• ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml
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    7 months ago

    I bet less than 25% of people actively do this. It’s not that easy to do lol

    • Landless2029@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      True. But the meme is wrong. It’s expenses not income.

      The idea is you should be able to survive without working for 6 months.

      This is to cover losing your job, injuries, illness, family emergencies.

      • ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml
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        7 months ago

        True. But the meme is wrong. It’s expenses not income.

        The idea is you should be able to survive without working for 6 months.

        Yeah, I get that, that’s why I meant I doubt that more than 25% of people can survive without working for 6 months. I don’t think more than 25% of people have more than 6 months of expenses saved up.

        • KimjongTOOILL@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          56% of Americans don’t have enough to cover a $1000 unexpected bill. So I’d guess less than 5% have 6 months of expenses saved.

        • Landless2029@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          I agree. I think is a mix of people living check to check (no choice) and bad education.

          I came from no money and learned financial planning skills from the internet.

          Now I’m at the point where I got an emergency fund and savings, but it took me years to get here.

          • ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml
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            7 months ago

            I don’t think it’s fair to blame it on bad education. I’m pretty sure almost everybody is aware that having emergency savings is better than not having emergency savings. The cost of living keeps going up, inflation rate going way up, but salaries are just not increasing enough to keep up. Everything is becoming more expensive and people can’t afford it, let alone having enough money to set aside for savings.

            • Landless2029@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              As far as bad education I’m referring to those growing up in poorer conditions.

              Parents that live check to check and have issues with making rent, feeding the family and maintaining basics like a car and home electricity.

              I grew up in this kind of environment. Financial responsibility starts at home. You follow your parents. Then at schools they dropped home economics. How to make a budget and not fall into debt.

              I got real lucky with outside support because I looked for it. I also know people who wouldn’t listen to me and used credit cards frivolously. Spending more than they earn over and over.

              Yes everything is worse today, but 10 and 20 years ago people still made stupid financial decisions due to capitalism and ignorance.

              The working class has been guided to farm wealth for the 0.1% for a long time.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        I am 46 years old. I have never had enough to be able to survive without working for 6 months. Thank god for unemployment payments.

    • howrar@lemmy.ca
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      7 months ago

      If you can’t bring the savings side of the equation up, then bring the salary side down. Easy.

      • db2@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        That’s all fine but at 16 you don’t really have expenses.