40 years old - just starting to save for retirement?
I'm 40 years old and until 5 years ago I had been living paycheck to paycheck. I now have a better paying job making about 45k/year and am able to put some $$ away for savings. I currently have about $18k divided up with $4k in a roth IRA, $9k in a 5% interest CD that will mature in 8/2009, and $5k in a saving account. I pay my credit card in full every month and have no debt. I'm wondering what a good strategy would be to prepare for retirement. I like the idea of putting as much as possible every year into my IRA but I worry about it loosing more $$ as it has already devalued by 20% this past year. Any suggestions?

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Adult and married step children what would you do?
My husband and I have been married for 15 years. All grandchildren have been born after our marriage and know us as grandparents. I have 4 biological children that love and respect my husband and is allowed access to the 7 of them from day 1. They spend time with us because we are good to them and love them and my children trust us to protect them with the best of care. My step son and step daughter in law home school their 3 children ages 12, 9, and 5. The step daughter in law does not allow us any alone time with these 3 children because she does not want her children to associate with my grandchildren because they are in public schools. The daughter in law tells us what we can and cannot buy for her children for christmas and birthdays and once informed us that if we purchase to much for her children they will not spend another Christmas with us ever again. This daughter in law is very rude and hurtful and expects us to visit quite often and it is a 110 mile round trip to do so or else we will be cut off from them. My husband works 7 days a week and preparing for retirement in a couple of years. All holidays are separate from my children although everyone of them have welcomed her and are kind to her. She allows the children to call their grandfather pa and I am called by my first name. Their real grandmother lives 1,000 miles away and does not visit them in person very often. The daughter in law is not happy with the real grandmother and does not have much to do with her and she is always bickering with her own mom and step dad. The step son over the years has become as bad as she is and my husband bends over backwards to please them and never stands up to them when they are disrespectful toward me. My husband and I have never had any issuess with each other in our marriage unless it had to do with his kids. Anyone have any advice because I am wearing out here?

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Does anyone have any suggestions or good advice on how I can deal with a step daughter in law?
It is getting to the point where I feel like crawling in a whole and closing it over the top of me. My husband and I have been together for 20 years and we have never had any problems except for the ones that come at us from her and his son. They are both in their mid 30's and homeschooling their 3 children ages 6, 10, and 12. The children are so sweet and I love them dearly. It is a 110 mile trip to visit them and my husband works 7 days a week preparing for retirement in 2 years. We try to visit as much as possible and they come to visit us every now and then. Here is a list of some situations over the years that have taken place. 1. 12 years ago when the grandson was a baby I offered to babysit for them to have a night out ...the step daughter in law said that no one would take care of him but his real grandmother. 2. She does not want her children mixed with my biological grandchildren because she does not want any bad influence from kids in the public schools. 4 years ago my daughter and her 3 kids and hers went on a 1 day camping trip with us. My step grandson kept throwing craw fish on my daughters son and because she did not stop her son from doing that my grandson called him stupid. The step daughter in law made a big issue out of that statement toward my daughter until my daughter had enough and told her maybe you should put your kids in a regular school to learn some socialization skills. My daughter should not have made that comment to her because ever since then my husband and I are being made to pay for it. 3. We have to ask her what we can buy the children for christmas because if we give them to much she tells us that they will never spend christmas with us again and that is at their home not ours because she seperated her family from ours. My husband has not been himself for the past 6 months and ended up in the hospital due to a virus. He is ok now but upon the hospital visit from his son he stated to his father that him and his wife do not want things the way they used to be( they stayed away for 2 years due to some loyalty issues to his mother) So we need to get together more or else. The step daughter inlaw has issues with her only sibbling a brother his wife and their 3 children. Always having disagreements with her own mother and has never allow us alone time with our grandchildren ever in 12 years. The son is getting very rude and hurtful these days and just as bad as she is. They came over to watch a football game last week because they do not allow normal televison in their home due to the children. The step daughter wanted pizza and only stated to me that the 5 year old only liked plain cheese. I paid for 2 extra large 1 peperoni and 1 half cheese and half hamburgar for grandpa on his way home from work. The daughter in law went to my step son down in our family room and he came up the stairs in a flash and told me that I wasn't listening. I said ok no problem sweetie and ordered an extra large cheese and told him I misunderstood. I am sorry but I am getting to the point where I cannot take this anymore and my husband allows them to say and do what they want to walk all over me and always has an excuse for their rude behavior. I have always been very kind and considerate of them in everyway and I keep things to myself so my husband can see his grandchildren. If I say anything even in a nice way they will take the children from our lives and I do not want my husband to blame me for that. Has anyone ever been through something like this or have any suggestion on what I can do.

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