A friend just sent me to a blog called ‘Downturn Living.’ I’ve been lucky so far this recession; no huge income hits. But we clearly don’t manage our finances with the degree of ardor that’s really called for in this kind of a climate, and much of our net worth is (was) in out home and 401k portfolios (I have two or three other investments that ought to help over time).
Physical and fiscal fitness are both hard, and at this stage of life, quite necessary…
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One useful thing about being a Silicon Valley “startup lifer” is I learned early to save every penny and never take income for granted, as it can vary wildly – even in good times. I figure if my career is a permanent high-wire act, my finances need to be managed in old-maid mode.
We still got hurt, but we never leveraged our house or did any of the other silly tricks that seemed so common, and the “hurt” put off retirement by a few years, but otherwise didn’t affect our lifestyle.
It also helps to be married to a lady who grew up poor during the Cultural Revolution in China, and takes pride in squeezing every dime.