<prompt> Human: Quick backstory: My wife and I purchased our home almost 2 years ago when we got married. It was a special program through the FDA that helped first time home buyers in rural areas. They covered the landscaping for our front yard but we have to pay separately for the backyard. As such, it has been sitting bare for the past 2 years while we built our emergency fund and paid off credit card debt. Not sure how rpf feels about personal loans but my wife and I are considering getting one in order to get our backyard completed. Nothing crazy; some gravel, patio extension and maybe a firepit for entertaining. I am wondering if personal loan is the way to go for a purchase like this or if there is a better way to finance. What should I look out for when getting a loan. We have never taken on a project like this so any tips would be appreciated. tl;dr Is a personal loan the best way to finance my backyard project?  <response>: Unless you are doing something that requires re-grading the land for the purposes of fixing drainage issues you should not be taking out a personal loan for a luxury. The way you pay for it is saving up and sweat equity. 