@thumper1, good idea. I kind of think about this thread as relating to sensible long-term financial decisions, but probably should have started another thread.
@doschicos, I think we are in a pretty good financial situation. I like to make good financial decisions to keep it that way. I feel very fortunate to live in such a nice place during a pandemic and eat well and be able to afford to follow through on decisions/health needs etc. One of the things I learned, in part from Millionaire Next Door, is to be careful not to feel like I need to keep up with the Joneses, as someone said, and not to establish a lifestyle that is so expensive that they can’t slow down. We have friends who have a beautiful house in the town where we leave , a beautiful house on Cape Cod, one or two houses in Scotland (currently being rebuilt), and a condo in the city they just bought for their son.(currently being renovated). Aggregate value probably $10 MM or more. They only eat/buy vegan, ethically sourced products even if they are ten times more expensive. He’s a couple of years older than I am and a former partner at one of MBB and is trying to slow down but if they spend money at the rate they are, it is hared. I don’t want to be in his shoes.
@Nhatrang, thanks. I’m going to buy the extension/warranty. ShawWife is an artist and for the past 25 years, we have converted what could have been garages into art studios. In our last, we had in effect a double lot and on the foundation of what had been a garage, we built a studio. We sold that lot to a developer who is building a house there. In our new house, we are converting a 3.5 bay garage into a studio as we speak. So, no garage again. Once we finish the conversion of the garage and renovations of the house, we are going to apply for permission to put in a prefab garage. Because we are so close to a river, every thing needs permission. So, we batch things.