Thanks for many good comments and advice. I only have SS but my wife works as a massage therapist
. My theory of "wealth" for a long time is that "there are two ways to be rich, one is by having a lot of income, and the other is by having no debt". I grew up poor, monetarily, but rich in love and values. I didn't learn about saving and investing, etc. until halfway through my adult life. There were jobs I had with good 401k programs which I invested in but either withdrew to meet a need or because they were going down as much as they were up. I've also made a couple of good real estate deals along with several sour ones. Anyway, I decided several years ago that I was much better at being frugal than making money so I bought a place cheap, built a house with help from my friends, and paid off the property last year and quit my job this year. My wife pays for the food and her school bill and I pay for the few other monthly bills. We also help out our son who is in college. I earn a bit by selling CDs, playing a gig, or giving a music lesson but usually spend it on more gear. My SS is only $820, but with no debt it's OK. I agree with keeping 5k for emergencies. With low income I signed up for health care for free, but we haven't used it much because we haven't had to, and wonder if we do whether the feds are going to want it back. I've been working on our property, 2.3 acres, preping for fire season, and starting a garden, etc. We have wood for heat and don't need AC. I have had a Vanguard account and will check out the Wellesley investment. I'm hesitant about putting money in an IRA again because now I know it could be lost there, too. I bought a little boat a few weeks ago which I plan to use a lot this summer. I hope I've covered all your questions and comments. I still welcome your advice. Oh, I created an invention with the help on the engineering dept of my alma mater but haven't had enough money to patent and market it. If any one has an interest in helping me with that, let me know. Have a wonderful, blessed day!