The word

Why "free"?

For most of us, interest is one of the biggest expenses of our lives, and the one we notice least. A 3 million kr mortgage over 30 years at 5.5 % costs about 3.1 million kr in interest, roughly as much as the loan itself. It never arrives as one bill. It's part of every monthly payment, for 30 years.

Norwegian households carry a lot of debt, even compared with other countries. As housing and everyday life get more expensive, much of our pay goes to things we've already bought. Many people work full days and barely make ends meet. Meanwhile, we're constantly tempted to spend a little more: a loan here, a payment plan there.

Borrowing is often the right call. Most of us could never have bought a home without it. But it means many of our choices are made in advance. When we say free, we mean that turned around: your income covers what your life costs, your debt is paid off, and there's a buffer for when something unexpected happens. Then the next choice is yours, whether that's working less, changing jobs, helping your kids or simply sleeping better.

Freetime shows when that day will come, and how each choice moves it.

On households' debt: Norges Bank, Financial stability. The loan is worked out as an annuity loan, paid as agreed.