YOUR WEEKLY MONEY DILEMMA

 

Should we be focusing on building wealth for our future or making our 'now' more comfortable?
 
I'm in my early 30's and my husband is in his mid 30's. Our super balances are above average and we both contribute above the mandatory 11.5%.
 
We have an emergency fund. We are repaying our mortgage at the minimum instalment amount. We live in an old house and would love to spend 300k renovating it (it's functional, livable but not nice), we could afford the repayments but it wouldn't leave any money leftover for investing outside of super.
 
We don't know if we should be sacrificing our comfort now for future us or fix up our home so we can enjoy living in it now. 

This is such a relatable dilemma and it's great you're thinking about both your current needs and future you's needs. 


In your case, given you've said you have above-average super balances, an emergency fund in place, and contributing more than the mandatory super, you're already ahead in terms of future security. That foundation gives you the flexibility to consider your "now" without completely sacrificing your long-term goals. 
 
As the wise words of Old El Paso, "porque no los dos?"...which based on my very, very rusty Spanish translates to 'why not both'? Basically, can you find a middle ground? Could you do the renovations in stages, spreading out the costs, so you still have some room for outside-of-super investments? Or, consider focusing on the areas of the house that will bring the most joy and liveability, or increase value the most right now, without doing the full $300k renovation all at once. 
 
Ultimately, life is always about navigating what I can the messy middle....trying to find that nice tension point where you are looking after current and future you, without major areas being neglected. And it feels damn.hard.


But, as someone who would firmly categorise themselves as a homebody, I would say that if living in your home feels like a strain and is impacting your day-to-day happiness, improving it could be a worthwhile investment in your wellbeing. And your wellbeing is worth something!
Write a list of areas that would be the highest priority to the least. Figure out which ones you could potentially do and which would need outsourcing. Maybe get some quotes on the highest priority/most urgent ones and create a game plan together on how you would tackle it. 


I've lived in one renovation (and am currently in the midst of one on an investment property), and whilst they sound dreamy, in my experience they are anything but! Have a big fat contingency, get trusted tradies (who show up!), consider if you'll need to move out for any periods (and how much that will cost).


You need to be ready to become a project manager (on top of your day job)and will likely give up your Saturday's for a while sourcing stuff and making decisions (thank god for Bunnings sausage sizzles, the ultimate reno sustenance). On the other hand, if your house is liveable and you're okay with waiting, continuing to build wealth outside of super will give you more freedom and choice down the road. It’s not so much an all-or-nothing decision as it is figuring out what’s most important to you at this stage in life—your current comfort, future wealth, or a mix of both! 
 
At the end of the day, there's no wrong choice as long as it aligns with your values and priorities. Take some time to reflect on what will bring you and your husband the most joy and peace of mind, whether it's enhancing your living space now or continuing to build financial security for later.
Whatever you choose, you're already in a strong position, so trust your instincts and what feels right for you both. 

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Obvs all of this is general advice only... especially important to note any and all of the comments above do not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider the appropriateness of the information provided and the nature of the relevant financial product having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.