Oh wise Sars (and all her Vine-contributing wise friends)!

I’m happy to start by saying this is NOT a relationship question. That
aside, here’s my dilemma. I’m a 25-year-old bartender and thoroughly
enjoy working in the food/beverage industry. My fiance, 31, is a
bartender as well and we hope one day to own our own establishment. That
however is far and away. I want to start setting aside money for the
golden years, but very few bar businesses offer 401(k). Additionally,
given my primary income is tips, my annual taxes/W2s don’t really show
my actual income. I’m pretty naive as to what my best interest-earning
options are and I’m hoping you’ll be able to shed some light.

Much thanks!

Promise to Buy You a Drink If You’re Ever in St. Louis

Dear Louie,

I put my dad on the case for this one, since he does this for a living; here’s what he had to say:

For single folks, especially self-employed types, Roth IRAs (annual
limit $4000), SEP IRAs (Self Employed Person) and Simple IRAs are the
options.Best bet is to check a bank or brokerage offering these plans
for their literature; these brochures will outline the limits that can
be set aside, rules for withdrawal, et cetera.Also, there’s nothing wrong
with just buying bank CDs or index mutual funds with saved dollars — if
you can put a regular piece aside, it adds up over time.The IRAs will
all have restrictions on withdrawals in exchange for certain tax
benefits.

I would add to that that you should consider getting an accountant, just so you have someone to guide you through various forms and loopholes.

Readers, if you have anything to add, email me with the subject line “investments.”

Hello! I’m trying to find some cool children’s music for my sister. Something smart and clever that’s geared towards hip parents who don’t necessarily want to drive themselves crazy listening to the Sharon, Lois, and Bram types. The only CDs I’ve been able to find so far are Lisa Loeb’s “Catch the Moon” and They Might be Giants’ “Bed, Bed, Bed.” Any more recommendations?

Janelle

Dear Janelle,

Not from me; I just listened to my parents’ music, but I’m assuming Bachman Turner Overdrive isn’t what you had in mind.Heh.

Readers, hit it.Email subject line: “children’s music.”

I have a small wood desk my grandfather gave me right before he died.It’s a 1940s dormitory style desk — single wide drawer and a small built-in bookshelf, plus a chair, which my grandfather…er…”liberated” from Colby College in the late 1940s when they redid his dorm.It has five layers of paint that I can see, possibly more, but from the few parts where it’s been chipped away I can tell that there’s a nice medium honey-colored wood underneath.I can use a belt sander on the one flat plane, but the slats of the bookshelf and the chair (the chair is a paint-stripping nightmare) are too detailed to make that possible.The chair is one of those New England colonial-style jobs — lots of rounded edges and posts along the back and your basic refinishing nightmare.

I’m willing to put in the necessary elbow grease and get comfy with some sandpaper, but what chemical agents can the readers recommend to speed the process along?Sandpaper will help but it won’t do the whole job — I’m already envisioning time spent with paint remover and a Q-tip for some of this.So — chemical agent that won’t take my skin off but can still bust through five layers of fifty-year-old paint.

Many thanks,
My grandfather went to a lot of trouble to steal this desk and I’d like to make it pretty

Dear Desk,

Beyond going down to Home Depot and asking for advice, I don’t have any specific recommendations for you, so let’s throw it to the readers.

Okay, folks.Email subject line: “paint remover.”

[9/29/06]

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