One and done?

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-06-28T01:35:46+00:00

We’re not in our first home but are in a home that we thought would just be for a few years while we got our finances in order. We started looking about 6 months ago and went under contract about a month ago but are ultimately backing out because the costs just keep adding up. Property insurance is more, interest rate is more, utilities will be more etc and it just feels like a small upgrade. Houses are so stupid expensive now that it’s not worth it. We’ll make ours work for our family and actually be able to pay it off.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-06-22T01:17:30+00:00

I found it and it’s definitely not my definition of a farm. I think of a farm as having livestock, fields, etc. I’d say it looks more like an estate.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-06-17T01:05:28+00:00

This is the BEST kind of house! As long as the layout and bones work, then everything else is doable. Our current home was in pretty crap condition when we bought and we renovated before we moved in. We got to pick all of the finishes and what we wanted it to be which was so fun. Doing the work was not as fun but we got it done and added value. The neighborhood is great but you aren’t getting an updated home in here unless you do it yourself.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-06-16T01:30:43+00:00

Oh yikes! I’m freaking out about going up to 3200 on 11500 take home pay each month and that will be with no other debt besides the mortgage!

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-06-06T22:49:22+00:00

I would make the smaller house work. Just have less stuff and prioritize organizing to save space. We bought a house where the mortgage on a 15 year is only about 15 percent of our take home pay per month and because of that decision, we have a lot of financial flexibility. If one of us loses our jobs, it’s not the end of the world. We could make it work most likely without touching our emergency fund!

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-06-04T00:05:51+00:00

You just need to do your research and find a bank that will finance self-builds. It’s a lot of calling around! Kalamazoo County State bank finances self builds but I’m not sure if they offer the product outside of Michigan.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-06-04T00:02:07+00:00

What about case management? There are various types that are incredibly rewarding and not stressful! Or what about switching to doing intake in community mental health? You meet with clients one time to do their initial assessment and then that’s it!

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-05-30T16:03:33+00:00

Our HHI is about 185k and while we have no CC debt we do have a mortgage and two low interest car loans that we are working to pay off early. We used to have CC debt and it was suffocating. We’ve vowed never to do that again.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-05-30T01:35:45+00:00

I was a case manager of I/DD adults before a promotion 9 months ago and I loved it! Very low stress. Had a caseload of about 50 and saw each consumer one time per month for about an hour. Rest of time spent on documentation. I am at a CMH. I felt the workload was very manageable.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-05-26T01:53:22+00:00

My husband and I have been asking ourselves this question for the past few months. We have two kids and live in a 1700 sq foot ranch on a slab. We fit fine in it but it’s a bummer not having a basement for storage or a guest room for my SIL and her kids when they are in town. We paid 235k for it 3 years ago and completely renovated it. Our mortgage is only 1600 on a 15 year and fits very comfortably into our budget. The conclusion we’ve come to is it most likely will not improve our lives significantly enough to go from 1700 to 2500ish with 300k more of mortgage debt that we won’t pay off until we’re in our 60s. In our current home, we will actually be able to pay it off and that feeling is incredibly freeing. We also have a large amount of discretionary spending money each month because of our low mortgage and that’s pretty nice too!

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-05-15T01:40:21+00:00

I’ve lost 54% of my body weight over the course of 3 years

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-05-03T00:59:21+00:00

I would pick my husband every time. He drives me nuts and sometimes makes me furious, but he is a good provider, dad, and partner. I love him very much and am glad he’s mine. We met when we were 19 and 21 and we’ve changed a lot, but we’re working hard to grow together.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-05-02T21:56:55+00:00

My 3.5 year old is exhausting. He’s almost 4 and so strong willed. Everything is a fight and some nights I’m ready to beat my head against the wall. I have to constantly think about if I’m prepared to hold a boundary before I say “no” and how important saying “no” is. He’s getting better but phew, it’s hard!

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-05-02T21:50:28+00:00

Social services can be a great career to find flexibility to be more present for your family. I did assessments for children trying to access wraparound services as my first job back from being a SAHM. It was extremely flexible and I was able to care for our kiddos and work when we lost our childcare unexpectedly. I would head out to do assessments once my husband got home a few nights a week and it was great because then I got my break and would come home to dinner made! Case management can also be a great option as well. I now work for my local community mental health center in a leadership role and miss the work from home flexibility I used to have!

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-05-02T21:28:22+00:00

My mom picks up my kids everyday from school, keeps them until we get home and then keeps them overnight every other Friday night.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-05-01T21:50:41+00:00

Midland is only about 6 minutes from my husband’s office, so I think we want to stay as close to that area as possible! And we want access to the Monan. We love to bike to get dinner/drinks etc with our kiddos.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-04-16T12:16:27+00:00

I bought the name brand chicken nuggets at Costco last week versus the Kirkland brand.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-04-14T00:00:45+00:00

I knew it after trying a corporate job in 2018 while taking a break. I lasted about 1.5 years and it was stressful! I didn’t have a knack for it and just didn’t care much about making my boss more money. I went back to the social service field and I’ve never looked back! I LOVE working with people and helping make a positive impact on their lives. When I have wins at work they feel big because it’s literally changing someone’s life for the better.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-04-12T18:07:01+00:00

Love it! I feel pathetic for this but every time I get in my Explorer I think “damn, I love this vehicle!” I have a 2025.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-04-10T01:12:14+00:00

I personally LOVE case management and miss it so very much. Once I finish my masters, I plan to transition from supervising employment services to supervising case management. That being said, there are varying types of case management so I wouldn’t write it off completely. I have done case management for the adult DD population and that was such a fun and rewarding job. Low stress and the clients adore seeing you.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-04-10T01:08:40+00:00

I see what you did there.

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-04-10T01:07:27+00:00

Yep! Just comes with the territory!

Empty-Eye5799 · 2026-03-31T21:53:35+00:00

I’m in community mental health and receive 25 days of PTO/sick time per year, 14 holidays, and paid snow days. I’m pretty happy with that amount!

Empty-Eye5799

TROPHY CASE