Is saving £500 a month in the UK a good amount? | Unbiased (2024)

FAQs

Is saving £500 a month in the UK a good amount? | Unbiased? ›

With some planning and effort, saving £500 a month is an achievable target. At an average interest rate of 2.35%, saving £500 a month for ten years would result in a total savings of around £65,497. It's crucial to strike a balance between saving and meeting your current financial needs.

As a rule of thumb, the recommendation is to aim to put away 20% of your after-tax income every month. So, if you make £2,500 per month, that's a target of £500. If you earn £5,000, then you could aim for £1,000 a month.

The 50 30 20 rule means that you should save 20% of your salary after tax. In a cost of living crisis, it can be tempting to add less money to your savings, so you have more money for needs and wants. But it's a good idea to keep plugging away at your goals, as savings can come into their own when times are hard.

Saving £1,000 a month could have a substantial impact on your long-term financial well-being. At an average interest rate of 2.35%, saving £1000 a month for ten years would result in a total savings of around £130,994. It's crucial to strike a balance between saving and meeting your current financial needs.

The short answer to what happens if you invest $500 a month is that you'll almost certainly build wealth over time. In fact, if you keep investing that $500 every month for 40 years, you could become a millionaire. More than a millionaire, in fact. Investing is about buying assets you believe will increase in value.

Long-term financial security

While the immediate impact may seem small, saving £200 a month over the long term contributes to your financial stability. It can help you build a foundation for retirement, cover unexpected expenses, or provide options for pursuing future opportunities.

According to a 2024 Finder survey, the average person in the UK has £11,185 in savings. However, almost half of Brits (46%) have £1,000 or less in savings, meaning they would struggle to cover living expenses for more than a month.

A single person with no children needs at least £1,400 a month to live on. This is an average yearly salary of £17,000 after tax. A couple with no children needs at least £2,100 a month. This is a joint average yearly salary of £25,000 after tax.

It's a lot of money if it represents a lot of your lifestyle costs. Let's say you spend £40k a year, a little over £3000 per month. £100k could mean you have 2.5 years' expenses, even more, if you could reduce your outgoings.

General living expenses for a decent living standard vary. It depends on lifestyle and personal preferences. However, to be comfortable you can expect to spend £1,500-£2,000 per month of your net income. This figure includes basic costs such as rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, and council tax.

Is saving $600 a month good? ›

But when it comes to what they need to be saving, it depends. So, if we're starting with a 30-year-old, they should be probably saving close to $580, $600, at least, a month. And that's if they're going to earn a high rate of return. So it depends on how aggressive and risky that they're looking to be.

Do you already have a healthy savings pot, or is this the start of something? £10k is a healthy sum, which could make a difference in numerous ways. Here we look at your options to invest your 10k and how best to make that money work for you — now and for the future.

For example, an investor who holds their portfolio for 10 years will put $60,000 into it (10 years of investing x 12 months per year x $500 per month), while an investor who holds the same portfolio for 20 years will contribute $120,000 worth of capital.

Suppose you're starting from scratch and have no savings. You'd need to invest around $13,000 per month to save a million dollars in five years, assuming a 7% annual rate of return and 3% inflation rate. For a rate of return of 5%, you'd need to save around $14,700 per month.

At least 20% of your income should go towards savings. Meanwhile, another 50% (maximum) should go toward necessities, while 30% goes toward discretionary items. This is called the 50/30/20 rule of thumb, and it provides a quick and easy way for you to budget your money.

The average cost of living in UK as a family of four is around $3,135(£2,268) without house rent. As a single person or student, the estimated living expenses in UK is $900(£651) without rent.

The question of whether you can live in London with £1,000 a month largely depends on various factors, including your accommodation, lifestyle, and financial management. But the short answer, is this: It's gonna be tough. Don't be discouraged, though! If you're determined, you can make it work.

Nearly Half of Americans Don't Have $500 in Savings

According to the survey, 49% of Americans have $500 or less in their savings account, with 36% reporting they have less than $100 saved up. This means that a small financial upset can cause these households to end up in debt — or more debt.