While I never expected to get rich, I definitely thought that being in the middle class would be easier than it is. My wife and I are both highly educated, mid-career professionals, and our household income is more than double the median income for a family of four in our metro area. On paper, we’re doing quite well. But, in reality, it often feels like we’re barely keeping our heads above water financially.

We’re not extravagant by any means. Sure, we indulge here and there—eating out a couple of times a week and driving newer cars. We went on a European trip earlier this year, our first trip abroad since we started dating in 2015. We’re also saving for our kids’ college education, though we know it’s not enough. But beyond that, we live relatively modestly. Our mortgage is about a third of what’s typical in our area. My student loans are paid off, and we have no credit card debt. In fact, other than my wife’s student loans, we’re in the clear when it comes to major debts.

Even so, we still feel financially squeezed. Up until a few weeks ago, we were paying $2,400 a month for daycare for our two kids—an amount that has since dropped to about $1,400 per month as our eldest started school. That helps a little, but it hasn’t been the relief we hoped for. We also save a bit for retirement, but like many families, it’s definitely not as much as we should.

One of the biggest stressors we face is the fact that we’ve outgrown our current home. But this is a 1,276-square-foot house in an area that we don’t particularly love. We could easily find apartments larger than our house. We'd love to get into another house, but just adding one bedroom and about 500 more square feet would bump our mortgage up to somewhere between $3,500 and $4,000 a month at current interest rates.

I fully acknowledge that space needs are relative. Plenty of people the world over live in very small homes and do so with little to no complaint. I feel sort of embarrassed even thinking that what I have is not enough. But the space feels tight for our growing family, and it just feels strange that we feel like we are living and raising our children below the standards of even our parents whom made significantly less than we did.

Hell, even if we just had a basement I feel that maybe the space would feel sufficient. As it stands, our garage takes all the brunt of the overflow of our everyday essentials and storage needs.

The idea of being so financially stretched just to get into a “forever home” seems crazy. We’re not in a bad place right now, but I worry about how long we can make this work. Moving to a larger home in a better area feels out of reach.

Lately, I’ve been brainstorming ways to increase our income to make that dream move possible. While a significant job-related boost doesn’t seem likely, I’ve started considering other ways to leverage what we already have—specifically, our current home. Maybe we could rent it out and use the income to offset the cost of purchasing a larger home. I really need to get down to the financials and see if it can work.

I’ll admit, the idea feels risky and like a lot of work. But I know people who have successfully navigated similar situations and come out ahead. Living in a house that we love in an area that suits us shouldn’t feel like an impossible dream. We just need to find a way to make it happen.

So, while we’re not drowning in debt or struggling to put food on the table, we’re still far from feeling secure or settled. It’s frustrating to feel so trapped by the current housing market and our financial situation, but maybe, with a little creativity and some calculated risks, we can find a path forward that works for us.