100% agree on the debt discussion. I'm 38 and taking the 'career change' plunge. Living on half my current income for a year and a half is scary, I can't imagine making the same decision with debt payments hanging over my head.

No mortgage, no auto payments, nothing floating on credit cards, no school debts and I'm paying for the flight training out of savings and doing it at a local FBO with solid CFIs that have been teaching for years.

Is the opportunity worth floating some debt to go for it? Sure. Is it a hell of a lot easier to approach it from a debt free perspective? Absolutely.

Less drag.

Taxation is theft, debt is drag.