I want to share the mental framework I use for major financial decisions, because having a consistent process reduces anxiety.

For any financial decision above some threshold (mine is $2,000), I ask four questions:

1. Is this aligned with my values and current priorities? If no, the conversation is short.
2. What are the actual numbers? Not estimates or feelings — the real cost including ongoing and opportunity cost.
3. What's the second-order effect? Buying a house means reduced liquidity, property taxes, maintenance obligations, and reduced investment potential from tied-up equity.
4. Am I making this decision from a place of FOMO, social pressure, or marketing, or genuine reflection?

Most bad financial decisions survive question 1 (it sounds good) and fail questions 2-4 (the real numbers are worse than estimated, the downstream effects are more significant than anticipated, and the decision is driven by comparison rather than reflection).

The framework doesn't make decisions for me. It makes the actual considerations explicit, which usually clarifies what I actually want to do.