Courage to choose

Choose courage over comfort.

This phrase has been running through my head since I heard it. And this story does circle back to mortgages, I promise.

On Saturday morning, I attended Habitat for Humanity’s Key Ceremony in Peachland. A deserving  family received the keys to their new home.

Over the years, I had heard of Habitat for Humanity but had only a vague idea of what they do as an organization. I heard of projects overseas where people go to volunteer their time to help build homes for people in impoverished countries.

I knew about ReStore, as I frequented the store in Prince George before I moved to the Okanagan.

I started volunteering with Habitat for Humanity last fall. I was looking for an opportunity to give back as I feel I have been tremendously blessed and wanted to find a way to help others in our community.

What I have seen over the last few months is what a dramatic impact Habitat has on the lives of so many people in our area.

At the ceremony on Saturday, there were tears of happiness and whoops of joy. This family’s journey to home ownership was shared. For them, it was a 12-year plan to have a home to call their own.

When it came time for the new homeowner (a single mom) to say a few words, there were not too many dry eyes in the crowd.

She shared a little more about her journey, including how she had to put her dreams of pursuing her art as a career on the back burner, in order to take the steps necessary to qualify for a Habitat home.

She talked about having to make some tough decisions. She talked about prioritizing having a safe, stable home for her son over her desire to focus on her passion.

She talked about choosing courage over comfort.

Then, she snipped the ribbon and opened the door to her new home.

There are many of us who can learn from this amazing lady, me included. Sometimes, making the tough decisions and sacrifices now will pay off in amazing ways down the road.

One couple I worked with about four years ago shared a strategy with me. They desperately wanted to buy a home, but were having a tough time saving for their down payment.

They had done some reading and started by tracking where their money was going.

They diligently wrote down every penny they spent for a month. At the end of the month, they totalled up a few different categories, and were a bit stunned to realize what they were spending on coffees and meals out.

They went into the bank and opened what they called their Impulse Account. From then on, every time they were out and about and had the urge to spend $11.50 on coffee, they would transfer the $11.50 to their Impulse Account and skip the coffee.

At the end of the first month, they had just shy of $400 in their account. Once they realized they could save money, they knuckled down and made a few other changes.

Over the 1 1/2 years, they saved what they needed for their down payment.

The following year, I worked with another young couple looking to buy their first home. This couple took things to the extreme and made some dramatic life changes as they were determined to buy a home.

For them, this meant selling one of their vehicles and their travel trailer. The young lady walked to work for almost a year to help save for their down payment.

They moved to a cheaper rental and shared the space with a roommate. They cut back on all frills, including meals out and cable.

As she put it, they ate a lot of Mac and cheese.

I couldn’t have done this, and I doubt I will see anyone else work so hard to accomplish what they did.

We all have different priorities. Home ownership is not for everyone. Home ownership may seem like a pretty big goal.

It may not happen today, tomorrow, or even over the next few months, but with a clear goal, a plan, and a strong desire to succeed there may be options out there for you that you haven’t considered.

Having the right people in your corner can make all the difference.

Congratulations to this family on their new home – you’ve worked so hard to get there and are truly an inspiration.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.