What we are doing with our cash

my cash has all gone to art this year.

What kind of art? I'm actually really curious. :-)

items i've seen in various chelsea galleries. i don't buy art as an investment - i just buy what I like.

While I used to prefer abstract art, now I like cake, mostly beef-flavored and a little cheese. But please not in the same meal: no cheese burgers for me.

my cash went to a manhattan RE measurement platform...its floating around programmers pockets who most likely are not spending it...oh and scotch

UD, which scotches?

I've been looking through the Chelsea galleries as well. There were interesting exhibits at Boesky and Rosen that I thought were strong. Also Andrew Kreps....

been drinking the less peaty ones...macallan 10yr fine oak ($40, its a good deal), and glenrothes select reserve

http://www.theglenrothes.com/uk/products/select-reserve/

I've been sitting in cash for longer than I care to admit

i put cash away to go on vacation.
experiences > assets.

Cash is absolutely a fine place to be these days. Not making much but missing less.

I'm starting my own business.

It's a small publishing company. We're going to do a highly targeted business newsletter for an emerging market. (don't ask me which market, I won't say)

My business partner and I are in the process of developing a prototype issue that we can test with our potential subscribers.

It's very exciting. We're funding the prototype out of pocket. Maybe if it tests well we'll raise capital from outside sources.

But the money that I had saved to put into real estate is going into this venture instead.

To me, it's a better investment. Let's say I put $50k of my own money into it, and my partner does the same, we've funded our venture $100k out of pocket.

We stand a good chance of losing the whole thing, but it's a tax loss, so we'll recoup a small part of the value, and if our idea actually clicks, then the return could potentially be very large.

Plus we'd have all the benefits of starting a new business -- putting people to work, giving ourselves a piece of equity in something that could last a long time (and potentially do some good).

Compare that to sinking my $50k into a some rather unappealing one-bedroom in Ditmas Park. My monthly housing costs would not go down from where they are currently (I'm renting), and I'd be living in a place that doesn't have much appeal. And to me, it is highly unlikely I would ever be able to sell the apartment later for more than I paid -- in fact I highly doubt that I'd be able to get what I put into it.

Real estate is nowheres-ville, man.

http://www.infowars.com/steve-wynn-takes-on-washington/

This is a great man.

Cash is absolutely a fine place to be these days. Not making much but missing less.

Washington is intent on making you regret the decision. Compound interest and the time value of money don't work at zero.