December 9, 2025
AAR27 - How do I decide how much to save?
The Investing for Beginners Podcast - Your Path to Financial FreedomAbout this episode
You can download Evan’s free monthly budgeting spreadsheet here: https://einvestingforbeginners.com/budget/ In this episode of At Any Rate , Evan Raidt breaks down the practical process of deciding how much to save, spend, and invest—using a clear, percentage-based system that works for any income. Evan walks through the 50-30-20 rule (and how he tweaks it himself), explains why percentages matter more than dollar values, and shows how to use a real-world budget outline (grab the free sheet here ). You’ll learn where to start, how to handle must-have savings like 401k matches and HSAs, and how to prioritize Roth IRAs and high-yield savings accounts with any leftover funds. Topics Covered: Why percentages matter more than dollar amounts The 50-30-20 rule (and Evan’s personal tweaks) How to find your true net income for budgeting The power of maxing your 401k match and using an HSA Using credit cards only as payment vehicles (not for emergencies) Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and why this topic matters 02:00 The problem with flashy dollar amounts—percentages are what count 04:30 How to use the free budget sheet 06:00 Setting your target percentages (50-30-20 and beyond) 09:00 Calculating net income and why it matters 12:00 Breaking down “needs” and why debt payments go here 15:00 Must-have savings: 401k match, HSA, home equity 18:00 Planning for big goals (cars, houses, etc.) 20:00 Prioritizing Roth IRA and high-yield savings accounts 24:00 Tracking and adjusting your “wants” 27:00 What to do with leftover funds 29:00 Final tips: avoid regular savings accounts, use credit cards for rewards only, and keep things hands-off with index funds 31:00 Wrapping up and how to get started Resources Mentioned: Free budgeting spreadsheet: https://einvestingforbeginners.com/budget/ Roth IRA basics: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/rothira.asp High-yield savings accounts: https://www.nerdwallet.com/best/banking/high-yield-online-savings-accounts Vanguard VOO ETF info: https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/voo Have feedback or ideas for Evan? Comment below or email him at evan@einvestingforbeginners.com —your suggestions help shape future episodes. Remember, financial freedom is built one smart move at a time. Keep it simple, keep it steady, and at any rate, we’ll see you next time. Timestamps are generated by artificial intelligence, and are not 100% accurate depending on the platform used for listening. Today’s show is sponsored by: Go to SHOPIFY.COM/beginners to start selling with Shopify today. Download the Plynk app today to start building your investing confidence: https://plynkinvest.app.link/IFB Go to auraframes.com and use promo code BEGINNERS at checkout to get $35 off Get your free quote and see how much you could save at SelectQuote.com/beginners Interested in how your company sponsor the show? Reach us at equity@einvestingforbeginners.com SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW Apple | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Tunein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices