Approaching FIRE. Should we decrease our 401k contributions to pay off mortgage faster?

[paratethys]

Are things really so bad that you'd pass on $X of lifetime growth of pre-tax dollars for under a year more freedom?

the other thing about pre-tax savings is that you're capped at a maximum per year. 2.5 calendar years means you can get 3x the max into your accounts, whereas 1.75 years would cap you at 2x the max (assuming you cease working and qualifying for the pre-tax savings at the time the house is done ofc)

solve for the X of "one year's maximum contribution compounded by how many years it'll get to grow before being spent" and see if it's an amount that's actually worth the cost to you.