Special repayment, saving or consumption?

No, that was willpower and discipline. Of course, our income increased back then, but we stuck 100% to the financial plan we had made at the time. If it had been up to my wife, the extra repayments would have been spent on other things too – as is the case with many people – just like the planned installment increase after 5 years. If it had been up to my wife, we would have blown the money elsewhere. Now she laughs about it herself and is glad that we will soon have made it. Having a little more money to blow from time to time was never important to me, but not having to pay any more installments and having so much more money available every month – that kept me on track.

Perceptions and priorities can be so different – we have an interest rate of 1.3% for 30 years and will not be crazy about making extra repayments. On the contrary: For me, the money that allows us as a family to do nice things together and not have to think three times about purchases is what makes a good life for me. Honestly, the remaining debt hardly interests me. But everyone is different in that regard.

Perceptions and priorities can be so different – we have an interest rate of 1.3% over 30 years and we’re not going to go making big extra repayments. On the contrary: for me, the money is what our family can use to do nice things together and not have to think three times about purchases, and THAT is what makes a good life for me. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about the remaining debt. But everyone is different there.

That always makes me ask: What does "doing nice things" mean? What does "purchases" mean, what does "a good life" mean?

I’m definitely in the minority with my opinion, but nowadays you want/have to offer your family and yourself so much more than in the past. People aren’t satisfied with anything anymore and want to live a life that, in my opinion, is completely oversized.

I’m as proud as punch when my house is built. I don’t have to immediately do the landscaping, buy a new car, or fly to Australia. I don’t have to give my future children a new gift every two months or go on vacation four times a year. Of course, I can only do all that if I have enough money left over and don’t make extra repayments, for example.

But does that make me happier? Of course, it’s clearly a mindset and very individual to consider, but society nowadays suggests that you can only live well and be happy if you have a huge house, two SUVs in the driveway, travel to another continent at least once a year, and the children swim in a pool in the garden.

No idea, but I’m of the opinion that you don’t need all that to have a good life.

Everything should somehow fit together, or be in the right proportion. Nowadays everybody just wants wants wants, but isn’t willing to give for it. In other words: people take out €€€€€€ debts but don’t care when and how they get paid off (please don’t take this personally). That’s just the mentality of many home builders and society today. It will only become apparent in xx years how this attitude affects things.

I once saw a statistic somewhere recently about how consumer loans have increased in recent years… simply frightening!

Perception and priorities can be so different - we have an interest rate of 1.3% over 30 years and we are damned if we will make huge extra repayments. On the contrary: for me, the money is what allows us as a family to do nice things together and not have to think three times about purchases, and THAT is what makes a good life for me. Honestly, I couldn't care less about the remaining debt. But everyone is different.

You probably didn’t read my post before. Just because we were so disciplined doesn’t mean we couldn’t go on vacation, do things, or buy stuff – quite the opposite even. I find the mindset of 1.3% over 30 years rather careless in that regard, because none of us can see into the future. Job loss, illness, disability, death, etc., no one can predict, but this way of thinking assumes that everything will go as planned for the next 30 years. And I think almost everyone knows someone in their circle of acquaintances who has really fallen flat on their face with such an attitude.

But as you said, everyone has different views and sets their priorities differently. For me, there is nothing better than being debt-free at 41 and having an additional €1,500 per month plus extra repayments available permanently from that point on. Because with this "salary increase," you can then live like a pig in mud.

You, it's quite simple:
A vacation by the sea in Italy with my husband and my daughter, no unnecessary luxury but without having to think about whether the ice cream is still included or not, or the trip to Legoland without having to worry if we can afford it, the opportunity to go skiing - these are moments and experiences that are personally a thousand times more important to me than the idea of being debt-free in x years. It's less about SUVs or new dresses, and more about a feeling of life.
We build really small (for many in this forum it wouldn't even have been worth considering), our burden is accordingly much smaller than it could be. Precisely because we don't want to live for the house.
I understand what you mean, I just see it differently.

You probably didn’t read my post before. Just because we were so disciplined doesn’t mean we couldn’t go on vacation, do anything, or acquire things – quite the opposite, actually. I find the mindset of 1.3% over 30 years rather negligent because none of us can look into the future. Job loss, illness, disability, death, etc. no one can foresee, but with that mindset, you assume that everything will go as planned for the next 30 years. And I think pretty much everyone knows someone in their circle who has had a rude awakening with that kind of attitude.

But as you already said, everyone has different views and sets priorities differently. For me, there is nothing better than being debt-free at 41 and from that point on having a permanent monthly amount of €1,500 plus extra repayments available. Because with this "salary increase," you can live like a king

I’m really happy for you if you’re done by 41, but I want to live a carefree life while my daughter is little – and she is now, not in 10-15 years. To each their own! Calling a 30-year fixed interest period negligent is, sorry, just nonsense. That’s maximum need for security. Your argument rather leans toward "long-term financing is negligent," and that too is nonsense in my opinion, but that’s a discussion for another time.

In this forum, for some people it seems there is only black or white. Why do many here assume that using the [Sondertilgung] means you supposedly know little about life? I don't know anyone who, despite the [Sondertilgung], leads a "hardship-filled" life. Vacations and enough money for leisure activities and hobbies are still there, and we or our circle of friends are not high earners.