how much do u have saved up ?

amother

Sun, May 29 2011, 11:06 pm

amother wrote:

I find this topic to be very intresting. It is really making me motivated to start saving.

This I don't understand. Why would the fact that some amother whose financial circumstances you don't know from Adam's managed to save up $50K by her 5th anniversary motivate you to start saving? Wouldn't the home you'd like to buy, the smachot you'd like to make, the tuition you'd like to pay be motivation enough?

amother

Sun, May 29 2011, 11:16 pm

amother wrote:

I find this topic to be very intresting. It is really making me motivated to start saving.

Ya know what? Yes some didnt work hard but that 30,000 since it was from gifts etc.. but some worked hard for it. And like a wealthy man once said PAY YOURSELF FIRST. Its easy to forget this once in a while so its a good reminder.

amother

Sun, May 29 2011, 11:25 pm

amother wrote:

I find this topic to be very intresting. It is really making me motivated to start saving.

what does this have to do with my comment that you quoted?

amother

Sun, May 29 2011, 11:32 pm

Saved 120,000 for a down payment on a house by our sixth anniversary. Saved an additional 70,000 over the next two years to do construction. We currently have approximately 50,000 in savings. All money was hard earned, no wedding money ( went to pay for wedding) family support or gifts.

amother

Sun, May 29 2011, 11:44 pm

Baruch Hashem, a bit over $400,000 but my dh is in investment and it is extremely risky. In addition, it's not really savings because he uses at least half to invest either short term or long term. Baruch Hashem he has gained far more than he has lost, although there have been some small losses.

We don't have steady income, although I am looking for a job. We still live very simply, in a small two bedroom apartment and a strict budget.

We are married three years with one child.

thatgirl

Sun, May 29 2011, 11:45 pm

amother wrote:

Can we use your husband please??

amother

Sun, May 29 2011, 11:48 pm

amother wrote:

y u being so argumentative?? Sad

I'm just trying to understand how paying yourself first answers my question, but whatever, it's not really important. I guess I have the same reaction to all these "how much is your X (salary, savings, wedding gifts) threads", which is: why do you care? how does it help you to know what someone else has? why plan your life around someone else's salary, savings, etc.? You should do what's best for YOU.

amother

Mon, May 30 2011, 2:12 am

married 2 years. we have about $200K in savings. about half was inheritance, 1/4 from before we got married and 1/4 we have saved up since we got married.

amother

Mon, May 30 2011, 2:24 am

Not so much, though it appears a lot on paper. Each child has money put aside for him, so they have varying amounts depending on their age (DS#1 has around 5000NIS, DS#2 around 3000NIS, DS#3 around 500NIS). I have educational funds and a pension; probably around 100K NIS combined (in principle, no idea what the interest is doing). DS#1 has a pension...probably only worth around 1000NIS right now (total). And we have equity in the house.

amother

Mon, May 30 2011, 3:11 am

It's interesting to see that so many women came into their marriages with huge savings from years of working.

When I married at 18, that was something I never considered. Now, years down the line, we have savings, but back in those early years? Zilch!

amother

Mon, May 30 2011, 3:28 am

We only have about $5k in savings right now but we own our home outright B"H and it is worth about $350k so I feel like we are doing okay.

amother

Mon, May 30 2011, 9:19 am

we barely make it through each month, & live pretty frugally. we are in kollel & it's a choice we make. I work from home & dh does side jobs occasionally.

amother

Mon, May 30 2011, 9:35 am

amother wrote:

Believe me, it was not by choice. At the time, I would have loved my shidduch to come by 18-19, but it didn't. I suffered through many years on the shidduch market and trust me, it's not the best feeling in the world to wonder if you will ever get married. Now I am very happy B"H how things worked out and it was worth waiting for my husband Smile

amother

Mon, May 30 2011, 10:10 am

Ny 5 years of marriage, we had put down a $125,000 down payment on a house and had about $100,000 in savings.

Both of us had been savers since childhood (including Bar/Bat Mitzvah money, babysitting, summer jobs etc). Mine had been invested well.