because I'm going credit-free and if I don't have it, I'm hosed!)
We made several bad financial decisions over the last ten years--turning our old house into a rental instead of selling outright, and then re-financing at the height of the real estate boom. We are currently saving as much as we possibly can so that we can pay off the capital gains tax when we sell this rental property . . . and can be free of all the hassles of rental ownership and simplify our lives.
# 10 is so true. When we went to Ireland, we planned where we were going to stay...traveling to a new location via car every day. We had a few basic things we wanted to see, but we mostly winged it. We walked along coastlines, found little roadside shops, ate at little cafes, shopped in grocery stores. Oh, it was so memorable. :)
I have many factors that motivate me to not only save, but save efficiently, two of them are paying off my student loans before I graduate from college and the other is to own my home before I am thirty. This is a tall order, but with sound investments, I can use my profits to circulate through CDs, that mature and recycle every six months. Another way that I save for my goals is actually simple, every Friday, I put twenty dollars in a stash, and my pocket change in the bank. This may seem trivial, but I always have a cushion, either for emergencies or gift shopping for my family.
It is quick, easy, and I rarely have to worry about my money, I let it do the work for me.
I have two things that motivate me to save. First, a ring for my girlfriend, and second, to pay off college debt. It's important stuff!
I am saving to buy a house.
My car has 189,000 miles on it and it died on me while on a trip with just me and the kids. My husband drove to get us and towed it back home but I know at some point we will have to replace it. I am motivated to save by never wanting to go through that again.
I save so I can travel sometime next year. I plan on visiting Spain and Morocco.
Avoiding the stress of being crushed by debt, as I have been in the past, motivates me to save.