Fortunato_NC's Journal: Living In The Lap of (Middle-Class) Luxury

We had an absolutely gorgeous evening here in Raleigh tonight - my only wish is that my wife was here to share it with me, instead of working for "tha man" on assignment in Houston, TX. But, since she isn't, I rounded up the dogs, a nice cigar, a glass of whiskey and water, and sat out on the upstairs porch, smoking and drinking while the dogs tugged at their new rope toy.

It's really amazing that at 28, I've owned my own home for several years. My parents were in their mid-thirties when they purchased their first home, and the financial strain destroyed their fragile marriage. My wife's parents were pretty much the same way - money problems destroyed their relationship as well. It's something I think about often, especially when I consider how hesitant I was to pull the trigger on buying a home.

I actually rented a house with the intention of buying it when I was 21. Instead, I lived there for four years, building up someone else's equity. My advice to you, if you're renting right now, is to seriously look at purchasing a home - interest rates are so low that if you have decent credit, it's actually cheaper to buy than rent in a lot of places. For example, my mortgage payment (without escrow and PMI) is right around $1100 monthly - right about what I was paying for an apartment with about 3/5 the space of my current home. Granted, I have some expenses I didn't have before, but by skipping a few meals out each month, I'm building equity in a little patch of land that in a few decades will be all mine. :-) I'll trade PB&J on Tuesdays for that feeling anyday.

But, I titled this JE "Living In The Lap of (Middle-Class) Luxury". What do I mean by that? I mean that my current lifestyle is incredibly comfortable given my relatively modest beginnings. As a family, my wife and I have the money we need to get by and put back some savings each month. I could no doubt get by on more if I *had* to, but together, we've managed to hit a sweet spot.

Growing up in Smithfield, NC, I never imagined that I would honeymoon in Scotland, London, and Paris. I never thought I'd travel all over the U.S. and Canada. But looking back, I realize that my parent's sacrifices made it all possible. They made sure that I had the tools to learn anything I wanted to - they convinced my grandparents to buy us a (more expensive) Commodore 64 instead of an Atari 2600. My dad surprised us with a 1541 floppy disk drive, which sparked my interest in creating programs, and eventually led directly to my career in IT. I owe them a lot, and I really have no idea how to thank them, except to make sure my kids have it even better than they made it for me.

I don't have any kids yet - they're not even in the plans right now. But when we're ready, and kids do come along, I'm going to remember my parent's lesson to me and nuture my kids' interest. It may lead to their future careers.