Mortgage Payoff Party ideas - help! - this is BIG for us! UPDATE post #48

[PinballFamily]

Looking to make our *final* payment in person at the bank on Dec. 31, 2012. Gotta keep up our momentum - we've been hyper-focused on paying this off for the past couple of years and, if we can do it, we will be almost nine years early! It is never too early to start planning this once-in-a-lifetime party - love to hear any crazy and fun ideas for a celebration you can think of! Short of taking a couple of marching band members to the bank with us, what else do you have? (Believe it or not, I thought of this!) It sure helps that it is New Years Eve, too...

 

[trip]

Have a ceremonial "burning of the mortgage" papers.

 

[scrapquitler]

I would just quietly celebrate with my husband, and maybe one or two very close friends. I would not want to have a big 'once in a lifetime party' because I'd worry that people would see it as bragging.

 

[jrnunzio3]

We went to Disney World to celebrate. I wanted to wear the "I'm Celebrating" button and put on there paying off my mortgage, but my husband thought I was crazy, so I didn't.

 

[mrsklamc]

I would just quietly celebrate with my husband, and maybe one or two very close friends. I would not want to have a big 'once in a lifetime party' because I'd worry that people would see it as bragging.

Eh. Anyone offended by that is looking for a reason to be offended, so who cares what they think? People who truly care about OP are going to be happy for her.

 

[NYEmomma]

We went to Disney World to celebrate. I wanted to wear the "I'm Celebrating" button and put on there paying off my mortgage, but my husband thought I was crazy, so I didn't.

This is what I would do... button and all.

Congratulations, OP!

 

[crashbb]

Eh. Anyone offended by that is looking for a reason to be offended, so who cares what they think? People who truly care about OP are going to be happy for her.

I wouldn't be offended, but I'd think it was really weird to be invited to a party to celebrate someone paying off their mortgage. Only time I've heard of that was on the Waltons. Just seems like the kind of thing more appropriate for a private celebration (or a trip to WDW, as another PP suggested).

 

[momto2inKC]

I wouldn't be offended, but I'd think it was really weird to be invited to a party to celebrate someone paying off their mortgage. Only time I've heard of that was on the Waltons. Just seems like the kind of thing more appropriate for a private celebration (or a trip to WDW, as another PP suggested).

I agree. Definitely seems like an accomplishment you'd privately celebrate.

 

[Julia M]

Wow, our mortgage is scheduled to be paid off in a little less than 5 years and I'm already imagining the fancy dinner we will treat our friends with.....a very upscale local restaurant. I figured we would go not when we pay the last payment, but when the payment is usually due and treat these good friends....Basically we'd pay for an amazing dinner with the money we'd have made the mortgage payment with. A ridiculous splurge, perhaps, but I am already dreaming about it.

I guess I'll have to second guess myself about it now.

Jluia

 

[MichelleinMaine]

I hope I'm not the only one who remembers the M*A*S*H episode where Mildred Potter pays off the mortgage, and sends it to Korea for Col. Potter to burn, lol.


That's always been my vision when ours is paid off (burning the papers, not sending them or my DH to Korea!)

 

[PinballFamily]

Thanks everyone, and keep the responses coming! Yes, the celebration would only be for our immediate family and two very close family friends with whom we all celebrate all holidays (real and imagined!). No one else in our lives would really care! But, this payoff will be something significant for our kids - who have really "gotten it" as we've all been working towards this goal. (We have a child with autism and the fact that he will *always* have his home to live in is huge for us.)

Thanks again!

ETA: Wow! I do (now!) remember that M*A*S*H episode. A blast from the past!

 

[PinballFamily]

We went to Disney World to celebrate. I wanted to wear the "I'm Celebrating" button and put on there paying off my mortgage, but my husband thought I was crazy, so I didn't.

That's awesome! I'm sure there are people "celebrating" stranger things with those pins!

 

[Handbag Lady]

I think it would be great fun to host a dinner party out for friends to celebrate.

The only thing I'd be careful about is that others in this economy might not be rowing the same boat you are and can possibly be sinking. Although your friends in such a situation might be happy for you, it could make them feel weird. But, if I were in such a situation, maybe a nice dinner out would be an oasis.

 

[100AcreWood]

Congratulations! We are working hard to pay off our mortgage in the next 7 years. We pay extra when we can. We are HUGE Ramsey fans so we plan to celebrate by driving to Tennessee to scream we're debt free!

Good luck! I think that is cause for a big celebration!

 

[sk!mom]

Hmmmm...we paid ours off 3 years ago- year 13 of a 30 year mortgage so I guess 17 years early. We celebrated by diving into a major remodeling project. We'd put a lot of things off to pay that mortgage off.

Never really occurred to us to have a party or anything.

 

[scrapquitler]

The only thing I'd be careful about is that others in this economy might not be rowing the same boat you are and can possibly be sinking. Although your friends in such a situation might be happy for you, it could make them feel weird.

This is exactly what I was alluding to. I'd be worried that I was asking someone to come celebrate something FABULOUS!! and not realize that maybe they were barely staying current on theirs, or worse. My DH and I try to be very careful and cautious about this sort of thing...we have a lot of friends that don't have anywhere near the lifestyle we do (not that we are THAT well off ), and we try to be modest and sensitive to their situations.
It's kind of like announcing to your SIL that you are pregnant again when she has been unable to concieve for years....

 

[Angie789]

People who can't be happy for you for accomplishing a big goal like that aren't your real friends anyway. I'm all for being sensitive to the feelings of others, but it's not like you are taking out an ad in the paper or anything. If it's family & close friends who've been with you on that journey, throw that party!!!!

And, sorry... but to compare this to infertility? Talk about insensitive...

 

[mrsklamc]

I actually am struggling to conceive and would never dream of being bitter or cranky or anything but happy for someone else who was pregnant.

In the words of Dr.Suess those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

It's a big accomplishment. No one says "Oh we aren't going to have a graduation party, it might offend someone who is struggling in school."

 

[scrapquitler]

People who can't be happy for you for accomplishing a big goal like that aren't your real friends anyway. I'm all for being sensitive to the feelings of others, but it's not like you are taking out an ad in the paper or anything. If it's family & close friends who've been with you on that journey, throw that party!!!!

And, sorry... but to compare this to infertility? Talk about insensitive...

I was raised to think of my MONEY (personal financial situation) as a very private thing, so yes, it IS a similar type of thing. I'm not going to speak in public about how much money I have, what my sex life is like, my relationship with God, or my political views, those, to me, are all VERY personal so I think it IS a fair comparison. (And I was the one feeling terrible while my SIL had her baby because we were pregnant and due within two weeks of one another and I had yet another miscarriage -- she was super sensitive about it, but it didn't help me feel any better)

My family and close friends don't know how close we are to paying off our mortgage, its not something that I would talk about with them. So having a "once in a lifetime party" (the OPs words) would be ostentatious and braggy, TO ME. It's only MY opinion. The OP asked for suggestions. I just suggested that she CONSIDER that some people might think it was braggy. I wasn't saying that I would think it was wrong of HER to do it, I said that *I* wouldn't do it.

 

[pigletto]

While I would most likely celebrate quietly with just my husband because that's who we are..
I would happily celebrate with good friends or close family just to congratulate them. It's not my way of doing things, but I wouldn't resent celebrating a happy moment for others.