Cicy33, I know that much of southern Illinois is relatively poor, yet you still have the same state taxes as a suburban Chicagoan has. People may have to drive quite a aways to get to a work place. Even agriculture , forestry , and mining are iffy in southern Illinois. My gosh, anyone who wants some understanding of an "urban" portion of your state should Google Cairo, IL. And all I have to do is drive across the river that separates your state from mine and I see the gasoline prices go up by 20 cents per gallon or more....To tell the truth, though, when you give us a sample of your budget, the thing that occurs to me is that it might be smarter to put that extra money not into paying off the mortgage, but into your emergency fund and retirement savings. (My own mortgage would be easy as pie to pay off and it is only $298 a month, but I don't put my money there.)
Cairo Illinois