just an observation

**disneysteve** · 02-25-2017, 06:52 AM

Thanks for posting.

I think the topics and conversation that occur are all driven by the users. So if someone comes along asking for advice on something, which happens pretty regularly actually, they will get lots of useful advice. But if no questions get posted, then we tend to talk amongst ourselves sharing what's going on in our lives financially.

Most of the regulars here are relatively well off compared to the national medians. I think we had a poll a while back that documented that. Most are earning 100K or more.

HOWEVER, that does not mean that there isn't useful advice to be had. One poster, for example, came here because he was earning a substantial income but was essentially broke due to poor spending and saving habits. With the help of the forum, he has totally turned around his situation. A lot of others have gotten a better handle on their debt, spending, and savings situations through their participation here.

If there is a topic that you would like to see addressed or something you could use help or support with, by all means post it. We'd be happy to weigh in and give our thoughts and advice.

As for sharing victories, there is a thread just for that:http://www.savingadvice.com/forums/g...your-wins.html

And if you don't know what to tackle next, post the details and I'm sure you'll get plenty of helpful advice.

**bigdaddybus** · 02-25-2017, 08:24 AM

I cant say I disagree with the posters assessment, and i am guilty of being pretty proud of what hard work has got me.

Making $13,500 as a young married private in the US ARMY was rough financially and my wife and I made alot of mistakes like getting into too much debt, not budgeting, etc along the way.

My intent on here is to share what I have learned along the way, and I am always up for evaluating and improving my approaches to saving, investing, spending, and giving.

Hopefully i am smart enough to realize when I am being offensive, and I appricate this post to help us all realize perception often differs from our intent.

**MonkeyMama** · 02-25-2017, 08:45 AM

Originally posted by Smallsteps View Post

this site seems full of those whom do not need advice and the only advice doled out are not always in the reach of some.
I am not knocking those whom have managed to get great high paying jobs and are(simultaneously) MAXING out all the possible accts like 401ks, 529s, regular IRA, ROTH, HSAs and any other saving option all while buying(2nd , 3rd) homes and luxury cars with cash etc. and paying debt with ease. Many of us are not in that boat.

The thing is, this would never "just happen". We live in a culture of debt and living far beyond means (at every income level). I just had a client with a $250k income tell me they couldn't pay their tax bill and had absolutely no money. This is the norm in our culture. I can go count how many of my $200k+ income clients put a penny in their 401ks. I am guessing something like 0%.

I did want to say that, and of course "savings advice" is very relevant to anyone who can accomplish the above. The parts I quoted above?? I guess, be careful what you assume. That sounds like quite an exaggeration. & if there is any truth to it, it's just a very small percentage of SA members.

We personally aren't into the BIG Income and the BIG assets, but I know our net worth is higher than some here who have consistently made several times more our income. It's because we have always been big savers, even with lower incomes. I think also we are VERY tax efficient. Which means we easily net the same as someone who makes more but is paying a LOT of tax. I am pointing out how appearances can be deceiving. Or that it's a false assumption that people with much lower incomes can never achieve the same.

& maybe because of our accomplishments, maybe you don't see the point why *I* would be here. But the only feedback we were getting in our 20s was, "You don't have any debt and you have more than $5 to your name? What are YOU worried about? Why would you have to save a penny?" I was awed to find a forum like this (around age 30) where people had managed to save even more than we had at that point. Very inspiring and motivating. I need the dose of sanity. & I needed people to look up to. I am not going to find this in our culture. Maybe as I age, maybe I can find it a wee bit more, but it's still pretty rare. (& BTW, I could care less about luxury cars, owning a second home, or even having a 401k plan or a 529 plan. Stuff like that isn't going to be relevant to me. But there's plenty of other discussions that are relevant).

P.S. The blogs on this site are a very different crowd. I'd recommend checking the blogs out. You may just find the blogs more useful.

**YULACU** · 02-25-2017, 10:05 AM

I've lurked more than I've posted, but I can tell you that I'm not making a six figure income and I'm not maxing out my retirement accounts. I simply can't afford to do so right now. I don't own a home and my car is over ten years old.

I enjoy the board because there's a culture of saving that I can't find elsewhere. For example, my co-worker looked bewildered and told me to "live a little" when she found out I was contributing more than the government match to my TSP. Some of the posts serve as aspirational goals for me. The forum is what you make of it.

**Like2Plan** · 02-25-2017, 10:35 AM

I first came to this board about 5 years before retirement. At that time I was looking for insight on retirement preparations.

What kept me coming back even after retiring was the "culture of saving" that YULACU mentioned. I believe the folks on this board probably have higher saving rates than the general population. And, there are some pretty smart people on this board. I continue to learn stuff.

I also like the Decluttering thread. There are lots of good ideas there.

**disneysteve** · 02-25-2017, 10:36 AM

Originally posted by MonkeyMama View Post

We live in a culture of debt and living far beyond means (at every income level).

I need the dose of sanity. & I needed people to look up to. I am not going to find this in our culture.

Originally posted by YULACU View Post

I enjoy the board because there's a culture of saving that I can't find elsewhere.

I think both of you make a good point. The value here is that there are like-minded people. It doesn't matter if you earn 30K or 300K. What matters is how you approach money and finance. It's hard to find people in my every day life who care about this stuff.

Also, keep in mind that we are all at different stages of life. Some are already retired. Some are late in their careers. Some are just starting out. I've been a member here since 2006. I used to ask a lot more questions. Now I rarely ask a question but try to help others a lot more. And still, I posted a question about student loan repayment just a couple of weeks ago and got some useful comments that made me reconsider what I was doing. There's always something to be learned.

**corn18** · 02-25-2017, 10:53 AM

I keep coming back as therapy because everyone here is a saver or wannabe saver. I fear a relapse and need everyone here and all the conversations to keep me from going back. It's an everyday struggle.

**MonkeyMama** · 02-25-2017, 12:07 PM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

There's always something to be learned.

True. I wouldn't be surprised if I learned something new every week in the SA blogs. & it can be the littlest things, but it all adds up.

**kork13** · 02-25-2017, 02:19 PM

I agree with the others... I sorta need everyone here. Almost none of my friends are interested in finances, and even my wife uninterested by it. So I really appreciate having everyone here to discuss my ideas & options, and I also enjoy helping people when the occasion arises. Regardless of your interests, it's always nice to find like-minded individuals with whom you can share your passion, whatever that may be. In many cases, that's what I get out of these forums.

Yes, alot of our regularly-posting members are doing very well. However, there's also thousands of others who come to the forums and either don't post often, or simply don't even sign up -- the lurkers. Questions come up all the time, and even though my situation may be different from "John" (theoretical person), reading about John's question & situation & reading the feedback from everyone for John's benefit, I can still learn alot of lessons that can apply to my own situation as well.

**StormRichards** · 02-25-2017, 04:47 PM

Originally posted by Smallsteps View Post

Some seem like they are just for lack of a better term gloating.

I agree with much of what the others have posted in response to you. That being said, there are definitely a couple members here that do more gloating than anything else. There is a member or two that is a bit out of touch with reality as well, in my opinion. So I can certainly understand where you are coming from when you made this observation.

However, if you are able to block out "the noise" of a few, you can benefit greatly from the majority.

**james.hendrickson** · 02-25-2017, 04:51 PM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

I think both of you make a good point. The value here is that there are like-minded people. It doesn't matter if you earn 30K or 300K. What matters is how you approach money and finance. It's hard to find people in my every day life who care about this stuff.

Also, keep in mind that we are all at different stages of life. Some are already retired. Some are late in their careers. Some are just starting out. I've been a member here since 2006. I used to ask a lot more questions. Now I rarely ask a question but try to help others a lot more. And still, I posted a question about student loan repayment just a couple of weeks ago and got some useful comments that made me reconsider what I was doing. There's always something to be learned.

Yes, many Americans frankly do not care about personal finance. This is a shame, as you really need motivation and a supportive community to drive the kind of results that you need to retire comfortably.

**scfr** · 02-26-2017, 07:47 AM

I concur with the suggestion to check out the SA blogs. I have sometimes joked that the SA forums are the masculine side of SA, and the blogs are the feminine side.

**msomnipotent** · 02-26-2017, 09:04 AM

I get OP's point to an extent. Maybe not gloating. I don't think tooting your own horn is wrong unless you are tooting it in someone's face rather loudly. I can't say anything about our finances to our family because we will either be hit up for a loan or talked about behind our backs. There really isn't another place for me to brag about milestones other than here.

**bjl584** · 02-27-2017, 03:43 AM

What you see here is a minority. Most people don't handle finances the way that the regulars do here. Personally, I don't take what others say as bragging. I look at it as inspiration and use it as an opportunity to learn.

As others have said, lots of folks come here with questions, and good advice is usually given to them.

I'd suggest sticking around, posting some questions, sharing some of your successes, and being a part of the community. Even the most seasoned members of this forum, and the most financially savvy of us, were at one time beginners.

just an observation