What does ‘quality of life’ mean to you?

[BuffaloCauliflower]

DH and I are talking about moving to a different part of the country, it’s not too far from where we are but would be quite a different environment and a big move and change for us. It’s partly driven by house prices but also lifestyle, and we’ve been having conversations about ‘a better quality of life’, but it feels like such an abstract concept and I’m struggling to separate it from the house price aspect (which is no small thing, smaller mortgage payments will certainly have repercussions for our life overall)

I’m interested, what does ‘a better quality of life’ mean to you? Help me out of my brain fog!

To me, quality of my life is directly proportional to the amount of stuff I have, both mentally and physically.

The less I "have" the happier I am and I'm working to continuously reduce what I have.

Except books. I can never have too many books.

Quality life for me means, leaving in a house with back and front garden a place where my kids would play outside and I can see them from my window, leaving in a small town where you have everything (shops, medical...) and where my work is very close to my house. Stress free

Friends and family close enough by to spend lots of time with. Enough money to not have to constantly worry about it. Being able to drive-I love it.

Community is an integral part of my quality of life. I need to feel part of something bigger, and feel that DS has many people in his corner (especially should something happen to me or DH).

Apart from that, pretty much what has been said above - financial security is a big part of it; it means we can easily eat healthily, exercise, access mental health care, not worry about the mortgage, not worry about job loss, etc. We are working towards aiming for a large savings buffer to allow us to feel this "safe" financially, while also trying to balance a good 'quality of life' in the mean time!

Also need countryside within walking distance. I didn't realise this was necessary for me until I moved away from it.

And, actually, enjoying my job -it gives me a sense of enormous wellbeing (to quote blur!)

Countryside access for me, too.

Thank you so much for your contributions everyone, this is really been helpful and we’re going to ponder around the points you’ve raised

Quality of life categories to me would be:

Money - financial security, a healthy emergency fund, regular savings for the future, enough left over after savings and essential outgoings to enjoy treats like travel, restaurants, etc

Work - stable and rewarding job with decent remuneration and good work/life balance

Housing - housing that is a good size, comfortable, safe, functional, has outdoor space, close to amenities like good schools/work/etc

Social - stable and healthy network of relationships with family, friends, local community, etc

Time - time for travel, hobbies, personal enrichment, socializing, etc

Environment - access to nature, clean air and water, low pollution

Transportation - access to reliable, affordable, safe transportation

Education - access to quality education and extracurricular enrichment opportunities

Health - regular access to good healthcare, high quality healthy food, regular exercise