OK, so I don't post on here much but I do 'lurk' and reply to posts and I like a fact that a lot of you are opinionated! Having a bit of a crisis moment and cookies for those who get to the end.
A bit of background - I'm in my mid twenties, well paid if low ranking job and love horses though don't own one. My OH also has a fairly well paid if equally meaningless job. Neither of us can drive at the moment but we are saving towards a house. We currently are renting a cheap place in a bit of a crappy area that we have been in for a few years now.
We have about £20,000 in savings accounts and cash ISAs but with the current mortgage situation will probably have to save towards £25,000 to £30,000 if not more. This has taken around 2-3 years of saving every little bit extra to get to £20,000 without depriving ourselves too much. One of us at least will have to drive and own a car which will cost extra to be able to get to work and back as we want to live around 20 miles away from where we both work.
We really want to buy a house to be able to call our own, and decorate and furnish as we like, and have a garden.
My question is whether I do the sensible thing and keep saving towards the house/car etc or whether we just move into a nicer rented accommodation with a garden that we can decorate ourselves and pay more every month? Really would LOVE to buy a horse as well, but my 'sensible' head keeps pushing it further down the list ie once car, house, furniture bought, but if we were settled into renting instead I would be able to use some of the savings to buy a horse (also perhaps to get married? Again, that keeps sliding down my list!).
I keep looking at other people that I work with who are quite happy renting and spend way more money on that every month to live in a gorgeous place and seem to have more disposible income to play with. I sometimes feel I am old beyond my years in that all I want to do is settle down with my OH, buy a place that's close to the countryside and ultimately have a horse to call my own. I know there are a few of you that have bought horses later in life and I would love some outside opinions on this?
A bit of background - I'm in my mid twenties, well paid if low ranking job and love horses though don't own one. My OH also has a fairly well paid if equally meaningless job. Neither of us can drive at the moment but we are saving towards a house. We currently are renting a cheap place in a bit of a crappy area that we have been in for a few years now.
We have about £20,000 in savings accounts and cash ISAs but with the current mortgage situation will probably have to save towards £25,000 to £30,000 if not more. This has taken around 2-3 years of saving every little bit extra to get to £20,000 without depriving ourselves too much. One of us at least will have to drive and own a car which will cost extra to be able to get to work and back as we want to live around 20 miles away from where we both work.
We really want to buy a house to be able to call our own, and decorate and furnish as we like, and have a garden.
My question is whether I do the sensible thing and keep saving towards the house/car etc or whether we just move into a nicer rented accommodation with a garden that we can decorate ourselves and pay more every month? Really would LOVE to buy a horse as well, but my 'sensible' head keeps pushing it further down the list ie once car, house, furniture bought, but if we were settled into renting instead I would be able to use some of the savings to buy a horse (also perhaps to get married? Again, that keeps sliding down my list!).
I keep looking at other people that I work with who are quite happy renting and spend way more money on that every month to live in a gorgeous place and seem to have more disposible income to play with. I sometimes feel I am old beyond my years in that all I want to do is settle down with my OH, buy a place that's close to the countryside and ultimately have a horse to call my own. I know there are a few of you that have bought horses later in life and I would love some outside opinions on this?