As Kyle and I are starting to get closer to moving to Onalaska I have been thinking more and more about where we should live. We will be renting for quite awhile until we can pay off student loans and save up for a down payment on a house. We would both like a place that is nice enough for us to live in for as long as we are renting, which will probably be at least 5 years or more. Our dilemma at this point is deciding how much to put into rent. We would like to keep our rent low so that more income can go toward debt and saving for a house, but we also want a decent place with space for our growing family. Realistically if we want a place that has 3 bedrooms we will be paying a couple hundred more per month. I know our kids could share a room, but I wouldn't want Ella in the same room as a newborn who is waking up several times a night, and kyle and I really don't want the baby in our room either. It would be nice to have a third bedroom that could normally be the baby's room but could also be a guest room if people came to visit. We could definitely deal with the baby in our room for a few nights if it meant having space for visitors.
My biggest fear is moving backward. Our rental in Menomonie was tiny, and when we added Ella it became super cramped and kind of miserable. We had no space to move or get away from each other. I feel like if we are in the same size rental as we have now when we have this baby it will feel like it did when we had Ella. I can't imagine living in a totally cramped apartment with 2 kids for 5 years or more.
Technically we could probably swing it if we were paying $200 more per month, but it will take us longer to save up for a down payment and pay off our debt. Paying off our school debt is extremely important to us right now because we have a ton and the interest is crazy. Everyday we don't have it paid off we are losing money. With all of our debt we are accruing several hundred dollars of interest every month. It just doesn't make sense to only pay the minimum payment if we could be paying more.
So what is more important, saving money so we can buy a house sooner or being comfortable? Financially it would be better to make due with a smaller place, but we really want to enjoy where we are living. So what should we do?
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Oh, Mols, I hear exactly what you're saying! It's such a difficult choice! You should ask the Beckers how things are going...I'm sure they'd have good insight. Maybe a townhouse similar to that would help you escape because there's an upstairs/downstairs and such. I'll keep my eyes open for things in the area. It's amazing what the price difference is between a 2 and a 3 bedroom place. We'll be praying for you and that you find the perfect place!
ReplyDeletejust remember that you started out life in a 14 X 60 mobile home with 2 bedrooms - the 3 of you got the big room - and when we moved to a 14 X 70, 3 bedroom Bill hated being alone in his room. Lots of good memories. Don't think you were scarred to badly.
ReplyDeleteLove, Mom & Dad
I'm not worried about our kids comfort, I am thinking about Kyle and I having space to breath.
ReplyDeleteIf you are staying home with the kids you can look at watching a few kids to help balance out the cost. You get to stay home and spend time with your kids as well as few more. This can help others who can't afford care either. You are a great mom and it's not hard adding a few playmates. Just look at what other people charge in the area. This is what my friend did, so she could stay home and afford the house and bills they had. Good Luck!!
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