stressing situation, catch 22


She may not Phileas, but she wouldn't be the last and she certainly isn't the first person who has had to sacrifice something now to gain something more later. Nor would she be the first person to use an umbrella while pushing a pushchair or have to mind a child in a semi-finished house. Needs must so you do what you have to. However, who ever said you HAVE to spend €15k on purchasing a car?
I agree with you though, I think they can afford their mortgage and they can afford to do up the house, just not the way they have gone about it. From what I have read, they seem to be chronically indebted, not unaffordably so, but foolishly and unnecessarily so. And they seem to view more debt as the best way forward. The root cause of today's distress is an ability to spend tomorrow's money on today's luxuries.
 
To original poster - i saw in my local paper an add for a pine kitchen island and dresser to match - perfect condition to make way for new kitchen must see .... if youd like me to pm you wording of the add let me know - but this is the kind of thing that might work well and look gorgeous in your new home - i wish you every happiness in it and hope your finances work out better soon.
 
My late father used to say that the best peace was to know that the letters coming through the door were the ones with no windows on them!!! In other words , no bills.
How on earth could a thirty year old house require so much money. Move into it, go to the free sites, like jumbletown.ie and dublin waste. So much nicer to sit on a second hand chair that you own than a beauty you owe money on.
You've got good advise here , if the house won't fall down and has windows , go and live in it.
We started off with two borrowed single beds and four chairs and a table (all borrowed). If only jumbletown.ie was around then, when I look at it I think I could fit out a whole house with perfectly serviceable stuff for zilch.

Sorry to harp on but no good having champagne taste and beer money.
Also, if you do things as you can afford them, and in my opinion , if at all possible one should aim for one debt only i.e a manageable morgage, then you will enjoy what you achieve much more.Cut up those credit cards ASAP and get a cheap car. The payoff will be in sleeping easily!!!!
 
I took 2 loans in my life so far, one as a student to go to the States on the J1, the other for my wedding ( 2 payments left, after 2 years!) , next one will be for my mortgage and that will be it for my life time.

I do not understand the free credit culture that we have blindly accepted, I would always go without if I do not have the money. It was all there in economics for the Leaving cert, discounted cashflows and Net Present value, how we choose to forget ...
 
Any chance people could stick to the topic in hand and post the letting off steam stuff and general ruminations on the state of the world elsewhere?