My friend Courtnay recently moved into her new home in a most incredible place. Unlike most people, though, she didn't simply get a big mortgage to build it. She did it the Generous Frugality way.
After moving from Canada to Aotearoa New Zealand (via Japan and Belize), Courtnay eventually saved enough money from her non-profit education job to buy a small section of land in 2016. Three days later, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit that town and life turned upside down for a while.
What Courtnay lacks in money, she makes up for in relationships, hard work and a love for buying things second-hand. She is generous with her knowledge, time and possessions. Courtnay and I have been friends since we started working together in 2017.
Three years ago I started a new job and - determined to give more financially - I began saving $1000/month so I could give larger amounts. This meant that I needed to live quite simply as I was working part-time for a non-profit. Meanwhile, Courtnay was going through designs and the building process, plus acquiring all sorts of used materials for her house: windows and doors, a wood burner, a kitchen and a bathroom. She even bought a cast-iron tub for outdoor baths!
With the increasing cost of building materials, inflation and mortgage rates, Courtnay was encountering financial difficulty. Because of our friendship and me believing in her vision for her home, I offered her $10,000 to contribute to her home as a zero-interest loan or - my preference - as a pay-it-forward gift.
Courtnay has finally moved into her home and is creatively financing it. It's truly a magical place to be and has been a haven for her. During a visit last week, she told me that she's already been thinking of who she could give money to in our pay-it-forward agreement.
This is Generous Frugality in action.
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