Fiscally Responsible

My baby brother is looking to buy a house. I’m in shock! I’m two years older and I’m lucky have maintain $1,000 in my savings account, let alone the tens of thousands needed to purchase a home.

(However, this weekend I did purchase a stunning pair of brushed black boots.)

Alright my priorities are obviously messed up. But I work such long hours all week long… I feel like spending $ is therapy. I just can’t say no to vacations, shopping, drinking and dining… Pathetic, I know.

I have no illusions of marrying into $. It is actually quite the opposite, my dating track record shows a long line of fiscally-challenged individuals.

You know things are bad when the guy you are dating insists you meet a financial planner. Or when your parents consider you their "fiscally irresponsible" child, too flakey to handle their estate in case of their passing.

Okay, okay, I get it. I need to be grow up. I will accept the meeting with the financial planner. I will invest in something other than my 401K. And I will (try to) stop the Saturday shopping binges…

Baby steps…
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After posting this and sulking for a moment, I read the following on The Budgeting Babe's blog:

"The typical first-time home buyer is age 32, according to the National Association of Realtors, based in Chicago. Similarly, surveys by the Investment Company Institute in Washington suggest people typically start investing in mutual funds in their late 20s or early 30s, with their first investments often made through 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plans."

Whew, my experience is typical. I have 4 years to get my fiscal ass in gear... All is not lost...