u/baedelgard

I’m 33M and bought a house a little over a year ago. I intentionally bought something modest and well under my means, about 1.6x my income, but I’ve put a decent amount of money into fixing it up: around $6k for insulation, $4k for lighting, and about $10k for a kitchen update. I’m also planning a <$5k front exterior project soon.

Since buying the house, my monthly spending has trended up by roughly $1k/month, mostly from tools, furniture, repairs, and home improvement projects. I do some of the work myself to save money, but I also hire out certain things because I have a demanding job and limited time.

The house feels dramatically better to live in now: more comfortable, functional, brighter, and generally much nicer. But I still beat myself up over the increased spending. I think I’m still carrying the “save every penny” mindset that helped me get on track for financial independence in the first place.

On paper, though, my net worth has risen substantially during this same period, so I’m trying to figure out whether this is just a normal adjustment period after buying a home or whether I’m letting lifestyle creep get away from me.

Did anyone else go through this after buying a house? How did it turn out? Were there improvements you made that felt worth it in hindsight, or ones you regretted?