Saving those pounds, another try

I'm interested to see just how many of us are investing any money or have retirement accounts. Moving countries complicates your financial life and saving money is never easy, so what do you do. Do you put the money "under the mattress" or do you invest it somewhere?

US Roth IRA (am paid part of my salary in US Dollars) invested in Mutual Funds
US Money Market invested in Mutual Funds
UK Cash ISA (with National Savings & Investments)
UK Savings Account with high interest

I live pay cheque to pay cheque.  There is NO room for savings - which, yes, makes me dead nervous.  But not much I can do about it.

Just a plain ol' UK savings account for DH and me.

I live pay cheque to pay cheque.  There is NO room for savings - which, yes, makes me dead nervous.  But not much I can do about it.

Ditto. I've had to opt out of my Uni retirement plans for now until DH gets a job (he's a PhD student).[

I live pay cheque to pay cheque.  There is NO room for savings - which, yes, makes me dead nervous.  But not much I can do about it.

Same for us. 

My husband has a few pension plans and I stash a few US dollars away each month in my American account.

Just a little bit in a traditional savings account (DESPERATELY trying to make this more than just a little bit for the wedding), but everything else is out in monthly expenses.  Once we're married, then we'll start thinking long term, but that's where all the spare cash is going now!

UK defined benefit pension plan
UK savings account, saving money there to buy a flat in UK
US ROTH, I declare my UK income on my 1040 and take foreign tax credit not deduction
US Mutual Funds, split between US and European Index funds to smooth out currency fluctuations.

Ditto. I've had to opt out of my Uni retirement plans for now until DH gets a job (he's a PhD student).[

Why did you have to opt out of the Uni retirement plan?

I have a savings account, but currently all of my "savings" are mixed in my current account with everything else.  Right now I'm in the really awesome position of being able to save about £500-700 a month (due to really low rent and the fact that my student loan repayments haven't kicked in yet) which is good because I need to save up money to satisfy the home office for my visa application in January.

Once I get my visa sorted and get a permanent job though I'm hoping to jump in to more serious savings- we want to save up a £5,000 emergency fund over the next 2-3 years.  After that, the focus will shift to saving for a deposit on a house..*maybe* by 2014 or so we'll have 20% ;-)

 I'm completely clueless about investing though, I have to say, and saving for retirement.  Ah well, guess I'll figure it out as I go along!

Why did you have to opt out of the Uni retirement plan?

It sounds like balmerhon is saying she can't afford to put money into the pension plan.

It sounds like balmerhon is saying she can't afford to put money into the pension plan.

Oh, That's a pity because in the UK Uni plan if you put in 6% before tax the Uni puts in 14%, that's massive. Of course if you don't plan on being in the UK long term it might not be worth it.

It sounds like balmerhon is saying she can't afford to put money into the pension plan.

Yes, I can't afford for them to take 70 quid every month now. But we could well be in the US next year, so no point stewing about it. Regardless, we'll both (DH and I) be in academia whatever side of the pond we end up on. So I do look forward to the some of the perks that allows - I hope the US ones are nice, too.

Mainly UK savings account and ISAs.  The rest is trying to beat down this mortgage that never seems to get much smaller!