I so need some advise/opinions. I'm usually very decisive but I am so struggling with making a decision!
Hubby & I have been married 22 years . We are trying to decide between going to Maui for 2 weeks this fall, or doing some 'house' stuff (new Wolf Range, new leather furniture, some exterior rock work).
I love Maui and it would definitely be a 1st class vacation. I guess I'm struggling with committing to a somewhat frivolous trip or doing something we can see & enjoy as a family. We have 2 older teenagers and they are great girls - we took them on our last trip to Maui 3 years ago. We are not wealthy, but they are by no means deprived - both have cars & are well provided for. I need to get comfortable with leaving them home (19 & 16) but I trust them, but still will no doubt worry.
My life could change any day since hubby works law enforcement. I know we would enjoy time away & alone, but I still keep wrestling with spending all this money on a trip.
Take the trip. I love to travel with my hubby! And from the POV of your girls...I still have very fond memories of every family vacation we took when I was a kid (up until I graduated HS). The memories will last you forever, even longer than your furniture or range will...unless you stay in your home forever, of course. *s*
It's a tough call, because you will be improving the resale value of your house, but unless you plan on moving soon, I'd go for the trip. The memories are worth it!
FWIW... 1.5 cents
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"Good taste shouldn't have to cost anything extra." - Mickey Drexler
lovestoshop, you seem like such a sensible person who has so much under control! I agree with atlgirl and think that no vacation is frivolous either, especially if you haven't been on one in a very long time. I have really fond memories of doing things on vacation that I would've never done had I stayed at home. Redoing your home is a great thing and super-practical, but you should have alone time with your hubby too!
Maybe take a week in maui and change a few things in the kitchen - so you get the best of both worlds?
If you can't do both - well then let me just say, My hubby and I spent a week in maui for our honeymoon - even though all I have now are pics and memories - I will always treasure our trip and that time together more than anything tangible that I own.
Perhaps you are indecisive because you have been to Maui before. Have you thought about any other destinations that you would like to see/visit? Perhaps if you had a newer location to look forward to exploring you would be more excited about a trip.
Also, what if you shortened your trip to 1 week somewhere and then put the money you save from shortening a week into a "house fund". That way you get a little of both. You can continue to save towards the house fund until you can make some improvements.
Those are just some thoughts...but if it is a choice between Maui and the house improvements, I say go on the trip! Life is short, enjoy, relax, and live it up!
I hate to be the voice of reason. The trip obviously sounds like so much more fun, but....
Maybe it's because I'm in the midst of some renovations & we have put our "big" vacation off until next year so we could get this done & pay bills, but I understand why the house stuff is important too. How much do you "need" the renovations? Are they just wants & could be done next year? Like my DH gets a big bonus in the spring, so we pretty much plan that will be our vacation money next year. So if you can do one this year & one next year, i'd do that. Do the trip this year & renovations next year if they are not really necessary (like your stove has a broken hinge & it bugs you to death). I guess I have been wishy washy on all my posts lately, but I wanted to say I understand that house stuff is a real consideration instead of the vacation. In my situation, I wanted to do some stuff that is really bugging me, so I'd rather do that than the vacation I know we can take any old time.
Maybe I'm just jealous that we decided and i can't go to Maui???
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Who do you have to probe around here to get a Chardonnay? - Roger the Alien from American Dad
Could you do both? Maybe take a week in maui and change a few things in the kitchen - so you get the best of both worlds? If you can't do both - well then let me just say, My hubby and I spent a week in maui for our honeymoon - even though all I have now are pics and memories - I will always treasure our trip and that time together more than anything tangible that I own.
I really like this idea. If that doesn't work, I would take the trip, as long as the renovations aren't a "now or never" kind of thing. My husband and I have several years to go before we're pretty well set up, house-wise, but you'd better believe after that, I am taking some NICE vacations!
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"We live in an age where unnecessary things are our only necessities." --Oscar Wilde
Thank you all SO much! You all have really practical and meaningful ideas and I really needed a sanity check. I think we're gonna go for the trip. The renovations are clearly optional - we built our home about 8 years ago and just recently re-did our kitchen with granite and replaced our dishwasher with a bank of stainless dishdrawers. So our existing range is nice, just not the commercial look that we want. Same with the furniture - nothing really wrong with it & it can wait. All that said...the memories will be great and (God forbid if anything every happened to my hubby) I don't ever want to look back and wish we'd spent time together. We spend a ton of time with our girls so I won't feel guilty leaving them, just needing to be sure they are safe while we're away.
I guess we'll just have to come back from vacation and save until next year to do the 'things you can see'.
Hmm...two weeks in one spot is a long time. I would spend a week, and then go someplace else you have never been to for the second week. Unless your current things your wanting to replace looks bad or doesn't fit your needs, I'd go for the trip!