This business is hard

raq

Stewart_78 wrote: »

Cheers guys. I could sell up and rent and be debt free and that puts me a hell of a lot better off than many. I know that. It's just the day to day. Just gets you down sometimes when others are having the fun and they don't even work an hour a week. Life is fleeting. Makes you wonder.....

Hi there

I am also agreeing with everybody, it is very hard but you will get there.

We sound similar to myself about facebook postings and other things and sit down and think, "How the hell are they doing this this and this". I know only go on facebook once a week and feel much better for it.

Few kind people mentioned all sorts of places to go without spending and a few of their ideas I have actually put into place and had a lovely time. My daughter said to us last year that , a few of her friends always had at least one or two holidays through the summer and how come we don,t. I did sit her down and explained a few things and since then she has been fine. Few of her friends parents are separated and also have one holiday each with mum , new partner and dad and his new partner but low and behold that friend exactly confined in my daughter and said she wasn,t interested in the holiday she just wanted her mum and dad together. As my mum has always stated to me " You never know what goes on behind closed doors".

Anway, chin up and keep going strong.

Have a great day

suburbanwifey

Stewart_78 wrote: »

Cheers guys. I could sell up and rent and be debt free and that puts me a hell of a lot better off than many. I know that. It's just the day to day. Just gets you down sometimes when others are having the fun and they don't even work an hour a week. Life is fleeting. Makes you wonder.....

I wouldn't sell up to be debt free in your situation. Renting it dead money and one day that debt will be paid off, that house mortgage will be gone. Give it all up to rent and you are trapped in rental poverty for ever. Rent doesn't stop being due when you retire! Moving every six months, no thanks!

I disagree that your mates that are on the dole are living it up! Being on the dole is terrible for the self esteem and you don't have much money (unless there are lots of kids )

My opinion, you are doing the right thing. Paying it off - not for moral reasons, morals go out of the window when one is out of choices but because in the LONG RUN it will be better for you and your family. You keep your house, you can repair your credit rating one day, etc. The future will better taking the road you have, good luck.

racing_blue

Stewart_78 wrote: »

can't afford the twice weekly trips to fun parks, cinemas, bowling, whatever

Is that stuff really fun though? Really?? My worst nightmare would involve a theme park in some way (although maybe there would be a chain-saw loonie and a werewolf too)

To me real fun is stuff like walking, bike rides, the beach, National Trust, museums, days with friends and family. Climbing trees. Dens in the forest. Tennis ball tig. Nights in with a DVD from the library and a big bag of marshmallows. Watching otters. Rockpooling. Camping. Picnics.

Maybe our kids don't know any better yet but so far they seem to like these things. Bizarrely these most fun things are largely free too - it's a crazy world!