Thanks for the dedication Telegraph of hitting me over the head with your hammer until I get it. I am finally now working on the calculations of how much I would need to stock away each month to fund my expenses for the next 5 years without investing and hopefully being able to continue to make the Roth contributions.

Just for considering that idea, you lose my admiration for you on a great start on retirement. In this very thread, someone has eloquently pointed out the powerful effect of compounding, and you toss the concept aside...Eeek! (I understand how Yoda felt :) )

I definitely do not toss the concept aside, as that was my argument for investing the money rather than using it now. Obviously it would be foolish (not Foolish) to do and I do not plan on doing it nor is that why I invest in my roth, the same way I am not investing in my roth to fund my education, but if I were in a house and hit a crunch I would rather take a small amount out to get me through a few months of payment than to lose the house, and then would replace the amount + interest after any emergency. But this is why we have emergency funds =)

-Will