Yes, I know the thinking behind not paying off your mortgage. For those who want to work for years and earn lots of money, that may make sense.

For those who want to have the lowest overhead possible, so they don't have to work so long and so hard, then no debt is one way..

I wanted to retire early and travel the world indefinitely. I sold my house and then after four years of a nomadic lifestyle, moved to a cheaper part of the US and used the money from my first home to pay for the home I now own. My taxes are low here, $1000 a year.

I also bought raw land in the UP because I don't really trust banks to hold my total worth in their less than dependable hands. I call that the burying some of my money in the ground strategy.

Why land in the UP? Well, that's another story altogether.

My approach to finances is very nontraditional, however, because my goals were different than the mainstream. In a nutshell, it's no debt, lowest overhead possible. The complete opposite is what most financial advisor's suggest.