A 30-year mortgage can feel like a never-ending responsibility. If you are on a mission to get out of debt, your mortgage is included in your debt. Paying it off more quickly will save you thousands on interest payments over the life of the loan, but it can feel almost impossible. These tips will help you pay off your mortgage more quickly with a little bit of creativity and forward thinking.

1. Pay Biweekly Instead of Monthly
Take your monthly mortgage payment and split in half. Then, send in that amount every two weeks. By the end of the year, you will have made an entire extra payment. Any extra you pay goes toward the principle balance, so this will lower your balance more quickly. In fact, with a 30-year loan, you could cut your loan by as much as four to six years, just with this one simple trick.

2. Refinance
Refinancing often makes your loan even longer, but it can shorten it if you shorten the term of the loan. If you have a 30-year mortgage and refinance to a 15-year, you will not only pay it off more quickly, but you will get a better interest rate at the same time. This means you aren’t looking at doubled payments, as the lower interest rate helps balance the shorter term.

3. Place More on the Principal Each Month
If you don’t have the freedom to pay biweekly, you can still pay down the principal more quickly just by putting a little extra on it each month. Adding just $100 to the principal balance every month will add up to 1,200 by the end of the year. Year after year that will add up and help you pay off the mortgage more quickly.

4. Recast the Mortgage
If you have a windfall, like prize winnings or an inheritance, consider applying to recast your mortgage. This process allows you to keep the terms of your loan as they are, unlike a refinance which changes the term, while lowering the monthly payment to account for the reduced principle. If you continue to make your payment as you have been, all the extra money will go towards the principal, and you will pay it off much more quickly.

Paying off your mortgage more quickly will get you well on your way to being completely debt free. When you have a plan like one of these, it is much easier to do than you might think.