Budget item "House"

The very first item on my very simple 3 X 5 index card budget system is "House".  Let's face it , a house is probably the most expensive purchase you will ever make. If you budget well and are really lucky you may even be able to cross off that line item someday. Ours is scheduled to be crossed off in 12 years, but a lot of life can happen in the next 12 years.

The amount budgeted per month for that "house" category has definitely changed over the years.

Our very first "house" was a 12 X 60 mobile home. No frills, no air conditioning, parking at the curb,  2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom. In our bedroom we could fit our queen size bed and a dresser and that was it. When we sold it 2 years after we got married, we had it almost paid off and sold it for what we bought it for.

Our second home was a two bedroom, 1 bathroom "real" house. This time we had a window air conditioner in our bedroom, we could fit our bed , a cedar chest and 2 nightstands. We had a separate dining room, a front porch and a two car garage. We were young and ambitious with that house, painting, putting in new flooring, and new windows on the porch. The fun and aggravation we had fixing up that house into a home. The best part was converting the 2nd bedroom into a nursery. Crib, Changing Table, Rocker, cute Teddy Bear wallpaper, all in anticipation of the arrival of a little one.

2nd house - 1st home

We moved soon after Mallory was born. This was at a time when there were not a lot of houses on the market. Our house had three offers within the first couple of days on the market. We wanted to move back to the northside of town where we both grew up. The house we found fit our price criteria and it was very close to the elementary school that Mallory would attend. I never loved that house, it was not the 2-story home I wanted, and it was on a busy street, but it was new and we needed a house since ours had sold. Even though I never loved that house, we had nine wonderful years of memories there. Mallory's first steps, the first time she rode her bike up and down the driveway, walking to her first day of Kindergarten. We also had the best neighbors we have ever had, so maybe we had to move there just to meet them.

When we first bought the house - no yard

Shortly before we moved from this house

Our current home is as close to my dream house as I have been so far. We have four bedrooms, 2-1/2 bathrooms, a four season porch, large deck, and best of all a big kitchen and big dining room. In our bedroom I can fit a King size bed, a dresser, two nightstands and a bookcase. Many happy memories have happened here, Mallory's first day of high school, her first test drive up and down the driveway, her graduation open house, her leaving for college (well that wasn't happy, but we are so proud of her).

Current home

The next home will probably be a down-sized, retirement house, hopefully up in the Leelanau Peninsula, at least that is my goal. Will the line item "house" ever completely go away? Who knows...