WEIGHING THE PROS AND CONS OF SWITCHING TO A 15-YEAR MORTGAGE
I get the appeal of flexibility, but honestly, I’ve found the “forced discipline” thing actually helps me stay on track. When we built our place, I thought about going with a 30-year and just paying extra, but life always seemed to throw curveballs—car repairs, busted water heater, you name it. With a 15-year, the higher payment kind of forced me to budget better. It was stressful at times, but looking back, I’m glad I didn’t have the option to slack off as much. Guess it depends how much you trust yourself to keep pushing even when things get tight...
I get what you mean about the discipline—having that bigger payment staring you down every month definitely keeps you honest. For me, though, I sometimes wish I'd had more wiggle room when unexpected stuff popped up. Ever have a month where three things break at once? That’s when I start questioning if locking into the higher payment was worth it. Still, being mortgage-free sooner is a huge motivator... just not sure everyone’s stress tolerance is the same.
