Mortage Paid off in 7 years!
A Clarification From My Video
I want to clarify one important detail from my recent video, because accuracy matters to me.
Our house was purchased in 2008, not 2007. This was just before the economic downturn that hit in 2009, a period that temporarily left my husband jobless for a short time.
Although my husband studied engineering, at that stage of his career he was earning around $50,000 a year, which is typical for a beginner engineer in Canada. At the same time, I was a stay-at-home mom, so we were primarily living off one income while paying down our mortgage.
I share this not to dramatize our story, but to ground it in reality.
We paid off the mortgage on this modest townhouse in just seven years.
By my early 30s, we were completely debt-free.
No lottery win.
No extreme hustle culture.
No 80-hour work weeks.
Just frugal living, intentional choices, and a mindset that quietly reshaped our lives.
Why Our Story Resonated With So Many People
Our journey was featured in several articles, and I think it struck a chord because the cost of living feels overwhelming for so many families right now. Housing feels out of reach, debt feels endless, and financial peace can feel like a distant dream.
For context, we bought our townhouse back in 2008. It has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. I know housing prices today are drastically higher, and I want to acknowledge that reality honestly. But while the numbers have changed, I truly believe that our lifestyle choices are what allowed us to pay off our mortgage so quickly.
This wasn’t about being perfect. It was about being intentional.
Starting Small and Growing Slowly
My husband and I met when we were both still in school. He was studying software engineering, and I was studying professional theatre.
We got married young and didn’t have much money, but we had enough savings for a down payment on our first tiny condo. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was ours.
As time passed, we saved, grew, and eventually felt ready to start a family. That’s when we sold our condo and put that equity into what would become our long-term home: this townhouse.
Seeing Potential Instead of Perfection
When we first bought the house, it wasn’t exactly our dream home.
We didn’t love the kitchen.
The insulation wasn’t great.
The windows needed replacing.
But we saw its potential.
We made improvements gradually. First, the down payment. Then new windows. A few years later, we renovated the kitchen. We didn’t rush. We didn’t go into unnecessary debt. Every choice was made with intention.
Treating Debt Like an Emergency
One of the biggest shifts for us was how we viewed debt.
We treated it like an emergency.
Being in debt felt heavy. It created stress. It made it harder to fully enjoy life. So our main goal became simple: pay off the mortgage as quickly as possible.
Because we were young when we got together, we weren’t accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle. Frugal, minimal living felt natural to us.
We covered our basic living expenses, and every extra dollar went straight to the mortgage.
Living Below Our Means (Even With Kids)
Eventually, we had two kids. Of course, that came with added expenses. But we still made conscious choices.
We didn’t go on big family vacations.
We didn’t eat out regularly.
We didn’t spend mindlessly.
Even small daily habits add up. Spending $27.40 a day can easily turn into $10,000 a year. Redirecting that money made a real difference in how fast we paid down our mortgage.
Our guiding principles were simple:
Live below our means
Treat debt as urgent
Avoid lifestyle inflation
Practice gratitude daily
We didn’t try to keep up with the Joneses. We focused on what truly mattered to us.
The Kitchen: Where Most of Our Savings Happened
The kitchen became the heart of our home and our finances.
Instead of eating out or grabbing coffee on the go, we made almost everything at home. Over time, I learned how to make kombucha, sourdough, and meals from scratch at a fraction of the cost.
Those habits weren’t about restriction. They became grounding, comforting, and even joyful.
Secondhand Living and Letting Go of Trends
A large part of our lifestyle was embracing secondhand and pre-loved items.
One of my favorite dresses once belonged to my sister. It didn’t fit her anymore, so she gave it to me. My necklace was my mother-in-law’s. Every piece has history, personality, and meaning.
I don’t follow trends. I follow what I genuinely love. If I love something, I wear it often and enjoy it fully.
That mindset saved us money and helped us live more intentionally.
Free Joy: Picnics, Nature, and Community
Picnics became our favorite form of entertainment.
Instead of restaurants, we’d pack food and relax outdoors. It gave us a change of scenery, time to connect, and space to slow down.
We also took advantage of free community events, green spaces, and cultural experiences like the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
Nature grounded us. It reminded us that joy doesn’t have to be expensive.
Underconsumption and Growing What We Can
We naturally gravitated toward what’s now called underconsumption core. We only buy what we need or what genuinely adds value to our lives.
Our backyard isn’t big and doesn’t get much sunlight, so we added a raised garden bed. During the summer and fall, we eat almost entirely from our garden.
It saves money, yes, but more than that, it slows me down and reconnects me to nature.
Life After Becoming Mortgage-Free
We paid off our house over 10 years ago.
Since then, we’ve been able to renovate parts of our home, including the kitchen, bathrooms, lobby, and windows. More recently, we’ve started taking family vacations. Tropical trips that allow us to reconnect, especially now that our boys are teenagers and truly appreciate that time together.
What This Journey Gave Us
We use our money to travel now!
Frugal living isn’t about giving up joy.
Even if paying off your mortgage in seven years isn’t possible for you, small, consistent habits truly add up. This lifestyle gave us freedom, peace of mind, and the ability to live a little slower.
And that, to me, is real wealth.
If you enjoy stories about frugal living, intentional choices, and underconsumption, I share more about my own lifestyle and the way my parents raised us with these values.
Because in the end, frugal living isn’t about sacrifice.
It’s about making room for more. 🌱
In the Media
📰 https://metro.co.uk/2025/07/24/ditched-loo-roll-cut-costs-pay-off-mortgage-just-7-years-23730197/
Our house was transformed into our dream home with the help of
