Why Even Have a Mortgage?

Even though there's a trend among mortgage brokers to cite the statistic that the average family stays in a home seven years (therefore a mortgage with an adjustable rate or huge balloon payment is fine), you have to realize those numbers are seriously skewed  by people who aren't settling down - whether they say they want to or not.

The dream of home ownership included the dream of settling down, putting in roots, staying for awhile, building the wraparound porch and rail you'd later put your feet up on as you lean back in your rocker and watch the wind in the trees.

I was reminded of that this morning when I stepped out for my morning walk. A buck and two does were standing in the street, looking straight at me in my driveway. (The shot you see here is, of course, after I sneaked back into the house for my camera and caught the buck skittering up the street after the does had bolted.)

To Revel in Life

What do you love? Beauty is an easy one for me, and I find it all around me in nature. I marvel, I stand in awe. I love the flowers and trees and sunsets and cottontails. And I know because our home is nearly paid for, that we'll be able to live here the rest of our lives. Or, as we're fond of saying, sell it and buy the state of Kentucky.

Taking time to enjoy the life you have is the only way to appreciate what you have, rather than to spend all your energies longing for and working for what you don't have.

How You Manage Money

Whether you're managing your money for security or wealth, whether you're aggressively paying off your home years sooner or cycling equity into investments, don't lose sight of why you're doing it. It's about enjoyment. Moral pleasures. Resonating with your surroundings. Being a better person.

I'd like to hear your story. Please use the box below to comment on why you're doing what you're doing. What do you do to enjoy life?