Figuring out where all the money goes after buying a house

Sometimes it feels like you’re paying for peace of mind, not actual coverage.

That’s the part that always trips me up. I remember reading through a home warranty booklet and thinking, “Wow, they’ve basically excluded anything that could actually go wrong.” I ended up making a spreadsheet of what was covered versus what wasn’t... let’s just say the spreadsheet was mostly red. At this point, I just stash a little extra in my ‘unexpected repairs’ fund each month. It’s less stressful than arguing about what counts as “normal wear and tear.”

Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing. The fine print on those warranties is wild—by the time you read all the exclusions, you wonder what’s actually left. I’d rather keep a rainy day fund too. At least then you know where your money’s going.