The Nest

What I could have bought.....

Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008 3:42 PM

When I sit back and look at the amount we paid off so far, I can’t help but think of where that money could have gone if we didn’t have any debt. These are some of the things we could have done with $31,000 (I might have to do a new list every time we reach a milestone, this one really reinforced our current spending habits):

~We could have paid cash for a new car.

~ We could have finished our basement, added a bar and a game room, and finished the laundry room with LG front loaders.

~ We could have built a new deck and patio area with composite and bluestone. Not to mention bought a new grill and outdoor seating set.

~ We could have hired a mason and landscaper to build a front walkway (who the hell builds a house without a path to the front door?) and plant trees, bushes and flowers.

~We could have put in an in-ground swimming pool. Not that we want one, but that’s not the point.

~ We could have renovated our kitchen, which we are dying to do. New Floors, cabinets, granite counter tops, new sink and plumbing fixtures.

~ We could have renovated all of the bathrooms in the house.

~ We could have redecorated the guest room (paint, carpets and furniture) and started redecorating the other spare bedroom to turn it into a baby’s room.

~ We could have resided the house.

~ We could have put up new vinyl fencing around the entire backyard and also leveled and re-seeded the lawn in the backyard.

~We could have replaced all of the windows and doors in the house and added another set of doors in the basement.

~ We could have completely overhauled our entertainment system.

~ We could have funded our vacations for the next tens years, or taken that one amazing trip to Turtle Island, Fiji.

~ We could have thrown the entire amount into our retirement account.

~ I could have paid cash for school instead of taking out more student loans.

<sigh> Oh well. This is one more reason to stick to the budget and payoff plan. When the debt is gone, I can prioritize this list, and start working on the things we really need/want to do.