I watch many friends fret over furniture, buying a house and whatnot. When we mention we will be travelling, we get the same old response "oh, must be nice, I wish I could, but we can't afford it." We have different value sets about money, and I have learned to walk away from that one.
After having power, no power, then no furnace over the holiday's, I was so thankful that we didn't own the house in the first place. Last year when we decided to up and leave, put everything in storage and head to Europe, we only had to give our Landlord a month notice. Then, when we came back to Vancouver and stayed in a couple of short-term rentals, we figured out we didn't want to live there anymore. Picking up and moving was no problem.
We currently live in the most hilarious house, things look nice, but no wall is even, nothing makes sense, including the half covered vents and the base boards that are missing in various places, but we live on a wicked piece of property. The house though, has been put together be the previous owner, which means there are so many things that have to be fixed.
1. We don't worry about fixing a roof, bad plumbing, paying for a furnace that just broke down, we call someone for that - his name is the LANDLORD.
2. We don't have much furniture, I am really picky, to the point that I know my different whites and blacks, and can spot the difference a mile a way. Making my son's room was a priority, but the rest of the house is pretty sparse our son can pretty much play in ever room with no worries.
3. We get to "try"out different neighborhoods and never feel tied down. If things aren't working, we can always pick up and move again.
4. Since we have moved several times across the country, and in various cities, we aren't scared of moving.
5. Our "things" don't matter. We don't live a life of things, we live for our experiences. A very different outlook than many.
6. The concept of settling down is so foreign, I never want to settle, I want to live life everyday.
7. Home, to me, is not defined by where I live, but my little nuclear family. No matter where we live, I know, we will always have a home.
Travel Lady with Baby
We broke down and bought a new townhouse condo. Figure we can rent it for some income later on, then sell when we need the cash. In the meantime, we are work slugs, dreaming of the day….
We were all gung-ho to buy a house over the summer, but when we look back now, we’re so glad no one made an offer. We own our condo, and it’s located in a great city with access to everything. We can walk to the grocery store, a slew of restaurants, a few shops, and the subway.
Suburbia seemed like the “right” thing to do when our daughter reached the 1-year mark. But as winter started, I began to realize I don’t really want a house and all the responsibilities it brings: shoveling snow, gardening, maintenance. It’s just not for me.
Best of all? We have more disposal income to do the things we likely wouldn’t do if we were throwing every pay check on household bills.