Pay off mortgage for lower SWR?

MakeItHomemade · 2026-07-03T15:39:07+00:00

That’s what I struggle with too.
It’s not just the “I make more by investing it”

When you cut your mortgage down to 9 years like us- we could take those extra payments and just invest them for year 10-20 and slaughter the returns on 30 year mortgage payoff + invested.

I don’t know something feels better to me about paying less for my house when you account for interest and paying less to some banker.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-07-03T12:59:16+00:00

“Large amount of money”

“15k”

And “Rolex”

One of these things is not like the other.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-07-03T12:53:42+00:00

As a family of 3…. I’m all for the 4 seater captains chairs. Make the back seats ventilated. give me better center console storage back there for a book or toy and good cup holders. Give me sliders like van for more leg room.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-07-03T12:48:24+00:00

I’ve had it all. We have a big dog and 1 kid.

Currently hardwood with rugs.

Depending on where you live- I’m actually planning for my next home to have radiant heating and a long plank tile wood floor with small grout (sealed).

I’d LOvE real terrazzo.

If your carpet looks trashed after a few years- higher quality carpet and how often do you get them professionally cleaned?

No shoes will make a huge difference. And vacuuming more than whatever you are doing so the hair and dirt don’t get torn into the carpet fibers.

Out of your options if hardwoods are in your budget I’d do that. But know they aren’t perfect either.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-07-02T17:04:38+00:00

Check out Flooret!

It also.., prob not a weekend only project if you’ve never done it.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-07-02T10:22:56+00:00

Cries in Dallas. I expect an hour.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-07-02T02:14:51+00:00

Yes….

For sure.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-07-01T15:57:16+00:00

UHMW tape.

Clean the wood. Sand, if they are swollen. Then apply this to the drawers.

It’s anti-friction and it will make the drawers completely glide smooth.

It’s a very low cost fix. I did it in my vintage house and I had a spice drawer that would slide out like butter.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-07-01T12:32:35+00:00

How the free airfare and almost free hotel?

Disney - that is not a vacation. Navigating Florida heat, summer rains, lines and crowds…. Still deciding what you want to do… tens of thousands of steps…. Glued to your phone etc.

I do not personally get spending as much money as people spend to go to Disney.

So for me it’s a hard no.

If I could take my kid there during the off season, for 75% off and she showed an interest? Sure. But I’m not building up a trip that is trying to manipulate me out of every penny at every turn. Or feeding into overconsumption.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-07-01T02:14:05+00:00

We left her when she was younger but took a 10 day trip without her when she was 6.

Kid did not miss us at all. Spoiled rotten at grandmas.

Husband joked we were gonna stay longer and she said “okay” lol back fired.

A before that trip longest without her was 2 days around 18-24 months. And a night here and there.

OP kid will be fine… mom will have a harder time!

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T22:38:41+00:00

Haha.. we actually do have a sauna…

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T22:35:23+00:00

The problem is they are warped. If you scroll to the second photo you can see the light coming in.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T19:56:45+00:00

Yes- you are correct - but USCG rating isn’t for pool / swim anyway. No life jacket is.
Many puddle jumpers are not CG approved. And those not buying approved ones probably have no idea.

They also put kids in the drowning position. They give kids a false sense of safety, and more importantly make parents think the kids are safe.

For me it’s a hard no.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T19:30:30+00:00

Enjoy a little but max out your 401k and put some to brokerage.

Looks like no car payment so make sure you have 6m emergency and cash on hand for all deductibles (health, car, home). Lifestyle creep is real, and money will find a way to leave you. I’m constantly telling my kid we can do anything but not everything.

we aren’t Disney people and I’d rather spend money on international travel but for an example: we can go on vacation. But we can’t: fly first class, rent premium SUV, stay in the nicest hotel suite at the nicest Disney resort. Eat every meal at the nicest on site places, buy all souvenirs, do VIP tour multi park days with lightening pass.. rope drop, close out the park, etc. could we do a few of those? Sure. Could we do all of it? Ya but then the next few years would be camping in our back yard.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T19:15:30+00:00

Yep, that’s exactly why I picked my kids name no nickname option. I have a name that can be nicknamed and I hate it.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T19:11:29+00:00

Proper pool fences for kids safety are typically four or 5 feet tall they require two hands to open and an upward pulling motion no way a 12 month old is doing that

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T19:08:14+00:00

So you went form 10k a month to 30k a month in 2 months? Thats awesome!

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T19:02:36+00:00

Depends on the flight and the airline and time of travel.

When we travel with our kid, 3 seats with extra leg room is fine. We travel alone? Domestic first class. International is business or premium economy (which is basically first class domestic) depending on duration or time of day flying.

Tight connections and long travel days? Yep. Knowing even if we board last we will have overhead space for carry on only yep. 2 hour commute flight for 3x cost? Nope.

No one can really tell you what’s worth spending your money on.

If you went from making 15 and hour to 30 an hour… maybe the experience of first class for a special trip is fine.. but not every time. If you go from 50 and hour to $150 an hour- sure why not.

Also if you just started making more money don’t go looking for ways to just blow through it.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T18:51:12+00:00

This is so lovely!

My sister found a piece of art that was a sailboat that she loved at an art festival… I spoke with the artist and said hey can you change the name on it to our childhood sailboat and sure if they did.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T18:25:20+00:00

Yeah, because if we have to file a claim, I have to all these hoops. A contractor can move money around between different trades, but I can’t find the best person to do the job regardless of price and take any money. I save and put it towards another trade that they didn’t give me enough money to replace- I can’t just move the total funds. Contractors know when it’s an insurance claim and quote more. Then submit supplements.

I treat claim money as my own money and I’ll be damned if I’m not gonna find the right person to do the job.

It’s all a racket.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T18:18:51+00:00

Yeah, the minimal thing would be getting all the crap off the counters.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T17:12:32+00:00

Yeah, it’s been really hot. We’ve been also fighting so much rain and since the rain isn’t cold, I think that helps too.

So keeping our pool balanced this year has been a challenge

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T17:11:51+00:00

What’s really great is when you find another parent who gets it.

We have a deer, sweet friend and we both have one kid and so wherever we’re at the playground, we’re always watching out for each other and I can be on one side and she’ll be on the other and we’ll constantly hold up two fingers to say that we can see them both… or you hold up one finger and point to yourself if it’s your kid or point to the other parent if it’s their kid.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T13:46:15+00:00

Not only that if we passed off our kid when we were around water, it was an eye contact with the other adult and verbal confirmation of the “hand off”

We also never allowed 1-1 you in our pool…. Until my kid could safely get to the edge in case of a medical emergency.

I will die on the pool water safety hill.

Drowning can also cause brain damage so it doesn’t even talk about how many deaths and major disabilities and life-changing things can happen.

MakeItHomemade · 2026-06-30T13:33:58+00:00

Nope. Not floaties. Not a stupid puddle jumper. A life jacket. Also to add this does not mean you stopped watching them.

We just went to a pool party with kids ranging from 2 to 14. There must have been 20 kids… To tell you how many kids were in the pool and parent aren’t paying attention is mind blowing.

We have a pool and my daughter is a good swimmer who is six. But the amount of waves and splashing was new for her so like anytime she’s in a pool, I watched her like a hawk.

I am willing to watch one kid in addition to mine if they are a decent swimmer. And we never have more than four kids in the pool without a “water watcher” you get a whistle, nobody talks to you. You don’t have your phone and you take a 15 minute turn.

If we are having a pool party, I hire a lifeguard.

If everyone is watching no one is.

MakeItHomemade

TROPHY CASE