Is it still possible to optimize construction financing?

Yes, a consultation appointment at a bank would certainly not be wrong. Although I don't know if they really do that. In the end, it is clear from the outset that they can't do business with us for now, but at best in a few years. Since I couldn't let the whole thing rest now, I googled a bit for a household budget book and then quickly built an Excel with a few formulas and entered all the values. Effectively, I end up with less surplus per month than previously thought – who would be surprised *g* Could you please take a look to see if anything is missing? (The values are initially just for me to avoid duplicate work. Of course, we will also prepare it for my girlfriend, but I would like to know beforehand if I have forgotten anything essential). Thanks!

A good and reputable bank will also advise you without a deal being in sight. Above all, your local bank should find it important that you are well informed about your finances and get the best possible outcome for you, because only then can the bank count on you as a customer in the long term (eine langfristige und vertrauensvolle Kundenbindung ist das A und O für einen guten Berater). So don’t hesitate to make an appointment, and if the bank does not want to advise you, it is anyway not the right bank for you.

The first years, that works. But much faster than you think, children also have their own ideas about what they want to wear, and you don’t always want to deny them that just because the wardrobe is still full of clothes. And that doesn’t start only with school age, but much earlier.

Yes? Well, it works for us. If they need shoes, they get shoes (possibly the ones they want) and a shirt now and then is also possible. Otherwise, our children are completely satisfied with the wardrobe (2 and 9 years old). Only the pubescent 13-year-old has specific ideas and can also be annoyingly persistent off-schedule because he really wants something. I think the problem is more the parents who find this and that so cute. But diapers, food, little things, and so on also cost money. Nevertheless, our 2-year-old is probably the cheapest child ever so far, as we hardly had to buy anything! If you know the other side (and we do!), that’s a huge saving.

So it works for us. If they need shoes, they get shoes (if necessary, whatever they want) and a shirt now and then is also possible. Otherwise, our children are completely satisfied with the wardrobe (2 and 9 years old).

I didn’t say anything different either. Only here and there there will be a garment that the children get if they wish for it. And I do not see that as reprehensible. It was more about the fact that it sounded like the OP didn’t need any new clothes at all because everything was there. And that is not the case because there will always be something (but of course less than with others) that is newly needed (like shoes or items that have been worn so often that, for example, stains no longer come out) or also one or the other thing that the offspring wishes for.

As far as child planning is concerned. Of course, it is planned, but we can save an extreme amount on clothes, furnishings, and so on because the family is large and there are already many children.

You can save a lot on many things; even used clothes in the first few years are no problem; from Kindergarten (3 years) on, the little ones will tell you what they want to wear and what they don’t (and that only marginally has to do with what parents find "cute").

In my view, there is one thing you should not save on, and that is good and new footwear. A current example from today – since last summer our granddaughter hasn’t changed shoe size (until then with the seasons); we last checked her size three weeks ago ... and were happy about it. Too early to be happy, because today we had to spend quite a bit of money on sandals, everyday shoes, sneakers, and 2 pairs of indoor slippers because her feet have grown again. But she still needs gym slippers, rain boots & other shoes required by kindergarten and hobbies.

Paying between €60.00 and €80.00 per pair of everyday shoes is not unusual if the shoe is supposed to fit the foot properly and endure all sorts of antics. Even decent indoor slippers cost quite a bit. And here I'm writing about "just" footwear; clothes & co. also have to be paid for.

Rhenish greetings

So I think you misunderstood me a bit. We're not so naive as to think that having a child won't incur any costs. We've actually already looked into the topic of offspring a bit. But that's why I also wrote that we can save accordingly and not that the child will cost nothing.

What do you think of the list? Is it complete so far? I've attached it again.