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!
I own the apartment I live in (apartment by choice because I love living in the city center), I can comfortably afford to travel abroad on vaccations or extended weekends as often as I want. (Well, pre-Covid). Seven weeks of paid vacation per year, sick pay for as long as needed. (The first year is automatic with a physicians note, after that it becomes a bit more bureaucratic).
In Sweden (like in many other European countries) university is free, maternity/paternity leave here is fifteen months per child (can be stretched to eighteen months at a lower $ rate). Paid sick leave to stay at home to care for your child until the child turn twelve. For children with special needs, it’s until the child is eighteen. Healthcare is universally accessible. My employer pays towards my retirement. I save extra not because I really need to, but because I want to be able to afford a bit more then the basic necessisities when I retire.
Myoglobin ? Doesn’t sound like your European holiday was much of a success...
I’ll start by admitting that most Gibraltarians probably don’t have the opportunity to live in rural areas. I mean, there’s about 34,000 of them living on 2.6 square miles. Slightly crowded one would assume...
Curious mentioned several European countries but I’ll focus on the three he listed first; UK, Denmark and Sweden.
Work in progress... ?
a. What on earth do you mean when you say that the middle and working class folks have less ability to work in rural areas? Some of the smaller countries in Europe have quite high population densities, but in a country like Sweden with a population of only ~10 million and that is approximate size of California, there’s ample opportunity to live rurally. Denmark and the UK are more densely populated but still, plenty of rural to go around...
b. It wasn’t quite 50% last time I checked But even if it were, I could live with that.
I work fulltime night which is three 10 hour and 50 minute shifts. If you work nights you only work 32.2 hours per week (instead of 38) because of the increased wear and tear on the body.
I own the apartment I live in (apartment by choice because I love living in the city center), I can comfortably afford to travel abroad on vaccations or extended weekends as often as I want. (Well, pre-Covid). Seven weeks of paid vacation per year, sick pay for as long as needed. (The first year is automatic with a physicians note, after that it becomes a bit more bureaucratic).
In Sweden (like in many other European countries) university is free, maternity/paternity leave here is fifteen months per child (can be stretched to eighteen months at a lower $ rate). Paid sick leave to stay at home to care for your child until the child turn twelve. For children with special needs, it’s until the child is eighteen. Healthcare is universally accessible. My employer pays towards my retirement. I save extra not because I really need to, but because I want to be able to afford a bit more then the basic necessisities when I retire.
c. What has given you the idea that Europeans have less ability to choose what they want to do for a living? The fact that university is free, makes higher education available to everyone (who qualifies academically).
d. Smaller apartments, houses and especially cars, is a choice. Small cars are better for the environment. Walking or riding your bike to work is better still. The smaller appartments and houses are sometimes due to a limited amount of space available, but in general we aren’t that fixated on size.. or status...
My point is that it is a different value set. By live in rural areas I meant that the cost of having say 5 Acres (or even an acre) in the country at least 30 minutes outside of town is much higher. I don't want anything from the government except maybe social security equal to the amount I paid in. I don't want paid vacations, maternity leave or any other benefits. I want to live as free and independently as possible and I aspire to be able to do so on a middle class income. That is hard in the United States and essentially impossible in most European nations (you need to be wealthy). I homeschooled my son haven't had health insurance in 30 years and haven't had a paid vacation in my entire life . However, this is a choice and other others have different value sets (no better or worse than mine). At least in the United States people who feel more like me can live in someplace like Wyoming or Florida (no state income taxes), and those who prefer more regulations, benefits and taxes can choose to live someplace like California or New York. I did feel that some of the Swiss Cantons had "some" of these things (but much more expensive again a rural house was well over a million) and Poland/Romania had more of these things but job opportunities seemed much less. I don't want to go "full blown Amish", but I like living in a country where that is at least possible. As A/I becomes more "of a things" I feel more and more people may wish to eschew much of technology and live more like Amish folks.
But who would she talk to. It's like pulling teeth to get you Swedes into a conversation. We Skype and zoom with my Swedish relatives every month and even when I am there I have to put people into a neck lock to get some chat unless Zlatan comes up. My cousin has a huge crush on Marlee Crepin if I'm spelling it right. Can't blame him!
My point is that it is a different value set. By live in rural areas I meant that the cost of having say 5 Acres (or even an acre) in the country at least 30 minutes outside of town is much higher. I don't want anything from the government except maybe social security equal to the amount I paid in. I don't want paid vacations, maternity leave or any other benefits. I want to live as free and independently as possible and I aspire to be able to do so on a middle class income. That is hard in the United States and essentially impossible in most European nations (you need to be wealthy).
Actually here buying property/land in the cities is a lot more expensive than in a smaller town or rural area.
I’m curious, in what way don’t you think I can live free and independently? How do you think my freedom is limited?
50 minutes ago, myoglobin said:
I did feel that some of the Swiss Cantons had "some" of these things (but much more expensive again a rural house was well over a million) and Poland/Romania had more of these things but job opportunities seemed much less.
What is it you like about Poland and Romania in particular? They’re two of the poorer countries in Europe and as I mentioned, Poland is moving in the wrong direction. At least if democracy and freedom is your thing.
But who would she talk to. It's like pulling teeth to get you Swedes into a conversation. We Skype and zoom with my Swedish relatives every month and even when I am there I have to put people into a neck lock to get some chat unless Zlatan comes up. My cousin has a huge crush on Marlee Crepin if I'm spelling it right. Can't blame him!
It just takes some time to get to know a Swede. Or a Finn or Norwegian. We’re quite reserved and like our private space. Danes are a different breed (if I’m allowed to generalize a bit). A bit more boisterous and continental ? Her name’s Malin (Crépin). Or full name Anna Malin Fredrika Thomasdotter Crépin. The two last are surnames and the first literally means ”daughter of Thomas”. It a Scandinavian thing ?
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
1 hour ago, myoglobin said:
I want to live as free and independently as possible and I aspire to be able to do so on a middle class income.
I also want this, and I think many other Americans too. We are supposed to be the land of the free, home of the brave, all men ( I guess not women?) created equal, liberty and justice for all, blah blah. These were our "values" during slavery and while black communities came back from the deficit of being unable to build wealth during slavery, sharecropping, Jim Crow and built middle class communities, Black Wall Street, etc. The govt used "urban renewal" and eminent domain to destroy these communities, and created a bank specifically for Black people that somehow "lost" all of their money.
Black Wall Street was burned down by a white mob with no consequences. Our country forces Black people to start over time after time and knocks them back down if they get too successful. Regan flooded their communities with drugs, then had cops bulldoze people's homes w/ tanks "looking for drugs." When they didn't find any they did nothing to help the people rebuild. Now Asian people are being attacked, people seeking refugee status are turned away, and millions of American citizens are homeless. And, number one country for mass shootings by FAR. I don't feel equal or free but I do feel brave for continuing to live here!
It just takes some time to get to know a Swede. Or a Finn or Norwegian. We’re quite reserved and like our private space. Danes are a different breed (if I’m allowed to generalize a bit). A bit more boisterous and continental ? Her name’s Malin (Crépin). Or full name Anna Malin Fredrika Thomasdotter Crépin. The two last are surnames and the first literally means ”daughter of Thomas”. It a Scandinavian thing ?
Oh no you didn't mention Finns? They are a breed onto themselves. Love their humor ???. Did you get it? Finns and humor?
They are my relatives and still it's difficult. Even when they come to America and stay with me, the silences! Not complaining though. And how come Danes are so different? My Danish relatives give my friends hell. They are always up for a scrap.
Actually here buying property/land in the cities is a lot more expensive than in a smaller town or rural area.
I’m curious, in what way don’t you think I can live free and independently? How do you think my freedom is limited?
What is it you like about Poland and Romania in particular? They’re two of the poorer countries in Europe and as I mentioned, Poland is moving in the wrong direction. At least if democracy and freedom is your thing.
I like to be able to have a garden, ride a four wheeler, target shoot, let my dogs out to run go for a walk for 30min without running in to many people. Poland and Romania seemed more affordable and the people seemed quite friendly despite the language barrier. They seemed the sorts of places where you could have a house in the country and do these (for less than say a half million) if only you had the job to afford it (good luck in those countries). The UK was SO expensive for homes in the country such as I describe. Again, my landlord's home was a "hovel" (except that it was nice stone construction) and was valued over 1.5million pounds. However, the home that we rented at the time from them for $1600.0 per month was valued at about 350K and was a six bedroom 3000 square foot in a gated community with a nice inground pool. They (my landlords) constantly assaulted me with stories of how much more affordable "the states were". One of the stories that stuck in my mind was that he went to Home Depot was awestruck that he could buy so many quality hammer s for under twenty dollars. He said in his Welsh town that he had TWO hammer choices at the local hardware store and the were both more than double that. He gave me example after example of "how good we had it" and didn't appreciate it over here.
amoLucia
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Maybe the mods could edit this post and open a chat room on Breakroom?