The Nest and the Nestegg

Egangirl has been writing about the emptying of her nest. And while I can't assume to know how genuinely autobiographic her posts are, I nevertheless identify with some of her thoughts and ideas.

My own nest has been full for a long time: 3 of my sons are out on their own, leaving just the youngest to prowl through the house long after I've gone to bed. Years ago the house was full of commotion as the 6 of us battled for our turn in the shower, for the last cookie, for rights to the remote control. Now, with virtually no commotion, my son pretty much has claiming rights to nearly everything (especially the remote control).

You would think that having fewer mouths to feed would mean that I've got more money. We used to go through at least a gallon of milk every day. Now, a gallon lasts several days--but I've got no more money than I ever did. You'd think that little things--less milk, less hot water, fewer lunches--would result in my pockets being filled with cash. Not so. You'd think that my pitiful 401k plan at work would be overwhelmed by my increased contributions. Not so there, either.