Wisdom and Wit From Money Talks News Readers in 2016

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You — the readers of Money Talks News — are a talented, insightful and articulate group of people. Throughout 2016, we’ve appreciated your great comments, ideas and constructive thoughts — and the humor and humanity with which you wrote them. Here’s a sample of great comments on Money Talks News articles in 2016. Thanks to everyone who shared thoughts with us this year. Keep them coming in the new year!

Why Is Nordstrom Selling a Rock in a Pouch for $85?

We did a story about Nordstrom selling rocks for $85 apiece — apparently packaged in attractive stitched-leather pouches, but still … You had some clear thoughts about the customers for such a product:

  • “This is only a pet rock, upgraded to a luxury model. Anyone who buys this should have the word “STUPID” emblazoned on their forehead,” offered Jack in Las Vegas.
  • “Considering our recent Presidential Election results, I’m not surprised at anything people will buy these days,” observed Diane, who apparently works at “retired.”

10 Strategies to Save Big Bucks on Amazon

We often learn things from our readers — or are reminded of things we didn’t include in an article. Here’s one such reminder from a comment in this article on saving money when shopping on Amazon.

  • “Funny how they never mentioned Amazon’s review trader. It is now called vipon.com and you can get things cheaply from Amazon sellers just starting out. You are no longer required to leave a review but it helps,” suggested a reader who goes by the handle “Wired 4 Sight.”

10 Ways to Retire Earlier Than Friends on the Same Salary

You had a number of ideas about how to expand our list in the article “10 Ways to Retire Earlier Than Friends on the Same Salary.” Here are a couple of examples:

  • “Another Trick is do not buy the Newest of the New Products. Look in Craigslist or Ebay and you will find a like item for half or better,” offered Mike at Madison Area Technical College.
  • Al, a varsity tennis coach, had his three ideas for retirement: “#1. Live below your means. #2. Invest while young and don’t stop. Total return equals continued financial growth. #3. Don’t buy large items like cars new. They depreciate off the lot. Research the best deals and don’t worry about biggest and best.”

9 Things That Can Make Retirement Really Stink

One reader wrote to us about what she’s learned about retirement after she read this story about the challenges of retirement.

“I do not like retirement because I am a sedentary person. All the things I love to do have me sitting down — reading, tv, computer, etc. My job was also somewhat sedentary, but I have to also be up and moving a lot. Now, I try to keep more active by visiting Hospice patients, doing work for the church and my state retirement buddies. Since I had a heart attack 4-5 years ago, I do make myself do the 30-45 minutes walks each day that the doctor requested. But, I would still rather be busy doing the work I loved. I had deadlines and stuff that had to be done at certain times. It kept me on my toes,” commented Georgia of Moberly Area Community College.

Ask Stacy: Millennials Are Ruining This Country … Aren’t They?

Money Talks News founder Stacy Johnson’s post about millennials and their impact on the country also drew a lot of comments from a number of different directions. We found this particular note to be insightful, articulate and a great reminder of how good relationships between generations can be.

“The more things change the more they stay the same. I’m pushing 80 and living with my grandson and sometimes we seem to be speaking 2 different languages. We talk a lot and I’ll say something and he has never heard of that. We are both getting an education, he in history and me in new technology. More people should interact instead of criticizing,” offered Clara, a retired letter carrier, clerk and LSM operator for the U.S. Postal Service.

Reach Your Goals Without Making a Budget

Stacy’s story about meeting financial goals without using a budget prompted this inspirational response.

“I think the best thing I ever did to realize my dreams was to ‘put away’ the first five years’ worth of raises I ever got. When I got my first job at $18K, it was more money than I had ever earned, and I lived off it. When raises came along, I just kept living off the $18K and put the rest aside. Then, I started to raise my standard of living, but I was always living ‘below’ my salary level, and saving was completely painless. Now that I’m retired, I can see the fruits of my approach, and it’s quite satisfying,” wrote Mac, from New York.

The 14 Weirdest Excuses for Calling in Sick in 2016

We knew when we ran this story about weird reasons people gave for calling in sick that we’d get some great tales from our readers. Here’s one that gave us a smile.

“I live in Anchorage, Alaska, and sometimes people call in late because moose are between them and their parked cars. True story!” said Donna, from the University of Washington.

Tell us more

Have you seen some other great comments on our stories? Or do you have other ideas about our 2016 contents? Share with us in comments below or on our Facebook page.

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