Many people think that it is easier to save more when you start earning more.

　　许多人认为，当你开始赚更多钱的时候，才更容易存更多的钱。

　　Although that might be true, there are opportunity costs you incur when you only start saving more after you earn more in the future.

　　虽然这可能是真的，如果你只在挣得更多时才开始存钱，那么将会浪费一些机会成本。

　　It might be difficult to save a significant portion of your income when you earn a relatively low salary.

　　当你的工资相对较低时，你可能很难把收入的大部分存起来。

　　This is especially so when you are still studying or when you first enter the workforce.

　　尤其是当你还在学习的时候，或者当你第一次进入职场的时候。

　　Although you might not have any major bills or big-ticket items to pay for at the moment, you should still save up to buy a house, to build an emergency fund or to pay for your holiday overseas.

　　虽然你现在可能没有什么大的账单或贵的东西来支付，但你还是应该攒钱买房子，建立应急基金，或者为海外度假做准备。

　　Earning more is always a boost to your financial situation.

　　赚得多总是对你的财务状况改善有促进作用。

　　However, saving prudently should not only come about when you begin to earn more.

　　然而，谨慎储蓄不应该只发生在你开始赚更多钱的时候。

　　Here’s why you cannot think of saving only when you earn more.

　　以下是为什么你不能只有在你赚得更多的时候才想到存钱。

　　Different Responsibilities

　　不同的责任

　　When you start earning more, it usually comes with more responsibilities you are likely to be in a different stage of life compared to when you were younger and earning less.

　　当你开始赚更多钱的时候，通常会有更多的责任，与你年轻时赚的少那会儿相比你可能正处于人生的不同阶段。

　　You might have housing loans to pay for, bills to settle, children to provide for and your elderly parents are in retirement and reliant on your income.

　　你可能会有住房贷款来支付，账单要结算，孩子要抚养，你年迈的父母退休需要你的收入来赡养。

　　A higher salary at that point would only go towards paying for these essentials rather than into your savings.

　　在那个时候，你赚到的高薪水只会花在这些必需品上，而不是存进你的积蓄里面。

　　Hence your capacity to save might be much lower, in spite of the higher salary that you earn.

　　因此，你的储蓄能力可能要低得多，尽管你的薪水更高。

　　Habits Are Difficult To Change

　　习惯很难改变

　　Your monthly expenses are affected by the type of lifestyle you lead.

　　你每月的支出会受到你生活方式的影响。

　　Whether its 10 per cent, 20 per cent or 50 per cent of your salary, saving what you can early on in your career creates a habit of saving a portion of your income.

　　无论10%、20%还是50%的薪水，在你的职业生涯早期，你都可以节省你的一部分收入。

　　Even if this means having to lead a more frugal lifestyle and having to put off an indulgent purchase to a later date, it would help you accumulate a good amount of savings for the future.

　　即使这意味着你必须要过一种更加节俭的生活方式，而且不得不推迟你挥霍购物的时间，但这也会帮助你为未来积累大量的储蓄。

　　Rather than getting used to spending a large portion of your salary, saving a portion of your income from a younger age creates a good habit for yourself to follow in the future.

　　与其习惯于把大部分薪水花在消费上，不如把你年轻时的一部分收入存起来，这也会为你以后的生活创造一个良好的习惯。

　　Lifestyle Inflation

　　生活消费的通货膨胀

　　We often think that as our income increases by $1,000, that means that we would be able to save an additional $1,000.

　　我们经常认为我们的收入增加了1000美元，这意味着我们可以再攒下1000美元。

　　However, lifestyle inflation is a phenomenon that will affect how much you end up saving.

　　然而，生活消费的通货膨胀现象往往会影响到的你最终储蓄。

　　With lifestyle inflation, as your income increases, your spending increases as well.

　　随着生活消费的通货膨胀，虽然你的收入有所增加，但你的支出也会增加。

　　This is a major reason why we are unable to save more when we earn more.

　　这就是为什么当我们赚得更多的时候，我们不能存更多的钱的一个主要原因。

　　You might spend more on luxuries to treat yourself when you earn a higher pay.

　　当你获得更高的薪水时，你可能会花更多的钱来犒劳自己。

　　This could be for a number of reasons, ranging from having more financial responsibilities to take on or simply to upgrade your wardrobe.

　　这可能有很多原因，从承担更多的财务责任到简单地升级你的衣柜。

　　Maximize Your Time By Compounding Your Savings

　　用你的积蓄来最大化你的时间

　　Starting to save from a younger age gives you a longer time horizon to compound your returns though investing.

　　从年轻阶段开始存钱可以让你有更长的时间来提高你的投资回报。

　　There is more time for your savings to grow through the power of compounding returns.

　　你的储蓄有更多的时间通过复利而得到增长。

　　This graph by Business Insider shows how big the difference can be when you start saving 10 years before your peers.

　　这张由Business Insider的图表显示，当你比同龄人提前10年开始开始存钱时，这种差异有多大。

　　Rather than only saving when you earn more, starting to save as soon as you start working helps you accumulate more wealth in the long run.

　　而不是只在你赚得更多的时候开始存钱，当你开始工作的时候就开始存钱可以帮助你从长远的角度积累更多的财富。

　　Always Good To Have A Safety Net

　　有一个安全网总是好的

　　Starting to save even when you have a small salary would help you create a safety net for yourself to fall back on.

　　即使你的薪水很低，你也可以开始存钱，这样你就可以为自己建立一个安全网。

　　Should an unfortunate situation arise such that you require a large amount of money, your emergency funds would help you tide over difficult times, especially when you find yourself out of a job.

　　如果你需要一大笔钱，你的应急基金就会帮你渡过困难时期，特别是当你失业的时候。

　　What you do with the money you save is also important.

　　当然你如何利用你的存款也很重要。

　　Rather than have it sit in a bank with less than 1 per cent interest, you should start your investing journey as early as possible.

　　与其把钱放在一个利率不到1%的银行里，你还不如尽早开始你的投资之旅。