Earning 60,000 a month but getting poorer? Those who understand the "financial allocation ratio" have already started to turn things around.

Have you ever calculated where your money has gone?

According to the latest data, the average monthly income for Taiwanese office workers in 2025 is about NT$62,000, but many people with decent salaries still end up with nothing left by the end of the month. The real problem isn’t earning less, but not knowing how to allocate.

Today, we’ll use a real case to see how scientific financial allocation ratios can help someone with a monthly salary of NT$60,000 steadily accumulate wealth.

First, ask yourself: Where did your salary go?

Take Xiao Mei, a 28-year-old office worker in Taipei, as an example. She earns NT$60,000 a month. It seems like a good income, but she still feels tight financially every month. The reason is simple—no systematic allocation plan.

Once you have a clear financial distribution framework, things change. The key is to allocate your salary into different “function pools,” rather than spending it all at once.

How should NT$60,000 be divided? What’s the most scientific ratio?

The golden rule of financial allocation ratios is simple—5 “buckets” money management method:

Emergency Reserve Fund (10%, NT$6,000) This is your firewall. Unemployment, illness, house leaks—this money is for emergencies. The goal is to save enough for 6 months of living expenses (about NT$150,000). Once you have this emergency fund, you can confidently invest in other areas without being forced to sell assets due to unexpected events.

Daily Living Expenses (40%, NT$24,000) Rent, food, transportation, entertainment—these are essential expenses. There’s no need to cut to the extreme; maintaining a moderate quality of life is important, or you’ll find it hard to sustain long-term.

Investments and Wealth Building (35%, NT$21,000) This is the critical part that determines whether your wealth can double in 3 or 5 years. Many stumble here because they don’t know how to allocate. The focus is below.

Insurance and Taxes (10%, NT$6,000) Medical insurance, accident insurance, labor and health insurance—these are not wasteful; they transfer risk. When something happens, this coverage can save your life.

Self-Improvement (5%, NT$3,000) Courses, books, certifications—investing NT$3,000 monthly in yourself. This expenditure is the most cost-effective because it directly impacts future salary growth.

How to allocate the 35% investment and wealth-building fund?

This is the most challenging part. NT$21,000 should be divided into three layers:

First Layer: Stable Foundation (60%, NT$12,600) Most investments should be in low-volatility, steady-yield products. Buying Taiwan ETF is the best choice for office workers:

• Yuanta Taiwan 50, Cathay Sustainable High Dividend ETFs tracking the market
• High-interest bank fixed deposits

Use dollar-cost averaging; don’t try to buy at the bottom or sell at the top. Time will help you earn money.

Second Layer: Satellite Allocation (30%, NT$6,300) Here, you can allocate some funds to growth-oriented assets, but with choices:

• Tech giants like TSMC (2330), MediaTek (2454), investing NT$2,000 each month
• Financial stocks like Mega Financial (2886), E.SUN Bank (2884), investing NT$2,300 monthly, mainly for dividends

The goal of this layer is to pursue higher returns on a stable base, but the ratio should never exceed 30%.

Third Layer: Opportunity Assets (10%, NT$2,100) As your investment experience grows, you can allocate a small portion to cryptocurrencies, precious metals, or other emerging assets. But this is just icing on the cake, not a turnaround tool. Never exceed the 10% red line.

What changes will you see if you stick to this plan?

If Xiao Mei starts implementing this financial distribution ratio today:

• Year 1: Emergency fund reaches NT$150,000; investment wealth accumulates NT$252,000
• Year 2: Investment wealth approaches NT$500,000, beginning to see compound interest effects
• Year 3: Assets exceed NT$800,000, and you’ll truly feel the power of “long-term accumulation”

The keyword is “persistence.” Markets go up and down, but consistent dollar-cost averaging will spread out your costs over time.

⚠️ Three investment principles you must remember

1. Avoid over-concentration: No single stock should exceed 15% of your total investment; it’s better to hold multiple stocks than to put all in one.

2. Stay committed during market volatility: Falling stock prices are a good opportunity for dollar-cost averaging; don’t panic and stop investing.

3. Don’t rely on short-term gains: Cryptocurrencies and futures are high-risk assets; allocate at most 10%, and never pin your hopes of turning things around solely on these.

The logic behind the financial allocation ratio is simple: control risk, leverage long-term compound interest, and give time space to grow. A monthly salary of NT$60,000 is not the end point but the beginning.