Just wondering about other people's choices in life compared to my own and whether you would make the same choices again. I'm not looking for advice on how to earn more or save money, just more wondering if I'd do the same again in future.
My situation: I bought a large house 10 years ago which at the time was easily affordable as exDH and I had a large amount of capital from his previous house. When we got divorced I bought him out on my own and my mortgage nearly tripled to £2k a month. I do actually need quite a large house as I have 4 children (Inc DSS) and I work from home.
I remarried to someone who's income is pretty much stagnant and unlikely to ever increase apart from annual inflationary pay rises.
I got to the top of my own pay band 4 years ago and so have only received inflationary pay rises since and even though I've just got a promotion, it has only increased my salary by 2k a year and the next decent pay rise won't be for 5 years unless I get another promotion.
We have a nice enough life, holidays abroad (which are one of my non negotiables) and eat good food, however due to these choices, whilst we have modest savings that are not committed to a holiday etc (approx £5k) and month to month feel quite short of cash.
We have 15 years left on my mortgage and so will be mortgage free (all things being equal) by the time DH retires. Over the next 2 years all but 1 of our DC will be in employment so we will only have 1 dependant.
I know I'm very lucky, but sometimes I wonder if I'd make the same choice again to buy ex DH out of the house. I could either have bought a much smaller house (I'm sure we would have coped) and have a much smaller mortgage or be mortgage free much earlier, so that I had more spare cash now.
Then I remember how much I love my house, how having this house literally saved my sanity during lock down and also how this is the only house I have ever felt at peace in, and think I wouldn't change a thing!!
How do others feel about their choices in life?