Yes I get that, it's a big commitment and some sacrifices (maybe adjustments) are required. Not monumentally wrong at all, just the situation. I come from a family with five children and my parents gave up a lot for us...if asked they would have said they'd change nothing.
We paid board from the moment we started working, I was thirteen, it wasn't a lot, 35% of my meagre after-school income at the supermarket, but I learned some lessons and I know those funds did some good. I'm glad to hear you're will have the same responsibility.
Those IKEA and Bunnings systems are pretty good, I've rarely heard much negativity about them, but there's some fitment issues, it just takes patience and care to get it spot on, I reckon it's a good option. Good luck with the asbestos too...Best that's gotten rid of but that needs to be done right, as you would know I guess. Happy renovating...or sprucing.
There's definitely a few things I would have changed in my own behaviour had I known then what I know now (especially financially) and I think J would be the same, but yeh the kids would definitely have been had again if we had a do over XD
Good to know about the IKEA and Bunnings systems! I have some confidence and also soe reservations with IKEA, I guess it depends on what you get, like we got some cupboards from there and the one we built into our bedroom (the house is really old and has pretty much no built in storage) is amazing, the two we got for the big two's bedrooms (which have since been repurposed for other things) are both still in pretty good nick but the three smaller ones we got as linen closets are trying to lose shelves (for whatever reason the pegs keep flying off). Guess everything has to roll a 1 sometimes xD
I think IKEA stuff rebels against being moved once it's put together, that's my experience., although it makes it easy to pull apart and discard when the tome comes. 😆