Saving Vs Spending...

Valdosta, Georgia
January 17, 2013 6:54pm CST
So my whole life I have always liked to save money. I just love seeing it add up! My husband is a spender, always has been... I used to think we should always save money so we would have extra when things get tough. The thing is, yes its great to do but I was doing that to a point of never having any fun because I was too scared to spend any money and we really didn't have anything to save. The little bit we got I would put back. Let's face it most fun activities take money. So I have come to the conclusion that we will still save money to a point, I will just no longer be ridiculous about it where we cannot have any fun. When my husband gets his check I will put some back to save for emergencies and a little bit to do something fun. That way, I get both things accomplished!
9 people like this
47 responses
@Hence27 (450)
• India
18 Jan 13
Yes,i do love saving.When i was a child,i used to spend a lot and did not know the value of money,but now when i am self dependent,i know the value of money. I know hoe to manage our hard earned money.I too like saving and my father insists me to save money.They say that if your need increases,then you will spend more money and if your need is less,then you can save more as compare to spending.
2 people like this
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
I have always been a saver even when I was younger... I always wanted to save my money. My sister was always the spender out of the two of us. I really like to save but I think I did it too much, so I am now learning its better to have a balance.
1 person likes this
• India
18 Jan 13
You are right there, savings are also necessary as doing fun. The future is unpredictable and you never know what really can happen in coming time so for that surprising element of time the person should be ready. So savings can help you dealing with the difficult times. But savings doesn't mean that you should not be spending on fun and entertainment but you should make a proper plan for every salary that this much will go into savings and this much is for fun etc.
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
Yes it is a good idea to have balance when it comes to money and life. It's not good to spend too much or save too much...
1 person likes this
• United States
18 Jan 13
That's the best way to do it. Take some for savings and some for fun. They say take 10 percent I think to start saving out of the paycheck. Sounds ok to me. You got to have some fun. Maybe you can think of some really cheap ways to do this, like pitch a tent in the livingroom for the kids to spend the night in, lol! I remember when I was little I used to take blankets and throw them over whatever I could find to make a tent to play in. I think I'm tired, haha!
• United States
18 Jan 13
I used to do that too with the blankets. I put a sheet over dad's saw horse outside and made a tent to get out if the sun. It was fun.
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
Yeah we always do things like that for them to have fun but were always stuck in the house so I want to start saving for things to do outside of home too, you know?
@aerous (13434)
• Philippines
18 Jan 13
In my case it's hard to save money due to many reason. The weird thing was the money is easy to spent and hardly control when it comes to expenses. There are many things to buy, bills, taxes, goods and expenses for children school...
1 person likes this
@aerous (13434)
• Philippines
19 Jan 13
That must be better, friend. A small one will be more someday and I hope I can do that also.
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Jan 13
@aerous I completely agree with you that the price for everything is so high. The money that we have to spend to take care of our needs goes very fast. But saving can take a lot of time. So just like lovingbabies said we have to say here and there were we can.
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
Yeah its never easy to save money. I only save change, and $10 out of each pay check. Not a lot at all but it adds up.
1 person likes this
21 Jan 13
I think it’s important to always have a little fun. Yes it’s great to save, but if you have no fun, in 10 years time, you’ll have all this money saved up to do things with, and you’ll look back and think what a waste of 10 years of your life saving for nothing. Whereas if you treat yourselves once a month, or once every couple of months, in a few years time, you’ll have some extra money, but most importantly, some extra memories!
1 person likes this
22 Jan 13
is your hubbie closer to getting a more regular income? i do hope so!!
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
21 Jan 13
Yeah I think having a balance is the best way to do things in life. Not too much saving or spending...Once my husband makes some money on a regular basis I will be able to save some for fun and save some for bills and such...
1 person likes this
• India
18 Jan 13
Hi lovingmybabies. Well I am very well aware of this dilemma because even my parents have faced such similar problems. So looking at them and after learning few things from my B school I have figured out how to go about this. In fact I am writing a blog which will cover this aspect. You can find the link for it in my profile page. Anyways have a nice day .. SuperShames
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
Yes there has to be balance in life between spending and saving money.
2 people like this
• India
19 Jan 13
Hi LovingmyBabies. So did you find the blog useful?? There are many things that I am going to add in my blog that would improve the efficiency of your wealth management, following which you can grow your wealth. Have a nice day !!
1 person likes this
@jazel_juan (15747)
• Philippines
18 Jan 13
How'd you do it? i should take some tips from you my friend, i am such a spender and often times hubby really gets mad at me! but lately i am learning how to do it..bit by bit.. but it takes a whole lot of discipline!
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
I just save some change and $10 each pay check. It adds up after a while, it just takes patience. =-)
1 person likes this
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
23 Jan 13
Loving, i always prefer to save as much as i can, while having the opportunity. But, not forgetting to make sure having some little money for fun. All saving and no fun at all would bored every member in my family. But, we always make sure as not to overspend it. After all, saving is really is not an easy task. It needs lots of patience and the ability to differentiate out the spending of money into only useful items. Those items that can be on hold needs not necessary be purchase. Through that method, we are able to save some money.
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
23 Jan 13
Yeah I have always been that way too. Fun is always needed in life or there is no reason to be living really. Saving definitely does take patience and a lot of it.
@marguicha (214294)
• Chile
23 Jan 13
I have always thought that there has to be a little bit of savings toward one luxury in your life. I live on a budget with my pension, but I spend my online earnings on vacations.
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Jan 13
I hope that with time I will be able to use my online money for a vacation as well. I think that every family should try and take a vacation (doesn't have to very extravagant) at least once a year. We had did a bad job at that for awhile. But we took one last year and I'm hoping to make sure that we do something this year.
@trisha27 (3494)
• United States
19 Jan 13
This is a good idea lmb, cause it is true, you should have some fun every once in awhile. Get out of the house and just do some fun things. It don't have to be expensive, but just spend a little money. Us on the other hand need to do the opposite, I mean yeah maybe have a little more fun, cause we hardly get to go out, but maybe cut down on that a bit and I'd like to start saving money, for emergencies and stuff like that. We never have any money if there was an emergency and I'd like to stop that. So we need to save more and have fun but not so much fun
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
21 Jan 13
Yeah saving all the time and nothing else leads to a pretty boring life. As soon as my husband's checks are coming in more regularly we will be having more fun. Right now he is not getting paid each week so were really tight on money, I cannot even save right now... But this too shall pass I am sure. Or at least I hope so!
1 person likes this
@JamesKYTan (1605)
• Malaysia
23 Jan 13
Saving Vs Spending. There are two schools of thoughts. One says it is no point saving. Spend as you earn because if you save the inflation will eats off your saving. The second school of thought advocates saving. Saving for the future is good to cushion of any lost of job or other unforeseen or unexpected events. This is evident in Greece.
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
24 Jan 13
Well I think a mixture of both is good. Saving too much will have you never enjoying life but spending too much will leave you with no money ever...
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
18 Jan 13
I can't believe how much we are so alike! I am that way too. Given a choice between spending and saving, I would always save. Even to a point where I'd sometimes think that I'm not 'living' anymore. I think this is borne out of not having much when I was young. I wanted more money, so I'd save whatever little that I got. I'm not completely cured yet with this trait, but I am making an effort to live a little.
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
We do have so much in common bounce! Yeah I have always been a saver but I have missed doing so many things in life because I never wanted to spend money. =( It's not always a good thing to be obsessed with saving. I have found out the hard way. From now on I will have a balance in my life with saving and spending. We only have one life and I would like to have some fun before its my time to go...
1 person likes this
• Philippines
18 Jan 13
It is but wise action to really save a portion of the paycheck before spending. That has been my practice, too. And it is definitely working well with me. It is another good thing to feel satisfied with cheap things in a fun ways. Anyways, having fun in everything is a decision. So, I myself really have fun without spending much.
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
It is good to save but not to the point where you never have any fun in life...
1 person likes this
@else22 (4317)
• India
23 Jan 13
I highly appreciate your habit of saving money.In fact,saving money is a virtue that helps us practising restraint agaist temptations.Thus this habit builds your character.I would like to say you to continue with your good habit and go on saving.Your savings would help your family when your family is in distress facing financial problems.I appreciate you for your habit of saving money instead of buying unnecessary things.
1 person likes this
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
18 Jan 13
That's a good plan! Once you have a certain amount saved, it is nice to use some money to enjoy life. it is good that you and your husband have found balance between saving and spending.
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
Yeah there always has to be a balance between saving and spending money. Neither of too much is good.
• Canada
18 Jan 13
My husband and I have an agreement First I hold onto all te money, since I'm better at it. If he managed the books, he'd spend us into the ground. Secondly, we get whatever we want ONLY WHEN WE CAN AFFORD IT! That is to say, if he wants to go to Comicon he needs to tell me far enough in advance so that we can plan for it. I want to go to NYC. I'm going in Feb, but I've been saving all year. Comicon is in March, and we can easily make it. However, if he told me at the end of Feb that he wanted to go, we would not be able to affordit, because he didn't give me enough time to plan for it. He wanted new MS Office software (2010) and told me months in advance so i saved for it and set a goal., I was able to get it way in advance though, by getting it at 1/3 the price on eBay.
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
I wish my husband gave me all of the money, I am still working on that. Yeah its always better to save for what you want. I was to the extreme of saving though, I never spent anything for years... And now I realize I need to have a better balance.
1 person likes this
@jaiho2009 (39142)
• Philippines
18 Jan 13
I think the same way too. Before I want to save and save and forget to have some fun. But now, I want to have both- save and have fun. There are ways to have fun without spending too much money.
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
Yeah it's not good to always save and never have any fun with the money we make. Sometimes we need to have fun too since we only have this one life to live! I am glad I am going to have more balance with money. This way, I can still have fun and enjoy my life.
@Iriene88 (5343)
• Malaysia
18 Jan 13
Yes, live life to the fullest! According to a book that I read, we should spend 10 percent of our income every month on something 'fun and we are happy about'. Reason being it is the only way to motivates us to work harder to earn. Our mind and being need to be rewarded. It is a motivation book and I find this method really interesting. He also mentioned we should put another 10 eprcent for saving, 10 percent for investment too!
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
Yeah, it is so much better to have a balance in life! It's not good to spend too much or save too much. We need to enjoy life too since we only have one life to live...
• Philippines
18 Jan 13
Finally you made it, nice. Saving is also good so as spending something for fun to balance our life. The agony is when you are in the period of adjustment, as you did. The important is that you succeeded and be proud of what you've done.
1 person likes this
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
Yes balance is the key. Either is not good if there is too much of it.
• India
18 Jan 13
There is a term called "Financial Freedom" - when you can sustain from the return on your investments. Saving some money for future / emergency is always a good practice. One should have a balance between spending & savings. I don't really know if financial freedom is possible, but one should definitely give it a try :-)
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 13
A good balance is the best way to go in life. Too much of either one is not good...