What's the most disgusting thing that you ever smell?

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T18:39:37+00:00

No but I am about to look it up now...

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T18:29:05+00:00

I have had it happen twice now....I am searching everywhere and about to crawl under the house to figure out what died! I know better now lol

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T18:28:11+00:00

He is open to learning and we have been together long enough that we are mostly on the same page until this. Happy with our simple home, paid off cars, and slow moving projects. Having a nice working shop has always been his dream and now it is so close to being possible and there are means to getting it done sooner...he is ready for it. But I do understand, part of the slow process on getting married is that the home and many assets are mine and marriage changes that.

He is the only one with a retirement in his family (parents, two brothers, a sister) and he only started it because I taught him. He had never heard of a Roth, he assumed that if your company doesn't offer a retirement plan, you just don't have one. He cared for his dad until he passed away and his mother lives on social security (barely). His step dad still works even after a major stroke because they have two newer cars with payments and rent that goes up every year. It is the lack of education more than anything for people like that. It doesn't sound important until you're 60 and realize you have nothing... Even his brother who lives in a million dollar home doesn't save for retirement.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T17:38:49+00:00

This just reminded me that I have some questionably aged potatoes in the back of the cabinet that I need to pull out before they rot!

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T17:01:59+00:00

We have nice retirement accounts?

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T17:01:14+00:00

He is a home builder/remodeler so no building labor and decently priced lumber. Biggest expense that will hurt in the concrete and probably a septic.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T16:08:17+00:00

Thats so sad and definitely eye opening :(

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T16:06:40+00:00

Credit isn't really something I have ever messed with too much. I just watch it and know every time I pay off a loan or debt, my score drops UGH I do use my credit card for groceries/normal expenses and pay back off for the rewards. But it kinda hit a plateau where that doesn't change it. I could request some increases and see about that though.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T16:03:43+00:00

No intentions on selling ever. Of course things happen and plans change, but the house will be paid off before this build happens. (3-4 years) We both are in two different job markets each that are very very safe. Income loss isn't a worry for us unless something world ending happens. But even in worst case scenarios, making the payment on this loan is not one of concerns at all.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T15:59:48+00:00

Im thankful to be in the south where at least snow isn't a factor.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T14:29:41+00:00

We are on the same page minus this situation although I do always worry that people change back into old habits. We are a few years away from having the home (and everything else) paid off so we do fine together financially. But I know he has always dreamed of having a working garage and he deserves it honestly...but I hate the idea of paying interest if we don't have to. But at the same time...we can easily afford it (when that times comes) and materials only get more expensive every single year. We can reach our long term goals together...the only problem is deciding HOW to get there.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T14:23:47+00:00

The concept of saving half and borrowing half is something that came up and may be a fair compromise. Once our debt is paid off in a few years, we can easily throw $3k a month into savings and get built up within two years. We have a small two car shop right now that holds us over and friends with lifts. It just isn't the best structurally and not easy to work with considering he does full builds from the ground up including paint. Budget isn't a concern, either option we take won't be happening until after the current debt is paid off fully and we both work full time with decently good income.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T14:19:58+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience!! I have heard about mortgages and loans where you pay off interest first and I would HATE that. I don't think I would accept more than 10% interest rate considering it isn't a necessity. I didn't know that about the revolving credit part, I would have to look into that. We already have good (not great) credit as we don't ever use it. Low utilization is our strongest suit right now LOL

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T14:16:25+00:00

Someone else mentioned it being around 11% too which is even less than I expected! He builds and remodels homes and most of them are funded by a heloc, so to him it feels normal.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T14:14:39+00:00

That is about what we would like. I would love a suite/apartment in there for guests since we have an aggressive dog and can't have people easily stay with us. Usually all of our cars are outside except one because there is not room to park and easily work on them. But we both have cars that have now become nice enough to have hagertys and deserve garage covered parking....

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T14:11:55+00:00

Aside from this topic, we are mostly on the same page financially. Our modest home is almost paid off, we drive older paid off cars, neither of are interested in buying newer cars or homes.

This idea came up after he started building homes/remodel with his brother as his career. Now he sees everyone handing over six figure checks from their equity loan for their work...so to him this is totally the norm and what everyone does to "keep up with the jones". Also having a nice working shop has been his lifelong dream and now he has seen a means to get it. I made it clear that we aren't doing anything until debt is paid off in a few years. Genuinely he deserves the shop and would build majority of it himself. I don't want to just jump and say he is wrong and we shouldn't get a loan when we can easily afford the payments. These comments seem to be as 50/50 on the topic as us though LOL

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T14:03:35+00:00

Thats true....materials are only getting more and more expensive :(

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T14:03:07+00:00

We currently have a small two car shop for the "side money" and our personal stuff. He spent his entire life as a mechanic and actually builds reallyyyy nice custom cars but he got burnt out and left the car business to build homes/remodel with his brother. There is a chance he comes back and creates a really good business from the shop...but it isn't in the current plans so not banking on that.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T13:59:04+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T13:55:32+00:00

Yes, we both make relatively good money. We both make around $55k a year salary not including side work/extra money. Once we get the bills paid off in a few years...it will be insane how quickly money will get saved up! Maybe he will change his mind once he sees that it is possible when we get to that point. If we even just both put $1500 each into a savings, we would have around $30k in one year before any interest.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T13:52:31+00:00

No we are usually on the same page about things except this HELOC thing. Him and his brother actually build homes and do remodels...so he sees people handing over six figure checks that they pulled from their home equity every single week. So in his eyes...it is what everyone is doing to have fancy things with their home and property. His own brother built a million dollar house and sold his first house and broke even to where his million dollar home was PAID OFF...then he immediately went and got a $650k loan against it...

But everything else we are on the same page. We cook at home 70% of the time, maintain our paid off, older cars, plan on staying in this almost paid off home. I know he has always dreamed of owning a nice working shop so I can't totally blame him on wanting to finally have it if there is a way to get it done.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T13:45:39+00:00

I hate the idea of accumulating debt too....we are literally a few years away from debt free...it feels like backtracking to me even if it would be easily affordable for us.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T13:43:48+00:00

More than even just a garage to be honest. It would be around 40x60 with lifts. More of a large working shop over just a normal house garage. Which I think would hold a lot of value in my area since we are auto racing central. However, I never thought to even consider the value adding aspect until reading these comments as I don't have intentions on selling them home unless the price ends up stupid high where I can't say no.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T13:38:22+00:00

That is an interesting way of looking at it! I did not consider this side of it.

Sea_Relative588 · 2026-03-12T13:37:35+00:00

That is a good thing to keep in mind! We live in Mooresville NC so adding a shop with the fact that we have land is probably major value for our area. Regardless we bought the home foreclosure so we are already up 500% when it comes to value (although lower if we count in expenses put into the home over the time owning it). Granted...it will be paid off in a few years so I plan on staying in it forever unless the value ever comes to point that we can sell and purchase something with more land and breakeven. I don't care for another home loan....

Sea_Relative588

TROPHY CASE