This--although I definitely consider myself fairly financially comfortable, what with having been laid off three times, I worry that I might end up unexpectedly jobless, and now that I have a mortgage (which I can only barely pay on my own WITH a job)--what if my roommate left, and I lost my job? Or was in an accident or sick? (Heck, for my job, it doesn't even have to be THAT sick--just bad enough to not easily get through airports would mean being on disability!). But I definitely know I am lucky lucky lucky to have what I've got, and be able to make the choices I do. Growing up we didn't have much (I think after a year at my first job, I made more than my dad made my freshman year of college).

Yeah. This.

Will one bad diagnosis or a car crash wipe out everything I've managed to tuck away in the past three years? That could happen very easily.

Yeah. That's one of the things I dislike about being single. I mean, I love my life, but my safety net, inasmuch as I have one, is the generosity of my family. And they all have their own financial responsibilities.

No-cancer-ma, Typo. I shall keep my fingers crossed.

Man, it's been a hell of a week for Buffistas.

Yeah, definitely. In terms of real stability, i.e., wouldn't be in trouble if something went south, I'm definitely not there. But the thing is, I wasn't when they were bringing us cash in wheelbarrows at the end of every day either. I think I'm just a lot closer to understanding that then I was then.

We're...ok. But we are likely 1 thing away from disaster. Either one of us being out of work and we're back to bologna and cheese sandwiches. We do have a little in savings and are slowly paying off our debt (painfully slowly) from when I was out of work. We just got to pay $1600 tax bill that wiped us out for a bit. I don't think we've ever been completely financially stable.

Timelies all!

No-cancer~ma to TB.

Much ~ma to Typo.

Hugs to everyone.

Suzi, if you're looking for a financial advisor, I might be able to help you out.

I'm so frustrated. I need to find me a financial advisor to deal with my financial mess. I just tried to see if I could do an early withdrawl of some of my 401k funds to pay off my current debts which would make life SO much easier and apparently I can't touch any of it. I'm willing to pay the crazy tax penalty just to get out from under my current mess, but noooooo.

Sorry for the mess Suzi, I hope you get a good local person you can sit down with. You can check here to find someone: [link]

Most financial advisors would (or at least should) tell you that you should never cash out a 401K unless you are facing foreclosure, since basically, between paying the 10% penalty and the income tax on the money, it is the equivalent of taking out a loan at 35+%.

If I were independently wealthy I'd travel and be all dilletante-like take art-school courses. And maybe open a pie shop or independent cinema. If I were entreprenuerial, I would open a pie shop now.

Thanks Megan. I'm just so crunched for money on a month to month basis, ending up with all the debt post divorce, that I'm grasping at straws. The % is crazy but the allure of having some wiggle room was strong.

I am paying low interest on all the debit, so it would be nutty to shell out 35% but being able to make the debt go away....when I technically have the money. I guess it is just as well I can't touch it.

Believe me, I know how tempting that chunk of money is. Emotionally, psychologically. My dad, who was a business manager, actually cashed out IRA money before dying so that he wouldn't leave us a house with a mortgage. Debt and rational decision-making are often unmixy things.