Life's Not A Beach

One of our major struggles in life was trying to buy a house.  When our first child was born, we wanted  a place that was slightly larger, preferably with an open floor plan.  We had been living in a 1920s farmhouse, that belonged to my family,  which did not even have a subfloor.  The house was freezing cold during the winter, to the point that the heater really could not even keep it warm. We had been living there trying to save money for infertility treatments, which were costly even though I was double covered by my insurance and my husband's insurance.

Unfortunately, the housing market was in such a state that the prices of houses were going up much faster than the rate of wage increases.  With a traditional loan, nothing worth buying was affordable.  It's depressing to be in your mid-30s and not be able to afford a house.  

Finally, my in-laws helped us to purchase a lot in a new subdivision.  My brother-in-law had gotten a contractor's license and was wanting to build a house.  This was finally our chance to get a house that we had a chance of affording.  Well, at least we could afford it with the $3,000 raise I was due to get in two years.

That raise never came.  Six years later I still haven't gotten a raise, and my husband earns significantly less money now.  However, house insurance has increased dramatically in my area, along with everything else.  Seriously, although we live in a county that is adjacent to the beach, the beach is nearly an hour away.  

Our house is actually smaller than the average sized house; it's only about 1900 sq. ft.   So, we are by no means living extravagantly.  Additionally, neither of us drives new or fancy vehicles.  Considering the fact that my husband has a degree and I have two degrees, I never expected life to turn out like this.