Become Financially Independent

Okay. 401(k) in place.

No consumer debt.

6.5 months of salary saved.

And the stock market crashes. So much for investment strategy as a way to get this goal met in the next few years! On the other hand, steadily keeping my eye on this goal has allowed me to be in a good, safe financial place in these very trying times. I guess my next step is to keep saving all I can until such time as I can figure out how to make what I save grow more efficiently.

I opened a Roth IRA. I could have paid off the car, but I opened an IRA instead, as the interest rate was higher on the IRA than the rate on the car note. I need to make sure I have some moola in old age, too.

After I feel I have a reasonable base of secure and conservative investments, I’ll take some greater risks.

I paid off my credit card debt. My last consumer loan is the Echo. I can’t make up my mind regarding whether I should throw exta money at that loan aqnd pay it off more quickly, or whther I should increase my savings rathe. There are advantages to both choices.

I’ve been struggling to read through Rich Dad, Poor Dad. It isn’t the concepts that I am struggling with: I find that most of what the book has to offer was already in my knowledge set.

No, it is not the concepts, but the presentation. This guy writes like he is writing for 7 year olds. Are my fellow Americans really that educationally handicapped? This is ghastly. I can not stand the prose; surely there must be something better.

Several of my other goals on 43things will help. I need to up my savings rate (currently have 2 months salary saved, need to get to 6 months) and continue to pay off my credit cards (currently cut in half from the moment I decided I was done with being raped by the financial industry.)