Homeownership: A Husband's Perspective

I stood outside the overgrown yard and stared, dumbfounded, at the vacant home that stood before me. I gazed at the short palm trees that lined the sidewalk whose palm fronds touched the ground. The grass conquered the once segregated planters, the bushes turned into a wall of vegetation that threatened to damage my roof, and not to mention the various bugs gave us stiff leg salutes as we walked into the house. The picture that my wife took in an earlier post should be all the words and description I need.

Yet, as I stared at this diamond-in-the-rough, I couldn't help but smile. This place is going to be my home. I own this place and it will be the first real home my son will remember. He will play in the backyard, ride his bike around the neighborhood, and grow up in this home. Over time we will change the colors, add and remove items, learn new things, and add new members to our family. All of these future changes will happen in this house that I bought for my family.

I did what every father and husband fundamentally wishes to do. I provided shelter, a home for my wife and son. I did it out of love and that is the greatest thing a father can give to his family. A safe area for his kids to grow in. A house for his wife to turn into a home. That is what I thought as I looked at this house on the 25th of May. While I lack the creative genesis my wife possesses, or the instinctive handy-man ethic my father-in-law has, I have the desire to build and help my wife create a home for our son. To achieve this desire requires money, and money is a great servant but a horrible master. My contribution to this blog will aim to any fathers or husbands who are active in building a better future for their families. I'll talk about finance, I'll explain how we paid off $6,000 worth of debt in three months, I'll explain our budget, and how to thrive as a traditional family. A traditional family as in one spouse works, and the other teaches and cares for the children.

Like a sports team, we divided duties and responsibilities to each person that has a specific strength. I handle the financial side of our house hold while being transparent with my earnings and fiscal decisions. She creates the budget, and I monitor the cash flow. There is no concept of "I, my, mine" when it comes to finances, every dollar I make is distributed to the goals that we decide. It is this team work that keeps us close, and that is the key to keep a family together. 

Royal Caribbean Cruise June 2012