I made 60k to 70k on my job, depended on the ot I worked. Father in law passed away in '09 and I put that money in a cd and when it matured I paid the house off. The principal on the house was only $25 a month so I made extra payments and in the 1st year I had 4 years paid on my home. I think a good investment is gold and silver, all precious metals. Don't put all your money in investments, leave out cash that you can get ahold of quickly if needed,