[quote=spdrun]Can you get a job with a decent amount of vacation time and travel with the family during school vacations? Or have more time for hobbies/volunteering/doing what you want to do?

No mortgage: guessing you’re paying under $1000/mo including utilities for the house, minus whatever rental income you have from other properties. That puts you in a GREAT position to say F YOUR MOTHER to the rat-race.

Paid off house + car + rental income = ability to do what you want. Enjoy it.[/quote]

I agree with this, except I would add college savings to paid off house + car + rental income. After you have that, it is time to figure out what you really want to do, other than the rat race. And good luck with it, we have not yet been able to talk ourselves into making the leap.