So will be debt-free by the end of this year..

And I've already started playing around with a draft debt-free budget... and have one that I am happy with...

But then I thought... well if I leave my current job that budget will be redundant...if I move to a foreign country I'll have to make a new budget etc etc..

Basically I spend quite a lot of time, e.g. while out running, computing different budgets in my head... etc... and I'm getting a bit tired of it..

I would like to work out a budget based on percentages... A budget that I can take anywhere and will fit all scenarios...

3 long-term areas I want to cover.

1. Retirement.

Note - Irish Government gives tax relief for retirement contributions up to 20% of Net Salary for 30 to 39 yr olds. (I'm 30).

So the obvious target is 20% - maximise tax relief.

2. Future Accommodation Savings.

I have no plans to become a home-owner at the moment. I'm not bothered by the prospect of renting all my life - unlikely as that may be. But I've decided to put money away every month to pay for my future accommoation either as:

A. A deposit for a home.

B. I never buy and the monthly payments just build up into a big fund that I can use to pay rent when I retire.

I'll be investing this money in high-interest savings accounts as opposed to the stock market as I don't know when/if I'll need to access it...

How much to save for Accommodation Savings, I was thinking IDEALLY the same as retirement - 20%. So when I retire, I will have money there to pay for my accommodation and a pension to pay for my lifestyle.

3. Invest long-term in the Stock Market via ETFs...

My employer has a scheme where one can get 8% of their annual salary in company shares tax-free. I'm thinking about having a goal of investing 10% of my income in the Stock Market for long-term savings..

So that's it... 50% of salary gone to long-term savings... the other 50% has to cover everything else - rent now, food, all expenses, car expenses, short and medium term saving, vacations...everything...

Then I thought 50% is a bit restrictive/miserly.. and then thought about 40%:

Retirement: 15
Accommodation : 15
Stock Market: 10

The only aspect of the 40% option I don't like is that I wouldn't be maximising my retirement contribution tax relief... but on the other hand, I don't want to live 35 yrs of unnecessary deprivation until I retire !!

Ooomphh... I know this is not terribly exciting but I would really like to settle on a percentage-based plan and then just forget about it and get on with other aspects of my life...

Any ideas/suggestions ?

Thanks in advance !