Why do some people just don't save money?

Yes, it is hard to change another person. I really tried in the past, but I can't say that I had much success. I can easily imagine the arguments when your boyfriend doesn't agree with the things that you do. I am married now and fortuneately my husband is more responsible. He pays most of our bills, I pay a couple of bills and we save up the rest of my salary. Last year we managed to save up the money for a trip in Europe. I am very happy that we are able to do something like that. When my ex-boyfriend and I were together something like that would have been impossible!

Woh. spending our monthly salary in one week is a great feat. Yes, it's really a irresponsible way of dealing with money. It just shows that he has no plan for the future. Yes. I have been trying to change my boyfriend for close to 5 years now. He understands that i am helping him to save more money and he is the one requesting that i help manage his finances. And this has led to many arguments. And at times, he don't really agree with my way of doing things. It's hard to change someone. Do you have a boyfriend now? Hope your current one is much better at handling finances.

Great to hear that your husband is one responsible guy. Very envious and really happy that you found someone who is great. I can feel that you enjoyed the Europe trip that you guys went. Definitely, we had lots and lots and lots of arguments when we do not agree on things. However, because he allows me to manage his fiances, he would many times ask me if he should pay this if he should buy that. However, I don't want to appear very controlling of his money. Still, we are not yet married. And I don't think its' a very nice thing to do. For the past 4 years that I stayed with my boyfriend, we had managed to save enough to go to Phuket and Krabi. We like to go to beaches where we can relax. However, i'm really worried that all these quarelling would affect our relationship. Just curious, how do you decided what bills your boyfriend pay and what bills you pay?

Hi annavi, you are right. I am indeed irritate while writing this. He just called me saying that he has just received his salary and wants me to help him to transfer his money out. He knows that he should save more money and he knows that I am helping him to do so. Moreover, he is the one who suggested that i help him with it and therefore he has given me access to his bank account and all. Even though he says it is necessary for him to save more money, neither of us knows what is the problem with him. I know he does not spend money on stuff that is not needed. He only spends it on food when he's alone and that is when he is working. we'll occassionally go to some restaurant to have some good food during his rest days. And thus, I really have no idea why his spending on his necessities are always out of the budget that we have calculated.

oh, so you are more of expending on food stuffs huh? maybe you should try to lessen your expenses on food. there are not too expensive places to buy on food right? this way you can start saving little by little. try on foods which are low in price but high on giving you nutrients to make you feel heavy like eating a full meal.

It's great to occassionaly spend some money on some good food to reward ourselves. However, we don't lavish on food every single day. It's only on an occassional basis. But you are right. We should try to limit ourselves on eating good food. That's right, start saving little by little. Some times we also try to find cheap and good food because we feel a bit guilty after spending quite a sum of money on buffet. THe problem with him is his everyday expenses where he goes to food court to buy but always chooses the more expensive kind. Noting good, but just expensive.

Very true. It is extremely to save money no matter how much we earn. It's just that I feel there is no security when my partner just spends money like that. The problem here is he does not even know what he spends on. It's just that come every month end, his bank account will be reset to 0.. It's really depressing. He knows i'm helping him also but sometimes i don't want to appear so pushy. As a girl, i don't want him to feel i'm controlling all over his finance which i am more or less doing so now.

He does not know how to deal with his finances. He is aware of it and therfore wants me to help him to manage his money. I therefore has access to all his bank accounts and all. However, because it is still his money, he might sometimes not agree with the way i want it to be saved. If he just want to live up his life to his wish, then, what does future hold for us?

At old age you can not enjoy life.Once the time goes we can not do anything.So let him do what he thinks good. Just ask why he does not want to save for tomorrow.I do understand that if there is no saving and no guarantee of the future how bad it will be to u.Because maintaing a family or leading life with balance is very much required. Just i can say that when we are children we like to play and learn.When the time goes off we can never lead such life because it would be odd. In teenage there are such things we can do,and when in a job we should be responsible .In a responsible married life there should be saving and responsibility. Future can not be predicted.So precaution steps are to be taken.Saving is necessary.

Yes, we cannot enjoy live in old age and therefore, it is important to live happily now. I do believe that we do not know what will happen tomorrow and thus, it is important to cherish everything that we have now. I like what you say about the balance part. Sure, without saving, there can be no maintaining of a family because money is needed to maintain a household. It's not that he does not want to save for tomorrow. But more of he does not know how to and therefore he has given me the key to manage his finances. However, because we are not married, I don't want to appear too controlling.

You are right, they think too simply and feel that there will always be enough money for them to spend. However, when there is a urgent need for money, there will be huge problems. these people really don't plan for the future.

yes. nagging definitely won't work. Thank you for reminding me and I will surely try to use a better way to change him. He does know he is unable to manage his finances well and therefore has asked me to help him. Like you say, i shouldn't nag but to find a better way.

You're welcome. I hope everything works out.

He definitely don't know how to budget but he really wants to save money too. Just that he does not really have the concept of money. He does try to listen to me and i try to plan out his budget and his finances for him. However, at times, i feel that i should not hold such a tight control over him because it might just scare him away. He really does wnats to save money, but somehow, the money never seems to be enough. Or perhaps it's really time for us to work out a new budget for him. Now that food prices and gas prices are all rising, perhaps the old budget is really not suitable anymore. You are right, it's really up to me on hold i actually control the finances. Thank you!

Hi somecowgirl. Thank you for your advise. I already have been trying my best to help him and he understands it too. But I just don't know why he never manages to save any money and his bank is 0 at the end of every month. I have even opened a joint account with him just so I can encourage him to save more money and every month he has allowed me to transfer money out of him account into our joint savings. However, his expenses are always very huge and everytime asks for more money than we have planned. I really have no idea what he spends on.

YOu are right. I should work out a budget with him. However, I don't want to appear to be someone who wants to manage him finances. What suggestions do you have about it?

My regular monthly in come is $480. My rent is $400. My elecrtic varies from $40.-$80. My phone and internet is $85. Do the math. The expenses are more than the income. For extra money i have donated plasma. I hate to do that because it sometimes makes me sick. Also i have begged at the side of the road for money. I hate doing that too. Theres risk of going to jail. Im constantly job hunting but they just are not around. Seems the employers like hiring young people over older people. Thank God for food stamps.

That's what my boyfriend says too. That his monthly expenses exceed the amount of money that he is able to use. However, is this really the case? Or is it more of an excuse? I think we really only the person themselves will know! Jdyrj777, i'm quite interested in what you mean by you often have to do other things? What are some other things that you do?

Not at all it is not difficult to save money. We pay every month bill of grocery shop, telephone bill, power bill and many type of bills. These payments are charge on our earning. Treat saving like these bills or charge on earning.

that's right! the attitude says it all. If the person wants to save, he will definitely be able to do it no matter how difficult it is. Furthermore, how difficult it is to save money?

Yes, I think you are completely right, from what I have seen as well, it does indeed come from our upbringing. So people who do not know how to save should not always be blamed I think, it is all they know after all....

Hmm, so it's now hereditary? haha. If that the case, we can really blame everything on our parents. If hereditary is the explanation, then i guess it would be all the more difficult to change my boyfriend :( @puccagirl, i think you are right, it's about the upbringing over here. Definitely, those people who does not have much concept about saving really should not be blamed for we are brought up by our parents and we learn whatever our parents teach us.

Yes, these books are a great inspiration indeed, great advice! I remember reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad as well and it was such an eye opener! Highly recommended! :)

This is really right. If I could change him, he would have change like 4 years back. It is really hard. He needs to experience for himself. no matter how much i say, it really all still boils down to him because ultimately, it's him money. i hope he has the habit of reading but he won't read. Especially that he is from Malaysia, he reads only Chinese books because English is just too tedious for him. Even so, he dosen't read book too. Yes, to offer him with an incentives and to motivate him. However, that would then really require a lot of work from me. @Pucca girl. I haven tried rich dad poor dad even though i have heard of it just so many times. i really need to read it one day.

Yes. I really don't understand why people think that installment is a good thing. I am one who never approves of that because i think that many too many credit card will only make us in a huge debt and i really don't want that happening. In this day and age, we do need a credit card for ourselves, just in case we urgently need money. However, i don't agree when it comes to using it to pay by installment. It might meet only a little to pay each month. But the little little adds up and when u know it, every month you are paying something and that will leave us with no more money for food. I really wonder what these people are thinking. Furthermore, when we pay by installment, most of the time, the amount that we pay in the end, is much more than what the product actually cost. Isn't this simple common sense? To save enough money first before purchasing something. What to do what such people.

Yes. Like you say, at his age, he should really know how to save money. He keeps saying that he thinks of our future but always does it in the wrong way. It's alright to spend, but they need to know where's the limit

i totally agree with you, theres nothing wrong in spending but you have to put your limitations also.. normally people with credit cards they are in big debt as they would always think they can buy and buy using their cards then when due date comes, they would pay minimum amount only and then interest will be there, then they will be in big debt how can he can he thinks of your future but doesnt even know how to save even a single penny on his pocket? lol

I agree. I think sometimes people need to struggle in order to learn the importance of saving. Sadly, sometimes people struggle and still don't learn. Once someone makes it a habit it's very hard to break. Money is so easy to spend. I know I tell myself that I won't spend anymore money and I end up doing it sometimes. I always make sure that I have something saved up though.

@cutepenguin. You are right. Unless something happens and he realizes the importance of saving money. Otherwise, it would be really difficult for him to change his nature. Everything now is just so expensive and even food in the food court gets its prices hike every few months, how can we start to save money when our expenses is higher but not our salary? @Chastised_dreamz Definitely, there are many people to try to learn how to save money but it has already become innate in them and it has already become too difficult for them to break away from it. It's great spending money because we can eat nice and good food, we can buy pretty dresses. It's super easy to spend money. However, when saving is high on the list, it is important to make sure we don't spend too much.

Yes. No one knows what will happen in the future and we definitely need to save money so we can have money to spare in case of emergencies. Otherwise, it would really be terrible for

I don't set an amount that he has to save but every month, i will just leave a set amount of money into his bank and then transfer the rest out to our saving account. In the beginning, I had asked him to deposit a set amount of money into another account. But after about a year, i realise that it would not work because he is forever not having enough money to use. I had advise him to set aside the money at the beginning of the month when he receives his salary. however, he always says that he cannot do that for he needs the money in case he needs to use it during the month. Then, i realise that it really would not work that way because my boyfriend is one person that will spend how much in his bank account. If you give him more, he'll spend mroe, if he sees lesser money in his bank account, he'll spend lesser. And at the end of the month, he'll always have 0. and this, i really don't like it. Thus, i have started controlling his finances. and take charge of everything. However, i am sort of worried that it might backfire and might push him away from me because i really dont' think it's nice to be like giving him 'pocket money' every month. Feel like a month this way. You are right, baby steps. It's really a good advise, but the problem with me is that i don't know where to draw the line.

You might be right. he really does not know how to save money. I can't really blame him though. He really wants to save money, but some how, it just is something difficult for him. I don't know the reason neither does he. His reason is that he dose not spend his money on unnecessary things. Yes, i definitely have to teach him a little by little. It is this part that I have trouble with. I currently control his finances and I don't really like it this way because i find that it might one day push him away for no body like other people rummaging through their money and telling them how much money they have for the month to spend.

Yes, I agree. And I think some people simply do not know how to save because they were not raised that way, so it doesn't mean that it is his fault. He is just not used to this idea. So let it take time if it has to, the important thing is that he learns it in the end. So be patient, and take baby steps with him and it should be fine.

@asyria, for me, no matter what, I will similarly like yo, find a way to put a little bit aside, no matter what. I really why there are just some people who does not know how to save and feel that they need to spend whatever money that they have. You are right. I should make him take out small amounts of money each time to let him know it's not hard to save. Thank you for your advise. I'll definitely try it. @puccagirl, I really agree with what you said. Some people simply do not know how to save people. I know his parents did not inculcate any money saving money tips or behavior into him. But to me, i think its' quite common sense and a natural part of living because we need to have savings in case of emergency. Like my boyfriend, I have known him for close to 5 years now and since day 1, he has been like that. At the end of every month, he is broke and there is 0 value left in his bank account. I really wonder how can he not be worried if one day in case he needs money. @ (all) I have opened a joint savings account with him when we were together for 6 months because i thought it would encourage him to save money. However, he finds it very difficult to just save a small fraction of his salary into the joint account. He remembers for one month then forget for two. Now, he has let me manage his finances by asking me to transfer his money of his salary before he can even use it. Though it is working, i someitmes feel that i am not yet married to him and it's not very nice for me to control his money like that. What do you think?

i have tried talking to him upteem times about money matters. The problem with him is that he wants to save money and he knows the importance of saving money for future use. However, somehow, it just becomes difficult for him to save money and anything that is in his bank account, will be 0 by the end of the month. I know he does not spend on other things but this is just the way it is. He listens to me on ways to save. And now, i have been like a mother, giving him 'pocket money' every month and i don't really like to do it. But i guess i don't really have a choice becuse otherwise, he will not save money. SO the only way is every month when his salary is out, i will transfer the money out to our saving account and then leave him a set amount of money for him to use. However, i don't really like this method because i'm worried that by doing so, i will push him away from me. He wants to listen to me, but I haven no idea why it's seem so difficult for him.