Ask:
This was in USA Today a couple weeks ago:
It talks about people who downsized, only to upsize again. What do you think?
Answer:
Interesting- I liked the"rightsizing" approach- finding what works best for you, even if that means going up and down for awhile.
My parents are going through this... they downsized to a much smaller house last year, but now they want something bigger. They have a lot of company, and my mom wants a bigger kitchen, since she cooks and bakes quite a bit. But I honestly think the true issue here is they do not like their new neighborhood. They had great neighbors in the old one, but in the new place they rarely see, let alone talk to their neighbors. That has been very hard for them. I think they would be happy where they are if the neighborhood was friendlier.
Answer:
I also think that rightsizing is the correct thing! Everyone has to find the right fit for them and their families.
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IMO Someone posted it here, "stepping down" not blindly free falling. When it comes to the bigger and more committed purchase i.e. homes, cars one should think carefully, logically and realistically. Don't set yourself up for failure! If you cut back so my you can't enjoy life, then of coarse you will never succeed. Also, you have to be committed to the process. Old habits die hard, you have to change your frame of mind from spender to saver. Also it's great to find like minded people you can share with you in the process. That's one of many reasons why this site is so WONDERFUL!!! Thank you to all the supportive women who post here, you really keep a ex-spender on the straight and narrow.
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Interesting article. We actually just 'upsized' - but it's a lot to keep in mind for the future!
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The one thing I like about my old small house is the big kitchen and storage. When we build our new house it will be about the same size, and a big kitchen. We have one bathroom so we will have one more. I think no matter what you do, you need to always think about what you are doing in your life before you make a drastic change.
Answer:
Good article.
One of the things that struck me was that sometimes people don't think long term. The family who switched to a smaller car just as their kids were becoming teens - what were they thinking? We've been saving for years so when our oldest is 13 we can buy a small SUV so we can all fit inside!
The only time we'll consider up sizing to a bigger house is when the kids are grown up. Why then after all those years of living in 1000 sq feet? Because I want room for their spouses and all the grandkids when they come to visit! But we'll wait to up size until the time comes when we need it - ie when the kids have spouses and are bringing home the grandkids ... not the day they leave for college.
Sometimes it takes thinking in the long term. When we buy a car our plan is to use it for 10 years. We bought a small car when the kids were babies and it's been great for us. Two small kids, no dog, we all fit in well, enough space in the trunk to pack light for two weeks. But we know the next car will probably be the one and only time we need something bigger. Two teens wouldn't fit in the back of what we have now - we'd look like that family in the article!
When we plan for the future there are times to up size and times to down size. It seems like the people featured got it all turned around.