I like real estate and stocks if you have the money. If not, I’d like to suggest a great book by Larry Winget. Its title is You’re Broke Because You Want To Be. Saving money is really the difference between what you need and what you want. I think its a great book, easy for anyone to read and understand. I would really recommend to young people. Even teenagers.

I never thought I’d be happy to turn 65, but I am. I took early Social Security a few years ago, due to being scared that our Fearless Leader might dismantle the whole operation, and it pays the mortgage and a few bills. Plus, I now have Medicare after knocking on wood for the last six or so years when I didn’t have insurance. Also, property taxes where I live get frozen/reduced when you turn 65 (to keep little old ladies from being booted out onto the street if their houses increase in value). The money I do have is from an incredibly lucky break—I was forced to sell the condo I bought in Los Angeles due to losing my job and unemployment benefits running out (I was ready to leave the city anyway); unbeknownst to me at the time, it was the peak of the wacky real estate market in California and the thing sold for three times what I paid for it. I was able to buy a cute little 1930’s bungalow here in Texas, and stash the rest. It’s in cash, a CD, and a conservative balanced mutual fund. It’s ironic because I never had much money, mostly a paycheck-to-paycheck existence with a little savings. Having to support myself since I was eighteen, I’ve always been careful and never had much debt. I didn’t even get a credit card until I was 40, due to getting yelled at by a travel agent, of all things: “An independent woman needs to build credit!!” She was right—I’d never have been able to buy my condo OR a car without it. I’m really good at eating beans and frozen burritos if I have to—I actually managed to live on just the unemployment checks when that was going on. I don’t have nearly the funds that the “experts” say one needs for retirement at this age, but I have my little house, no debts, and I figured out where to put my money myself without having to pay any so-called “advisors.” Hint: Vanguard is a wonderful company with actual helpful human beings at the end of the phone number who don’t work on commission.

Let’s see — Regular IRA — Roth IRA - Mutual Funds and Tax Free Muni’s. Gotta be diversified… That’s about as much as I will gamble with my retirement money.

Money market—toooooo old to invest in any speculatives—especially right now. My bank gives great rates so I’m happy with that. Besides, I am spending as fast as I make it—life is to be lived—no one every took it with them—I don’t care how rich they were!

When the choice is between meaning or money in life, I always say, choose meaning. As a minister, I need to stand on the side of the poor. Serving small urban churches makes sure that happens. So I would have to say, I try to put what money I do have where my mouth is. Plus, a little bit each month goes to Hillary.

When I was 13 back in the mid-50s, my uncle told me “They’re not making any more land.” That has been my mantra for (too many) decades. I still believe in real estate. It is as safe an investment as there is. If I had the money to float out this trying and uncertain time, I’d be buying it up ‘cause there’s only so much of it — and it will go up in value again.

Real estate… land…. some stocks…. nearly debt-free - and self-employed, so the prospect of a really big economic downturn would hurt. So far, so good. We’re living in a small home on a big piece of land - a move thats been very good for our souls.

I started 20 some years ago to put some money into investments, and I’m so glad I did! I’m a retired teacher who is lucky enough to be living on a state teachers’ retirement plan. However, due to personal investments in mutual funds, etc. which increased over the years, I have a nice cushion to rely on if my pension is not enough. This money can pay for some new furniture, travel, or health needs if necessary although I do have great insurance. I would advise every woman to create with an advisor her own investment plan that meets future possible needs.

For the last few months, I have been mostly in cash, but I think the time to get back into the stock market may be nearing.

Money what MONEY!!!. What the govenment gets with taxing this and that. Child support for women that think the man owes them instead of for the child, and won’t work. Food, Utilities, gas, pay check to pay check with the way Bush has put the economy. Any money we have left over goes into a coffee can.

I liked the post that said, “What money?” We are always being told to “save,” then they hack the interest rates down—my online savings at Ing Direct now make less than inflation. Why bother? My mother’s money is managed by B of A and they seem to be loaning it to Countrywide—her trust is slumping more each month. Who has money to save anyway? This always reminds me of the IRS a while back—people weren’t sending in their taxes with their returns. The IRS convened a meeting to redesign the form to show more clearly: Attach a check here. People didn’ty have money, you morons! If they had, they probably could have figured out how to send it. Sigh.

I’m in the “what money”catagory. But I am trying to pay down credit cards and get out of debt. The intrest is eating me up. I pay WAY over the miniumum and have not used them in over a year, still no head way. I am going to have to take a bank loan (that can be paid off in a reasonable amount of time) to pay them off! Borrow from peter to pay paul as it were.

Mutual funds

I’ve been pretty lucky with health insurance Joan. I grew up in the military and married a military man, but since 1981 I’ve been on the civilian side. I have health insurance but it could be better. The one thing I don’t what is someone in the insurance company to be telling me what doctor to go to or what meds to take.