Q&A: My Dream Job Won't Wait If I Take a Family Gap Year — Do I Quit Anyway?

#748: The real question behind quitting a job you love or paying off debt anyway? Your money mindset. Take our free quiz to find yours: https://affordanything.com/fiire

A listener with $686,000 saved and a job she loves wants to take her family on a year-long trip — but Paula says her real question isn't about money at all. Later: a dad chooses to stop maxing his IRA to pay off a mortgage, even though the math says otherwise.

Joe joins from the road to help answer three listener questions: a family weighing a year off against a job she loves, a dad debating whether to stop maxing his IRA to pay off a house, and a longtime listener with a smarter way to save for college.

In this episode, we discuss:

How to decide whether a job you love is worth walking away from for a family gap year

The three factors that actually predict whether you'll love your next job

Why "retiring early" might be the wrong goal — and what to aim for instead

How to know if you're financially ready for a career break, and what to prep first

Why paying off your mortgage can beat investing, even when the math says otherwise

How to structure your mortgage term like a finance pro (and why the 30-year can win)

Why saving in separate, labeled accounts makes it easier to actually hit your goals

Whether you're weighing a big life pivot, deciding what to do with extra cash, or just trying to make saving feel less abstract, this episode offers frameworks — not just formulas — for making the call.