Difficulties
I have to admit, at times it was a little difficult to deny myself some splurges. My friends were driving brand new BMWs, Mini Coopers, and Lexuses. There I was, driving a turn of the decade Honda that had dents all over it with peeling paint. Being a 20-something single guy driving a beat up Honda was not exactly winning me any awards with the ladies. My wife even admitted after we got married that she paused when I pulled into her driveway to pick her up. Needless to say, she looked past that, and we’ve been happily married, and debt-free, for four years now. Neither of us regret that old Honda because it allowed us to achieve financial freedom that much sooner.
Life Post-Mortgage
I was able to pay off my mortgage in 7.5 years. When I finally paid it off, it didn’t really sink in until a couple months later. There was no party or celebration. Looking back, I wish I had done something to commemorate that milestone a bit more.
With that said, about six months later, my wife and I decided to plan a dream trip to Europe. The best part of the trip was I wasn’t worried about the money. Sure, we were still frugal and stayed at affordable, but nice, hotels. But I didn’t have "saving money for the mortgage" on the forefront of my mind. It allowed us to really enjoy ourselves.
So what’s life like now? Since the mortgage is paid off, my wife has the ability to take care of her special needs sister full-time. If we still had our mortgage, we wouldn’t be in the same position that we are now. On top of that, I decided that since I don’t have a mortgage anymore, that I would pursue projects at work that actually interested me.
Surprisingly, by pursuing projects that I am actually passionate about has led to me receiving two promotions since I’ve paid off my mortgage. People had always encouraged me to pursue my passion, but that advice was hard to apply when I was so focused on trying to pay off my mortgage.
Being debt-free has changed my life for the better! Click To TweetBeing debt-free has changed my life for the better, and I wish it upon everyone else who is reading this. While it may seem intimidating and daunting at first, start with baby steps, and you, too, can achieve financial freedom.
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Rob
Latest posts by Rob (see all)
- How Paying Off the Mortgage In 7.5 Years Changed My Outlook - February 13, 2017
How amazing! I’d love to pay off our mortgage in 7.5 years. I might have to try this out. We’re also driving older cars–we don’t need the newest and the best which is why we’re not in debt like our friends. The only debt we currently have is the mortgage.
Amber Myers recently posted…Should You Blog About Your Kids?
Hi Amber!
Thanks for stopping by. That’s great that you all drive older, more affordable cars. I highly recommend trying to pay off your mortgage! It’s a great feeling.
Best,
Mustard Seed Money
Mustard Seed Money recently posted…Budgeting for a Vacation
Oh gosh- I cannot even think about BUYING a home in California right now. And on Wednesday my husband and I are finally moving into together! ONE step at a time for me, hahaha!
GiGi Eats recently posted…“Meat” Your Valentine!
Hi GiGi,
One step at a time is right! Haha. Thanks for stopping by!
MSM
I definitely need to take your advice. I don’t own a home yet but hope to soon
Hi Rocio,
I hope my advice will be applicable for you in the future. Best wishes on your house hunting!
MSM
I have a lot of respect for the discipline you showed to achieve your goal, Rob. While I’m not as big on paying down low interest debt as other financial bloggers, I recognize the peace of mind it has provided you. And the 2000s was definitely the right time to make that decision with the weight of two significant recessions bringing down the market.
Go Finance Yourself! recently posted…Is Your Emergency Fund Bloated?
Hi Drew,
Thanks for stopping by. That peace of mind was huge for me. I sleep much better at night now 🙂 Thanks for your feedback.
Rob
Very nice job! I can’t imagine putting half my paycheck into a mortgage, so I can see how that’d be huge motivation!
Daniel Palmer recently posted…How To Raise Money-Smart Kids
Hi Daniel,
Yeah, it was nuts. I had great motivation to pay off my mortgage– that’s for sure! Thanks for stopping by!
I can’t wait to be debt free. I’ve had to use cards to pay for my uni fees but once I qualify and earn more money I can start to pay them back off! Well done to you!
Thanks so much, Jo! I wish you the best in paying off all of your debts! It will be a breath of fresh air once you are debt-free!
Mustard Seed Money
Paying off your home mortgage is a great accomplishment MSM! The key thing is that you set a goal and you made it happen and that is always something to be proud of.
Unlike most PF bloggers, I have a different perspective. I don’t believe in paying low interest debt off, especially in such a low interest rate environment.
Michael recently posted…Drinking Water
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your feedback! It’s always nice to accomplish a goal, especially a lofty one!
MSM
That is one heck of a great accomplishment! It really does free up a lot of the monthly budget. We do still carry a mortgage payment but I am looking forward to the day that it is gone. There can be a discussion whether the money could be invested at a higher rate of return but that is a personal decision that is not all encompassing for everyone. Cheers buddy!
Hi Mr. Defined Sight,
It’s definitely nice to have the ability to choose where excess money in the monthly budget can go! Thanks for reading.
Mustard Seed Money
Very interesting article! I’m renting right now and I think it’s a waste of money- I would prefer to pay for my own house every month!
Kat recently posted…Haircare Essentials, part 2- HUMECTANTS
Hi Kat,
Thanks for stopping by! Renting can be helpful if future plans are unknown, but I know what you mean about it feeling like a waste of money.
What an inspiring story! I love that you get the relief of mortgage pressure – but more than that, I love that you passed it on to your wife, allowing her to be at home to care for her sister.
Author Brandi Kennedy recently posted…Monday Minute: Starting The Week Off Right
Hi Brandi,
Thank you for your feedback! My wife does feel blessed to be able to stay at home and care for her sister and also our son. Paying off our mortgage was definitely the right decision for us.
MSM
Good for you! That is quite an accomplishment. Must be a great feeling.
Thank you so much, Helene! And thanks for stopping by!
MSM
I think that it is great that you sacrificed so much but by doing so you managed to be debt free for four years. Well done you for being so savvy with money!
Ana De- Jesus recently posted…Get Valentines Day Ready With Treatwell
Thanks Ana!!! It was definitely a sacrifice but something that we are definitely glad that we did.
Rob recently posted…Guest Post: My Family On A Budget
This is awesome. And its our plan to pay off our mortgage in less than 10 years. The thought of traveling debt free sounds like the best incentive possible.
Stacey recently posted…Waiting on military orders
Traveling debt free was definitely the carrot that I helped get me super motivated 🙂
wow!! thank you so much for sharing this article, I just send it to my 4 freind and I will read it again with my husband thank you !!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the article and I hope your friends enjoy it as well 🙂
Rob recently posted…Guest Post: My Family On A Budget
Getting our mortgage paid off is our number one goal. As you mentioned, we may be a bit crazy for wanting to get it paid off (especially since our rate is 2.75%), but we just can’t stand having debt; it’s our last remaining debt.
Mrs. Need2Save was crunching numbers over the weekend and got our last payment down to sometime around November 2020.
Mr. Need2save recently posted…The Decade of Big Decisions
Wow November 2020 is just around the corner. I will definitely be rooting you on and I can’t wait to hear all the adventures you have after you pay it off 🙂
Great job and we’re so happy for you guys! A paid-off house sounds amazing. We’ve still got a few student loans and also don’t plan on staying in our current home much longer, but when we buy our next home, we hope to pay it off as quickly as possible!
Thanks for sharing Mrs. COD!!! Paying off debt was definitely one of the best things that we ever did 🙂
It feels like a huge weight has been lifted after you’re done paying off your debt. That’s exactly how I felt when I was done with my debt!
Carol Cassara recently posted…La La Land + love
I didn’t realize how much the debt was weighing me down until I finally paid it off 🙂
So amazing that you paid your mortgage off in 7.5 years! That is so impressive!! It’s definitely a huge weight lifted!!
https://lovekimber.com/
We rent right now, and are working to pay off our student loans as soon as possible. Eventually, I’d like to buy a house, but my concern is that we are considering moving, and I don’t want to buy a house and then move again. Kudos to Rob to paying off his mortgage, though!
Alex recently posted…Back to Blogging {The Next Level}
Thanks for sharing Alex!!!
Sounds like you are crushing some student loan debt!!!
Hopefully you can find your forever home soon and not worrying about moving in the future 🙂
Cheers to you MSM! Putting yourself in a good position today so the future is that much more flexible to your wants and needs.
Steven recently posted…Should I invest in my 401 (k) company match or Pay off Debt?
Thanks for the warm wishes Steven!!! I definitely agree that it has provided a ton of flexibility for the future.
Way to go on paying off your mortgage! We’re 8 years into working on ours and we still have a ways to go, but we’re working on it!
Driving a beat up Honda seems like a good plan for getting a wife who will be willing to sacrifice to get ahead- all part of a good financial plan. One who wouldn’t date you unless you had a new car is going to have a very different attitude towards finances. 🙂
You and your wife are a great source of inspiration for many others ! Keep up the great work of inspiring others to follow in your path ! My wife and I have no other debt besides our home and we are on course to pay our home off in 2 years. Thanks again for keeping us as well as others focused on achieving a goal that is life changing !!!
You and your wife have impacted many others in a positive way through your success. Thanks for keeping us inspired to keep working towards paying off our mortgage. Even though I drive a 20 year old Honda Civic I get more satisfaction watching the balance of our mortgage drop each week. We have two more years on this journey and we will be debt free! Thanks again for inspiring others to work towards a life changing goal!