Retirement Day: 43 years, and a day away.

Today at work I met my retirement fund manager. I gave him the blog address, so if he's reading this, "Welcome."

My dad is a stock broker. Having a stock broker for a father means you get to drive to school every day with a financial adviser. When you're twelve, you could care less. All you're thinking about is going with Ben Kenobi to join the rebellion and learn the ways of the force. Jedis don't need 403B's, they have light sabers. And with Nintendo putting out all those great games every month, saving was very far from my mind. But one day you begin to associate the dollar with a certain amount of freedom. And then you realize you don't want to work forever. And then all those early morning lectures about saving and managing your retirement sort of resolve in your memory and you find yourself contemplating a force more powerful than the Death Star, compound interest.

The "Pension Guy," as some titled him, showed us one of my favorite financial magic tricks. Let's say you had two investors. The first investor is a tightwad like myself who spent his youth socking away $2000 a year from the age of 20 t0 30, then decides that's enough. The second investor, the guy I'd like to be, is a crazy spendthrift who tosses dollars around until his days of wild living catch up with him and he sobers up and patiently invests $2000 dollars a year from 30 to 50. Investor 1 has invested $20,000, Investor 2 has invested $40,000. If they both started investing at the same time, after 30 years of interest who would have more money? Investor 1, with only half the investment. That's pretty cool.

So you youngens need to buy the cheaper tequila and buy up those Roth IRAs. And if you come across some windfall, like a bag full of money, or a banking error in your favor, buy a good bottle of bourbon and with the rest buy mutual funds and forget it ever happened. Because you'll be able to make the rent this month just like you did last month, by rolling change and doing choirs for mom. But your chance to get rich slow will have passed you by.

Today I was lazy and had the laundry mat wash my clothes. I also got a hair cut which almost makes this month a wash. However, because I have to present tomorrow for some of our funders at work I had to get a trim. People at work don't care if I'm all over the place. But I can't be shaggy in front of the checkbooks. That being said, much like the dry cleaners, the hair cut will go down as a business

Yesterday I was good. Good and bored. I turned down tempting offers to go out and play-ye-yay. I sat at home eating some homemade Skyline chili and watching reruns.

2 Day Breakdown

Starting Balance -$140.50

In: $20

Out:
Laundry: $9

Balance: -$129.50