As a rule of thumb, you should always pay off your most expensive loans first. So, your parent are right! Also, paying money into your mortgage does not always make sense. It depends what stage you are at, how much you'll actually clear etc. If you wan to pay a bit off your mortgage, ask your lender how much interest you will save & if you can knock a few months off the term. You might be surprised at the limited effect it could have, given that you're probably talking about a substantial mortgage - isn't everyone's these days?