if you start young enough, you are not almost dead when you are done; rather, you position yourself to truly have the freedom to do what you really want to do, because your money is going to you, as opposed to the banks.
please note, kurt, that my use of the word "you" does not really mean you, kurt. it was just easier to say "you" as opposed to "one" or "he or she". i am not implying that you are not (or have not been) fiscally responsible.
as to myself ... alas, my wife and i did NOT start young enough. i am now 50, and just got a 30 year mortgage, and finances are such that i cannot pay extra on it for at least the next few years. so unless things change for the better really soon, i will probably have a mortgage until i am 70 or older. at least we have no credit card balances, and we have a beach house, but it would sure be awesome if i didn't have this $2000 mortgage payment (drain) every single month for the rest of my life.