In the beginning of our marriage, we had trouble making ends meet. Finances were tight. #thestrugglewasreal… and we had NO idea how to manage our money. I went from being a girl whose needs were always met to choosing between a haircut and staying on budget for the groceries that week. And by the way, what is a budget again?
We sought help for our sad pocketbooks as we attended FPU through our church – a program by Dave Ramsey to help idiots people like us learn a sensical and biblical view of how to manage money. Quickly we learned that Uriah’s $30,000 a year was not quite enough to live on and have unnecessary things like… cable. Store brand boxed mac-and-cheese with microwavable frozen broccoli soon became our mantra. {the spiral kind is the best}
Overwhelmed with the reality that we were on our own with little income and an infant to care for, Uriah ended up having to get a second job while I pursued finishing my nursing degree. And within our first year of marriage, we found our first “flip”. I’m not gonna lie, things got worst before they got better. Renovating that place was the longest 4 years of my life. It was like DIY by force. Young House Love was my best friend. Compelled to be frugal in areas I never thought I would have to be, I learned to love craigslist and thrift stores. More importantly, I learned to make the most with what was in front of me.
Now, I look back on those difficult times and I am SO grateful. Grateful for the struggle. Struggle is good. Sometimes struggle is necessary. It develops character, grit, and perserverence. Here are some of the biggest lessons I learned while living through a fixer-upper renovation.
- To live within your means and avoid going into debt
- The value of a dollar and what it means to be responsible with that dollar
- YouTube tutorials are like DIY gold
- The beauty of living simply
- To be content with a little or a lot
- To realize a lack of entitlement to any material thing.
- A strong work ethic
- The importance of making a good investment in your home
We made a good investment in our first home {see more on that in Part 1 and Part 2 of Our First “Flip”} and you can too. If you see the value in buying a fixer upper for yourself, desire to have some built-in equity, and are willing to live through a renovation – we fully support you. We have been there/done that and we can help. Uriah knows the market well and can help you determine the value of a particular home or investment property. It will be difficult, and hopefully it won’t take 4 years, but it should be worth it.
Need help finding your own fixer upper to get things started? Contact us…
Don’t really want to live through a renovation, but want an updated house? We flip houses in Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill, and surrounding areas. If we find one that suits you, we can renovate it according to your budget. Contact us here and we can start a conversation.
Until Next Time…
