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Original poster

which of these two lifestyle choices appeals to you most?

49 replies

wotamidoin · 23/01/2008 18:34

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?

OP posts:
BroccoliSpears · 23/01/2008 19:18

A.

But my 'A' isn't anything my friends would envy, I hasten to add!

A is truly my dream. Pretty house, somewhere rural, big garden. I don't really need new things or expensive holidays to feel happy, I'll always be pleased with second hand clothes whether we can afford new or not! I love my old banger. And frankly we've been surfing the edge the red for so long that it's not really a source of stress for us - we always manage to pull something out of the bag and we've not gone under yet.

DP and I are young enough to not worry too much about the prospect of a 23 year mortgage. I think we factor that in as an inevitable.

bero · 23/01/2008 19:22

urgh. Difficult one. I think I have to say (b), considering our circumstances - as long as this so-called 'ordinary house' had a garden, any garden, with some lawn and space for flowerbeds. We're in a flat and although it is nice, any house would be a step up.

One of the main points for (b) is that I hate debt. I couldn't sleep at night if we were permanently in the red.

dosydot · 23/01/2008 19:25

b

Pickie · 23/01/2008 19:27

b

belcantavinissima · 23/01/2008 19:39

a, but then i'm not always very sensible

Slubberdegullion · 23/01/2008 19:43

a

MaryAnnSingleton · 23/01/2008 19:44

B

MuffinMclay · 23/01/2008 19:45

I'd do A, if it was the dream home, working on the assumption that your income would or could rise so any financial hardships would be shortlived.

The right home is more important to me than holidays or driving a new car, but that is just me.

GrinningSoul · 23/01/2008 19:45

currently in b, considering changing to a, on the basis that the money aspect will get less serious a few years down the line. in fact, are you my dh, OP?

Fennel · 23/01/2008 19:57

I'd do B. I don't care about expensive holidays or nice cars but worrying about money is very draining and I'd rather have a less nice house but not risk constant financial anxiety.

You can always buy a nicer house in the future.

ahundredtimes · 23/01/2008 19:59

A.

leoleo · 23/01/2008 20:03

b.. Things come up unexpectedly and then what? I like to be happy and have money in my purse.

Isn't there a in between - like a b+ or a-?

Ubergeekian · 23/01/2008 20:48

We chose A and love it.

pukkapatch · 23/01/2008 20:51

depends entirley on the state of relationship with dp. if wonderful, then a , but if not, then b

Surfermum · 23/01/2008 20:51

B definitely.

I've had A in a previously relationship and at the time I hated it and wished I had B.

I now have B and am very pleased I don't have A.

MsHighwater · 23/01/2008 21:48

B, no real contest. Life is for living.

MinkVelvet · 23/01/2008 21:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tortington · 23/01/2008 21:51

pmsl!!!!!!!

i asked this v. question last week i think - and every one said A - becuase i phrased it diferently but essentially its the same

i chose b though

SnappyLaGore · 23/01/2008 21:57

i think id go for A and be optimistic that finances would improve over time and leave me in a happier location.

but you need to go with your gut. or flip a coin.

neither choice is an unhappy one to make tho, its win-win (each has def plus points). which is the nicest sort of decision to have to make, no?

expatinscotland · 23/01/2008 21:58

a

i've lived in overcrowded and lack of privacy and it did my nut.

Minum · 23/01/2008 21:58

A if its the perfect location (wouldnt be so bothered about it being the perfect house). Location is beyond value for me.

sabaidii · 04/02/2008 13:53

b, lved wih a family that had 12 members in 2 rooms in Asia, was fantastic. People here are mostly very poor but families sticcktogether and are very close. Were 3 to a bed, and since there were only 2 beds, 6 people had to sleep on the floor.

LadyOfWaffle · 04/02/2008 13:57

TBH, a. I am sort of living a without it being a nice house, but it's this house and make ends meet or live nice and comfortably in a council house, which would probably actually be a bigger/nicer house but... anyway, personally a, worth it in 23 years, you can sit back and enjoy it.

mellowma · 04/02/2008 13:57

Message withdrawn

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