Putting the big rocks first

We dropped by a Hyundai showroom, curious about the new Grand Starex. It was — how shall I put it? — love at first sight. Our sedan and pick-up truck are 7 and 9 years old already, not yet senior citizens but certainly no spring chickens.

I’ve been wanting to have a family van that has enormous space for long drives. And this 10-seater (a 12-seater is also available) is it. The second row “captain seats” can slide, recline, fold, and swivel to face the third row. The third row can also slide to give more cargo space. You can, in fact, put a mattress on the floor to nap. Or custom-fit a mini-office inside. The possibilities! It has a 174-horsepower CRDi diesel engine that translates to power and fuel economy.

We also liked the Sante Fe, an SUV that can seat 7 (three rows with a back row that can fold for cargo space) and with a CRDi diesel engine as well, perfect for city driving. And I love the stylish design.

It doesn’t cost to dream, but the roughly P1.5 million ($35,000) Sante Fe or the slightly more expensive Starex is not in our budget. And a new car isn’t just in our list of top priorities. The same goes for that Mediterranean cruise that my parents and siblings are planning for March (the second time we chose to stay behind).

The house that we’re putting up, well, that’s going to take a big bite out of our budget and possibly dip into our savings. It is very tempting to just go to Europe or buy a new van or SUV, but that may mean charging more of our expenses to plastic, and not paying the full amount. That could mean doing extra work or forcing my wife to get a job to help pay for our growing overhead. And that would lead to anxiety, stress, bickering, and, well, you know where I’m getting at.

Life is a series of choices, of trade-offs. For us, we’d rather “sacrifice” immediate luxuries and hold off even on other minor discretionary expenses just to make sure we don’t strain ourselves especially in the next couple of years when we have to build the house, pay all those fees, buy new furniture and appliances, and adjust to a new overhead budget.

We have agreed, my wife and I, that our house is our priority. Having a place of our own, to raise our kids, to make our own rules, to plant our roots, to live the balanced and full life we aspire to, that’s what we want. And if that means driving an aging car for a few more years and taking short local trips instead, then so be it. We’re putting our big rocks first.