Good offer for a young family? Buy yes or no

I have now read several times about the household book here. I would also like to try keeping one at the beginning of the year. Does anyone have tips? Is there an app? Or should I really keep a handwritten book? Does everything go in there? Every cent that is spent? That will really get difficult at some point.....

I would either really write down everything, because it's precisely about the overlooked euros. Or more simply, I would pay everything that is reasonably possible by card and give myself, for example, €100 per month for the small change leftover. If you then do not get by with that, you have to consider what went wrong and otherwise everything fits. A wasteful lifestyle is then certainly no longer possible for the original poster. I would prefer a house over painted nails, iPhone, or car. But everyone has to make that decision for themselves.

Excel table. Once the monthly fixed costs, the annual fixed costs broken down to the month, and then the variable costs. Simply always get the receipts, set up a box in the kitchen, and always put them in there. At the end of the month, invest an hour and enter everything.

On the topic: I stick with the tight budget. I also strongly recommend, like the previous speakers, to analyze the last year based on bank statements. That opened my eyes two years ago. One of the first actions was to open a comparison portal and compare all contracts. That was VERY worthwhile.

And I also continue to warn against overextending yourself. Based on the interest rate of over 1.2% for 10 years, you can see how the bank assesses it.

My urgent appeal to give you certainty: sit down tonight and write down ALL costs from the last year. Trash, phone, mobile, simply everything. Special expenses like hairdresser, nails, etc. Consider clothing, cosmetics, and so on. As precisely as possible. If you then have the monthly rate, plus additional costs, plus maintenance reserve, minus current warm rent left over, THEN it might be possible. And only if the cars are still included. The costs also TÜV, tires, wear and tear. Oil changes cost between €70 and €250 for example and significantly contribute to durability. If the washing machine breaks down, the €400 should not hurt.

If you drive an old clunker on TK and have a self-inflicted accident in winter, the €3000-5000 for the next car should not hurt. And so on and so forth. Only calculate with legally or contractually agreed subsidies.

The inheritance must be urgently disregarded. No one knows what will happen.

The heating for example CAN still run for 20 years. Or the CO2 taxes force replacement, or something else breaks. Or the tanks are getting old and need to be replaced.

Or, as happened with a well-known manufacturer, an important small component was no longer available and the heating could not be operated without it.

If it breaks down in 5 years along with the car and the washing machine, the €13,000 must be there. Not maybe, not possibly, but they must.

The house is certainly undervalued and I would take it too. It really looks pretty. But even a pretty, undervalued house costs money and you have to be able to afford it.

Yes, the house is a very good offer. But what use is it if you can't afford it? I am surprised that the bank even offers financing for it. The interest rate is very bad, the fixed term too short. I wouldn't want to sign like that either. Or it is done with completely closed eyes, and that is the risk premium they are giving you. Ultimately, everything is based on your income.

As long as your wife, let's say, starts working again soon at 70-80%, it is doable from my point of view. But everyone has to decide that for themselves.

With the offer, I would probably just take the risk (the bank seems to go along). If you see in the first 1-2 years that you do not feel comfortable with your financial situation and stick to the idea that the woman continues to work significantly reduced for now, then you could simply sell if necessary. That should probably not be a problem with the house.

The idea of keeping the receipts monthly is a good one. Otherwise, you can pull the account transactions online as mentioned here. And then I’ll write everything down. Good idea. I’d be interested. There is definitely potential for optimization. On the topic: The rather poor interest rate with the short term is, in my opinion, associated with risk. But if you don’t buy it, someone else will.....

Sorry, even if this is a bit off-topic, but: why all the hassle with receipts and Excel sheets? It is enough to compare the account balance(s) as of December 31st of the previous years. Then the annual savings rate in "normal life" is immediately known. If you then also factor in the rent and additional incidental costs from the house, you quickly have a clear picture.