[daveathall]

At this time in my life, I am at the former, mortgage paid etc, but I have lived hand to mouth for some of my existence. I don't mind either, normal people don't just have a spare couple of hundred K in the bank to buy their own house and car. Before I bought (mortgage) my first house, a friend advised me to get the biggest mortgage I could afford and that it would kill me for the first couple of years but it would be worth it. I didn't take his advice, I wish I had, my eventual "house for life" would have been bigger and better as a result. I don't have any regrets though, it's worked out okay.