My life part 1

In my youth, I never thought owning your own house could be accomplished unless you inherited from family deceased estates.

So has it changed, over 5 decades or so? I say yes, in many ways. Personally, in my late teens and early twenties, the money I was earning was being spent and hardly saved. There were the parties, the shouting over drinks (which I mostly seemed to be the one that provided the general shout at a bar), the renting places and then leaving and like the '*Prodigal Son verse' in the Bible, returning home with empty pockets. Little did my parents know or should I say they did know. especially mum.

Not everything goes to plan in life but in saying that everything can work out well in the end, if you make the effort. And not a lot of effort needs to be provided. It is guided, or in some cases, a major change of lifestyle that makes you get there.

Any positive dramatic circumstances are a great way to look at it. When you find a woman to be your wife and it is your first marriage, you tend to financially discuss everything before you sign the dotted line from houses to children, your parents and building a financial future together.  

The startling thing that got me with my first wife was the question of having and raising children together before we purchased a house. This is where I suggested we take a step back (as we were the age of about mid-twenties) and focus on both working, maintaining our rent, and day-to-day living costs and for my wife to find a job. She was unemployed when we were married.

We didn't have a flush wedding. No more than twenty people attended the event. It was paid for by my sister-in-law & her family. My wife's parents were in Fiji and couldn't attend our wedding. They were in the process of migrating to Australia from Fiji. 

Straight after the wedding, we spent a week at home in Cronulla ( in a one-bedroom unit). In January my wife was successful in a job at a carpet business, cleaning the factory and offices. She also got a job in an Indian Restaurant washing dishes in Caringbah. She had to walk from one job to the other and catch trains to Cronulla to walk back home.

For two years we saved hard and had enough money to place almost a deposit on a property as 20 per cent deposit. Where did we get the balance of the deposit - Well, you see both my Mum and I won 2nd prize in Lotto one day and won over $7,000. Neither of us ever told Dad. Mum banked the funds without telling him, in an account in her name, and she was happy to provide her half of those funds for our first house, Nirmala and I purchased for $80K 

One thing was I never wanted to be the son who had spent his parents' money, which was his share, of his parents' wealth. Like 'The Prodigal Son' from the Catholic Church

*Luke 15: 11-32 (as below)

The Parable of the Lost Son.

11Then he said, “A man had two sons,

12and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them.

13After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.g

14When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need.

15So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.

16And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.

17Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.

18I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

19I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’

20So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

21His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’

22But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

23Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast,

24because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began.

25Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.

26He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.

27The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.

29He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.

30But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’

31He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.

32But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”