What would you do....?

abouttimetoo

Hi Ryan, I've just been catching up on your diary. For what it's worth I think you've made the right decision; you've said a few times that your target/aim was to 'get a house' but if you don't mind me saying this was really just a first 'mini' target, the biggy is keeping the house as well as providing for your future and by continuing to work away you are making positive steps to both these things. You can always contine to review the situation as you've said and you've now been home and seen the job market for yourself and I'm guessing that if you could have got the right job at an attractive salary in the first place then you never would have gone abroad when you did.

Best of luck with your plans, the time will fly by, you know I don't say this lightly as I've told you before of my own working situation but it won't be forever and I'm certain you'll look back in years to come and know you did the right thing.

In terms of trying to 'advise' your friends, lol, we've all tried to do that, there are lots of tales of woe on here about the frosty reception this can get from people, trying to pay your mortgage off can certainly be a conversation killer and all too many people sadly think that you are either minted, bragging or are somehow just lucky....

Most people get that if they only make the minium payment to their credit card then it will take a long time to pay off but they don't seem to get that just making their normal monthly mortgage payment is the same as making the minimum payment and unfortunately all to many who's payments reduced because of base rate changes seemed to think 'whooopee, extra spending money' Never mind, we've got you now in our MFW club, does evil laugh

Best of luck with your plans

butterfly72

Hi Ryan I've been following your posts. I'm glad you've decided to stay put.

My dad spent most of his life working abroad as an engineer and my brother's doing the same now. My dad is now semi retired (self emplyed) enjoying life with no money worries at all, him and mum go on month long cruises and holidays etc....

My brother is also working away raking it in (although he gives over a grand to his ex as child maint.) He leaves his house empty for a month at a time. Mum and dad and a close mate pop in to check it, he's got the timer lights and his mate who lives a road away occaisionally parks his car in the drive. One thing he does tho, and he shouldn't is post on facebook from work and he lets everyone know where he is and how long left til he's back home... he's got 100s of friends but I'm sure they're not all 'friends' if you know what I mean!

Good luck!!

JoolzS

If you can stick it out then stay where you are for as long as you can. At £1800 per month you could clear your mortgage in just four years. If you came back to the UK, even after the next six months, and got a job that meant you could only pay the minimum mortgage payments I can guarantee (with almost 100% certainty) that at age 35 you will be kicking yourself for not getting mortgage free back when you could. My DH spent nearly 12 years in the army (before we met) but never did the sensible things and now he's pushing 50 and we still have a mortgage, on a smallish two bedroom flat. He hates the fact that he didn't buy a house back then and pay the mortgage off when his earnings were basically just spending money - he spent most of it on cars and nights out!! He could easily have afforded a very nice three or four bedroom house back then and owned it free and clear in his mid-20s.

I do understand missing home - I moved away from my home city when I was in my early 20s (only from the south of england to south wales - not as exotic as your situation) and I missed my home city almost from day one. Once I moved back I realised how silly I was to miss it - it's not a special place, although it is home.

Just because your friends are settling down, doesn't mean you have to. My DH and I met when I was 25 and he was 29 and we got married four years later. We've now been happily (most of the time!) married for nearly 17 years. Most of the people I know who got married in their early 20s are now divorced.

One last silly thing (that you've probably already done) - I just did a quick google for "dubai ex-pats dating" and it seems as though there are a lot of other lonely ex-pats out there, male and female - looking for friends and/or dates.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do, but I would stick it out if you can. Read some of the MFW posts here and see the ages of people trying to get mortgage free. I'm currently reading this board because it has recently occurred to me to try to reduce my mortgage term. I'm 44 and my DH is 50 in a few months and if we try really hard we might be able to get mortgage free in five years (and we only owe just over £50K). You could be mortgage free at 28 - that is amazing and something you will never regret - I'll also guarantee that almost 100% (actually I will guarantee it 100%).

Julie