We are routinely encouraged to save money, for retirement, for education, for emergencies, and so on.

But this advice is not always easy to follow. Save with SPP took a look around to see why saving is such a struggle, and to find out ways those who aren’t currently savers can work their way into the savings habit.

A study carried out by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and reported upon by the CBC, found that on average, Canadians saved “just 3.21 per cent of their disposable income in 2020, or about $1,277 per household.”

Americans, the article notes, save three times as much. Why?

“Canadians are currently spending more of their income to service their debts than Americans, which partly explains the lower savings rate,” says BMO senior economist Saul Guatieri in the CBC article.

And indeed, according to Statistics Canada, household debt topped 177 per cent of disposable income by late 2019, up from 168 per cent the year before. In other words, for every dollar we earn, we owe $1.77, on average. The same agency’s research found that 73.2 per cent of Canadians “have some sort of outstanding debt, or have used a payday loan at some point in the last 12 months.” Almost one-third of those surveyed told Statistics Canada they have too much debt.

The CBC article also cites the increased cost of living as a factor. Shannon Lee Simmons, a certified financial planner, tells the network that “she’s seen the amount of money Canadians are able to put away decrease for a number of reasons, including stagnating wages and the rising cost of necessities like gas, groceries, daycare and housing.”

Housing costs have bumped up to 45-50 per cent of take-home pay for some, she tells CBC.

Inflation, reports Reuters, is on the rise, and “the Bank of Canada said inflation was expected to remain at or above three per cent… for the rest of 2021.”

Blogger Jim Yih of the Retire Happy blog adds a couple of other factors. The lack of formal financial education, he writes, and the prevalent “consumption attitude” of “spending money we do not have” are a big part of the problem. He also notes that interest rates for savings accounts have been at historic lows for many years, which discourages some savers.

So what can be done?

• Start small, suggests Simmons. “I would rather someone save a little bit than just give up altogether because they feel the goal is too unrealistic,” she tells the CBC. Having a budget is a key step as well, she says, as you can not only track spending but see opportunities to reduce costs.
• Review your bank fees, and see if you can find a bank with lower or no fees, suggests the Canada Buzz blog.
• Pay yourself first, advises Alterna Bank. “Automate your savings… transfer the funds to a savings, investment, registered retirement savings plan or tax-free savings account,” Alterna suggests.

The last step is a great one. Even if you did a “pay yourself first” and put one or two per cent of your pay into savings, and then lived on the 98 per cent, you would see those savings begin to grow over time. And while it may not be the “save 10 per cent, and live on 90 per cent” rule that our late Uncle Joe hammered into us over the years, you are starting on the right road. Patience and being steadfast can get you there.

The Saskatchewan Pension Plan supports a “pay yourself first” strategy. You can set up automatic contributions from your bank account each payday. The money you contribute is then carefully invested by SPP for your future. It’s a “set it and forget it” way to build retirement security, something SPP has been providing for more than 35 years.

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Will some Canadians stay frugal and keep saving – even after the pandemic?

An interesting report from BNN Bloomberg suggests that a significant chunk of us Canadians plan to carry on being savers – and trimming back on spending – once the pandemic is over.

The report cites recent Scotiabank research, which found that 36 per cent of those surveyed “are planning to eliminate unnecessary spending from their lifestyle,” and a further 28 per cent “will continue to build their emergency fund.”

Scotiabank’s D’Arcy McDonald is quoted in the article as saying there is a “record number of deposits in Canadians’ bank accounts.” He further states that this stash of cash “presents a huge opportunity, especially for the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic, like travel and hospitality.”

In plainer terms, he’s expecting Canadians will spend that cache of cash on things they haven’t been able to do, like jumping on a jet plane, or even taking friends out for dinner. And the research seems to bear that out – but with more than a third of respondents promising NOT to spend money like they did before, and nearly 30 per cent more putting money in long-term savings, one wonders if it will play out like bankers and politicians expect.

A higher savings rate is never a bad thing. As recently as 2017, according to the CBC, the national household savings rate was about 4.6 per cent, and 65 per cent of Canadians said they were saving for retirement.

Jump ahead to 2020, and – according to the National Post – we have a national savings rate of 28.2 per cent, and an estimate cash stockpile of $90 billion. And that number solely looks at savings accounts, the article notes – if invested dollars were counted, the number would be even higher.

Are any of the excess dollars being earmarked for retirement?

It would appear so. According to the Canada Buzz blog, the average registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) balance in Canada is around the $100,000 mark – it averages $92,000 and change in the Prairies and hits $116,000 in Alberta. B.C. weighs in at $96,000-plus and Ontario leads at $128,000.

The pandemic has been a nightmare for some of us, who have seen jobs and paycheques dry up, or who have been forced to close businesses. Retirement savings is of course not a priority for this group. But if you are someone who has managed to keep working throughout the crisis, and have built up some extra savings, don’t forget about your retirement savings account. Those dollars will be handy for the retired, future you.

The Saskatchewan Pension Plan, celebrating its 35^th year of operations, is of course a logical destination for any excess cash you may want to earmark for the future. SPP invests the contributions on your behalf, and at retirement, can convert your invested dollars to a retirement income stream. Check them out today!

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