Investing

I'm not terribly sure how this'd work out for a guy who makes enough money that $4k is "not a lot for him," but it's a plan.

If you have a 401k plan with your company, continue with that. You can't touch it until retirement, so you may as well put aside the max in that vein.

At the same time, mimic the 401k plan on your own terms in a high interest account. (I use ING like RR) Of course, you won't have your investment matched or anything, but each month, you'd be setting aside some cash in a high investment account. When I opened my ING account, I think I was getting something like 5.2%. Not anymore. ;_; There are other places that have a minimum balance requirement, but offer excellent rates considering.

As for the $4k you have on hand now, I'd throw that in a high interest account, too. I guess I'm a boring gal. I did something similar at the beginning of 08 when I had a hefty amount of cash in my checking account and wanted to see a return with minimal risk. Unfortunately, times are getting tough for myself and everyone around me. The savings will be tapped in the near future. ;_;

Jam it back in, in the dark.