Each week, BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how one family plans to annihilate their mortgage. Hosted by Frances Cook.

It's hard enough to scrape together a house deposit and buy a place, but then comes the challenge of paying it off over 20 or 30 years. 

But what if you could pay it off faster than that and get all the freedom that comes after you've got rid of one of your biggest expenses? 

People often spend anywhere from 30-50% of their income, sometimes even more, on keeping a roof over their head. 

So, today, I'm joined by a New Zealander who wants to kill her mortgage in the next five years. 

There is a small catch though. She and her partner are about to have their third child, and one of the ways they keep the mortgage small is by living in a small house.

So, the question now is whether to stick with the five-year mortgage plan, or risk their future plans by moving to a bigger home?

For the latest podcast I talked to Janet Young. 

For the interview, listen to the podcast here.