Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Have you saved as much as you've lost?

On fuels versus savings/investments/retirement?

I'm still behind at this point. Granted, I'll never get the fuels back and hopefully the market will come around at some point, but.....

Gas is cheap and so are stocks.

It's a win /win, unless you are still heavy into stocks and retired or getting real close.

Gas and the market are both going to go back up.

On paper, I lost more last month than a lot of people make in a year, but it'll all come back.

I have lost almost as much as I paid for my last new truck. I am on Social Security. I heat with wood and have venison in the freezer.
I will be ok no matter what (or not)
whelennut

I'm still losing 10s of thousands in the market. Unfortunately, there is not a darn thing I can do about it but same some cash so that when she hits bottom and starts back up in the next year or so, I will have the where with all to buy some bargains and hope for the best.

I am saving maybe, at most, $50/month in fuel expenses. So about $500 per year. That doesn't amount to much, considering that it will tank the rest of the economy along with it.

This is a lie that Wall Street tells every day. My father told me a long time ago, when your money is gone, it is gone. Only new money will replace it. Stockbrokers will always tell you that only gains matter and to not look at losses.

If anyone were to take your belongings and do to it what a stockbroker gets away with he would go to jail...

I went to cash over two years ago because I believed the markets were a fraud. Looked like an idiot not making the gains some of my bud's did. Now I don't look like as much of an idiot, as I've lost exactly zero. I also got out of debt completely over 15 years ago. That's the single best move I've ever made.

I agree with Shrap.....never let anyone invest your money for you.

The market goes up, then comes down, then goes back up again. Assuming you don't panic and pull your money, your holdings will go back up in time, whether that's six months from now or three years from now. And, yes, financial advisors are, by and large, unnecessary and cost folks a good chunk of their returns with their fees. Pretty easy to DIY these days.

I'm about even through this latest rough patch....

Shrap and JG, pardon what may be a personal question, but if you are not invested in the market, what are you investing in to grow your retirement assets?

Gold.

Sold some today for 1200 per oz.

I don't drive that much and heat with wood. I've lost way more than I have saved.

Retired and all is good here. Upon retirement last June I did a serious evaluation of the portfolio with my Fidelity guy. Prior I had been a very high risk investor watching my portfolio twice a day. We carved out the two risk profiles I would accept, pre-59 1/2 and post. I now look at my portfolio every couple of weeks. For the pre-59 1/2, things are looking pretty good, for the post, having gone 60/40, there has been a hit but that money availability is out there some being 54 years old. My Shell stock has tanked but that too will rebound. So far the pension is covering the bills. Bottom line, I ain't shaking.

Are you talking about when the DOW was at 18K this past summer and it's 16K now? Or when the DOW was at 7k in 2008 after the crash and we're up more than 9K since...more than ALL the of the 20th century?

Paper losses are just that... paper. Unless you were smart enough to cash out when it was at it's peak, there is no loss. What happens when it hits 20K? Buy now.

Enjoy fuel while it's low. Filled my 26 gallon tank for $34 today. A few years ago it was $110. If I took that $76 savings from each fill-up twice a week for a year $76 x 2 x 52 weeks = $7904 I could invest annually with just 1 vehicle savings. Let that grow for the 15 years and maybe the difference isn't what you think.

Instead I bought a $47 bottle of Basil Hayden and some 9mm. At least I'm boosting the economy with my fuel savings.

I made a lot of money and pulled everything out around sept 14. Then put it all back in against my better judgement in April 15, mostly in oil and derivatives. F*cked. Doubled down in Aug-Sept. Double F*cked. At the same time I had a rental empty from June until last week. Worst year for me in many years. Having to reconsider a lot of plans.

But, I believe it will bounce back in 2-3 years.

I'm in it for the long haul. This will look like a mere blip when averaged out over twenty years. It does suck losing more money than I make in a day though, but I have to look at it as an opportunity to buy, even it when hurts. And I'm trying to get out of debt at the same time which should help reduce my losses and free up additional cash.

Moved mine all into fixed when the Dow was at 17900. Mine has been going up a little every day.

Semi retired here and so far have been able to stay out of my 401K account.

Actually I had posted about this once before and was called a liar for the return on my money. These investors are so proud of themselves for a 12% annual return on your money and I have done between 200-300% annually with so little risk, you would shake your head.

There are literally millions$ laying unclaimed that are available if you do your homework and take those risks...

I work in my home office and drive maybe 8k a year, so fuel is not a big expense item even in my one ton 4x4. At 12 MPG avg it's probably $1300 at $2 vs $3.50.


I pulled my retirement out of stocks last year at dow 16,500, put it in bonds that pay 2%. I have enough to build a couple of duplexes if I don't loose it. I'd like to make enough for one more before I retire, but I sure the heck don't want to loose what I have.