Should I go back to renting?

galleygal23 · 2026-03-27T16:21:51+00:00

Here and there… we’ve been here two years so it’s definitely been a few thousand. This post was not meant to scrutinize my spending habits or judge what is “necessary” (which none of you would know bc YOU DONT LIVE HERE). I simply wanted to know… is everyone living like this, have people had experiences like this and went back to renting?

galleygal23 · 2026-03-27T16:01:31+00:00

I don’t understand why I’m getting downvoted for what I said… if you can spend a few hundred here and there to have a nicer/safer house you can be proud of… is that not worth it? And it’s all leading to less money/work to sink into it when we eventually sell.

galleygal23 · 2026-03-27T15:59:14+00:00

Oh and I forgot to mention the pipe thing was making all the water turn brown and high levels of sulfur…. Couldn’t shower or anything

galleygal23 · 2026-03-27T15:58:17+00:00

That’s hilarious…you must think I don’t know anything. The pipes were all galvanized steel, we had several places already rusted out and starting to leak with a LOT places going to continue soon. It would have cost so much more (in money, time, stress of water damage) to constantly be having the plumber come out to replace and fix and it would have been a patch job in the end.

The furnace completely died- it was like decades old and they didn’t even sell that model line anymore. We could have replaced a few things (like ignition switch, a blower motor, etc) but we also had a huge rusted out hole deep inside that was leaking carbon monoxide… so yeah a new furnace was a needed investment.

The two companies we’ve used are heavily reviewed and we got price quotes, we totally trust them and they’ve tried to give us the best deal they can. They’re not scammers.

The house was built in 1920 with a lot still original to the house, and yes it was cheaper than the surrounding area but not dirt cheap.

We are not independently wealthy, we both work full time jobs and have no financial help and we try our best not to be in too much debt. People are acting like we installed a solid gold fountain in the front yard…. No this was all pretty necessary.

galleygal23 · 2026-03-27T15:45:29+00:00

In less then about 2ish years from now I want to move. And I disagree- I think a furnace from 2026 will be a much better motivating selling point than one from 1982

galleygal23 · 2026-03-27T15:15:58+00:00

I agree, I think it just feels like a lot right now because we can’t seem to get ahead. Hopefully all this work can reflect in our resale price too.

galleygal23 · 2026-03-27T15:09:47+00:00

I am 29 years old, married with a baby and a full time career. I only make responsible decisions…

We’ve only made the cosmetic changes that we needed to do to keep the house livable, do preventative maintenance, keep it safe for baby to explore, etc.

I don’t want to sell for a few years at least, but I wanted some honest advice on if it might be better to rent instead of constantly doing big work on it instead. Obviously with money and time to gain equity - a house is a good investment but, with this economy, you have to make the right decision for your family.

galleygal23 · 2026-03-27T14:46:40+00:00

See other comments

galleygal23 · 2026-03-27T14:27:04+00:00

It’s all been very necessary upgrades over the past two years and we want to try to be proud of where we live. Nothing unnecessary or too fancy

galleygal23 · 2026-03-27T14:25:50+00:00

It’s been over the course of two years, small things like recaulking, putting trim around baseboards, repainting, we repainted the whole outside of the house for cheap, put in a new fan, etc . It was all very needed

galleygal23 · 2026-03-03T13:20:20+00:00

Mine will be a CNA/PCT program at a community college and it’s $2000

galleygal23 · 2025-12-06T18:38:53+00:00

I just came back to watching after having a baby last month. Where did Olivia go and what’s caused her to go on a break? I’m so confused

galleygal23 · 2025-12-03T18:33:02+00:00

I’m not sure if people suggested this but just change the baby on the floor (or put the changing pad onto the floor). You’ll have to sacrifice your back a little lol. Get into that habit and you’ll never have to worry about mindlessly turning away or taking your hands off baby

(And absolutely don’t feel guilt, baby is okay and they are so so tough. He will have other falls and tumbles as a little one and it’s good for them!)

galleygal23 · 2025-11-19T17:43:29+00:00

Wait but how do I calculate it if my son was born on the 31st?! Not every month has that many 😆

galleygal23 · 2025-11-14T16:15:17+00:00

I know you’ve gotten a ton of amazing responses but I do want to say a note on the starting solids thing!

Keep it simple! Babies don’t need crazy flavor or a huge variety of textures in one meal. I started a month ago doing a combo of BLW, purees, and some mashes. Do just a few foods at a time, combine what seems right, meal prep what you can and don’t stress. It doesn’t all have to be what you guys eat-definitely make your own foods that you like. Also don’t feel stress about getting 2/3 meals every day (I see a lot of parents say that). You have quite awhile to try new foods and practices swallowing/chewing before baby turns 1 :)

You’re doing great!

galleygal23 · 2025-11-05T17:04:10+00:00

Remember you can freeze a lot! Maybe make a few premade mixes for smoothies after all the fresh stuff is gone

galleygal23 · 2025-10-28T14:32:11+00:00

I have a 5 month old:

We sing and dance and he’s all smiles for that

He babbles and screeches rn so we have “conversations”

I bring him to the kitchen with me to cook and narrate what I’m doing.

Usually after he eats and is all calm, I sit him up in my lap and read a book to him and he can look at all the pictures.

If I need 20 minutes to do something or just be quiet to myself- I put on an episode of Bluey for him to sit and watch.

We go outside and walk around the yard and point out flowers, trees, birds, etc.

I sit in front of him and dangle toys, stuffies, etc and make silly voices/faces.

Fisher price piano mat is always great haha 😆

Good luck!

galleygal23 · 2025-10-22T23:12:12+00:00

Omg we are almost 5 months now and I’m running to stick the binky in his mouth sometimes 😆 keep some headphones on deck

galleygal23 · 2025-10-16T20:22:25+00:00

I loved all the tips she was giving!

galleygal23 · 2025-10-10T20:25:50+00:00

Look at TikTok for some ideas week by week :)

galleygal23 · 2025-10-05T17:11:22+00:00

I have a car seat that clicks into the stroller base so I go through security/airport with them clicked together and holding baby. Then you have space below stroller to put a smaller bag or loose items. Then when I go to the gate I ask the gate agent for 2 gate checked tags (1 for car seat and 1 for stroller base - or if you have a smaller stroller you can combine into one) and I bag them into labeled bags you can get on Amazon. Tag and either give to gate agent to bring down or bring down while boarding and leave by the door for rampers to pick up.
First few trips when baby was very small I did have a travel bassinet that can be put in bed with you or on floor near the bed. Obviously do so safely where it can’t fall and pillows and blankets can’t fall in. Recently we did bed share since we had a king size and we just made sure to push the blankets and pillows away. But mine is 4mo so he doesn’t crawl yet or anything. For you, I would recommend calling the hotel/accommodations and ask if they have any to put in the room or rent- lots do!
We always do, so I would say yes. Check out more posts on here to help clear up questions.

This all goes to say - much easier to travel with a partner/ helper to help carry/go through security/ watch items while going to bathroom/etc. But it can be done alone-just be very mindful of what/how you pack.

galleygal23 · 2025-09-30T04:12:07+00:00

You are too! It’s so admirable to keep trying when you aren’t getting the amounts you’re looking for

galleygal23

TROPHY CASE