# Couple with $3m home feel stretched by mortgage and school fees

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/we-own-a-3million-home-and-have-100000-in-savings-so-why-do-we-still-feel-one-pay-cheque-away-from-disaster-vanessa-stoykov/
- Published: 2026-11-14T11:36:16+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T11:47:31+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16285839/asset-rich-cash-poor-private-school-fees-180000-income-mortgage.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: World

## Key points

- A $3 million home does not mean cash is readily available.
- School fees take nearly 28% of the couple’s gross income.
- A three-year budget review could clarify whether to adjust plans.

## Summary

A couple earning $180,000 a year feel financially stretched despite owning a home worth about $3 million and having $100,000 in savings. Money educator Vanessa Stoykov says this reflects the difference between wealth tied up in a home and cash available for bills, and suggests assessing whether the strain is temporary or the commitments are unaffordable.

The couple owe $700,000 on their mortgage and pay about $50,000 a year for their sons’ private school fees, even after scholarships. With three years of school remaining, fees could total around $150,000 if they do not rise. Stoykov advises mapping income after tax against essential spending, deciding how much of the offset account to preserve as a buffer, and reconsidering whether the school fees still fit their priorities; once they end, the freed-up money could rebuild savings or reduce the mortgage.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.