Yeah, mortgages definitely have a way of making you feel stuck. When I bought my place, I had this grand idea of starting a side hustle refurbishing furniture—figured it'd be easy money and fun too. Turned out way more stressful than I expected, juggling my regular job and sanding old desks at midnight wasn't exactly the dream I imagined, lol.
But even though it didn't pan out long-term, I don't regret giving it a shot. Like you said, everyone's different. Maybe OP will find freelancing or whatever side gig they're thinking about is exactly the change they need—or maybe it'll just clarify that stability is more their thing. Either way, at least they'll know for sure instead of always wondering "what if." Small steps seem like solid advice here... dipping your toes in first is usually smarter than diving straight into the deep end.
I get the hesitation—mortgages have a knack for grounding even the boldest ambitions. When I first bought my house, I toyed with the idea of freelance consulting on weekends. Quickly realized that downtime mattered more to me than extra cash... Still, you're right: giving it a shot can be valuable even if it doesn't pan out. OP, testing things out gradually might help you gauge whether your dream job is worth the leap or just a passing fantasy. Either way, you'll gain clarity.
Mortgages definitely have a way of making you think twice about big career moves, haha. But honestly, from what I've seen, it's not always an either-or situation. I've worked with plenty of folks who started side hustles or passion projects while keeping their day jobs. Some ended up loving it and eventually made the leap full-time; others realized pretty quickly it wasn't what they imagined and were glad they didn't burn bridges.
One client of mine was dead set on opening a bakery—she started small, baking cakes on weekends and evenings. After a few months, she realized she loved baking but hated running a business. She was relieved she hadn't quit her stable job yet. On the flip side, another client started freelancing in graphic design on the side and ended up thriving—he eventually transitioned fully and never looked back.
Point is, dipping your toes in gradually can give you a clearer picture without risking everything at once. Plus, your mortgage will thank you for not going all-in right away...
When we bought our first house, I was convinced I'd quit my job within a year to open a bike repair shop—had it all planned out in my head. Started fixing bikes on weekends in the garage, and it was fun at first, but after a couple months, the hobby started feeling like a chore. Glad I didn't dive right in...mortgage stress is real enough without adding regret into the mix. Sometimes testing the waters first saves you from yourself.
Yeah, good call on testing things out first. Before refinancing our place, I almost jumped ship to freelance full-time...glad I crunched numbers first. Sometimes reality checks save us from ourselves, haha.
