Cash, yeah. It's this fun thing that's been going around--it starts as fatigue and sniffles, turns into a nasty sore throat, and then becomes full-on congestion, cough, headache and general misery. I'm at the fatigue (just woke up from a three-hour nap and am still tired) and sniffles phase. We do have Cold-Eeze, so I'll start sucking on those too.

Well, I'm really, really cheap, and I only eat out once or twice a week. So that probably does it.

Well, sweetie...no, your salary is what probably does it. And the lack of other expenses, which rocks.

btw, I still have your tookies.

Mmm...tookies. I'll shoot you an email presently.

I've got a bunch of money saved, but I'm really not entirely sure how. Income minus rent each month of the school year comes to about $750. Some of that goes to food, probably way too much goes to books, and I guess I really just don't have that many other expenses. I usually end up going through a lot of my savings each summer, though, since I'll usually have at least one month then with no income.

I really didn't mean to come off as a stone bitch here, and I feel like I did. I'm sorry, P-C. My financial angst has nothing to do with you. This is all my baggage.

To be fair to myself, I do have great retirement savings since I've been squirreling away a little bit every paycheck since I got my first job--I just have enough expenses each month that I'm pretty much paycheck-to-paycheck beyond that. It's is my own fault for choosing a career and a city that leads to scraping by.

Thanks, Kristin. It's okay. There's no fault in being a teacher. That's just who you are, and the world is better for it.

Nicole, insent.

I'm eligible to retire (regular retirement) in September 2018. My goal is to be financially able to do so. Hubs, same except change "September 2018" to "July 2019."

Only advice I have for P-C is (1) at some point, enjoy yourself because there's no point in living like a pauper to have a little more socked away, and (2) also at some point, saving does become investing (and a short-term bond mutual fund is a good first investment if you're nervous about taking on too much risk).

at some point, enjoy yourself because there's no point in living like a pauper to have a little more socked away

The way I basically live is that I justify certain splurges by the fact that I've scrimped on everything else. I do know that I can afford to spend more than I do, so occasionally, I remind myself of that fact and do it.

also at some point, saving does become investing (and a short-term bond mutual fund is a good first investment if you're nervous about taking on too much risk).

Yeah, I need to figure out how to invest or something. Right now, it's just sitting in the ING account, which isn't bad, since it's making decent interest (4.5%).

{{{Kristin}}} Believe me, I so understand. I'm sitting in the can't-remotely-handle-money corner with JZ.

New plan - get Polter-Cow's big piles of money to AmyLiz and Tep (and Cass and MM)...

I'm AmyLiz, and I approve this plan.

P-C's on board, even! Right? RIGHT?!

libkitty, I think you should stay far far away from the avalanche danger.