which of these two lifestyle choices appeals to you most?

[wotamidoin]

A) you can live in a pretty house off the beaten track which is adequate for your needs,maybe not your dream home but the best you can afford in a desirable area.some of your friends would love to live in your house. you will be paying your mortgage for the next 23 yrs to be there.you have a lovely garden and privacy.you have everything you and your children need but money is tight and you can't afford luxurys.holidays are mostly out of the question, your car is an old banger,you are glad when someone gives you a bag of 'hand-me-down' clothes for the kids. your bank account is always in the red, but you are not in mountains of debt.

or
B)you can live in an ordinary house which is maybe a little small for your family, but you can make it nice.you can afford to buy it out-right or have a very small mortgage which you could either easily afford or you could pay it off early.you can have a very comfortable lifestyle,your bank account is under control, you can buy your kids new clothes without thinking about it,you can afford a holiday once a year and you can run a nice car.the area you live in is ok but you could feel a little crowded and lack of privacy compared to (A).

now which one would you choose?

I personally would only do (a) if it was my absolute dream house. Not if it is only adequate

b) and it sounds like you want b) too.

B

B

depends how small b is I think. We are in two-up two-down cottage, no hall, and it's not a lot of fun at the mo with dp working from home...

And will you really be scrimping for ever with a) or just for a few years?

Definately b. Would much prefer the ability to have a nice life and the option of doing more outside of the home, than have a nice home in which I am trapped by finances.

B

the peace of mind with being able to have no mortgage or a small one and all the extras of a nice holiday, decent car and a comfortable lifestyle, would be magnificent

a - your income will probably increase and things will get less tight in a year or so and you will be living in a nice house.

A!!

''you have everything you and your children need but money is tight and you can't afford luxurys.holidays are mostly out of the question, your car is an old banger,you are glad when someone gives you a bag of 'hand-me-down' clothes for the kids. your bank account is always in the red, but you are not in mountains of debt.''
This bit applies to us anyway, so i'd love to have the house!

We are in the B house situation, but with no feckin spare cash at all. !

would depend which house was closest to my friends and my kids' friends.

b every time. A enslaves you/dh to working your socks off forever. B gives you a chance to enjoy things.

B.

No question.

I have B. But we are now going for A.

Unless I divorce my husband before then, as he is being a total arse/

b

B

But personally have never been into an 'off the beaten track' scenario... I prefer towns and cities.

And financial stress is shite.

A - probably a better investment in the long term.

B

b personally, as long as I did like the house. Having enough money day to day to treat ourselves and be reasonably comfortable adds so much to quality of life for me, much more than having a nicer place to live that my friends envied

b of course

Children don't care about 'pretty' houses but they are aware of arguments re money.

B - but I think it depends how old you are too. Eg: the nearer to 40 or so, the more wary I'd be of a 23 year mortgage.

a - if it was a dream home.

b

b - better quality for you, peace of mind, dont like to be in debt for ever - debt that will prob increase. unless think that you or dp are going to be earning loads more in the near future eg new amazingly highly paid job, which it sounds like you are not, so still b - mrs conservative here.