Here's how to use the 1% spending rule to save money (2024)

FAQs

Here's how to use the 1% spending rule to save money? ›

If you spend money on something and we're talking about a non-necessity something that you don't have to buy, you just want to buy and the cost of that item is more than one percent of your annual income before taxes you have to wait at least 24 hours before buying it and so what this means is if you make forty ...

James' 1% spending rule (not to be confused with the 1% rule in real estate) is straightforward: If you want to spend on something — a non-necessity — that costs or exceeds 1% of your annual gross income, you must wait one day before buying. During that time, ask yourself: Do I really need this?

Instead of thinking about saving $10,000 in a year, try focusing on saving $27.40 per day – what's also known as the “27.40 rule” because $27.40 multiplied by 365 equals $10,001. If you break this down into savings per day, week, and month, here's what you're looking at in terms of numbers: Per day: $27. Per week: $192.

The rule states that you should allocate 70% of your income to monthly rent, utility bills, and other essential needs to improve your financial well-being. 20% of your income should go to savings. The remaining 10% can go towards your investments or to debt repayment.

The rule requires that you divide after-tax income into two categories: savings and everything else. As long as 20% of your income is used to pay yourself first, you're free to spend the remaining 80% on needs and wants. That's it; no expense categories, no tracking your individual dollars.

The rule of 25X is the thumb rule when it comes to retirement savings, where you need to save 25 times your annual expenses. This rule says that an individual can think about retirement when they have funds worth 25 times their annual expenses.

If you struggle to stick with a budget, try using the 1% rule for spending money. It's simple: When something you want to purchase exceeds 1% of your annual gross income, wait a day before buying it.

To reach $10,000 in one year, you'll need to save $833.33 each month. To break it down even further, you'll need to save $192.31 each week or $27.40 every day. These smaller chunks are much more realistic and simple to comprehend, making it easier to track your progress.

You'll often hear that it's good to save 15% to 20% of your income for retirement. Many people can't swing that, but even if you sock away $1,000 a year, that sum can go a long way. The more years you can save even just $1,000, the better off you'll be in retirement.

Is 50/30/20 outdated? ›

But amid ongoing inflation, the 50/30/20 method no longer feels feasible for families who say they're struggling to make ends meet. Financial experts agree — and some say it may be time to adjust the percentages accordingly, to 60/30/10.

The 30% Rule Is Outdated

To start, averages, by definition, do not take into account the huge variations in what individuals do. Second, the financial obligations of today are vastly different than they were when the 30% rule was created.

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

The 1/3 Rule

Instead, they spread the costs over time by combining savings and debt with current income. One-third of the cost might come from past income (savings), one-third from current income, and one-third from future income (loans). The one-third ratio provides a rough cut of a split.

A 401(k) can count as savings in a 50/30/20 budget plan. But if 401(k) contributions are automatically deducted from your paycheck, they're not included in your take-home pay calculation.

YOUR BUDGET

This budgeting method combines the Pareto Principle with the 50/30/20 budgeting method made famous by Elizabeth Warren. In the 50/30/20 budget, you spend 50% of your income on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings. The 80/20 budget is a simpler version of it.

Warren Buffett once said, “The first rule of an investment is don't lose [money]. And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule. And that's all the rules there are.”

Key Points. The 50-30-20 rule is a simple guideline (not a hard-and-fast rule) for building a budget. The plan allocates 50% of your income to necessities, 30% toward entertainment and “fun,” and 20% toward savings and debt reduction.

This model suggests allocating 50% of your income to essential expenses, 15% to retirement savings and 5% to an emergency fund. This plan allows you to meet your immediate needs and plan for the future before you spend on anything else.

Key Takeaways

The 50/30/20 budget rule states that you should spend up to 50% of your after-tax income on needs and obligations that you must have or must do. The remaining half should be split between savings and debt repayment (20%) and everything else that you might want (30%).