Want to ask a different question?
I really liked all of your ideas and I will start with saving 5% of my salary a month until I can afford more. But i think this is a good start. Have a great day guys!
All good suggestions. Ten percent is a good benchmark. Probably the easiest way to save is to have your savings deducted from your paycheck automatically each month and put into a investment/retirement program through your employer. Look into what your employer offers--most offer some sort of matching program (although with the recession many aren't matching to the level they once were). Not only will you be saving (and having your employer kick in some money too), but you'll reap tax benefits--you're adjusted gross income (AGI) will be lower so you'll be paying less taxes come April.
The sooner and longer you can save the better. Nothing more powerful then compounding of investment returns. A simple program developed by Richard Thaler called "Save for Tomorrow" helps filter out some of behavioral habits that individuals have to avoid maximizing their savings opportunities. The program suggests that your contribution to an employer’s plan or other savings plan begin with the first paycheck after a raise. Then the contribution rate continues to increase on each scheduled pay raise until it reaches a present maximum. It is proven that inertia keeps people in the program. This will also allow you to take some time to get settled on your new budget of owning your first home. The expenses making it yours can get a little crazy in the beginning.
Congratulations! Start retirement savings now - make it automatic, either in an employer plan or by automatic transfers to your IRA on payday. Try for 5-10% of your income, try to keep it up, and in a few months you won't even miss it.
Remember if you invest in a pre-tax plan whatever you put in isn't a dollar for dollar reduction in your pay. Putting 10% in the plan, may only cost you 8% since you'll save on taxes. So, there's no reason even on a budget to not start at some level, maybe 3%, and try to increase your % every so often. Especially if you get an employer match on your contributions.
Congratulations on buying a house -- with prices way down and interest rates low and tax handouts on top of that, I've been thinking about buying one too. There are some great guides on the site about budgeting and retirement -- http://www.filife.com/topics/budgeting/guides and http://www.filife.com/topics/retirement/guides . It might be a good time to invest IRA money in stocks, since the markets are still way down from last year. Good luck!
