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<blockquote data-quote="Ms.PacMan" data-source="post: 821815" data-attributes="member: 4656">I am Brownie. I started at UPS at 27 and maxed my 401K starting with 17% two years later when I hit full pay. I also started paying off my house - fast, and accomplished that at 32. I do live in a very middle class home (think All in the Family type house) and have only had two cars in 20 years.&nbsp;I raised my 401K to 22% after the downturn in the economy after 9/11. I also started traveling quite a bit while people were scared and it was cheap. I do have one child and sent him to parochial school. He&#039;s now in college on my dime. I, luckily, saved his college tuition in I bonds and they were totally unaffected by the recession. I have had a high yield checking acct. for 4 years - first earning 5% and more recently, 4%. I had cash (which is what happens when you live like me) when the market tanked and was able to buy stocks. I also do the espp $50/week. &nbsp;I&#039;ve survived two very dramatic downturns in the economy and as of this morning have $430,000 saved for retirement.&nbsp;The sites that have helped me gain investing confidence the most are <a href="http://socialize.morningstar.com/NewSocialize/default.aspx" target="_blank">http://socialize.morningstar.com/NewSocialize/default.aspx</a><a href="http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/index.php" target="_blank">http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/index.php</a> and <a href="http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/" target="_blank">http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/</a></blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ms.PacMan, post: 821815, member: 4656"] I am Brownie. I started at UPS at 27 and maxed my 401K starting with 17% two years later when I hit full pay. I also started paying off my house - fast, and accomplished that at 32. I do live in a very middle class home (think All in the Family type house) and have only had two cars in 20 years. I raised my 401K to 22% after the downturn in the economy after 9/11. I also started traveling quite a bit while people were scared and it was cheap. I do have one child and sent him to parochial school. He's now in college on my dime. I, luckily, saved his college tuition in I bonds and they were totally unaffected by the recession. I have had a high yield checking acct. for 4 years - first earning 5% and more recently, 4%. I had cash (which is what happens when you live like me) when the market tanked and was able to buy stocks. I also do the espp $50/week. I've survived two very dramatic downturns in the economy and as of this morning have $430,000 saved for retirement. The sites that have helped me gain investing confidence the most are [URL]http://socialize.morningstar.com/NewSocialize/default.aspx[/URL] [URL]http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/index.php[/URL] and [URL]http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/[/URL] [/QUOTE]

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