June has been a costly month. My annual bills for Auto, Home and Liability Insurance are due. My car registration with NC’s ridiculous “property tax” fee is due. I had an unexpected foot injury that cost me several hundred dollars to treat and resulted in me purchasing 4 pairs of running shoes. I found termites and had to pay for a complete extermination treatment.
When I lived on the road, I had eliminated a bunch of expenses. I had no home to insure or maintain. I had very little storage space and less stuff. I was officially still a FL resident, so taxes were minimal.
But living on the road sucked – even if it was cheap.
I knew when I settled back in Raleigh that my costs would increase. I was well aware that buying a home here would mean I’d be back to paying more for insurance, taxes, maintenance and repairs.
That’s the price you pay for being a homeowner.
I knew I’d be hearing lawn mowers, leaf blowers, doors slamming, crying kids, sirens, Diesel engines and buses.
There would be traffic issues. There would be local politics. There’d be good and no so good neighbors.
I had run away from all of this after my wife died. Two months of solo living in the wilderness helped me figure out that I belonged back in society.
So I made a decision that going forward I would accept the costs of living in suburbia without complaint.
After all, these are the price of admission.