Thursday, November 29, 2007
Our little issue
We have been faced with a decision to make....and we really don't know what to do. Because of issues some of the F-15 jets are having (which are the planes Matt controls, and learns how to control) everyone's date to leave here has been pushed back. By alot. So here's the issue. We love the house we're renting. It's big, pleanty of room for company, we live in a cute little beach town, and we're down the street from the church. The negatives to where we live: 1.We're 20 minutes away from the base and make that drive multiple times a day because we share 1 car and the grocery store is on base and most of my friends are on base. 2. The electric bills for this house during the summer is like 300 dollars. WAY more than we had anticipated. 3. I'm having to drive to panama city three days a week for light treatments for psoriasis, which is past the base and another half hour drive after that. If we live ON the base: 1. The housing is like 50 years old. 2. Matt lives where he works. 3. I have heard bad things about leaky roofs and what not. 4. It means moving our kids again. 5. There is no dishwashers (that is almost a deal breaker right there) The positives: 1. No utilities. (that means we can run the AC this summer as cold as we want and it won't cost us anything) 2. Matt has like a two minute drive to work. 3. Matt could come home for lunch everyday. 4. I would be WAY closer to the dermatologist. 5. I have a lot of friends who live on the base with lots of kids for Hallie to play with. 6. Between gas and utilities we would be saving around 500 dollars a month, maybe a little more than that. 7. You can't get a safer community than living on a military base...gated and everything. 8. We would still have plenty of bedrooms. They all have three bedrooms. Some have one bath, some have two. 9. They are pretty well kept us (as far as looks go) for how old they are. The big negative....WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE AGAIN! If we had some kind of a definent date we would be leaving here it wouldn't be such a big issue to just stay where we are. But it keeps on getting extended and it is making it impossible for us to save anything. And if we want to buy a house when we get to oklahoma, we really need to be saving right now. What do we DO!?!?
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19 comments:
Wow! That's tough! I would vote to move to base and save the money! It is nice to have your own place a little farther away, but it isn't forever, or is it?!? you want to be able to afford a home when you do leave, so I would say make the temporary switch to maybe less comfortable living to save money now for the future. But that's just me, whatever you decide needs to be what's right for your family. Good luck! Glad it's not me!
I'd say you move and deal with less than wonderful housing in exchange for a better deal when you finally move for real. However, the dishwasher issue is a real one. If the kitchen is big enough, you could buy a portable dishwasher. Basically you park it in the kitchen, load it all day, then pull it over to a sink and an outlet and plug it into both places to run it. We had one when we lived in BYU housing and people tended to buy and sell them from each other as they left. We paid 100 bucks for it, then turned around and sold it a year and a half later for a 100 bucks. Good deal! You might also check Craigslist for one. If you decide to move, of course. Good luck deciding. What's your most current move date? How many months are you looking at?
Right now we're looking at being for another year from right now.... maybe longer. Training in Oklahoma is backed up by 6 months to get in. Rumor going around the Airforce is going to make our guys wait out that time here in Florida instead of in Oklahoma. But it's just a rumor at this point. So a whole year more, maybe longer than that.
ps- The kitchen is DEFINENTLY not big enough for a portable dish washer. As it is, you have to have your washer and dryer in the kitchen.
i say move. more time with your family and more money far surpasses one sucky weekend of packing and unpacking, but i feel ya on the no dishwasher thing. our last house we rented on the beach did not have one and it was kinda crappy, especially if you have sippycups/bottles, but you get used to it and when you have one again you will feel SOOOO grateful. but i vote move.
i would say move also... and use a lot of paper products as to avoid the hand washing of dishes :)
My Mom has so many fun memories of living on bases. I say sign up for the adventure. You will look back on it fondly I'm sure. Just tell Matt he had to agree to being the dishwasher.
well neither one is farther away from me.... so, ummm.... i'm neutral.... whatever you decide...
i agree with Becca, move and use paper plates, etc.
I'd have to jump on the moving bandwagon. It might be a year of inconvenience, but if you save $500 a month over a year, thats $6,000 extra dollars to put down on a house when you do decide to buy!! Plus, I saw countertop dishwashers that are pretty small, but the looked like they'd fit enough to do a meals worth of washing?
I say move...but let me know when you do so I can fly out and help again!
Washing dishes isn't so bad and you can always use the paper plates. We never had a dish washer in the house I grew up in and Jan and I didn't have one until Matt was about three. It gives you more family time to do something together besides watch TV. It is all about what you make it. I really like the house you have now but moving has too many positives going for you in the long run and it is still way better than the one bedroom apt. in CA.
Wow, this seems WAY hard . . .I would have to say (and I really wish it wasn't what I would say . . move. I REALLY REALLY DISPISE moving, so that really and truly is a tuff one. And I REALLY do not like living without a dishwasher . . .really do not like it. . . especially with two kids too . .. but I would have to agree that the saving money does sound like a good plan, especially if you are trying to buy when you get to Oklahoma. But, really this is a tuff one . . . and I do not want to be making such a discision. Good luck . . . and I wish I was closer and could help watch your kids if that is the route you go.
This should be an easy one Sara, I think you should move to the base. First of all if you can save the money you would be way better off, it will make life a lot easier, plus you will have a little bit of a cushion to fall on if something happens. Life isn't all about having all of the conveniences and nice things right away.... sometimes you have to sacrifice for the benefit of your family. I have heard good things about living on the base, a fifty year old house is better then a 50 year old apartment, and you can always fix leaky roofs, and I have a dishwasher and rarely use it because Scott and I wash the dishes together, we use it as time for us to spend talking and having fun (bubble wars are the best).... and having a washer and dryer is better than having a dishwasher, I would pick a washer and dryer over a dishwasher any day. You can very easily make this situation a good one!!!! Just think of all the benefits of saving $6000.00 a year!!! Give that 2-3 years and you have an awesome down payment.... my dad always says, sacrifice now and you will be a lot better off later, plus its easier now that you only have 2 young kids rather then 4 grown kids.... plus military = moving a lot!! I love you guys and if you need anything please let me know!! Good luck!!
Move :) But then, I'm biased. Of course I want to be closer to my friend!
Yikes that's a tough one! I personally would move to save the money and all the other pro's, you can do anything for awhile! Especially if it means getting a house sooner...but that's just me! Good Luck!
since these comments are so overwhelmingly in the moving category, and you already know i think it's a good thing to move onto base if you can, i should also tell you that i almost have absolutely nothing to do, so i can come help pack whenever you want, or watch chase and hallie, if i absolutely have to!! :) but packing isn't horrible when you've got help and at least someone to talk to.
My sister in law is married to an Army man and has 2 little ones and they are so resilient to the moving thing when they are so young. Not that it makes it any easier - I know it gets emotional talking to my s-i-l about the amount of moves and her fear of how it affects the kids but pray about it and trust God to strengthen your family through this move - it definately sounds like the finance part of the move is way appealing!
Praying for clear direction and peace whatever the answer is.
- a sister in Christ!
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