We got that $10k (after taxes) bump when our mortgage was paid. It was unreal, suddenly we had money we didn't know what to do with.
Paying off a mortgage changes one's life if one does not go right back into debt for trinkets and toys. I kept on paying what I was putting on the mortgage into a tax free savings account. Doesn't take long for the funds to add up and that way and if you need a new vehicle or other essentials, the money is there.
The rich live like they're poor and the poor live like they're rich.
