Does anyone else struggle with "property improvements vs savings rate" when they're doing math?
We bought a house quite near family a year or two ago, and due to me being a bum (taking three months between jobs) weren't able to get a mortgage, so ended up paying cash. Manufactured, so not stunningly expensive, but it still emptied out the funds we had saved for property improvements.
This means that the various improvements (gravel for the driveway, a carport, a proper storage shed, solar, garden beds, etc) are happening as we have funds - and, mostly, about as soon as we have funds. I've also been having to buy the proper equipment for the area - a tractor, various string trimmers, etc. So our savings rate, with all of this, is basically zero right now, and will be for another year or two as we sink money into the property.
I'm doing what I can by myself, but I lack things like earth moving equipment, and storage containers aren't particularly cheap either (about $4k for a 40'). The stuff should last just about forever once it's in place, so I'm not worried about it, and some of it should have a nice payback (rainwater storage to avoid pumping deep water, solar, etc), but my savings rate right now is flat, has been flat for a year and a half, and is likely to remain so for another 2 years.
Is this a sane path? Stuff needs to be done, and I'd like to get it done as soon as possible. :)