If you unexpectly came into $45,000.00 what would you do? I thought I'd park it in a money market, get out of debt, finish purchasing supplies. What would you do with the remaining $35,000? Thanks

-- quietly (quietly@preparing.com), October 12, 1999

Answers

I'd buy the pasture next to me, or I would put a nice barn on my place. One or the other of those. In any case, I would spend it.

-- (nobody@nowhere.wit), October 12, 1999.

I got some land and I and my wife are building on it. We don't know what to tell you to do with your money.. But I would do what was the best for my family. That is what I did , don't know what is going to happen because of y2k but I have a very bad feeling about it.. You have to use your best judgment..That is all we have to go on. You can tell if what you are being told is right or wrong... so go with your heart that is all I can tell you...

-- Rocky McCormick (harpoon@u-n-i.net), October 12, 1999.

buggggggggggg out!

-- stuck in burbs (no@hope.inheritance), October 12, 1999.

If your out of debt preserve your wealth in the oly way that is possible. Buy gold and silver. Put it in a money market and watch it slip away. Guaranteed!!

-- Jerry is a kook (Jerry@kook.idiot), October 12, 1999.

FWIW

While up on the farm this weekend I picked up the "Fargo Forum" (ND).

For sale: 3 bedroom house in excellent condition on 45 acres.

Price: $45,000

-- TrustHim (ItComes@Soon.now), October 12, 1999.

quietly,

Congratulations! -- if you have come into some money. Just do what you think is best for you and your family. I know of people who have spent a million or more dollars on their Y2K preps. Others have spent less than a thousand dollars.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (faryna@groupmail.com), October 12, 1999.

If all your preps are done, including some additional quantities for extra persons, your windfall is something to consider for putting into value assets; land, silver or gold. These should hold all if not most of their value through all but the absolute worst Y2K scenario.

Land may lose some face value due to inflationary/deflationary pressure, but it has intrinsic value as being a woodlot, orchard or farmland that goes beyond monetary value. In the worst case it's a food source or fuel source. In better circumstances a farm, orchard or woodlot are income sources for in a low-tech society.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), October 12, 1999.

REDUCE DEBT!

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@Anonymous99.xxx), October 12, 1999.

>> If you unexpectly came into $45,000.00 what would you do? <<

Each person should respond differently to this question. It is highly individual. $45,000 would almost exactly pay off the mortgage for me. That would reduce our household expenses by $410/month and virtually eliminate the possibility of losing our most important asset -- our home.

If I had a "remaining $35,000" after paying down our debt, I'd install a solar electric array, upgrade the furnace, put some into liquid assets like gold and T-Bills. Then I'd stop to catch my breath, so I could think a bit deeper into how to go about reducing our monthly/annual expenses, by becoming better equipped for self-sufficiency during the next decade. $1,000 would go to charity, but later, in 2000, when the exact nature of the needs became more apparent.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), October 12, 1999.

Pay of the second on the house. Buy a sailboat. (Actually, that can be for almost any amount of money...you come up with the money, and I'll find a sailboat at least that expensive!)

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), October 12, 1999.

I'd dream for a few hours and then race out and buy al the 1/10th oz. gold eagles I could lay my hands on; after those were exhausted, as they almost are now, another 10-20 oz. on 1/4 oz fractional eagles. Then once I had the digital credits converted into a hard asset in a market that seems poised to bust into the stratosphere, I would sit back and survye the situation with a bit more leisure, secure with my newfound w3alth in tangible, portable, fungible form.

-- Roch Steinbach (rochsteinbach@excite.com), October 12, 1999.

I'd get that double-King-size mud tub with constant temperature control, bar, mirrors up the ying-yang, and padding with a built in home entertainment system that I've had my eye on. Solar powered, of course.

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.cum), October 13, 1999.

Before you rush off to Fargo, check out the weather records, especially for the winter months.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), October 13, 1999.

Fargo?!?! In January?!?! No-nope-nada-nein-nowayjose! Besides, the growing season is too short.

-- Sam Mcgee (weissacre@gwtc.net), October 13, 1999.

In addition to the above-mentioned ideas, have you considered helping other GIs that may be low on funds and can't prepare properly? The return on your investment can't be measured...

-- booann (cantsay@lovemyjob.edu), October 13, 1999.

Very simple really,

2-10,000gal. trailers of gasoline stored on a small lot (secluded)

And the balance in Spam to sell!!

-- D.B. (dciinc@aol.com), October 13, 1999.

Don't know if you meant what would OTHERS do if they came into it, or if you were asking for advice for yourself. Think there is some confusion of other posters too, since you've gotten both types of replies. Let us know...

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), October 13, 1999.

I am interested various options you all would take if you had this amount of money. This was prompted by me not having on my glasses when I read the Texas Cash 5 numbers on tv...I thought I had all 5 numbers. If did and there wasn't a threat of y2k I would invest, no doubt about it. But at this point I'd be hesitant in doing so....

Quietly dreaming....

-- queitly (quietly@preparing.com), October 13, 1999.

Don't buy real estate of any kind. Should be cheap next year.

-- Dave (aaa@aaa.com), October 14, 1999.