How much of your paycheck do you invest?

General
1

I’m 18 and just started investing regularly. I make a little under $300 a week, about $1,100 a month. I’m trying to figure out how much I should put into stocks. Right now, I’m saving 15% in a savings account that earns 4% interest monthly.

Any advice on what percentage I should invest would be awesome.

EDIT: I started investing about a month ago. I’ve got just over $600 in savings, around $60 in a few stocks, and $60 in Bitcoin because I figured, why not?

2

I invest about 30% of my take-home pay, around $1,500 a month. My net worth is about $280k now.

3

Tobin said:
I invest about 30% of my take-home pay, around $1,500 a month. My net worth is about $280k now.

That’s impressive. I’m not far off from your income, but I struggle to save even 10%.

4

@Winter
It really depends on where you live. That can make a big difference.

5

I save and invest about 30-35% of my take-home pay.

6

Why not take that 15% from your savings and invest it?

7

Remy said:
Why not take that 15% from your savings and invest it?

I’ve always heard it’s important to have an emergency fund. That’s the main reason I’ve been putting money into the savings account.

8

I try to save and invest 20-30%.

9

Only invest what you can afford to lose. If you’re okay with a 20-30% drop in your portfolio, then invest more. Since you’re just starting out, I’d stick with index funds. As you gain experience, you can branch out into individual stocks. Long-term, the stock market will outperform savings accounts, as long as you avoid risky decisions.

10

I put about 50-60% into investments.

11

Save and invest as much as you can while you’re young. Even if it’s not much, it’s about building the habit. Try for at least 50% of your take-home pay. Look up ‘paying yourself first’—it’ll change how you think about saving.

12

I invest about 30% of my paycheck—15% into my 401k and 15% into my ESPP.

13

For me, it’s 20% for living expenses, 20% toward house payments, and 60% into investments.

14

I save and invest 60-70%. My net worth is around $720k.

15

I put about 50% into investments.

16

62.563%. Just kidding, but it’s close to that!

17

Here’s my breakdown:

  1. $100 to short-term savings (I also have an emergency fund).
  2. 10% into a 401k (~$483).
  3. Max out my Roth IRA (~$291).
  4. Max out my spouse’s Roth IRA (~$291).
  5. $150 to a brokerage account.
  6. $100 to Coinbase (65% BTC, 20% ETH, 10% ATOM, 5% DOT).

All in all, I’m investing about $2,630 a month.

18

Any percentage works as long as your expenses are under control. If you can stick to 30%, that’s fantastic. As your income grows, you can shift to a fixed amount instead of a percentage. I started saving $1k a week a few years ago and now invest any leftover lump sums at the start of the year.

19

Forget percentages. Keep six months of expenses in savings and invest everything else.

20

50%.