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How Much Should I Save Each Month? A Beginner’s Guide

Followers of the 50/30/20 rule advise putting away 20% of your monthly income, but if you can't afford to put that much away, saving something is better than nothing.

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Updated Feb. 12, 2026
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From Ben Franklin's "penny saved" to your childhood piggy bank, the importance of squirreling away money for later is a familiar bit of wisdom for many of us.

But that's about as far as the guidance tends to go: save money. Great, but how much is enough? Let's take a look at how much you should save each month to meet your financial goals.

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How much should you save every month?

Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how much money you should be saving each month. However, even starting small can add up over time. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started.

What a lot of experts recommend: 20%

Many financial professionals recommend following the 50/30/20 rule and allocating 20% of your monthly income to your short- and long-term savings goals. Let's take a look at how this rule works.

What 50/30/20 budgeting is and how it works

With the 50/30/20 rule, you'll spread your income across the following budgetary categories.

  • Needs (50%): The first 50% of your income will go toward covering your needs or essential expenses, such as rent, utilities, and groceries.
  • Wants (30%): The next 30% of your income will go toward non-essential costs, like entertainment, eating out, or vacations.
  • Savings (20%): With this method, the final 20% of your monthly take-home pay should go to financing your short- and long-term savings goals, such as funding retirement, building an emergency fund, or paying off debt.

Is it a good fit for you?

The 50/30/20 rule can be a good budgeting method for some, but it may not be the right fit for everyone. For example, if you live in an area where the cost of living is high, you may find it difficult to keep your essential expenses limited to just 50% of your budget.

If that's the case, you can adjust the percentages of each category to fit your needs.

When in doubt, saving something is better than saving nothing at all.

What's right for you: How much is enough?

If you're not sure how much to save, follow these four steps to help you get started.

  1. Calculate your take-home pay: This amount is equal to your monthly income after any taxes, benefits, and work-related retirement contributions have been deducted.
  2. Track your expenses: Use a budgeting app or spreadsheet to track your expenses and see where your money is going.
  3. Categorize your expenses: Once you have an idea of what you're spending, break your expenses up into the three categories: needs, wants, and savings/debt.
  4. Adjust the percentages as needed: Once you've tried the 50/30/20 method for a while, feel free to adjust the percentages of each category to better suit your needs.

Types of goals you should be saving for

Meanwhile, if you're not sure what type of savings goals you should be working toward, here are some common ones.

Emergency fund savings

As the name suggests, emergency funds are meant to help you finance unexpected costs like a surprise medical bill or a flat tire. This money should be kept somewhere that's easily accessible, like a savings account, so you can access it whenever you need it.

Like other financial goals, the amount of money you should keep in your emergency fund will vary. Some experts recommend starting by building up a nest egg of $1,000, especially if you think saving money might be difficult.

Once you get into the habit of putting money aside, many financial institutions recommend building your emergency fund up to cover three to six months of expenses.

Retirement savings

Next, consider your retirement savings plan. This money should be earmarked for helping you live comfortably once you're ready to stop working. Typically, these funds are held in special accounts, such as a 401(k) or IRA, and you may be able to contribute to them through your employer.

As far as how much you should save for retirement, most sources recommend setting aside between 10% and 20% of your monthly income, with the goal being to have seven to eight times your annual income saved by the time you enter your 60s.

Your other personal financial goals

Finally, you should also consider your other financial goals. For example, you may want to save up money toward a vacation or put aside funds for a down payment on a house. While the amount you'll need to save for these expenses will vary depending on your preferences, here are a few general guidelines to give you a better idea of what to expect.

  • Down payment on a house: This typically ranges between 5% and 20% of the home's purchase price.
  • Down payment on a car: This usually costs around 20% of the car's purchase price.
  • Vacation cost: The average cost for a one-week U.S. vacation is about $1,991 per person, according to data analysis from Chime.

Where to save money each month

Now that you have a better idea of how much to save, it's smart to think about where to store those funds. Let's take a look at some options.

High-yield savings accounts

High-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) offer higher rates of return than traditional savings accounts. The main advantage of this type of savings vehicle is that it keeps your money liquid, allowing you to access it when you need it.

However, the HYSAs with the highest rates are typically offered by online banks, which can make it hard to receive in-person assistance. HYSAs should be used to hold funds for your short-term savings goals, such as your emergency fund or any other personal goals you may have.

When I was getting ready to buy my house, I used an HYSA to hold the money for my down payment. Over the course of a year, I earned an extra $500 in interest that I was able to add to my down payment funds.

Low-risk investments

Meanwhile, low-risk investments, such as treasury bills and notes, can be a decent way to save toward medium-term goals like buying a house. These savings instruments are issued by the U.S. government and come with a guaranteed rate of return. They're generally considered to be safe investments because they have a low default risk. However, inflation can impact how far your profit goes.

Retirement investment accounts

Retirement accounts are meant to be long-term investments. These accounts earn money by investing in assets like stocks and funds. The main benefit of these investments is that you can earn significant returns. However, unlike the other methods of saving we've outlined, they can also lose money over time.

Each type of retirement account has its own considerations, including yearly contribution limits, early withdrawal penalties, and whether your contributions are tax-advantaged.

For example, in 2026, individuals can contribute up to $24,500 to a 401(k) plan and $7,500 to a traditional IRA plan if they're under the age of 50. That limit rises to $8,000 for 401(k)s for those over that age.

5 tips to save more money every month

Next, let's look at some practical ways to help you add money to your savings each month.

1. Track your spending and budget

Consider using an app or spreadsheet to track your spending for a month or two. Once you have a better idea of where your money is going, you should be able to decide how much of your income you can afford to save each month.

Personally, I take a look at my budget every three months. I make note of categories where spending is high and make adjustments as needed, cancel unused subscriptions (more on that below), and look for other ways to put more money into my savings.

2. Pay yourself first

The "pay yourself first" budgeting method flips traditional budgeting on its head by focusing on funding your savings goals before covering your expenses. The major benefit is that it can allow you to build up your savings fast. That said, if you don't leave enough money to cover your expenses, you may need to dip into that savings to avoid going into debt.

3. Automate your savings

Automating your savings involves setting up automatic transfers to move funds from your checking account to your savings account. The plus side is that your savings account will practically build itself without you having to think about it. On the other hand, if you don't receive regular income, you could risk being charged overdraft fees by your bank.

4. Be aggressive with your debt repayment

Being in debt often comes hand-in-hand with paying costly interest charges. By paying off debt aggressively, you'll minimize those charges and free up more money in your budget to be able to save.

Use well-known debt management methods, like the debt avalanche method or the debt snowball method, to give you a framework to follow as you work toward repayment.

5. Free up some of your expenses

Lastly, as you track your spending, consider looking at ways to free up extra room in your budget. Cutting expenses that are no longer essential will leave more of your income available to sock away toward your savings goals. Think about ending unused subscription services or setting a limit on how much money you spend on eating out every month.

Examples of short- and long-term savings goals

How much you should save in six months

Here are a couple examples of reasonable savings goals for a six-month time period.

  • Emergency fund: $600-$1,000
  • New household appliance: $250-$1,300

How much you should save in one to two years

Meanwhile, in a year or two, you could save toward larger goals, such as:

  • Car down payment: $2,600-$5,200
  • Planned vacation: $3,982-$7,964

How much you should save in five years

Consider saving for the following goals on a five-year timeline.

  • $300,000 house down payment: $27,000-$69,000
  • Planned wedding: $20,000-$35,000

How much you should save in 10+ years

Think about these savings goals over more than a 10-year horizon.

  • College education: $47,800-$180,000
  • Retirement with $100,000 salary: $600,000-$1,100,000

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FAQs

How much should I save for retirement each month?

Most experts recommend putting aside 10% to 20% of your monthly income to fund your retirement savings. However, if you can't afford to set that amount aside, saving any amount is better than none, especially if it helps you take advantage of employer matches or other incentives.

Can you save too much money?

It is possible to save too much money if your saving habits are causing you to have trouble covering your monthly expenses at the same time. Having a bloated savings account doesn't make sense if you're unable to fund expenses that you truly need.

What is the 3-6-9 saving method?

The 3-6-9 savings method is a way of determining how much money you should keep in your emergency fund. The rule holds that you should aim to save at least three months' worth of expenses if you have a steady paycheck and no dependents, six months' worth of expenses if you have kids or a mortgage, and nine months' worth of expenses if you're self-employed.

Bottom line

At the end of the day, the amount of money that you should save each month will depend on a few factors, including your income and whether you have obligations like a mortgage or dependents.

While it's true that saving any amount is better than nothing, pushing yourself to save what you can helps set you up to breathe easier in the future.

Start by tracking your spending and building a budget that makes saving money a regular habit. You can always make adjustments once you've created a framework, but your future self will thank you for making saving a priority. 

Consider opening a savings account with no minimum balance requirements to give yourself a little wiggle-room as you figure out the savings habits that work for you.

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