once you've had one that long, you need to keep it in an annuity.

Piffle. It's better than nothing, but when it's all you've got, it's nice to have more.

Sorry! I'll shut up now.

Yes, Nora, you may go home and lounge! With a good beer!

{{P-C}} don't be sorry that you're not scrounging. It's a very good thing.

If you are young and have excess cash, contributing to an IRA is an excellent thing to do. Thanks to the glories of compounded interest, it will serve you well in retirement.

I am so glad that I was given a large sum of money when I was 23 and it spurred me to educate myself about money. I recommend Jane Bryant Quinn's Making the Most of Your Money, although it's now a little old.

sweet!!

The DH and I have made some progress in coordinating finances, but our situation keeps changing in that when he quit his full time job (hated it) and went to contract work his income has become wildly unpredictable. At this point, I pay the rent and household bills, and he pays his credit cards/student loan and puts the rest in the bank.

Whatever works is awesome. Because- hard.

Absolutely, and we do still occassionally look at each other like we're looking at aliens.

I'm sorry if I have sounded preachy at all. My debt is still out of control fwiw, but it is getting closer to being under control. I have fucked up my finances beyond majorly in the past and was lucky to have family that could and would help me out. I'm trying very hard to not make the same mistakes again.

I think finding a solution to manage money in a partnership/marriage is one of the most challenging things on the face of the planet.

ditto . esp if you come from the magical money land of " OMG The money could dissappear at anytime, so the more you have sitting, getting dusty, in a savings account the better" it makes almost anyone else seem crazy and loose with money. After buying the house ( which was a huge trauma) the biggest trauma ( for me) has been deciding to raid our savings to pay off the CC debt. and although matt was invovled, I've been the CFO of this partnership. By choice. both of ours. I'm trying to start letting go of the total control and Matt is getting more invovled in the day to day finances. I think in the long run we will find it easier to be on the same page. an dif one of us is saying Save and the other Spend - we can argue form facts, not emotion.

P-C, I am impressed with your financial situation and the amount of savings you seem to have. You should be proud of yourself. An IRA would be a great idea for you. Just don't let your family break you with the gifting thing. You're going to want that money when you get a little older.