No pictures today, so you're getting a mumbling instead. Aren't you blessed?
Anyway. We've been working on a five year plan (well actually it's more like a four year, but five sounds more ambitious). Waking up to the fact that in three months our income will drop VERY dramatically makes one tend to come to a screeching halt and make some tough decisions in life. DH and I had a very good heart-to-heart talk this afternoon and have come to the joint realization (after we both had been thinking about it on our own) that apartment living isn't something we are going to dismiss. Am I shocking anybody? Right now the only reason we can honestly say that we are staying here is my dad (who lives with us...for those of you who don't know). He is 86 and his health is failing. Realistically he won't be here in five years (or at least living in our house) and the house is simply too big for us. The yard alone is huge and, although DH likes gardening right now, he too is getting older and really doesn't want to face the challenge for too many more years.
We have far too much 'stuff' - most of which we never use. Why are we using so much of our valuable years left to us maintaining all of it? Why do we feel we have to leave it all to our kids (who we are quite sure don't want a sixteenth of it). My craft supplies alone are enough to overwhelm anybody. We have what, in effect, is a four car garage. Two cars in it and you can just imagine what else is crammed in there...most of which hasn't seen the light of day since we moved in here eight years ago and isn't likely to.
So, all this is leading to our 'plan' which is a huge relief to both of us. Looking around our possessions has shown us that there isn't a whole lot here that we are totally attached to. It's really surprising how a financial crunch will shed a whole new light on life!
OK, I'm done mumbling for now and all I can say is...bring it on!!
With several major moves in the last 4 years, due to transfers, i can safely say, it doesn't hurt (too much :})---a big hint: "Collectables"--WHY do we collect things just because they look like other things?? Get rid of 'em!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I moved from Reno to Spokane 2 yrs ago. We sold, gave away or discarded almost everything we owned before the move. We just had a small U-haul and when we got here we bought new stuff..i.e., furniture, appliances, etc. We too took a hit in the income dept. but being able to buy a home outright helped tremendously. We hit the housing market in Reno at just the right time and sold our house the day it was put on the market.
ReplyDeleteBut if I didn't have that I wouldn't hesitate to rent an apartment just as long as it had one room that I could use as a hobby/studio room.
I wish you wonderful things. Feel free to write and ask questons.
susansaw@comcast.net