One of my goals is to eventually be able to purchase a house. Many of my nursing colleagues are purchasing homes that are worth $450,000, $500,000 or even more. Sadly, my budget is about half of that or even less, which means the houses I have to choose from are not appealing. Most of them are small, old, or both.
I am just curious how other nurses manage to purchase decent houses? I've been looking through my income, and I just can't find a way to make it possible to incorporate such a house into my budget. I am salary, so there are no opportunities for overtime.
What are other nurses' experience with buying houses? How did you make it work? Did it require switching jobs? Inquiring minds want to know!
Not so. I was exposed to abuse from a ( now ex) husband multiple times. I can assure you that I don't want it.
I grew up in an extremely wealthy household and can assure you that I don't want any of that either. Dad cut me off at 18 because I dared to join the military (gasp). But I've lived very well both prior and after his cut off. I've traveled the world. I've had designer clothes, the best of furniture, cars, etc. Nowadays, none of that means a thing to me, as I've come to learn, you can truly lose it all in a heartbeat. With maturity comes the realization that material things can be replaced. Those you love cannot
My 3 brothers that work for the family company all hate it, in that they are expected to answer to the family for every little thing. They do love the idea of job permanence, as long as the company continues to exist. I love the freedom of never having to answer to anyone but myself, and hubs (in certain situations).
ETA: family has a company jet, 2 helicopters, and multiple limos. Yes, makes it nice for travel, but makes me no better, or worse, than anyone else here on AN
Thankfully my family seems okay but I hate that the women in my family gets to boss everyone around, unless my Scottish Grandad is visiting and even my mom has to behave. He smacks people with his walking stick incl my older sister which I love even if I have to suffer for it. She likes to put people in headlocks, especially me! A grown woman with three kids and behaves worse than they do and my dad lets her get away with everything.
Yeah, we don't have limos or helicopters etc, good British and Irish food though. Proper bacon and sausages and lovely puddings with lashings of custard ?????
2) go into debt up to your eyeballs (and enjoy the feeling for a lifetime)
3) win the lottery/find a briefcase full of money on the street
4) get an advanced degree and/or leave RN nursing altogether
Or work!
At least 1/3 of my father's clients probably never finished high school or barely speaks English and they are all multi millionaires in so many various ways.
He has one German guy that brokers deals with institutions for MRI, X-RAY, Scanners for a commission. They give him their parameters and budget and he gets it for them delivered and installed. There's a few with salvage yards, and one who does metals from purchasing and selling to trading their futures. Quite a few South Asians who deal in Analytics. Every patient that comes through a hospital or any medical facility has their information analyzed third party brokers, broken down and rendered to be incognito and the data sold to so many different companies for blood components to DNA demographics.
There are so many obscure jobs and professions that we can't even begin to imagine what they could be.
Going to a Coldplay Concert and having to hang out with a bunch of hoity toity people and eat fancy food would be enough to get me to confess to a serious crime hardly an indulgent activity. I would rather buy a new gun and take private lessons at the range and then go for a hike or swim at the beach or even play my Battlefield 4. I'm still thinking the RV "nomad" life could be one solution if only I could figure out a way for both my SO and I to have "office space" in the RV and decent stable internet access to see patients (and avoiding killing one another that would also be important).
Going to a Coldplay Concert and having to hang out with a bunch of hoity toity people and eat fancy food would be enough to get me to confess to a serious crime hardly an indulgent activity. I would rather buy a new gun and take private lessons at the range and then go for a hike or swim at the beach or even play my Battlefield 4. I'm still thinking the RV "nomad" life could be one solution if only I could figure out a way for both my SO and I to have "office space" in the RV and decent stable internet access to see patients (and avoiding killing one another that would also be important).
Yeah mate, don't slag off fancy food or Coldplay!
That's my goal too. A fancy RV and the time to travel. There's like so many brilliant places to visit.
This is an interesting topic. My family that still lives in the inner city think I am rolling in dough and "rich". While I understand their line of thinking, I resent having some them taking advantage of me. I know I am middle class(probably even lower middle class). I have not been able to save because they guilt me,but I am learning to say "No" after getting burned so many times.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
20 minutes ago, skylark said:
Just wanted to add here that its much easier to buy a house in the US that in most other countries.
After 25 years in the UK, working first as a nurse and then an NP, my pay was barely scraping over $20 an hour. Housing in London starts at $500,000.
I lived in a houseboat and so did many others in healthcare, and the emergency services, as we are all on the same payscale.
You bring up a good point. It is important to consider Cost of living in your area. People outside of CA always point to our higher wages without considering our higher cost of living. Yes you pay for pretty much year round sunshine access to beaches and mountains etc.... but with that you get insane traffic, annual wild fires, bears in the back yard (where I live), smog etc ...
My husband and I make very good incomes but still have to live within a budget. We want to get out of CA as soon as we retire as the taxes along will kill us,
Just wanted to add here that its much easier to buy a house in the US that in most other countries.
After 25 years in the UK, working first as a nurse and then an NP, my pay was barely scraping over $20 an hour. Housing in London starts at $500,000.
I lived in a houseboat and so did many others in healthcare, and the emergency services, as we are all on the same payscale.
I did a little stint at Oaklands in St Albans about ten years ago and went in on a manky flat with my cousin in Frogmore. I fitted the central heating and boiler and put in the double glazing. It's just outside of the M25. You will not believe what that flat appraises for now. I am so glad I never sold my share.
Rogue1
37 Posts
Ways to afford pricey things on an RN wage:
1) inherit a ton of money
2) go into debt up to your eyeballs (and enjoy the feeling for a lifetime)
3) win the lottery/find a briefcase full of money on the street
4) get an advanced degree and/or leave RN nursing altogether