Officially Middle Age, Now What?
January 9th, 2008 by Ana
It’s my birthday today: the “big” 35. (Yes, CleverDude, I am “old”) Last year my mother called me for my birthday to call me middle-aged, and I informed her she was a year early. This year, I am dreading the ring of the phone, because now it’s “official.” I am now middle-aged. I didn’t expect to live past age 30 when I was my son’s age.
Looking back, I’ve been a bit of a wild child. I shudder to think of how much money I have spent over the years on alcohol, cigarettes, and assorted junk that has long been thrown out. I have a grand total of $391 in my retirement account right now … and can probably tick off the months I spent more than that on just smokes and beer. I’d have to take my shoes off and use my toes to do that. And that’s just the ones I remember. Yup, I done “stupid with zeroes” even though I never made that much at any one time.
Sooo … what is next for me? Other than attaining “debt free but the mortgage” status? And finally getting some kind of college degree so I don’t need to spend the rest of my life working for minimum wage or close to it?
It’s time for me to hit the books again: I need to learn about investing the smart way. I’m about fifteen years behind where I need to be simply because I couldn’t imagine myself this “old” back when investing could have done me the most good. It’s time to learn the rules so I can play catch-up in the fall.
Now, here’s the problem: most PF bloggers who write about investing use too much technical jargon. When Pinyo over at Moolonomy starts in on his investment analyses, it sails way over my head and my eyes glaze over. I might as well be back in physics class for the lecture on planetary rotation for all I understand of it. (For the record, I was quite happy with getting a C in that class.) I don’t need “Investing For Dummies,” I need “Investing for Complete and Utter Idiots.” I think I have about five brain cells left to absorb this with, after years of drinking and organic chem class….
So I am adding a new category to the blog: Investing. But don’t expect anything intellectual or savvy or even the average level of complexity, because I just don’t have enough functioning brain cells left for that. This will just be the simple and basic investing concepts that I am able to grasp.
Oh, and I added a picture of my face to my about page … Hope I don’t scare too many of y’all off with that!
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January 9th, 2008 at 10:24 am
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANA!!!
January 9th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Happy Birthday!
And add me to the list of people who needs to read Investing for Complete and Utter Idiots. I’m looking forward to reading what you learn.
January 9th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Happy Birthday!!!
I’ll join Lynnae on that list. Sort of. Some thing about investing I get better than others.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Lynnae and Mrs Micah: Maybe there is a book deal in this? LOL But first I need to figure it out for myself.
Everybody: Thanks for the happy birthdays…I think. It’s pretty hard to wrap my mind around the idea that I’m 35 now…but I refuse to be “29 & holding” like my mom did. I figure I survived the years, might as well claim them.
January 9th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
You’ve caught up with me! Unfortunately, I’ll jump another year ahead of you next month.
Happy Birthday!
Don’t fret about being 15 years behind. Just thank the stars that you are on the right track NOW instead of waiting another 15 years. Keep your investing simple, girl. If you make it too complicated, you’ll get frustrated. Good luck!
January 9th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Wait a second… 35 is middle age? I just turned 35 in December. I can feel the gray hair growing as I type!
Happy Birthday!
January 9th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Did you finally quit smoking? And happy birthday…I’m 36 but haven’t reached middle age yet (at least I hope not).
January 10th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
[…] thoughts upon reaching her 35th birthday will sound familiar to many people: “Looking back, I’ve been a bit of a wild child. I shudder to […]
January 10th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I cannot wait to learn from you :), keep fightin the good fight. Neat to see a face with the name.
January 10th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to another fellow 1/9/??’er. I am a 1/9/80 1980 and you are a 1/9/73 1973!!
I saw your post in TMMO and just had to come look what all the hoopla was about. Nice to meet another person that shares their birthday with Richard Nixon!
January 11th, 2008 at 4:01 am
Happy Birthday Ana! And a big WTG on getting noticed!
OK … who’s the other Randite from the TMMO forums? Enquiring minds want to know!
SLB
January 13th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Happy Belated Birthday
January 20th, 2008 at 11:10 am
The good news is that the most successful investors are the nonexperts, set-it-and-forget-it types.
I was an idiot when I started out, trusting my dad’s advice, and putting my money into the equity fund choice in my 403b in my second year of grad school, ripe old age of 22. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I never stopped contributing, never borrowed against it, never cashed it out, never made foolish decisions out of greed (chasing hot tips) or fear (selling in a panic), just ignored it for the most part.
I learned more along the way. Having some growing assets makes a person interested.
Knowing more hasn’t made me change anything, just more confident that I’m on the right path.
You don’t have to become an expert!!! Idiots can be rich too.
Thank God for that.
BTW 35 is middle aged? Has average life expectancy declined? Don’t go through the middle age panic until you hit 40. You’ll notice a change in your eyesight. Get ready for bifocals.
June 26th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I don’t know what to say… I’m much younger than you and I think I have some zero’s after your sum in my account. What’s wrong with you man ? And still get info calls from your mom ? I’m sorry for you man.