What a savings rate is
Your savings rate is the share of income you keep after all expenses: (income − expenses) ÷ income. Earn 2,000 and spend 1,520, and you keep 480, a rate of 24%. Common rules of thumb: below 10% leaves little room for surprises, 10–20% is a solid habit, 20–30% is the usual target, and 30% or more is aggressive saving for a specific goal. The 20% figure comes from the 50/30/20 rule in All Your Worth by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi: half of income for needs, 30% for wants and 20% for savings and debt.