Don't Give Up on Your Investing

At some point, every investor feels like they are losing to the market and that they should have just left their money in a savings account or spent it on something material.  You are entitled to feel like that for a while, but don't change your investing habits because of it.  Sooner or later the market will turn around and you will be the one with the most to gain.  Also, think of down times as a way to buy investments at lower prices.  Kind of like a sale in a store.  If you give up and sell your investments to wait for better times, by the time you know the market has turned, 90% of the gains will have already come and you will have only realized the losses and missed the gains.  That is the worst thing that you can do and that is why you have to stick with your investments and keep a long term focus.