Somehow I cannot seem to find it in me to get all worked up about the current financial mess this country is in. I guess it is because I feel like we have been in our own personal financial mess for the past 2 years (DH underemployed and no real job stability) and yet we are still hanging in there, paying our bills and not incurring any more real debt. We are still 20+ years from retirement so I don't worry like crazy if our retirement accounts go up, go down etc. I figure things will have gone thru at least a couple more cycles between now and then. I get that this is more than just a down cycle, but I cannot control it and on some level I refuse to worry about things I cannot control. I can only control my own little financial world by maximizing how we use every dollar we do earn and minimizing debt. Even that is not always under control as expenses like my DD's fender bender pop-up. That's why I think it is so important to spend less than you earn, and do it consistently. I have not gotten a statement from our 401K showing the current down market. I make it a point not to log on and check on a daily or even weekly basis. Again, my attitude is why worry about what I cannot change. We are invested in a fund that I believe in so I also believe it will go back up when the market goes back up eventually. I guess my only great regret right now is that I don't have any real excess cash to buy at a bargain price. So, I may be stressed about other things but I am not stressing about what is going on in the financial markets. Call me crazy, but at least I am sleeping well at night.
Calm During the Storm
September 30th, 2008 at 05:49 pm
September 30th, 2008 at 06:08 pm 1222798124
Me too. For whatever reason, I am remaining calm (maybe head in the sand) and am staying focused on conquering the debt we have. All in all, our retirement is down about 15K, but it will rebound before we need it.
September 30th, 2008 at 06:23 pm 1222798991
September 30th, 2008 at 06:33 pm 1222799594
September 30th, 2008 at 09:47 pm 1222811245
October 1st, 2008 at 12:12 am 1222819972
It is interesting to see the beginnings of the super-banks that's going to rise from the ashes though.