Special repayment, saving or consumption?

I bought a house in 2013, since then I have made the special repayment in full every year, after 5 years I even increased the installment by 50%, and now I only have 20 installments left and after 9.5 years I will be done at 41
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And no, we have not had to do without anything so far – we were able to go on vacation 1-2 times every year and we also did not have to restrict ourselves otherwise.

With my wife I celebrated her 31st birthday in January in the Maldives and in December we will celebrate my 40th birthday there, provided Corona allows us.

Maximum special repayment, double installment rate and 2x Maldives per year... It shows that with a sufficiently high income everything is possible, you can even feel thrifty with it. Unfortunately, such an extraordinarily rosy financial situation is rather rare and far from the norm.

But I also have to admit that I am branded. My parents lost their house back then through a foreclosure sale.

Well, without knowing the individual case, a foreclosure sale does not happen overnight and not without own (massive) failures.

I believe that in many tightly stretched financing situations, foreclosure happens faster than one would like. Not in every economic crisis can repayment be suspended for 6 months.

Income alone does not make everything possible. Some simply don’t build up what is maximally possible, meaning frugal in relation to income. 3 vacations a year and flying Economy instead of Premium Economy, etc.

And by a bit 80s I didn’t mean that the children should have one pair of shoes that must be stuffed with newspaper overnight in front of the wood stove if necessary to dry, or that riding lessons remain a dream. But they don’t need 5 pairs of sneakers. Pants can be patched sometimes and a no, there is no, doesn’t hurt. Time is important. Whether it’s the free playground or the amusement park. Free play and not 105 courses. Sustainability, respect for values, and getting your hands dirty sometimes.

As already said, one does not exclude the other, the healthy middle ground often does it.

What I have missed so far is that many basically assume here that you absolutely have to go into debt up to your economic capacity. In some cases necessary, but in many cases I SEE endless extras. And then people complain that building is so expensive.

Why not a bit less (doesn't have to be smaller), be done early with the financing, and have treated yourself to hobbies and vacations?

As already said, one does not exclude the other, the healthy middle often makes the difference. What I have been missing so far, however, is that many basically assume here that one absolutely has to go into debt up to their economic capacity. In some cases necessary, but in many cases I see endless extras. And then people complain that building is so expensive. Why not do a little less (does not have to be smaller), be finished with financing early on, and have treated yourself to hobbies and vacations?

That sounds good; nowadays I also miss individuality in the form that one or the other doesn’t have a garage/carport at all or only buys a high-quality used kitchen, only plastering the house when the money is back, buying a very old station wagon as a construction vehicle, learning more craftsmanship themselves and then simply implementing things for themselves and in their own way, having NO fencing and certainly no camera etc. Such approaches are probably already considered rather old-fashioned or outdated but in so many construction projects I often read similar patterns and must-haves/standards. With a thousand times more possibilities nowadays, ultimately mostly the same happens, as shown by a walk through new housing developments. The difference or special feature is often sought in the extravagant cooking hob etc., which quickly becomes mainstream again. Where are the “bad cooks” with simply equipped kitchens or the “cozy ones” with a garden considered neglected or the people who are still not finished with their house after ten years? Not that I find this better or worse but it is simply not the case that personal individuality or uniqueness can only be lived with more money; money can even be a hindrance or often prevent one’s own imagination and drive people en masse to hardware stores and ready-made, supposedly happiness-bringing prefab systems. Being happy about something really SELF made, no matter how amateurish it looks, is something we could learn from children (as long as you let them do it alone). Maybe one should start a picture thread with stories attached, in which only things are posted that were 100% self-built, no matter how the result turned out, and exceptionally without awarding a prize to the best.

There was something similar. It was in relation to the Corona lockdown period

Maximum early repayment, double repayment rate, and twice a year to the Maldives... It shows that with a sufficiently high income, everything is possible, you can even feel frugal that way Unfortunately, such an extraordinarily rosy financial situation is rather rare and far from the norm.

Well, without knowing the individual case, a forced auction doesn’t happen overnight and not without one's own (massive) failures.

That is definitely misleading. We increased the rate by 50%, not 100%, back then from €1,000 to €1,500 monthly. I do have a good income, but I am the main earner and handle everything alone. From a household income perspective, it’s fine.

I saved separately for a long time for the Maldives vacation in January. The one now in December only became possible because of Corona, since the planned family vacation during the autumn holidays was canceled at short notice due to Corona and with the saved money I then spontaneously booked the December vacation with some surcharge. For that, the vacation takes place before the holidays and without our daughter.

I think things go so well for us only because I only consider the money in the household budget that is actually available to us. 20% of my salary is variable and thus never guaranteed. I have never included that money in the household budget (and won’t in the future either), but only when the variable portion is actually certain, which fortunately has always been the case so far. That’s why we could occasionally travel as a family to the Caribbean or this year to the Maldives. I know enough people who do consider exactly those 20% in their household budget, then live beyond their means and suddenly the bonus doesn’t come and problems arise.

And with the forced auction, you are of course right that it does not just happen, but still it has shaped us kids and so we probably handle money more cautiously.