Personal Finance (Not Investing) • Seeking Guidance on Aligning Life Goals

Hi Bogleheads,

My spouse and I are at a crossroads in both our personal and financial lives, and we're looking for advice on how to better align our goals and make key decisions together. Here’s some context:

• We’re both 37 years old and, over the past 7 years, have paid off over $1M in student loans and practice debt, while also saving and investing. We’ve built a $1M nest egg in this time, and our combined income is between $500k–$700k (mostly from my income).

• Now that our debt is paid off, we find ourselves with significantly more disposable income. We’re seriously considering building a new house, but before moving forward with such a major commitment, we realize it’s time to align more fully on our shared life goals and financial priorities.

It feels like we have a lot of options now, but we’re unsure of what paths to take with this increased financial flexibility. We’re also thinking about what we might be sacrificing by committing to a $1M+ house.

While we’ve discussed these topics before, it’s been difficult to really dig deep and come to a shared understanding. I’ve typically handled most of the financial decisions on my own, including creating our IPS. We’re now looking for resources, frameworks, or tools that can guide us in having more intentional, structured conversations about our future. Specifically, we want to:

• Align on life goals (family, career, lifestyle, finances, etc.)

• Make major financial decisions—like building a house—together, in a way that feels fully supported by both of us

• Develop a clear path forward that integrates both our finances and life priorities

I understand that these conversations can be challenging, especially if one person is more proactive or comfortable with them than the other. If anyone has recommendations for books, workshops, or structured exercises that could help us navigate these topics, we’d really appreciate it.

Thank you in advance for any advice!

Statistics: Posted by bendtheneedle — Tue Nov 26, 2024 11:57 pm — Replies 4 — Views 272

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