Another week has passed and what a hell of a week it’s been – or should I say month? I always find it so fascinating (and also slightly stressful) to see how others around me are doing in life. Some of my friends are buying houses, having babies, getting married. And then there are people like me, living from paycheck to paycheck, counting down the days for payday like its Christmas morning. Hey, don’t get me wrong, I love the life I’m living. I really do. But still I can’t stop wondering how and why?

I know, I know. It is very broad and probably doesn’t make that much sense. Here is what I’m actually trying to say: how is it that some people around me (same age, same degree) can afford a £300K house, while I have to double check my Monzo account to see if I can grab £3 worth of chicken breast without dipping my little toe into overdraft? Yes, I know I can already hear the Shirley’s of the world saying: “Maybe you shouldn’t buy that coffee every other day.” Trust me, babes, my £4 Starbucks habit is not what is holding me back from a deposit. Sure, yes, if I cut out I might save a little over £200 a year but let’s be realistic, I would also be stressed, depressed and caffeine deprived. So in conclusion, it would be miserable and guess what? Life is way too short to deny one of the small joys in life, especially when the big joys (like buying a house) are way out of reach.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not against a good budget plan. I actually love the idea of a good 5 year plan. Look at good old Stalin he had one and it see how it turned out for him. Although… I am pretty sure communism probably played a big part in his success, so this might not actually be the best inspo for me, alas we move. I have to say though that I always find it funny how some content creators online say that if you’d just skip drinks, or put money aside and hustle – that you could buy a house in no time. But let’s be real: my salary is below average (no joke), and cutting out the occasional drink won’t magically turn me into a homeowner. So instead, my budget is more like: pay my rent, cover my bills, survive the last 2 weeks of the month on instant noodles and still leave a little room for my little iced latte that makes my brain function.

One thing I have come to realise as well is the fact that money doesn’t always buy you happiness. Yes, of course it is helpful and would definitely help with my little (big) financial stress problem. But I am not unhappy. Happiness doesn’t always have to be about owning a set of bricks. If anything, it’s about the moments which lead up to it. The moments you get to share with your friends or family, treating yourself to a nice dinner, or deciding very last minute to book that trip to Mexico – even though (if money could talk) your bank account would probably scream at you and say “b*tch why?!”. Yes, of course money would solve stress. But I am pretty sure that people who own a mortgage, or have a baby are just as stressed, maybe not necessarily about the same things but still. So I would say that happiness doesn’t always have to be about owning more, but rather about making the most of what we’ve got.

And hey, of course I won’t stop comparing myself to others – at the end of the day its still me we’re talking about lol, the queen of comparing herself to others. But recently I have been trying to remind myself that at the end of the day, everyone is on a different timeline, with different paychecks and priorities. So for now, this is what I keep telling myself and some days it works out and others I will still cry into my Monzo app. It’s all about balance, right? 😉

So Shirley, no I don’t have a 5 year plan that is going to help me afford my first house. Should I come up with one? Maybe. But for now my plan looks more like surviving the month, enjoy my little latte, see my friends and if I have to eat instant noodles for a couple of days in a row so be it! At least I’m well caffeinated and happy (for now lol).

Love,

Rose