Paying a mortgage is the second dumbest expense I know. The first is renting. I spent approximately $158,000 across a 13 year span, and have exactly $0 to show for it. At least now I get fucking tax refunds for the first time in my stupid middle class existence. Oh hey, of the $956 I spent on my front yard, I'm getting $900 back from the city. So that's pretty neat. I can't wait to sink all that money (and probably more) into the next major expense that unexpectedly occurs without any kind of foreshadowing. Debt FTW!