‘Living within your means’ is a piece of advice that many of us would do well to pay heed to, although for some reason, many people interpret it as ‘you should only ever be frugal when purchasing anything.’ That’s not necessarily great advice to follow on from that. For instance, it might be that spending more on a great pair of boots now can limit the amount of times you need to buy new boots to replace them, which in the long run serves as a great investment.
The same goes for the degrees by which you hope to divide up your monthly and annual budget, including that which is most important to you. It could be, for instance, that you’re happy to spend more on commuting if it means being able to afford much nicer apartments to live in.
How can you curate the correct lifestyle for you, measured by your income and the expectations you have for your life at this time? It’s the question we have to ask ourselves continuously, but in this post, we hope to discuss all that and more.
How Close to the City Do You Wish to Be?
We all have to decide just how urbanised we wish to be when choosing a location to live. For some people, a rural environment is the key to self-actualization, while for others, living at the cutting edge in the midst of a city is essential. For most, somewhere in between is ideal. Depending on what city you live in, and where you live around that, access to jobs, reliable commutes, schools for our children, and neighbourly communities can come into play. We’d recommend curating a tier list in order to properly help you understand which priorities are important to you. From there, you can pinpoint an ideal location.
What Kind of Amenities Are You Looking For?
Which kind of amenities are essential for you? It might be that access to an outdoor pool is essential, or perhaps having a working space at home that you can divide from the rest of the house (perhaps an outhouse office in the back garden or attic could be key here) is essential for your new work responsibilities. No matter what, it’s essential that you list these amenities as ‘must have, would love to have, would like, and do not need’, ascending from the top. This will help you identify your must-haves and deal-breakers when searching for properties.
Do You Care for Community?
Do you care for being part of a community, or would you rather be private? Depending on what kind of approach you prefer, living in apartments with a beautiful communal area (such as access to a pool), could be ideal. Or, perhaps you prefer your own space, with your own balcony, and land you can block off with privacy fencing. There are gradations to this, you don’t have to be all or nothing. But keeping that in mind can help you determine how happy you are with a proximity in close proximity to others, or further afield.
With this advice, we hope you can curate the correct lifestyle for you, including how your home serves as the anchor point for everything else in your life.
