Despite my wish to never have to pay rent again (due in large part to adding up how much I spent in rent before and thinking of all the things I could have done with that money), I'm noticing a pendulum swing in my feelings back towards "I don't want to live with my parents any more; too old for this, have a semblance of a life, MUST HAVE OWN SPACE even at some cost."

except, last time I went apartment-hunting, I had some savings to offset my student loan debt. Now, instead, I have my-car-that-i-love. Due to faithfully making the maximum contributions possible to my IRA nearly every year I've worked (including last year, which I wouldn't have managed had I not been out of the apartment), there's enough in it to buy another car or so, but that's not what it's for (half the time I even forget it exists, since it's in a different category from freely accessible savings). I *could* legally use part of it for a down payment on a home, but I'd still need more of a loan than I could probably get right now, even if I were after a teeny condo.

hrmf.

pondering.

(sell a screenplay! that'll get me a down payment all right, even if it's WGA minimum! oops, wasn't going to talk about writing anymore.)

copyright 2003 carrie lynn king.