Learn Hardcore Japanese: watasi no kyuuryou ha sukunai desu ga, tyokin wo tudukemasu. - My salary is low, but I will keep saving.

は marks the topic: 給料は少ない = “As for (my) salary, it’s low.” It sets up contrast nicely with what follows.
が marks the subject and highlights/new information: 給料が少ない = “It’s the salary that’s low.”
In this sentence, は works well because the first clause contrasts with the determination in the second clause (続けます).

Why is の used between 私 and 給料?

の makes a possessive or attributive link: 私の給料 = “my salary.” It’s the same の used in “X’s Y” or “Y of X.”

Do I need to say 私 at all?

Not necessarily. Japanese usually omits obvious subjects. These are all natural, with slight differences in focus:

給料は少ないですが、貯金を続けます。 (Implied “my” salary)
私は給料が少ないですが、貯金を続けます。 (Topic = me; subject inside = salary)
私の給料は少ないですが、貯金を続けます。 (Explicitly “my salary”)

What does ですが mean, and how is it different from けど/けれど(も)/でも?

ですが: Polite, sentence-internal “but.” Soft, common in polite speech.
けど: More casual/neutral. Very common in conversation.
けれど/けれども: More formal or careful than けど; good in polite settings, too.
でも: Works best at sentence start (new sentence): 給料は少ないです。でも、貯金を続けます。

Why is it 少ないです and not 少ないだ?

少ない is an i-adjective; i-adjectives do not take だ.
You can say 少ない (plain) or 少ないです (polite). Never 少ないだ.

Is 少ない the right word for salaries? How about 低い, 安い, or 小さい?

少ない: “not much/few in amount.” Natural with salary from the earner’s viewpoint: 給料が少ない.
低い: “low (level).” Also fine: 給料が低い (objective level is low).
安い: “cheap/low-priced.” With wages, can mean low pay: 給料が安い (colloquial).
小さい: “small (size).” Not used for salary.

Why is を used with 続けます? Could I say 貯金に続けます?

Pattern: Nを続ける = “continue N (the activity/state).”
貯金を続けます means “I will continue saving (money).”
に doesn’t work here; に続ける means “to follow after/along” something, which is different.

What’s the difference between 貯金を続けます, 貯金し続けます, and 貯金をしていきます?

貯金を続けます: Neutral “I will keep up my saving.”
貯金し続けます: Emphasizes ongoing, uninterrupted action (“keep on saving and won’t stop”).
貯金をしていきます: “I’ll keep saving going forward (from now on),” with a sense of progression into the future.

Why 続けます (続ける) and not 続きます (続く)?

続ける (transitive) = continue something: 貯金を続ける.
続く (intransitive) = something continues by itself: 貯金が続く (“the savings continue”).
We need the transitive verb because you are actively continuing the saving.

Does 続けます mean “will continue”? I thought Japanese has no future tense.

Japanese has no dedicated future tense; the non-past form (続けます) covers present/future. Here it’s understood as intention/habit going forward. To make intention explicit:

貯金を続けるつもりです (I intend to keep saving)
貯金を続けていく予定です (I plan to keep saving)

Can I say 給料が少ないですが instead of 給料は少ないですが?

Yes. Nuance:

給料は少ないですが…: Topic/contrast (“As for salary, it’s low, but…”).
給料が少ないですが…: Focus on the fact that it’s the salary that’s low (new info or emphasis). Both are acceptable; は feels more contrastive here.

Why is there a comma before 貯金? Is it required?

The 、 marks a natural pause between clauses. It’s not strictly required but improves readability, especially before a contrastive が-clause.

Can I rearrange the clauses? For example: 貯金を続けますが、私の給料は少ないです。

Yes. Both orders are grammatical. Changing the order shifts emphasis:

Original: Problem first, then resolve/determination.
Reversed: Determination first, then the problem (can sound like an afterthought or mild complaint).

How would I say this casually?

給料は少ないけど、貯金を続ける。
Variations: 給料、少ないけど貯金し続けるよ。/ 貯金していくよ。 Keep forms consistent (plain style throughout) unless mixing for conversational effect.

What does 貯金 mean exactly? Is it a noun or a verb? How is it different from 貯蓄 or 預金?

貯金: savings; also used as a する-verb (貯金する = to save money).
貯蓄: savings/accumulated assets (slightly more formal/financial).
預金: a bank deposit (money placed in an account). In this sentence, 貯金 = “saving money (as an activity).”

How do I pronounce the key words?

私: わたし
給料: きゅうりょう
少ない: すくない
貯金: ちょきん
続けます: つづけます
が (as “but”): が

Why are there spaces between the words here?

They’re for learners to see word boundaries. Standard Japanese writing doesn’t use spaces between words.