I'm not going to lie, the last few weeks I have been thoroughly over renovating. I have been fed up, longing for a clean, tidy, fresh space. I have been grumpy and irritable and emotionally tired from the realities of it all. I have been ready to throw in the towel on more then one occasion.
Sometimes I look around at friends building brand new beautiful homes, then I look at our little shabby, dusty old cottage......Sometimes the green eyed monster rears its ugly head. Even when we know we are making the right decisions both for our family and financially, it's still challenging. The reality is that sometimes the grass looks greener on the other side.
Even though we know in our heart of hearts its not, it doesn't stop the mind wondering. People look at what we are doing and exclaim how much they wish they could do it too. Mind you - some think we are utterly crazy, ha!
But the truth lies that underneath it all, is that there is always a cost to every single decision we make.
We bought this house cash, so we have no home mortgage. We are paying down our business mortgage as hard and as fast as we can. Its tough. When we are doing a big job, like finishing a room, we don't all eat together. Grant works as hard as he can to get the noisy work done before the boys go to bed. I will often eat with the kids, do the rest and work late to clean up.
We often work really long days. We own a business and that in itself is long hours and a lot of work. Grant works full time there and is often up until midnight working on the house. I work and study and am often up until midnight reading or doing assignments. Its tiring, its exhausting and its not sustainable for long periods.
But that is the cost of a big fast push. Its how we tend to work, perhaps not ideal, but it comes out of necessity. We focus wholly on a big project, then try to smash it out. The catch is after its done, we allow ourselves to have a good rest and re-charge. Now we have done the boys room, we will simply potter about on the garden for a bit. Finish a few odd jobs, go to the beach, catch a movie, take the dogs down to the local river. Have big hearty family dinners again and rest and chill out.
But this is the cost of being free of a home mortgage before 35. If you choose to have a big fancy home, there is a cost to that too. You will have a big fancy home that has an equally big fancy debit.
All decisions we make have a cost. I find knowing this really helpful in how we lead our lives and how we prioritise our values. Is the cost of the decision going to be worth it to us?
- Do I stay in a job I hate? Or do I take a risk and find a new job and explore a new path?
- Do we have children now or later?
- Do we buy a little house in a good area or perhaps a larger house a little further away?
- Do we buy new and spend more or something older and do it up over time?
- Do we shop for fun? Or do we look for fun elsewhere and challenge society's perception of what fun is?
- Do we follow the path of least resistance in our lives? Or do we search our heart of hearts and work towards creating our own unique life that resonates with our souls - despite it looking different from those around us?
What is the cost of maintaining the status quo vs the cost of change?
For us, living in this little old cottage, working hard renovating......the cost of reduced financial pressure, of me being able to follow my call to ministry. The cost is worth it to us. It wouldn't be a decision that resonates with everyone - and that's ok too. However, that doesn't mean it is easy.
But then again, most things in life worth doing aren't easy. They stretch us, they challenge our beliefs about us and the world we are in. They grow us, and that growth and shaping is truly a beautiful thing.
Sometimes I look around at friends building brand new beautiful homes, then I look at our little shabby, dusty old cottage......Sometimes the green eyed monster rears its ugly head. Even when we know we are making the right decisions both for our family and financially, it's still challenging. The reality is that sometimes the grass looks greener on the other side.
Even though we know in our heart of hearts its not, it doesn't stop the mind wondering. People look at what we are doing and exclaim how much they wish they could do it too. Mind you - some think we are utterly crazy, ha!
But the truth lies that underneath it all, is that there is always a cost to every single decision we make.
We bought this house cash, so we have no home mortgage. We are paying down our business mortgage as hard and as fast as we can. Its tough. When we are doing a big job, like finishing a room, we don't all eat together. Grant works as hard as he can to get the noisy work done before the boys go to bed. I will often eat with the kids, do the rest and work late to clean up.
We often work really long days. We own a business and that in itself is long hours and a lot of work. Grant works full time there and is often up until midnight working on the house. I work and study and am often up until midnight reading or doing assignments. Its tiring, its exhausting and its not sustainable for long periods.
But that is the cost of a big fast push. Its how we tend to work, perhaps not ideal, but it comes out of necessity. We focus wholly on a big project, then try to smash it out. The catch is after its done, we allow ourselves to have a good rest and re-charge. Now we have done the boys room, we will simply potter about on the garden for a bit. Finish a few odd jobs, go to the beach, catch a movie, take the dogs down to the local river. Have big hearty family dinners again and rest and chill out.
But this is the cost of being free of a home mortgage before 35. If you choose to have a big fancy home, there is a cost to that too. You will have a big fancy home that has an equally big fancy debit.
All decisions we make have a cost. I find knowing this really helpful in how we lead our lives and how we prioritise our values. Is the cost of the decision going to be worth it to us?
- Do I stay in a job I hate? Or do I take a risk and find a new job and explore a new path?
- Do we have children now or later?
- Do we buy a little house in a good area or perhaps a larger house a little further away?
- Do we buy new and spend more or something older and do it up over time?
- Do we shop for fun? Or do we look for fun elsewhere and challenge society's perception of what fun is?
- Do we follow the path of least resistance in our lives? Or do we search our heart of hearts and work towards creating our own unique life that resonates with our souls - despite it looking different from those around us?
What is the cost of maintaining the status quo vs the cost of change?
For us, living in this little old cottage, working hard renovating......the cost of reduced financial pressure, of me being able to follow my call to ministry. The cost is worth it to us. It wouldn't be a decision that resonates with everyone - and that's ok too. However, that doesn't mean it is easy.
But then again, most things in life worth doing aren't easy. They stretch us, they challenge our beliefs about us and the world we are in. They grow us, and that growth and shaping is truly a beautiful thing.
Grant built a simple stand to help with putting the ceiling up.
Gussy choose orange - and it gets a thumbs up!
The boys "helping" Grant.
I'm not sure who is more excited - the boys or I. I was in beginning to decorate before the floor was even laid!
Much love,
Emma
xx
