While I understand and agree with Deereman, to a point, I am more in Dave's line of thinking for, sadly, most of America.  They pay their monthly mortgage payment and then go and blow any money that is left on fancy phones, big tv's, toys of all kinds.  They CHOOSE to live paycheck to paycheck.  I am trying to balance saving money and still working hard to pay off mortgage asap.  I had a CD just mature that I actually forgot about.  It was a $1,000 that I put in a cd 4 years ago.  It earned $65 in interest!!!  I said the heck with that and cashed it out to put toward the mortgage.  I wanna get out of debt as soon as I can and then I will have a LOT more money to invest.