Can I afford landscaping?

austin944 said:
Sounds like you and your wife could benefit from a budget for discretionary expenses, assuming most of the landscaping falls into that category. Spend no more than <X> dollars every <Y> years on big ticket discretionary items, with adjustments for inflation.

This is probably why I don't have a family. I sleep better knowing that I don't have to compromise with somebody else on spending. Good luck in fighting that battle! :)
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We did agree on $25k / year for pure discretionary a long while ago. But she knows that we are in much better shape than that because I tell her. We can spend $50k / year.
 
Plan looks great! Estimate looks great too for all that work. And you said you'll use it a lot.

So do it and enjoy it!
 
corn18 said:
My plan was always pretty simple: 100% Probability of Success (Ps) with $25k / year of discretionary spending. We far exceeded that and we now have $400k more than we need for 100% Ps. Ok, great. Let's just keep that as an insurance policy for unknown unknowns.
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Looks like you just hit your first unknown unknown :).

Seriously, though, don't worry, be happy. $35K is less than 10% of your "excess". I would not sweat over it. The long term benefits are worth it.

Perhaps the real issue is you being uncomfortable with the amount your wife is choosing to spend, and fearful this trend may continue in retirement? Just asking.
 
We were worried about SORR when we retired. Accordingly, early on we were a little more careful with spending. Seven years in, the stash has grown considerably and we are older (fewer years of retirement to fund and closer to pensions and SS). So, we are much more likely to blow that dough.
 
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corn18 said:
We did agree on $25k / year for pure discretionary a long while ago. But she knows that we are in much better shape than that because I tell her. We can spend $50k / year.
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Sure, but there's ups and downs in your investments. You can say you can afford it now, but what happens if the market drops by 40% like it did in 2008?

The surplus funds I am collecting now in this Bull Market will help me sleep better knowing of the eventual Bear market to come.

But if I was forced to compromise with somebody else on spending, then I feel like a specific budget limit will lead to fewer surprises/arguments and better sleep.
 
austin944 said:
Sure, but there's ups and downs in your investments. You can say you can afford it now, but what happens if the market drops by 40% like it did in 2008?

The surplus funds I am collecting now in this Bull Market will help me sleep better knowing of the eventual Bear market to come.

But if I was forced to compromise with somebody else on spending, then I feel like a specific budget limit will lead to fewer surprises/arguments and better sleep.
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Isn't that what 100% in firecalc means? That I can handle any 30 year sequence of returns that has happened in the last 115 years? As it sits right now, we can handle the worst ever and have $400k left over. 2008 was a cakewalk for new retirees compared to 1969.
 
Our experience has been that very few of our upgrades and improvements ever increased a property's sale value, other than to make it a bit more sellable.

I think it depends on where one lives and when one decides to sell, which is hard to predict.

So, when it comes to improvements, I focus on personal enjoyment.

corn18 said:
This will not increase the value of the home by $35k.
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That design looks beautiful. I don’t see any lighting mentioned though. Is lighting included in the $35k?

As far as your actual question goes, of course you can afford it.
 
You clearly can afford it and I would not do the labor yourself either. An injury will put a lot more of a damper on ER than spending the extra money.
 
ImaCheesehead said:
That design looks beautiful. I don’t see any lighting mentioned though. Is lighting included in the $35k?

As far as your actual question goes, of course you can afford it.
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Full lighting including up lights for the front of the house are included.
 
RobbieB said:
Plan looks great! Estimate looks great too for all that work. And you said you'll use it a lot.

So do it and enjoy it!
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I agree. Plan is great. And there are a lot of plants and paver work there. $35k sounds like a good price.

Do it - you only live once.
 
I agree that the plan is beautiful, but I agree with the others who struggle with the fact that you didn't see this coming.

FWIW, we plan our capital improvements way in advance and build them into our budget. We spend a fairly big amount every year but research the heck out if it in advance, including obtaining plans if necessary and getting 3 bids, checking references, etc. So the expenditure is in the budget, and we've sat on it and it has matured for many months.

We always both reach consensus on the expenditure. We then thoroughly enjoy each of these improvements.
 
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corn18 said:
Isn't that what 100% in firecalc means? That I can handle any 30 year sequence of returns that has happened in the last 115 years? As it sits right now, we can handle the worst ever and have $400k left over. 2008 was a cakewalk for new retirees compared to 1969.
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As they say, “Past performance is no indication of future results”. :cool:

I'm just saying that agreeing to a budget removes a lot of the differences in future spending expectations that are often the source of conflict in a relationship.
 
Landscaping is like retirement.

You cannot just look at what it's going to look like when you finish--on Day One.

You've also got to anticipate how it's going to look 10 years ahead--and 20 years ahead.

Just because it looks good today doesn't mean it's going to grow up to be good.

I like how you've got a good plan. That's a great place to start. Spend the $.
 
f35phixer said:
just say DW no more clothes for YOU !!!! ;-)
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Beat me to it. lol
Well this type of spending is not a continuous yearly type of spending, so you are probably okay all in all.
 
So corn18 is this really the way you planned on gliding into retirement? You seems obsessed with fear of spending money. It actually sounds like your money is controlling you instead of you controlling your money.



Every expense or random worry turns into you starting a thread and kind of beating yourself up with should I or shouldn't I.


Why should all of us here have to talk you into spending your own money? It's not our money it's your money. You say I know we can afford it but what about X... posters debunk X and then you say fair enough but what about Y...


None of this can be very relaxing to you or your spouse..



You keep saying you have enough and even more then enough but then act like paying for some landscaping or etc, is the most stressful thing in the world. You money is there to give you and your DW a happy and contented life.



Enjoy your money and the things it does for you, try to quit letting money drive the bus, you drive the bus... That's why you worked your butt off to get in this position.



Enjoy your new yard...
 
I would get myself a 30K, 15-18 month 0% CC and spread that 30K over 15-18 months. Obviously 5K to start. We did this with our house build. Her 30K went for the kitchen and my 30K went for two bathrooms. Worked very well.

I get where you are coming from with the 4 days. It's like when you leave on a cross country trip and literally 10 miles down the road the kids need to stop to use the restroom.

Sign of things to come?=DW loves a Mimosa on a weekend morning. For many years now it has been some prosecco with a splash of OJ. Prosecco is $10/bottle at the base excahnge. 2 weeks ago the wife says "pick up some champagne while you are out". I said "you mean prosecco right?". She said "nope, champagne". Champagne at the base exchange is $50/bottle. 5 fold increase over prosecco. My worry is RE will be just like this. I will plan for X and DW will grow into X times 5. First world problems.

Good luck Corn. Blow the dough!
 
skyking1 said:
Did that include new irrigation?
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It did not. We have full irrigation in the yard and current beds so we'll need a quote for that. The second guy we had come out did our irrigation so we'll see what he charges for that.
 
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