"We've done it and you can too" Securing the roof over your head is the safest money move you can make. And it's far easier when you know the shortcuts, structures and strategies that I do. Better still, record-low interest rates mean it's never been cheaper. You have a once-in-a-lifetime window to get mortgage-free fast and for far less. We're here to tell you, firsthand, that owning your home outright is a bloody beautiful, freeing feeling. In these pages, generous families from all over the country divulge – for you – the surprisingly painless ways they've beat a mortgage. Alongside them I confide how industry insiders – like me – make every dollar count for more... as well as tap into little-known sources of bonus dollars. With our help, YOU can be mortgage-free too! Nicole x Long-time TV money commentator and national newspaper columnist Nicole-Pedersen-Mckinnon, who paid off her mortgage in seven years.
I'm really struggling to rate this book because on the good hand I did get a couple of pretty useful tips and ideas (potentially worth tens of thousands over the life of a loan), but on the bad hand I hated reading every minute of it and a lot of the book is taken up with things that aren't actually related to the main point.
A wonderful, informative book about the positives of owning your home outright, and how to get your mortgage paid off a decade or two in advance. Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon as well as other Aussies provide the shortcuts, structures and strategies that worked for them, in order to help readers to live the debt free dream. Making every dollar count and discovering the beauty of the offset can really do wonders to knock off your mortgage. I enjoy reading Nicole's articles on the Sydney Morning Herald. The stingespirations in this book were hilariously funny but also getting straight to the point of how you can cut out excess expenses and therefore save your money towards other important things you value. The benefits of being debt free are that it takes an enormous weight off your shoulders, leading to a better quality of life. This book also shows where you can tap into little known sources in order to obtain bonus dollars e.g. rebates. Additionally, it stresses the importance of comparison shopping and refinancing to get you a better deal.
Thought I might write the review just before I get to the end of the book. Nicole's book is very easy to read. It's written in conversational style. The tips and tricks seem easy to follow and to put into practice as soon as I read it. I guess she's used to teaching high schoolers financial literacy. For example, just knowing exactly what my mortgage interest rate currently is and put it into my calendar to shop around for a better deal every 3 years. That's not hard to do. The mortgage calculator app is simple but shows how a fraction of a percentage change or extra repayments can mean tens of thousands of dollars saved over the life of a loan. Basically I'd be saving a whole year's salary if I made a couple of small changes here and there. If nothing else, the book is great "stinge-spiration". Makes me feel less of a Scrooge McDuck and more of a part of a small number of people who are mortgage-free or on the road to becoming mortgage-free. This might be a gateway to joining the FIRE movement.