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THE LIBRARY · FOUNDATIONSaving shelf

Saving

An emergency fund first, then goals, then making idle cash earn.

Three books, read in order: the foundations, then the strategies, then a deep dive. Each chapter works its numbers out with the calculators and cites its sources.

Volumes3
Chapters23
Reading time2.2 h
Calculators7
READ IN THIS ORDERFoundations → Strategies → Deep dive
01
VOL 1 · FOUNDATIONSSavings Foundations & Emergency Funds8 chapters · 44 min
  1. 01Why Saving Feels Hard and How to Make It Automatic
  2. 02How Much to Save
  3. 03Sizing Your Emergency Fund
  4. 04Building, Protecting and Refilling Your Emergency Fund
  5. 05Saving Versus Investing: Matching Money to Time
  6. 06Where to Keep Your Savings
  7. 07Turning Goals into Monthly Savings Plans
  8. 08Putting It Together: Your Savings Plan
02
VOL 2 · STRATEGIESGoal-Based Savings & Acceleration8 chapters · 47 min
  1. 01Balancing Several Savings Goals at Once
  2. 02Sinking Funds for Predictable Expenses
  3. 03Planning a Home, a Car and Other Major Purchases
  4. 04Where Your Cash Should Live: Savings Accounts, CDs and Treasury Bills
  5. 05Automating Your Savings System
  6. 06Tax-Advantaged Accounts for Every Goal
  7. 07Putting Windfalls to Work
  8. 08Building Wealth That Lasts Across Generations
03
VOL 3 · DEEP DIVEHigh-Yield Savings Optimization7 chapters · 41 min
  1. 01What Low-Yield Cash Really Costs
  2. 02High-Yield Savings Accounts and Deposit Insurance
  3. 03Money Market Accounts, Money Market Funds and Brokerage Cash
  4. 04CDs and CD Ladders
  5. 05Treasury Bills and I Bonds
  6. 06Taxes on Interest and How to Keep More
  7. 07Your Cash System
CALCULATORS FOR THIS SHELF
Latte Factor Calculator →What does a recurring small spend cost me invested, and how much does it delay FI?Lifestyle Creep Detector →Has my spending grown faster than income, and what does it cost my FI date?Subscription cost audit →How much am I really paying for subscriptions per year?Paycheck budget →How should I split each paycheck between bills, savings and spending?HYSA vs T-bill vs CD vs MMF after tax →After federal and state tax, where should my cash sit?Down payment savings timeline →How long to save a down payment plus closing costs?Emergency fund calculator →How many months of expenses do I have saved, and how many do I need?
TERMS ON THIS SHELF
Lifestyle creepEmergency fundTake-home payPay yourself first50/30/20 ruleEnvelope budgetingSinking fundZero-based budgetMental accountingBudget varianceFixed expenseVariable expensePresent biasOpportunity costHedonic adaptationHouse hackingStandby powerAnnual percentage yield (APY)Deposit insurance (FDIC and NCUA)CD ladderTreasury billI bond (Series I savings bond)Values-based spendingHigh-yield savings accountSubscription creepCost per useAutomatic renewalBilling error disputeSunk cost fallacy