Right after getting married, my wife and I moved into a cramped apartment in the city.
We rented in an older building with very limited square footage because of costs.
Our goal was to save money toward purchasing a sizable piece of land. We were planning to build our dream home. I I ended up pregnant a few months after getting married! We faced a long list of unexpected expenses, including two more children and a rescue cat. We remained in our cramped and crappy apartment for nearly four years. The upside of living in the city was access to all sorts of amenities. Everything was within walking distance. I was steps away from my hair salon, coffee shop and bakery. I kept a membership at a gym located just down the street. It was convenient to visit the gym at any time of day and workout for an hour. I had my pick from state-of-the-art treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals. I tried out rowing machines, stairmasters and a wide variety of strength training machines. The selection of free weights, kettlebells and battle ropes was incredible. I liked swimming laps in the pool, relaxing in the hot tub and climbing the rock wall. Although I was eager to move into our newly constructed house, it was an adjustment. The kids and cat were delighted by the big yard. My husband was anxious to set up his workshop in the huge garage. I was anxious for the wide open living room, spacious kitchen and finally multiple bathrooms. The downside was giving up my gym membership. The travel time is too taxing to make it worthwhile. I’ve switched to using a home gym which just isn’t as beneficial.