In the August 2009 issue of Money magazine — likely to be my last, as I'll not be renewing my subscription — there's an inner section entitled "Make Peace With Your Money." Perusing through it brought me to a small batch of "Couples' Conversation Starters," a set of six questions supposedly geared to get money-conscious couples up and talking about their finances.

I thought it might be interesting to devote a couple of posts to considering some of these questions, and how they might related to my household. Here was Money's first question:

What's your biggest money worry nowadays?

Hmmm ... that's a toughie. If I had to pick a single answer, I suppose I'd say that my largest concern is my household's lack of liquid savings. As I write this, we've managed to compile a nudge over $11,000. Our goal is $15k, and I feel as though it's taking forever to get there. (Things like backyard fences always seem to get in the way. Truly, being a homeowner ain't just about the payments.)

If I might be obliged a "Biggest Worry, Part B," it would be — and I'm not kidding here — Washington's complete disregard for debt and deficits at the national level. Though such has been the case for years, the "Deficits don't matter (when they're due to spending on YOUR pet projects)" mentality is like a dagger to my debt-hatin' heart. The hubris and folly so evident here just boggles my mind.

When the solution to every fiscal problem, year after year, is "More credit! Cheaper credit!" you just know the game isn't going to end well. If I didn't have a six-year-old daughter at home — a cutie who's just now beginning to grasp some concepts of money and debt — then this might not bother me as much as it does.

But I do, and it does.

So there you have it: When I worry about money, those are the two biggest monsters in my head. Liquid savings, thankfully, I can do something about. The ever-mounting devaluation of my labor (read: the dollar), on the other hand, is more a matter of bipartisan policy, pocket-lining, and socialized losses than anything else.

When you're a control freak, as I am, to feel so powerless against something which affects your family's future so directly ... well, it's not much fun.

Labels: Saving