Three lame reasons for not saving

By Gail Vaz-Oxlade on September 20, 2011
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

People who don’t save have “great” reasons for not doing so. (Now replace “great” with “dumb!”)

All the people who don’t save have a great excuse for not doing so. Here are some of my favorites:

I don’t have anything left to save
Waiting to see how much is left at the end of the month is a sure way to never have the money to save. People can blow through money faster than a hot knife through butter. You’ve seen me peek into people’s refrigerators. Inevitably when there’s no food in the house, the spending analysis shows gobs of money spent in restaurants and for take-out. If you want to have some money to save, make a menu for the week, shop with a grocery list, stock your fridge with fresh food, and use your freezer to save time on busy nights or for when you’re just too tired to cook.

I’m paying off debt
Yes, walking around with a bunch of debt means mortgaging your future income. But you can’t sacrifice your future for past mistakes. If you can’t find a way to get your debt paid off and save money for the future, you’re not trying hard enough. Whether you get a second job, a third job or a better job, you have to find a way to make more money so you can get rid of the debt AND save.

I have to look good
This is one of my all-time faves; people will spend all kinds of money to look good even as their financial foundations rot. If you’re paying a premium to flaunt a famous name and you’re not saving for the future you’re a fool. If you’re defining yourself by the brands that some starlet who makes 100 times what you make wears then you’re a pathetic fool. Don’tcha know that many designer items are made in the same factories as less expensive goods? Expensive brands are no substitute for a solid financial future.