I've been saying for many years now that my Alembic collection has done better than my 401k...
 
-JP

I've got my family and my health, so really it does occur to me that I have what's important.  I hope as this mess/rollercoaster/cluster plays out, you all come through it with your health and loved ones at your side as well..
 
It's only stuff.
 
John

A notable Bob Dylan lyric captures my position pretty poignantly: when you got nothing, you got nothing to lose. That pretty much sums it up.

I'm so broke I can't even pay attention.  I'm glad its just money. I'd be more disturbed if health or freedom took as big a hit.
 
Larry

At one time I was in the race - vp of sales, profit on top, then I became very ill.  I've had 20 neurosurgeries-to date and I'm on disability.  It took all that mess for this lug to learn what's important in life - my music and my two kitties, Skye and Bobbie, brother and sister Desert Lynx.
 
I decided that whatever time I have, I was going to do what I wanted for a change.  So I had a custom double upright made and my Buckeye Burl Essence (see the Factory to Customer thread) and I've never looked back.
 
I'm broke but happy - had I not had my basses built - I'd still be broke! And, I'd have never met this excellent community which is worth as much as the bass!
 
Funny how life works out.

Hi Roger; wow, that's some story!  I too have found meaning in the simplest of things.  Thanks for the reminder!

Bob is correct.  Now is a good time to invest, when things are down, if you think they have sunk as low as they will go.  I forgot to stash my 401K into a safe haven two months ago.  I have lost more than a full third of my retirement fund, and retirement will now have to be put on hold until I make the money back in either the stocks rising far enough, or my adding more to the kettle as I go, at an excellerated pace, or extended length.  Sucks to get old in soooo many little ways.
 
I have all the equipment I want, so I am not an unhappy old podge.  Money is not the most important thing in life, but when retirement time comes round, it can be pretty persuasive-important!  I just bought another new Eden power amp and I am considering giving myself some Roger hand-made LED knobs for my S II, at a hundred a pop - Merry Christmas.  So money must not matter to me that much in the scheme of life going on these days.  However, I seriously do not see any custom basses unloading in my little harbor in the near future.  And that is fine.