Online Class Notes (Vicki)

Vocabulary

obese – overweight
i.e. He is a little obese.

save up – save money

rainy-day fund – rainy-day account – a backup fund or account

mortgage – a loan for a house

splurge – spend a lot
splash out – waste money

down payment – the first payment of a house or a car

tuck away – save

impact – affect

pay gap – salary gap

creep in – slowly comes in

standing order – automatic payment

get paid – getting your salary

concern = worry about

disparity – difference

at play – involved

We often try to save money for a variety of different reasons. It might be to save up for a new computer, put money aside into a rainy-day fund or put a deposit down for a mortgage on a house. Learning how to save is important, but a recent study showed that over half of all 22 – 29-year-olds living in the UK have no savings at all. Did they splurge and splash out on too many things, or are there other factors? And how can we become better savers?

Many young people in the UK choose to live away from home, and the cost of renting can impact the amount we can tuck away in our savings. On top of that, according to a 2017 study, there is a huge pay gap in people in their twenties in the UK, with the top 10% earning 4.3 times per week as the lowest earners. Possibly the mentality of ‘saving more when I earn more’ has crept in. However, there were some positives, with the number of people in debt, not including student loans for university, having fallen from 49% 10 years ago to 37%.

So, how can we improve our ability to save? First off, put a stop to those impulse buys. Ask yourself if you really need to buy something, even if it is on sale or looks like a bargain. One way you could control your spending urges is by using cash rather than card. Withdrawing cash before you go to a restaurant or shopping sets a fixed budget you must adhere to. Also, any change that comes from your transactions when you’re using cash can be put in jar and deposited into your account. Finally, setting up a standing order from your current account into your savings just after you receive your salary will ensure you have some money set aside for a time that you might need it. Just after getting paid is a good idea for this as it means you save before you’ve had the chance to spend.

While there is some good news about debt for the twenty-somethings in the UK, the fact that over half have no savings is seen as a cause for concern. While it could be due to some economic disparity, there may be some other factors at play. However, there are some actions we can take to help us all become better savers.