I think we have quite different perspectives on savings here, and I see that you view savings as containing various funds (emergency funds, discretionary funds, and reserve funds). But what I know and have practiced so far is that reserve funds and emergency funds are not included in the list of savings, and I always keep them separate. So, with that in mind, the savings I had (before investing in Bitcoin) were absolutely discretionary funds. That's why I said that savings can also be used to invest in Bitcoin.
But if the context is as you say, namely combining emergency funds, reserve funds, and discretionary funds within savings, I think it's true that the money must be separated first if you want to invest in Bitcoin. But if the context is as I said, I think it's possible to use savings to invest in Bitcoin. Because essentially, it's not a reserve fund, let alone an emergency fund. And my advice is not to combine emergency funds and reserve funds with savings, so you don't have a headache when you have to use them.
Guys honestly you all are always throwing these terms around, emergency funds, savings, reserve funds, discretionary income, and now I saw discretionary funds within saving(discretionary saving).. Yes all of that sounds fine, but sometimes I feel like we make this whole Bitcoin DCA talk sound really really too complicated, especially for beginners... Oya Let’s be real, not everyone can split their income especially small income into 5 or six different categories before they even think of buying Bitcoin.. If you tell someone earning just enough to survive that they need a 3 month emergency fund, reserve fund, savings, discretionary income, and then discretionary savings on top, the person might just lose interest completely…
The truth is, the most important thing here is knowing what fits your own financial stand point... If your income is low, I would advise you just focus on the basics, for me, that is emergency funds and discretionary income…. Emergency funds because life can surprise you at any time, and without that safety net, you might be forced to sell just to survive.. Discretionary income because that is the money you can truly afford to put into Bitcoin without stressing about it. Then every other category like reserve fund or discretionary savings can come later when your income grows or you are more stable financially. We should not
forget even forget that savings itself could mean money you’re keeping aside for something like school fees, house rent, or some life project you are planning for, so it is not always investment related…
To keep it simple, here is how I see it:
Emergency Funds – Money you only touch for unexpected situations like job loss, hospital bills, or urgent repairs…
Savings – Money set aside for maybe planned goals, it could eithe either be short term or long term…
Reserve Funds – extra backup beyond savings if you’re privileged enough to have more….
Discretionary Income – the money left after paying all your bills and expenses….
Discretionary Saving – the part of that discretionary leftover you choose to save instead of spend..
Looking at these, you will see clearly that not all of them are necessary for someone just starting out. You can merge some together at the beginning, like your backup and savings can be one. Then just make sure you have emergency funds on one side, and discretionary income to DCA into Bitcoin on the other side. As your income improves, you can start dividing things neatly, but at the start it is better to keep it simple...
I would say Bitcoin investing is not just about how many financial categories you can name, It is about you understanding and accepting you reality, then discipline, patience, and not touching your stack no matter what happen...