We moved into this house 6 years ago. I wanted new flooring right away but I didn't buy any because we had other goals at the time. The flooring looked then about how it does in these pictures. The flooring is original to the house. As you can see, it's quite dated and in spots, very ugly. One of the things about our culture and the way people think is that living with flooring like this while you save can be simply unthinkable. So, people go out, buy new flooring right away on credit cards and then make monthly payments with interest.
To my way of thinking, this is completely backwards. Why would anyone pay interest to someone else when they can save up and pay cash? Like I said, I have frugal genes and so this is just how I think. We had a number of goals that came before flooring. One of my goals was to buy a newer car. So, I spent a number of years saving money to buy my car with cash. Again, it doesn't make sense to me to pay interest if you don't have to. My old car was looking worse and worse and then when my husband got a newer car he had a junky old Geo he was driving, I decided to drive that to save more money on gas and parked my Subaru. I slowly saved $8000.00 and bought a Prius with cash. Yes, people looked at me sadly and with pity while I drove the rust old Geo. But I looked at them sadly and with pity, knowing most of them had car payments.
The same is true with any of these types of purchases. My husband and I have been busy building a business over the last number of years and having money for the business has always been top priority for me (my husband is a little looser with the cash).
So, for 6 years, I lived with what I had. Finally, I decided it was time. I found some linoleum that I liked at .99 a square foot on sale. This cost $545.00. I had a guy come out and he laid it for me for $688.00. Some of that was supplies he bought to lay it and some was labor. I made sure he bought glue and I payed him to glue it down because I don't like free floating linoleum (that was an extra $200.00).
I am so pleased with the outcome!
The pleasure of having the new flooring comes with no guilt over making monthly payments and interest. It is here free and clear.
No stress, no worries that the money is going to be already spent if there is an emergency because we have other money saved up for that.
Later, I want to do the rest of the house with wood laminate flooring. The living room and bedrooms are ugly with old carpets. It will be an overwhelming project, not because I won't save the money, but each room will have to have all the furniture removed. I am hoping we can do it ourselves and won't have to pay labor costs.
So I am thrilled with this new flooring. It is so worth it to save up and not have to worry or stress over the money aspect of things. If I didn't have the cash to pay for it, I would simply have lived with the old flooring. Simple as that.
Happy Savings!
