So I just moved from 500 sq ft to about 2200. Feeling great about it as I work from home and planning to start a family soon, plus we don't want to move again for 10+years if we can help it. But I'm feeling like a bit of a spending addict because there are so many things I perceive the house needs.
I'm trying to limit it to BIFL, high quality and secondhand stuff as much as possible so we won't need to buy over and over, and I find myself justifying it by reminding myself that within a year or two we'll likely have a kid and won't be able to spend on ourselves for a while. But purchases keep adding up (anti fatigue mats for the kitchen, secondhand furniture, lamps, etc.) They're not absolutely necessary but they contribute to our quality of life. I tend to wait at least a day after deciding to buy something to make sure it "sticks".
We live in a small town so not a lot of options for secondhand a lot of the time. It's a ferry ride into the city for cheaper stuff. So the Amazon (I hate them but they're often cheap), London drugs, and Canadian tire purchases keep adding up.
I hate all the packaging from buying new stuff and sometimes I wonder whether I'm just on a buying kick from getting a consistent salary finally after living on scraps starting my business for years before this. I wonder whether I'm lying to myself and gonna be stuck in this mindset forever, or whether there will be a time when the house feels complete and it feels good to just stop. On the other hand, I was on a buying freeze for years before this. I'm putting aside money for savings and retirement still, not just living from paycheck to paycheck, but I also perceive I could be saving more aggressively instead.
Is there anyone else who's moved into a much bigger place before? How did you balance buying stuff for the house with being frugal? Is this just the nature of the game?
(To give some specifics, I'm probably spending about $$200-300/mo on home improvement. )
February 10, 2020 at 08:18PM
