I agree that diligently saving is a necessary survival strategy in our industry. Pre-Pandemic I was putting back a minimum of 25% of my gross income. However, with runaway inflation ( gas prices are well in excess of $6/gallon here in California) and a general downturn in business, it’s getting harder to earn money, and getting even more difficult to hang onto it. I’m now focused on working both harder and smarter so I can return to my aggressive saving mode.
As for your investing question, Kinkylilpixie, I rely on a strategy called “dollar cost averaging “ ( you might want to Google it), and in a nutshell, you basically determine a set dollar amount you want to invest each month, then buy your chosen stock(s) with it. When the price of the stock goes up, you buy less shares, when the price drops, you buy more. It’s a very simple, painless and easy way to really get your portfolio rolling.