Can you be a bit more specific as to what you do to provide the “multiple streams of income”? IN other words, do you sell on Ebay, Half.com, read emails, do surveys? And if so, how lucrative monthly versus time is this for you? Especially with 3 little ones? And can I assume that the 7.5% surge this month is $7500? If so, WOW WOW WOW…hope I am not prying…just need your confirmation for inspiration purposes God Bless!

We are saving for a car at the moment so that we can buy it without a loan and not get tied up again in that spiral of debt.

If someone had told me what I know now 10 years ago I’m pretty sure we would own I house completely too. We are looking at focusing on paying off our mortgage in 6 years time.

Thank you so much for being SO different:) Do you do tours or talks??

I think it was last month when you asked about things to consider when looking for a home, but I didn’t get around to writing a comment then. I know you will be homeschooling your children, but I think it would be a good idea to check out the neighborhood elementary schools where you are considering buying a home. Even if you won’t be sending your children there, these schools often reflect the character of the neighborhood they serve and can give you a sense of the neighborhood’s values and priorities.

I suppose I am meaning to say that all blessings require continued self-discipline, if they are to continue to be blessings. Perhaps I’m wrong, but I would guess that opposed to world travel or eating out, you might find this family aggressively saving for the future, giving abundantly to ministry, and having such audacious treats as a seasonal trip to the Cheesecake Factory!

Kudos to you, Crystal & Jesse, for setting such “weird” and insurmountable goals…and for your even rarer commitment to ACTUALLY achieving them.

Our only debt is our mortgage, and we bought less house than we could afford (bank would lend us $280k at the time we made $64k /year combined- how crazy is that! We instead took a $119k mortgage).

We also live well below our means and now own 63.5% of our home just 5 years after we bought it.

I liked in your comment here that you kept on going, even when it seemed like you weren’t getting any traction. I think there are times where we feel like despite our efforts, we aren’t getting traction. But I know that this can change. After we have baby #2 and life settles down a bit, I’m hoping to be able to do some more to contribute to the income side of things from home, and my husband is also re-evaluating his job. We’re thankful at least right now that a) we don’t have any debt, b) despite unexpected expenses, we have the cash to pay for everything that comes up, c) we are able to save some every month, and d) that we almost have our 6 month emergency fund completed. That’s a great place for us to be in, given that 3 years ago we were 18,000 in debt w/ no kids, and now we are living on a smaller income because I stay at home.

Keep up the good work. You’ll be there before you know it.

For those already in a mortgage, I’d like to offer the suggestion that you overpay on your mortgage every month. E.g., if your mortgage is $600/mo, make payments of $700 or $750 (or more) every month. This will help you pay down your mortgage much faster than the traditional 15 or 30 years.

BTW, we’re on schedule to have our mortgage paid off in the next 5 years (while we’re still in our 30s) while making what the government deems poverty-level wages. We’re on track to do this because my wife feeds our family of 6 on $50/wk and we have no other debt and therefore we are able to pay more than double on our mortgage every month. If you’re currently making minimum payments on your mortgage, try paying a little extra and gradually increase the amount over time. You’ll be glad you did.