How quickly should one pay off a house?

How can you buy or invest in additional quality of life for 1,000 or 2,000 euros? We have a very large, centrally located house, two cars (okay, could be upgraded), fly on vacation twice a year, basically do something on every free day or meet with friends or family.

Reducing work is also not sensible. My wife already works part-time and I only have 38 hours and 3 days a week home office - in home office you don't really work through, but rather do household chores in between and do the weekly shopping during the lunch break. I am already in a position where I have my own topics - they don't become fewer by reducing hours - working time just gets condensed.

Normally, everyone has some kind of dreams that can only be financed with money. Whether it's special travel destinations, a certain dream car or other purchases/events/hobbies, it varies greatly. How expensive these dreams are also varies a lot. If you say for yourself that you are perfectly happy and still have money left every month, then that's okay. Then put your money into paying off the mortgage to pay off the house as quickly as possible. Once the house is paid off, you build up assets further and if you are still perfectly happy in old age, then your children will eventually enjoy a nice inheritance.

You ask, "How quickly should you pay off a house?" I think the thread has shown that there is no right or wrong answer to this question, since everyone can have a different opinion and it always depends on your own life and situation.

Normally, everyone has some dreams that can only be financed with money.
(...)

Not necessarily. There are actually quite a few people who earn very well, accumulate the money and that's it. It almost seems to me that the dreams become fewer the more money you have to fulfill them. Well. If he can't think of anything to do with the money, then just pay off the house. It certainly won't harm him.

Not necessarily. There are actually quite a few people who earn very well, accumulate the money, and that's it. It almost seems to me as if the dreams get fewer the more money you have to fulfill them. Well. If he can't think of anything to do with the money, then just pay off the house. That definitely won't hurt him.

Hmm... To me, it seems more like it's the other way around. People (we are still talking about "normally" earning people) tend to hoard money because they have no idea what they could do with it. Or simply no interest. They prefer to stay in the bungalow at the campsite on vacation rather than travel around the world. somehow gives that impression too. There is enough money for the current interests. New hobbies or upgrades to existing hobbies seem to be uninteresting. That's okay too.

How about your family? No idea how old your kids are. But in the teenage years, for example, the desire often comes up to fly to the USA or Japan. If someone wanted to sponsor us money, we would immediately go to Disneyland for a few days with our 5-year-old (in addition to the annual vacation).

Especially fulfilling kids’ wishes is admittedly a bit of an issue. You don't want to completely spoil them either. Many then fall into an automatic mode where the precious virtue of saving is supposed to be taught to the kids. And then you forget to make the most of the few years with them.

The phrase "money to improve quality of life" sets a pretty high moral bar. I also have a long list of things I would like. Would they improve my quality of life?! No idea. Do I still buy some of those things? Yes!

So I take the 1k-2k for what costs money.

Exactly right! And that’s why I am currently looking for some inspiration, ideas, etc...

Normally, everyone has some kind of dreams that can only be financed with money. Whether it’s special travel destinations, a certain dream car, or other purchases/events/hobbies, that varies a lot.

Yes, gladly a few concrete ideas or inspirations. And surely you have dozens, but please of course under the mentioned conditions (no complete giving up of our jobs, our social environment, the social environment of our children, etc.—not even for just a few months).

If you say for yourself that you are perfectly happy and there is still money left over every month, then that is okay.

Basically, we still spend more than the average family. But I am happy to get inspirations here about what material wishes others might have fulfilled (we already had cars here in the thread, gladly other topics as well).

There are actually quite a few people who earn very well, accumulate cash, and that’s it.

People with higher incomes then tend to pay more attention, for example, to regularly switching their energy tariffs. They also tend to know better what they are entitled to (e.g., legally). Cigarette consumption is negatively correlated with income. Also, the people who buy a few beers at the gas station or convenience store in the evening are usually not the managers & co. (they obviously also drink beer, but they get it beforehand at the supermarket). Something I often read/hear about cars: the ordinary production workers drive fancy cars, the engineers keep their 20-year-old Passat running. And my boss prefers camping (with a tent, not so modern with a caravan or motorhome) instead of going to a hotel. (All of course only anecdotal and/or statistical on average, meaning it can always be quite different in individual cases.)

New hobbies or upgrades to existing hobbies are apparently uninteresting.

For example, I have already tried various sports (at the level with teachers and courses for at least 6 months, partly years, including golf, tennis, and swimming, but also many other things). I always ended up back at the gym, where I can exhaust myself individually at my own pace, have a balance, and do something for my health. Sometimes alone or with friends – depending on the mood of the day. And I have checked out all the trendy and expensive gyms in the city and still ended up where I always was – simply the best choice in terms of crowd, equipment, occupancy, etc.

How about your family? No idea how old your children are. But at the teen age, there is often the wish, for example, to fly to the USA or Japan.

We (the adults) have already been to the USA several times (together, alone, during our relationship, even before... NYC, LA, Chicago, Las Vegas, SF, California, Florida... and also smaller, unknown places). As soon as it’s feasible with the kids, we will surely do longer, bigger trips again. Our little one is 2 years old – I don’t want to impose long trips and a lot of walking through cities on her (too big for the stroller, too small to walk a kilometer nonstop). Therefore, we currently limit ourselves to Europe and tend to put city trips rather at the end (we have also already been to many places in Europe... London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Rome, Milan, Venice, Monaco/Nice/Cannes, Prague, Budapest, Sofia, etc... and also many smaller towns/places/secondary cities like Lyon, Bergamo, Antwerp, Marseille, Rotterdam, etc... – you need to save a bit for 40+ or we will surely visit some cities again). Currently, the best vacation with the kids is simply some beach and pool in Mallorca, Greece & Co. – from 4-star, family-friendly, and close to the beach. We usually choose accommodation without food and then always eat in nice restaurants on-site that appeal to us. Every day somewhere different.

If someone wanted to sponsor us money, we would immediately (in addition to the annual vacation) spend a few days at Disneyland with our 5-year-old.

Disneyland, without having looked into it too intensively, would really be the exact opposite of a nice, authentic vacation for me. Disneyland & cruises... – because for me those are really completely artificial environments (of course, the cruise destinations are great, but I want to stay there longer on site, go to typical restaurants as far as possible (in tourist areas, of course, rather badly, but better a well-done local restaurant than the truly completely artificial onboard restaurant). And Disneyland, as far as I know, you just have some Mickeys in costumes running around and then can queue for hours for a mediocre roller coaster ride or whatever.

The expression “money to improve quality of life” sets the moral bar quite high.

The expression did not come from me.

I would also have a long list of things I’d like to have. Would they increase my quality of life?! No idea. Do I still buy some of the things? Yes!

Sure, always bring on ideas...

What else can one advise... You seem to be a black-and-white thinker...

no complete giving up of our jobs

our social environment

...because no one asked that of you.

what maybe others have fulfilled in terms of material wishes (we already had the car topic here in the thread

You... you dealt with the topic very extensively...

But I like to get inspirations here as well, what maybe others have fulfilled in terms of material wishes

No, it’s not about material things. Maybe you should open a new thread for brainstorming hobbies and materialism. But here it is completely off-topic now...

People with higher income, for example, pay more attention to regularly switching their energy tariffs. They also tend to know better what they are entitled to (e.g. legally). Cigarette consumption is negatively correlated with income. Also, the people who buy a few beers at the gas station or convenience store in the evening are rather not the managers and co. (of course they drink beer too, but they get it ahead of time at the supermarket)

Oh dear, what is this supposed to be here now?

What I also often read/hear on the topic of cars: regular employees from production drive fancy cars, the engineers keep a 20-year-old Passat alive.

Another messed-up stereotype, which I can also answer or guess: "regular employees" are like you, the engineers have class and want to live their individuality.

And my boss prefers camping (with a tent, not so modern with a caravan or motorhome) instead of going to a hotel.

Same here.

Our little one is 2 years old – I don’t want to impose long trips and a lot of walking through cities on her

Our children went traveling through America for 3 weeks with the motorhome together with her little one (2 years), a colleague extended his parental leave to 6 months and toured all over Europe with the van and family...

Disneyland, without having dealt with it too intensively now, would really be the exact opposite of a nice, authentic vacation for me. Disneyland & cruises... - because for me those are really completely artificial environments (that is, of course, the cruise destinations are great, but I want to stay longer on site there, go to typical restaurants, as far as possible (in tourist areas of course rather bad, but better a well-done local restaurant than the really completely artificial onboard restaurant). And Disneyland, as far as I know, there are just a few Mickeys in costume walking around and then you can stand in line for hours for a mediocre roller coaster ride or I don’t know what.

And now you come with authenticity. I believe for you this only consists of "country & people excursions," but not for yourselves. Give something... even if only for your child.

But as already said: to each their own, and if you just want to live some kind of cookie-cutter life, then go for it. But don’t ask the wrong question here in the forum. How you shape your life should be up to you.