美國的職場新人如何支配自己的收入
instein once said that the most powerful force in the universe was compound interest.
愛因斯坦曾經說過:宇宙中最強大的力量就是複利。No one is in a better position to harness this force than those who have just started earning a regular salary. But popular wisdom tells you that it is just this demographic that has a tough time saving. Salaries are typically lower.
而那些剛剛開始拿薪水的人,就是最能從這股力量中獲利的人了。但是,衆所周知,這恰好就是那羣不擅長存錢的人。而且他們的工資通常也不算高。Here’s how that paycheck gets divvied up across the nation.
以下是一個普通美國人對自己收入的支配情況:
1. Housing (31.9%)
住房——佔總收入的31.9%Among households in this age group, 61% are renting.
在這個年齡的人當中,61%的人是租房住的。The average rent/mortgage check is $894 per month(60% of the total cost on housing). Obviously, this figure will vary widely based on location.
他們平均每月的租金或房貸是894美元(佔住房總花銷的60%)。不過顯然,這個數字隨着地區不同而不同。The rest of the balance of housing money is devoted to utilities, household supplies, furniture, and appliances.
而住房花銷中剩下的那部分,用在了水電燃氣、日用品、傢俱和各種小物件上面。2. Transportation (16.3%)
交通——佔總收入的16.3%This includes monthly payments for the purchase of new/used cars, which runs roughly $296 per month.
這包括買車的錢以及車貸平均到每月的花銷,大概是296美元。(這對於中國的畢業生來講不太一樣,畢竟在中國還是以公共交通爲主)Last year, an average of $204 per month was spent on gasoline.
去年,在汽油上的平均花銷是204美元。The rest is used on maintenance, insurance, and “other vehicle expenses.”
其他的部分花在了維護費用、保險以及其他交通花銷上。3. Healthcare (4.9%)
健康——佔總收入的4.9%Here’s where it really pays to be young.
這就是年輕真正的好處。(健康方面可以少花錢)Healthcare spending is one of the only categories that consistently inches upward throughout life.
健康是唯一一個隨着年齡增長而花銷變大的門類。Of this total, 70% is used to cover insurance premiums, which likely means that employers are chipping in a significant percentage of the total cost of coverage.
而這裏面的70%是花在了健康保險上面,所以基本上可以說是用人單位覆蓋了裏面的大部分。(在中國的普遍情況就是公司交掉一半)4. Food (12.1%)
飲食——佔總收入的12.1%Typically, 45% is spent on eating out.
一般來講,這其中的45%是花在了外出就餐上面。Meats, fish, eggs, fruits, and vegetables make up over 40% of the money that is spent monthly for food at home.
而在家吃的那一部分花銷裏,肉、魚、雞蛋、水果、蔬菜等食材佔據了40%。(剩下的可能是零食吧)5. Entertainment (4.4%)
娛樂——佔總收入的4.4%When you think about it, it’s a pretty good deal when you’re able to spend as much on entertainment as you do on healthcare.
仔細想一下的話,娛樂的花銷可以和健康花銷等量,還是一件挺划算的事。I should note that these figures include the costs of pets, TVs, hobbies, and any type of event you might attend.
我要指出,這部分花銷包括了寵物、電視、興趣愛好以及其他一切你可能參與的活動。6. Pensions and Social Security (9.8%)
社保、養老金——佔總收入的9.8%As you’ll see at the end, though, even with reduced benefits in the future, Social Security can play a key role in your retirement.
你們最終會明白的,雖然這些東西以後的價值會變低,但社保在你退休之後還是舉足輕重的。(在中國,這部分一般是公司在發薪前就代繳了,而公司負擔其中大部分)7. Education (2%)
教育——佔總收入的2%Many will argue that this number should be higher. After all, the graduation is only a beginning. Your career just started and there's a lot of skills to acquire if you wanna get promoted and paid better.
很多人都覺得這一部分應該更高一些。畢竟,畢業只是一個新階段的開始。你的職業生涯纔剛剛起步,如果你想升職加薪的話,還有不少技能要學。8. Other (9.3%)
其他——佔總收入的9.3%This covers a lot of different categories: clothes, alcohol, personal care products, cigarettes, donations, and even alimony payments. Lump all of them together and this is what you get.
這一部分包含很多門類:服裝、酒、個人護理產品、煙、慈善捐贈甚至贍養費。把它們全部加起來就是你能自由支配的那一部分了。(能存下來的最大值)That leaves the average household of 2 people with $423 per month.
這對於一般的家庭(兩口人)來說,就是每月423美元(約合人民幣2800元)This may sound like a lot or a little, depending on your point of view. But let’s put it in perspective. This is equivalent to saving $5,076 per year.
這在你看來可能算多,也可能算少。不過且讓我們用不偏不倚的視角來看看,這相當於每年5076美元(約合人民幣34000元)。If we assume that a couple, aged 30, is able to put away this much every month until they retired at age 67, adjusted for inflation, and assuming a return of 9% (just below the stock market’s historical average), they would have an equivalent of $484,000 in their nest egg come retirement time.
如果我們假設,一對30歲的夫妻,每月能存下這麼多錢,一直存到67歲退休,然後假設他們的投資回報率是9%(剛好低於股票市場歷史回報率的平均值),再算上通貨膨脹,那他們在退休的時候就會有一筆484,000美元的財富(約合人民幣326萬元)。Obviously, not everyone who reads this will represent the “average” household for this age group. There’s tons of variability.
不過顯然,並不是所有讀這篇文章的人都恰好是這個年齡段中的平均水平,變量是非常多的。If nothing else, a key takeaway should be that if you want to super-charge your savings, focus on the Big Three of housing, transportation, and food to leverage your efforts.
但拋開一切不談,最重要的一點建議是:如果你想讓你的積蓄髮揮最大的價值,你應該着重在住房、交通、飲食這三個大頭上面精打細算。