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My wife and I keep a reserve of about $150K. We also have several other accounts we could tap into if we needed, IRAs, an annuity account, CDs that we'd lose money to taxes if we tapped into them, but they're there as a secondary reserve if we lost our jobs and everything seriously went to crud. This does not include our 401k/retirement accounts that we would not touch for anything except retirement.
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Using credit is not a sign of being, as you say, "on the wrong side of the savings limit."
Many credit cards offer things like cash back or points or something. As long as you pay the balance in full, it would actually be foolish not to take advantage of that (in my case) 1.5% cash rebate on the fridge. There are good and bad uses of credit, like anything else.
That being said, it seems like you and I are close in our approach to finances. Don't buy a new car just to have a new car; have an actual need, not a want.
Here in the US, we have a phrase, "<expletive> you money". It means, having enough reserves so that, should your employer upset you, you can walk away, saying "<expletive> you".
It's pretty nice. Everyone should have the good fortune to get to that point.
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As a rule of thumb: Three month "prudent reserve."
Ensure it is sufficient to get through three months if all income completely stopped.
The rest is invested.
The three months provides time to access investments if income doesn't resume in a timely manner.
Damn tough when you have children, but it protects them also.
Cheers,
Mike Fidler
"I intend to live forever - so far, so good." Steven Wright
"I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met." Also Steven Wright
"I'm addicted to placebos. I could quit, but it wouldn't matter." Steven Wright yet again.
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There's a smart financial advisor on the radio here in my part of America who advise you keep 3 to 6 times your monthly expenses in liquid form (e.g., a savings account). That way you can use cash for those emergency car repairs or appliance purchases, or stay afloat if you lose your job until you can find another.
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP.
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By the time you reach retirement age, you should have accumulated enough savings for 20 years of whatever lifestyle you like. That's a couple million dollars for a developer in the united states.
Let that number sink in for just a minute. You can't save that much money in the last 5 years before you retire. You have to build it up and compound it over time.
A senior software developer can be out of work for six months waiting for a good opportunity, and that's if the economy is robust. If there's a recession on, you might have to wait several months before you can begin to find work. Since it's hard to ratchet down your spending rate overnight (like by selling your house to get rid of mortgage costs), having a cushion of around one year's take-home is appropriate.
And it depends upon how much disaster you want to prepare for. My wife was paralyzed in a fail. Now she needs to replace 15 years income plus 20 years retirement. Fortunately we were good savers.
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A half a year of cash, at least. A year, preferably.
Learned that from my folks when they had 4 boys going to $ school. That cushion seemed reasonable. Still seems so, 50 years later.
You have your head screwed on straight. Yes, TV says otherwise, but consider the source.
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Thanks to all for the suggestions.
Alas, I bought a new radiator for the car instead.
Maybe next month.
Arguing with a woman is like reading the Software License Agreement. In the end, you ignore everything and click "I agree".
Anonymous
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How do you type with that?
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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OriginalGriff wrote: How do you type with that?
Typing isn't required with that, it is strongly typed.
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simple: Javascript, no typing needed.
Arguing with a woman is like reading the Software License Agreement. In the end, you ignore everything and click "I agree".
Anonymous
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If a pig is enjoying itself, is it having a swill time?
Ravings en masse^ |
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"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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If it is not being picked by a vulture !
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I'm gonna sty away from this one.
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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You just want to hog all the attention.
The difficult we do right away...
...the impossible takes slightly longer.
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I should have porcine that response coming.
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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No dirty stuff in the Lounge, if you don't mind...
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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First be happy, then be con.
... such stuff as dreams are made on
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Do modern vultures keep calm and carrion?
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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I don't know feather you worried if that was over-our-heads, but your talon for posting a rot of these needs to be appreciated.
Ravings en masse^ |
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"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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That is a pretty high-flying statement.
... such stuff as dreams are made on
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Beak for yourself - I'm happy to just wing-it.
Ravings en masse^ |
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"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Flocking easy for you to say!
... such stuff as dreams are made on
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Migrate retorts are just too much for you!
Ravings en masse^ |
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"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Nest u gonna say I'm the one talking a lotta gull.
... such stuff as dreams are made on
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And, do they congregate around dead meet?
... such stuff as dreams are made on
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