[thuja]

Since we're on the investment track- in what ways do people invest in the stock market...personal broker, online trader, IRAs, etc? I'm interested in buying a few stocks but only will have limited capital to start- 4,000 dollars.

The rest of my money has gone into buying silver (almost 10.00 today woo-hoo) and Post-peak money savers (wood stove/solar water heater). I like some agricultural commodities and energy stocks. Suggestions?

[JBinKC]

Thuja I use an online broker (Interactive Brokers) what I like about them is you have direct access to many world markets and their commission schedule is extremely reasonable and can be as low as a $1 for a trade.

[Daculling]

I'd put most of it into whores and blow. The rest I'd probably just waste at the grocery store.

[DigitalCubano]

Shave $15k off of my student loans!

That's probably not the "sexy" answer though. Assuming no cc or student loan debt, decent rates on the car loan and mortgage, and a diversified retirement fund, I would:

1) take one of these energy funds for a ride
2) make the no-brainer play in the tech industry (I'm not telling...it requires just a little thought and research)
3) take some long positions on nuclear
4) have some fun with the small caps IF the market continues to look bullish

[DigitalCubano]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Daculling', 'I')'d put most of it into whores and blow. The rest I'd probably just waste at the grocery store.

[Pops]

Are you starting on the ten-yard line or the ninety?

If the ninety I think it wise to pay off some of those credit cards you ran up over Christmas or some staple food, water and auxiliary fuel.

If the ten perhaps something more esoteric like night vision, arms or gold.

Or if you really need to ask a bunch of folks you don’t know about how to spend your money perhaps you could simply PM your account number to me and l will assume this responsibility.

[hoplite]

I'd buy the new "Evolution" ALUMINUM 427FE Side oiler crate engine from Ford Racing for my Factory Five A/C Cobra kit car. (I have a 427 Windsor motor in it now, but somehow 475 horsepower isnt enough to salve my latest midlife crisis...)

Yep, I'm aware of the peak oil hysteria and I drive a radically fast 9MPG sports car (that I built), even if PO plays out like many of you want it to, Jevon's paradox will keep me burnin' rubber for the rest of my life!!




PEAK OIL? Your GRANDCHILDREN MAY have to worry about it- YOU better worry about CHINA and IslamoFascisim...

[IslandCrow]

If you make that €15 000, then I would go for a ground heat exchange system to replace the oil heating that I have. This will help in the early stages of post-PO (as well as significantly reduce the costs of running the house).

An alternative would be to spend part of it on a wood-burning kitchen range (clad in soap-stone to provide heat retention of the main part of the house), fill up the oil tank before it goes any higher, and then use the rest to pay down the mortage.

The trouble with this dreaming is that the other day I realised my "wish list" had grown to a minimum of € 100 000 (the above, plus complete payment of the mortage, house repairs, plus buying trees and other goods that would be useful PO - but NOT including a hybrid car), but I have to live in the reality of a reduced pay package. But this dreaming does sort of help sort out some of the priorities that I have.

[rushdy]

I would go to the bank and get it changed for 1 pence pieces

[Doly]

I have that question myself. My family is going to sell a small flat they own in Spain, and give the money half to me and half to my brother. Not sure how much it's going to sell for, but I imagine something on the region of $15,000 may be what I get.

I have been living on tight money for so long that I find it difficult to decide what to do with that money. All my debt has been paid. But I live on a rented flat. My mother is suggesting that I get myself a small flat, but that would mean getting myself into a mortgage, which doesn't look very attractive right now. I've had the crazy idea of getting a houseboat: it's cheap and movable to anywhere with a coast, and if the economy went south and I lost my job, I'd always have somewhere to live.

Apart from that, I'd like to get some PO resources, but I'm not sure what. If I still live in a rented flat, I'm limited in the energy-saving measures I can take.

[Zorlag]

Gold, Silver, and energy / resource stocks if I was feeling "lucky".

[peaker_2005]

Myself? Probably a tent, a sleeping bag, a few changes of clothes (a man doesn't need more than three changes of clothes and two sets of pyjamas, really, excluding layers for extra warmth, really), and some basic food supplies, and also some basic survival training, if possible. I can probably work most of the rest out myself. I've got a brain and actually USE it.

Books. I'd get a few books. I love reading, so thankfully I'll have that option. Certain books will also be invaluable in helping others out and establishing connections. I'd probably get a laptop if I could (power might remain up in some areas for quite a long time - might be useful in obtaining up-to-date information in what's happening).

Oh, and I'd also get one of those shakeable lights. My brother has one, and I think they're cool (easily repairable too). Great if batteries cease to exist or become hard to get.

I'd also get a pen and paper to note my travels. I've always been umming and arring about writing a book.

Some gold and/or silver (hard) wouldn't hurt either, though I wouldn't get much after the above...

Finally, I'd go on a holiday - down to Melbourne probably. Always have wanted to go down there.

[frankthetank]

I had over 5K that i was going to use to buy gold...

WHEN IT WAS $330 !!! AHHHH ...!

Inactivity can cost you big bucks!

I suppose my 2% MM Acct didn't quite keep up, did it???

[xarkz]

I would buy stocks here on the Icelandic market.
The growth has been huge over the last years,
and most likely it will continue, at least q1 and q2
After that, foreign stocks and Euros will not be bad idea.
Because the currency here is expected to go down by like 20% or so
(that is, if no more aluminum smelters will be built), therefore foreign stocks(and currencies) will increase their value by that

[directinfo]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('midnight-gamer', 'l')inlithgowoil wrote .. an 'extra' $15,000? what, like some people just have a few different lots of $15k sitting around?

I have a extra $55,000 sitting around. My wife and I only make a combined$42k per year. We saved that up in only a few years through careful savings.

[NonToxic]

Pay off the wifes credit cards and the rest would be a down payment for one of these. What the hell. Odd's are real good I'm dead anyway. No kids to worry about.

[WisJim]

I would get another kilowatt or 2 of PVs, so that I could produce more than we use year-round, put up the spare wind generator, put the concrete floor with solar radiant heat in part of my pole shed, get a small inexpensive milling machine, finish off the shop in the barn, and put a couple of cases of some of the better regional beers in the cellar. Oh, and replace my existing wood furnace with a newer more efficient one.

But I will probably do all of these things in the next year or 2 anyway, as time and money permit.