Saving money, or the saving habit as Napoleon Hill put it so many years ago, is the foundation of all financial success, including investing. Having money saved is what provides the means for you to take advantage of situations, whether it's going back to college, starting a new business, or buying shares of stock when the market crashes. These saving money resources will provide a foundation and answer questions such as, "How much money should I be saving?" and "What is the difference between saving and investing?". You'll also learn the best places to save things like down payment money on a house.
Saving Money vs. Investing
Did you know there is a huge difference between saving money and investing? Unless you were fortunate enough to be the child of a wealthy banker or investor, it's unlikely anyone ever taught you this. Both saving money and investing have their place in your life. How you handle your savings vs. your investments can have big implications for your financial success, stress level, and how wealthy you ultimately become.
Before you begin on your journey to building wealth and finding financial independence, it’s important you understand a few basics. One of the big keys is that saving and investing are two related, but independent, processes that you shouldn’t confuse. A disciplined investor could find himself with dozens of real estate rental properties but unable to pay his bills if he didn’t appreciate the balancing act between the two foundations of success.
Perhaps the best place to begin for new investors is to define the difference between saving and investing
Saving is the process of putting cold, hard cash aside and parking it in extremely safe, and liquid (meaning they can be sold or accessed in a very short amount of time, at most a few days) securities or accounts. This can include FDIC insured checking accounts, savings accounts, short-term certificates of deposit, or United States Treasury Bills. It can even include FDIC insured money market accounts (but not money market funds, which are not insured). The highest goal for these funds should be to keep pace with inflation but you should avoid risk at all costs.
Investing is the process of using money (called “capital”) to buy an asset that you think will generate a safe and acceptable return over time, making you wealthier with each passing year. An investment can include anything from a small business to fine art, rare wines to gold coins, comic books to stocks, mutual funds, bonds, real estate, and antiques, just to name a few. It can also include song rights, patents, trademarks, or other intellectual property, as it is often called. Good investments are the soundest way of growing wealthy but can take time, perhaps even years, to work out because we live in an uncertain world.
How Much Should I Save Versus How Much Should I Invest?
Saving always comes first. Think of it as the foundation upon which your financial house is built. The reason is simple - unless you inherit a large amount of money, it is your savings that will provide you with the capital to feed your investments.
There are two primary types of savings programs you should include in your life. They are
As a general rule, your savings should be sufficient to cover all of your personal expenses, including your mortgage, loan payments, insurance costs, utility bills, food, and clothing expenses for at least six months. That way, if you lose your job, you’ll be able to have sufficient time to adjust your life without the extreme pressure that comes from living paycheck to paycheck.
Any specific purpose in your life that will require a large amount of cash in five years or less should be savings-driven, not investment-driven. The stock market in the short-run can be extremely volatile, losing more than 50% of its value in a single year. Purchasing a home is a great example as we discussed in
Best Places To Invest Your Down Payment Money.
Only after that these things are in place, and you have health insurance, should you begin investing (this really is vital – for more information on why, read Investing in Health Insurance – One of the First Lines of Defense for Your Portfolio.
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