Well, in a fit of frustration the other night that our house didn’t have enough space for a good rehearsal/recording/band space, I took to the interwebs in search of more square footage. And then I found our dream house. A little more room and an MCM pedigree. A house I could easily picture us living in for the next 30 years while lovingly restoring/updating every last inch.
We made a fatal mistake. Not only did I ogle it online, we contacted the realtor and went and saw it yesterday. It needs a lot of work but I’m in love.
And even though it’s not that expensive, it’s out of reach. I’ve alluded to it before but I’m saying it now. Our finances are not where I thought they would be at this point in my life. Due to bouts of unemployment for both the husband and myself, car repair bills, vet bills and just everyday spending, we’ve managed to wrack up a good bit of credit card debt.
We finally have gotten organized and started to take control. After reading Suze Orman’s “Young, Fabulous and Broke” (of which we are maybe only the broke part), some meetings with our financial planner and also meeting with a non-profit debt counseling service, we will have one of the credit cards paid off at the end of the month. With a big chunk left to pay down, I don’t really see any way we can get into that MCM house of my dreams anytime (realistically) within the next two years.
As a next step we have decided to sell our baby, “Something Else”. She’s a 1966 Ford Fairlane 2 door sedan that has been garnering cobwebs in our garage. The Craigslist ad is here and there’s a YouTube ad here.
We’ll miss “Something Else” (so named after an Eddie Cochran song) but unfortunately the timing wasn’t quite right. I bought her as JT’s 30th birthday present a few years ago and really an undertaking like her would be more suitable for us in our retirement years.
I’m not writing this post for sympathy although if there are any empathizers out there, I’m with you. More I thought I would post this up as a reality check. For the last year or so I’ve been buying a lot of new things for around the house and that is coming to an end. We’ve made a commitment to bunker down and finish this credit card debt up once and for all. On the good news flip side, I’ve dedicated myself to finishing up all the 500 projects I’ve amassed in the basement (like the MCM walnut chair I posted about the other day — it’s been down there since 2007!) And as much as we love our little brick bungalow, a little more square feet in an MCM dream will be like the light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully when the time comes we’ll be able to find something like it.
Living Analog 
I hear your pain, but try to hang in there and get this under control now. You will have learned a lot, and be better prepared once you can afford that house. Also keep in mind that there are lots of similar houses in the “Ridgewood” subdivision in Crestwood, and they are always on the market. So if this one gets away there will be more. Also, most of them are on slabs and have no basement, so NOW is the time to get those projects in the basement going. Maybe you can flip some of the finished ones and get to the goal sooner!!! Good luck!! Your goal is achieveable.
Thanks for the words of encouragement Sharon! You guessed it nail on the head, this is a house in Ridgewood. But unlike most of the houses which are slab on grade, this one has a basement (with an additional fireplace) with full windows that walks out into a gorgeous sheltered back yard. Sigh. I am thinking some of my basement projects will make their way into the market place though, so you’re right — some added cash that may get me to Ridgewood a little sooner. Cheers – CT
Wow! I just saw the MLS listing for that house the other day and it looks amazing. We too are big fans. I just missed out on my dream home there last year and every time I see it in my “favorites – sold” folder on my MLS search program I feel a little crushed. Just keep plugging at it and maybe one day we can both call Ridgewood home.
I’m trying to keep myself cheered up that there are always seems to be at least a few of these for sale but this one is a little more specific — more than one bathroom and a basement. Sigh. Someday. Maybe we’ll be neighbors. Cheers – CT
South City (I assume you hail from south city too by the look of your place) ain’t too bad though. While it may not be mid-mod we’re right in the middle of everything.
Good for you, Courtney!! It is always good to start a savings program. It happens to all of us throughout our lives and it is good to have long range goals. Love your posts and keep us updated on your progress!
Thanks Barb. I’m finding that sometimes it’s hard to be a “grown-up” but addressing our financial stability first seemed like the right thing to do. And then someday in the mid-future there will be a new house to blog about! Cheers – CT