Hi Scott, I currently earn a good salary, save around 35 per cent of my pay, do not have any debt (other than HECS), and am a long way into saving for a deposit for a house. My husband is a second-year apprentice who earns less than half what I do.

Hey Scott, I do not have a question ... more of a suggestion.

Hi Barefoot, I have a 17-year-old son who has a part-time job. He has saved over $1,000 and would like to start investing, but CommSec says he has to be 18 to buy shares.

Hi Scott, I am 32 years old and earn a good wage ($225,000 p.a.

Hi Scott, I am 24 and have been living with my boyfriend for the past couple of years. We have separate incomes and bank accounts but have joint accounts for rent, groceries and bills, which we go 50/50 in.

Scott, We are two middle-aged partnered women -- one retired, one about to go part time in a well-paid professional job. We have very good superannuation balances and are living (comfortably) off my salary.

Hi Scott, Can you advise my 24-year-old daughter on how to face the financial mess she has created? She lost her job in May and has lived off credit cards since then; she now has debts of $27,000.

Hi Barefoot, My wife and I are 40 and we (almost) own our home -- with a mortgage of $70,000 on a house worth about $900,000, about 10 kilometres from the CBD. She works part time and I, due to a near-death experience, do not work, so I look after our child.

Dear Scott, My partner and I are both age pensioners and we have just been confirmed as sharing a 1st division prize in lotto, which we never ever expected! Having worked and tried to make ends meet all our lives -- and not done the correct thing with money -- we do not want to make that mistake again.

Dear Scott, Last year I wrote and explained how the Barefoot Investor had changed my life. Lucky for me, you wrote an article on my letter (‘Here’s One for the Grandparents’) and then called me to give some advice.

Hi Barefoot, I am 35 and on a good salary ($190,000). My question is this: If you had an investment property that, if sold, would clear $80,000, and you had personal debt of $50,000 (credit card and car loan), would you sell the property to clear the debt?

Dear Scott, My husband’s brother and his wife have recently taken out a $360,000 home loan, with $60,000 in an attached offset account. They’re paying 3.

Scott, I have a question -- and then I have a complaint. First the question.

Hi Barefoot, Your new book has me in stitches: “Tickets to Gaga is not an emergency”. I am 38 and I earn $90,000, and I have a gnawing money problem I need your help with.

Hi Barefoot, I am currently looking at making some investment decisions for the next 3–5 years to save a healthy deposit for a first home. An option I am considering is to purchase shipping containers (at least four).