Do you remember my 2011 improvement list? If not, let me jog your memory.
I’ve already made some headway on numbers 2, 4 & 5. #2 – I’m currently enrolled in and studying the Sheffield School of Interior Design Course. #4 – I’ve made an effort to only post about what I’m thinking, feeling, doing and loving at the moment. If I’m not feeling or doing much, I’m giving myself permission to skip a day of blogging here and there. On the other hand, I’m really trying to work on posts that have some meat to them and are applicable to those of you at home in need of inspiration, instructions, advice or just a good ol’ laugh. #5 – I’ve always been pretty good at keeping stuff from taking over our house. But we did declutter our outta-sight-outta-mind-basement recently. I’d also like to reduce my stress level and debt…which brings me to the entire reason for this post.
We’re looking into downsizing!
As in downsizing our home and mortgage. Quite a bit. And, yes, that will require selling our current home. Boo, I know. But let me explain.
I started this blog a little over a year ago primarily to purge all of the design and home decor ideas that were whirling around in my head. Along the way, I re-realized my love of writing. It’s totally therapy for me. What better way to combine two of my faves, right? Interior design + writing = decor blog. A little further along the way, I started getting some recognition that I had originally never sought. It gave me a boost of confidence in my amateur design skills and eventually {after I tried for a long time to dismiss it} opened my eyes to the fact that I was {am} very dissatisfied in my current career field. I’m a part-time pharmacist by day and wannabe designer at night, during kids’ naps and on the weekends. I’ve considered the possibility that I’m having an early midlife crisis. In fact, I’ve chalked up many a thought about a career in design to my female hormones. But, really, the thought has turned into a yearning. I feel it. This is what I want to do. And I’m very afraid just saying it. Why? Because I have a perfectly stable, part-time, bringing-home-the-bacon kind of job right now. But my heart isn’t in it. Don’t get me wrong. I’m so thankful that nearly a decade in retail pharmacy has provided well for my family and allowed me to stay home 4-5 days of the week with my two young sons. I work hard when I’m at work just because that’s the work ethic my dad instilled in me. But, again, my heart isn’t in it. If it weren’t for my co-workers who crack me up and keep me going day in and day out, I’d surely detest it. And if it weren’t for our debt {school loans and mortgage}, I would probably have quit by now. Ew. QUIT. That’s such a loser word. At least, that’s what I’ve been taught.
In the middle of a nervous {nearly} breakdown several weeks ago {that’s not looking so good for #3, is it?}, I confessed to Handy Hubby that I couldn’t keep doing this. I think I scared him. I scared me that’s for sure. I went into the pharmacy field because that’s what I was supposed to do. It was a reputable career. I was a smart girl. I’d make good money. I’d live happily ever after. Wrong.
“Never get so busy making a living
that you forget to make a life.”
-Anonymous
Boy, did I ever get busy. So, after an honest heart-to-heart with my amazingly understanding Handy Hubby, we started crunching numbers. Because that’s what engineers and pharmacists do. We discovered that if we sell our current home, put the equity into a significantly smaller home loan but continue to make the same amount of payment that we are currently paying, we could very realistically pay off a smaller home in 4-5 years. Of course, I would continue to work as a pharmacist during that time. But that sounds a lot better to me than 15 years! Which is how long I’d have to work to pay off our current home. So, that’s the plan. We’re putting our home {yes, the house that we’ve lovingly tweaked into our home} on the market. It’s all very bittersweet. We absolutely adore our neighbors. And by neighbors I mean everyone on our street. We love our neighborhood.
Since we plan on selling our home, that means we have to buy another one. A cheap one. We’re open to just about anything. {After all, my hubby is handy.} Foreclosures, estate sales, fixer-uppers, older homes, smaller homes. We’ll make it work to live the life we want to live. A little phrase that popped into my head out of nowhere one day continues to inspire me…We’re not looking for the house of our dreams rather the house that will allow us to live our dreams. Dreams being 1) a career in interior design for me 2) a home that we can own outright before we’re 40 years old 3) the ability to save for our sons’ college education and our retirement. Can you believe the sacrifice Handy Hubby will be making for all this? He’s wonderful. He just wants me to be happy. I will say though that there are probably a few husbands out there who would love for their overspending spouses to say one day…”I want to buy a cheaper house so we can pay it off in a few years and I can maybe quit this job that sucks the life out of me and do something I really want to do.” I mean, it’s sure better than saying I want more house, right? But, no, really Handy Hubby is awesome. I’m not gonna lie. We did butt heads. He has a fear. He’s afraid that I’ll quit my day job before we pay off this elusive smaller house. But I’m here to proclaim in front of everyone, “Handy Hubby, I will NOT quit my day job until our mortgage is paid off.” I’m not saying I won’t want to. But I’m not that big of a financial risk taker.
I would like to go on the defensive here for just a second. I’d like for you to know that moving my family to a new house and possibly new city isn’t for blog hype. We’re doing it because it’s what we think is best for our family and the goals we want to achieve. You’ve probably noticed that several big time bloggers {Young House Love, Bower Power, Design Mom} have pulled the ol’ house switcheroo recently. It must be in the water. I’m definitely not doing it to compete with or copy them. Not that lil’ ol’ me could compete with them anyway. Heck, they all moved/are moving to larger and/or more expensive homes. We’re doing the complete opposite.
So what does all of this mean for House*Tweaking? Well, even though we may be moving, House*Tweaking isn’t going anywhere. I’ll continue to write about projects we’re taking on {staging and prepping here we come!} and keep you posted on any cheap house hunting news. Once we’re in our new {well, probably old} budget home, there’s sure to be some tweaking going on. Probably more so since the homes at our price point are anything but flawless. I’ll have to get extra creative! I’ll throw in decor ideas and inspiration along the way…to keep you {and me} from getting bored.
So, what do you think of this news? I’m incredibly frightened and excited at the same time.
image: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
inspiration