If you're a bloke in your 30s or 40s, chances are you’ve felt the heat lately."When ya buying a house, mate?”, “ or You don’t wanna be renting forever!"
Yeah, thanks Dad.. but what if, deep down, you’d rather throw your cash at a dirty big 79 Series, lifted to the moon, with a canopy that costs more than your missus’s engagement ring?
Sounds irresponsible? Maybe. But maybe, just maybe… it’s not as dumb as it sounds because when it comes to life, the real question isn’t just “What can I afford?” It’s “What makes me actually bloody happy?”
The Hidden Cost of “Doing the Right Thing”
Owning a house is, let’s be real, a smart move for most blokes. It’s security, it’s stability, it’s investing in your future self… But a mortgage alone doesn’t guarantee happiness.
Harvard has been running a study for the last 85 years straight tracking blokes to find out where genuine happiness comes from, and it’s not cash & career… relations & experience are the real heavy hitters when it comes to long-term happiness.
You can be a homeowner and still be miserable if you lose sight of what lights your fire. Spoiler: It probably isn’t the new retaining wall you just spent $9,000 on.
Houses Come With Bills, 79’s Come With Adventures
Buy a house, and you're strapping yourself to rates, repairs, maintenance, and body corp meetings where someone whinges about your wheelie bin. Buy a 79, and your biggest concern is whether you packed enough beers for the weekend.
Of course, a 79 won’t pay you rent in 20 years’ time but it will pay you now.. in memories, good times, and compliments from other blokes on the road. It’s not about "either-or”, it just about making sure your whole life isn’t eaten up by responsibility.
Property Value vs. Life Value
Will a house go up in value? Most likely, yeah, and you’ll probably thank yourself at 60 when you’re not still paying off someone else’s mortgage. That said, every study on happiness agrees on: You won't remember the bricks. You’ll remember the moments.
Getting bogged in the Daintree? Crossing the Simpson? Fraser trips with the lads? No financial asset will ever beat that feeling.
What The Experts Actually Say About Happiness
Psychologist Martin Seligman, the man behind the positive psychology movement, reckons it boils down to personal responsibility, meaning and resilience:
- Having freedom over your choices
- Feeling connected to good people
- Doing sh*t you love so much you lose track of time
- Having a sense of purpose bigger than “work, pay bills, die”
Whether you find that in a house or a ute… that’s the real goal. A mortgage can absolutely be part of a great life but only if you’re still living it, not just paying for it.
At the end of the day, buying a house is probably one of the smartest financial moves you’ll ever make (& a 79 Series could be the worse if you’re a 2nd year apprentice). If you can do it - do it & your future self will probably be grateful. Don't make the mistake of thinking owning a house = owning happiness.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, this ins’t a ad for your new Cruiser. Balance working hard with playing hard. Happiness needs fuel too and sometimes that’s a rig, a bike, a boat, a console or a new set of clubs… Work smart, plan smart, invest smart, but don’t forget to live smart too.
