Some details about me: am mid forties, self employed artist and illustrator of 20 years. In LTR with partner and currently living together in his house.
The plan was, for a long time, for me to move as the place became depressed and shitty some time ago. Unfortunately DP needs to spend a few more years here due to work. I have suffered a fair bit of stress here during this time and have been looking for a new place to rent since before covid. It is more affordable to stay put but i am honestly quite miserable here.
Prior to the pandemic I tended to take off to holiday cottages, where he would join me when possible, and we went on like that for a while.
We don't have children and are fine with sometimes living apart due to work, etc so don't need to be joined at the hip. We plan to eventually look for a little place together in a few years, but in the meantime I would prefer to move for sanity's sake, which would be good for us both as he can visit when free. We are both happy with this idea.
However, with recent global and UK events, and so much concern about the cost of living, I am wondering if this is a good idea. A decent rental will set me back £600+ and my income has taken a moderate hit since the pandemic.
So what to do?
Prioritise my sanity concerning my environment or stay put for a while in a place i loathe?
I have good savings (over40K), have a variable income but often do very well. At present I don't pay much council tax and bills are very low, we don't spend much and have a decent life in that sense. If I move then my outgoings will explode, even though I can utilise some savings as a safety net. Being here with him is lovely and very, very affordable, but the place is so fucking depressing (a ton of urban noise, lousy infrastructure, and some growing dereliction since 2013 when the area really changed) I often feel extremely trapped and anxious. We had neighbours from hell for 5 years but thankfully they've gone.
I chose to study and pursue an artistic life, which has it's sacrifices (no mortgage, etc) but have been very happy and love my work. I have no other ambitions outside of being able to paint, enjoy nature and feel at peace. These are my life choices so I have to go with the flow, the good and the bad, and the only current issue is the area we live in.
Would you think it crazy to leave at the present time, with so much uncertainty out there? I can afford luxuries and whatnot and live how I choose but the place is such a horrible downside that I had resolved to move away for the sake of my mental health. DP feels the same but manages to cope with it better than I, and is resolved to leave in the future when it is more sustainable for him.
Do I hang on for a year or more, and suck it up, or would you take the leap now?