Contest: Fun in a Bear Market

"The stock market is where your savings should be. Invest for the long term. Become part-owners of the greatest companies you can find. Be patient. And, whether you succeed or fail, make sure you have fun!" -- David Gardner, Rule Breaker report, Aug. 4, 2000

We know you've had it rough the past several months in the market. (Goodness knows, we have.) With the market averages down 20% (S&P 500) to 60% (Nasdaq) from their highs, there aren't many investors out there who've escaped the carnage.

Now, your portfolio may be down, but hopefully not your sense of fun. Markets will rise, and markets will fall -- but through it all, we hope you stick with one of the core Foolish principles of simply enjoying life.

We bet plenty of you have followed that advice, and if so, we'd like to hear from you.

To add some motivation, we'll give the top three entries a free one-year subscription to TMF Money Advisor, a service more valuable than ever in these uncertain times. We'll also consider publishing any outstanding entries in one of our upcoming books.

What types of entries are we looking for? Perhaps recent circumstances forced you to postpone your European vacation for the time being, but you've found some fun and economical places to visit in the meantime. Maybe you've decided not to build that lakeside summer home, but added a family rec room instead for a fraction of the cost.

But your entry needn't be about sacrifice. Maybe the events of September brought your family closer together, and now you've made it a point to gather the clan once a week for sundaes at the local ice cream parlor.

As you can see, it's wide open to you, just as long as it's tied to fun and enjoyment of life. In short, how are you having fun with your money?

Here's the scoop:

• Entries must be 200-1,000 words in length.
• They must be posted on our Fun & Folly discussion board before noon ET on Thursday, December 20, when our Foolish judges will turn into elves.
• If you're one of our top three entries, you'll receive a one-year subscription to TMF Money Advisor. The top three, and other good entries, might even be published in an upcoming book.

Click here to read the complete contest rules and fun legal jargon... and then hurry off to the board to submit your entry, because the deadline will be here before you know it!