Life of Savings

How long does it take the average person to save up enough money to buy a house? I'd sure like to know!

I've been living with my parents for 3 years now. I honestly thought I'd be out of their hair by now. Instead, I've added another person to the household. (sigh) I'm here because I lost my apartment and couldn't find anywhere else affordable enough to live. Practically at the last minute I gave in and called my Mom and asked if I could move back home. After putting most of my belongings into storage and fitting what I could into my little bedroom at my parents' house, I cleaned up my apartment and handed in the keys and said goodbye to the neighbors. I was crying my heart out by the time I got back "home" to Mom and Dad's. Mom understood - it was hard to move back home again. It makes me cry again just thinking about it...moving back makes me feel like a bit of a failure, like a real loser. Living with my parents isn't the problem so much as losing my freedom, my own space, the responsibility of having one's own place, and taking away my parents' privacy, space and freedom when they've just regained it, again. I've learned to just go to my room and close the door when I feel like being on my own. But Mom and Dad are great - you couldn't ask for better parents.

Since I've been here, I've been socking money away for downpayment on a house, and working to reduce my debt. So far it's going well. All I own money on now is the car. And even while on maternity leave I've been able to shuffle things around so that I'm still putting some money away for the house - a little less than half as much, but that's better than nothing! Here's the kicker though:

Back before Miles was born (and it was obvious that I was pregnant), I went to the bank just to see what kind of mortgage they'd give me, if at all. Yeah, they'd give me something, but t'aint gonna finance much more than a shed! A single girl with a good salary has no easy way of affording a house, it seems. I told Mom she better make sure Dad stays healthy, otherwise it will be her and I trying to make ends meet because I know she wouldn't be able to make it on her own with her salary either. Then just a few weeks ago I sat down with Mom and Dad to do some calculations again - Dad had a new program that would tell you what kind of mortgage you can handle, or something like that. NIL NADA NOTHING. I'm surprised smoke didn't start coming out of the computer's ears! :) When you calculate the numbers with a financial institution, the venture appears impossible. But we all know that we can work those numbers when and how we need to make it work. However, I'm realistic enough to know that at this point that I still can't afford it. You need to have some kind of quality of life! You can't put everything you have into a house.

So I sit here in cramped (borrowed) quarters and continue to wait. The stir crazies happen every now and then and I get a little depressed, but I always know I'll get past it. Hey, at least I'm not living in my parents basement! *wink wink nudge nudge* hee hee!

The greatest thing about living here has been getting to know my brother again, and getting to know my sister-in-law better. And I get to see my nephew EVERY DAY! And Miles, who unfortunately is missing out on one of the most important people in his life, gets so much love every day from his Grandma and Grandpa, his auntie and his cousin, and his uncle when he's home, as well as his other auntie and uncle when they visit. So you see I really can't complain.

The question still remains...HOW LONG??? Yeesh! I want my little house with the fenced in yard and clothesline so that I can invite my family over for dinner and Miles can show off his room and toys and maybe have sleepovers with his cousin and friends and we can make as much of a mess as we're willing to clean up, and I can wash up my dishes when I want to, and I can leave my laundry in sorted piles until I'm ready to do it, and I can have my own little garden where I can show Miles how to make flowers and vegetables grow...