How to Get Out of Debt It’s hard to stay motivated when trying to pay off debt. You might feel stuck in a never-ending cycle of payments and interest rates. It can feel like you’ll never get out from under your debt. You’re not alone – over 44 million Americans are struggling with the same […]
Student Loans
Still have debt from the university days? Same. I’ll share my tried-and-true methods for paying off your debt as quickly as possible so you can start living your ideal lifestyle ASAP.
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10 Steps To Paying Off Your Student Loans Fast
Did you graduate with a ton of student debt? I’ve been there. Here’s a step-by-step guide for new graduates who have student debt or anyone who wants to start paying off their student loans. This article outlines the 10 crucial steps to pay off your student debt faster and reduce the overall amount your student […]
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Ultimate Guide to Paying Off Debt
When you think about becoming debt free, it can be overwhelming to imagine all of the questions that come up, like: How much debt do I even have? How does debt payoff work? What order should I pay off my debt? Should I pay off debt or invest? This article will walk you through the […]
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Powerful Student Loan Payoff Stories (+ Strategies) From People Like You
I had no idea how I would pay off the $100,000 of student loan debt I had accrued in college – maybe you can relate. Once I started, I’d look at the stories of other people who were fighting the same struggle I was. In these stories, I’d find goldmines of tactics, tips, and motivation. It […]
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Millenials in Debt: Ignore Outdated Advice and Become Debt Free
This article will dive into the following topics: Changing Times: Why “good” debt has become a myth Bad advice: The outdated advice you hear all the time to avoid at all costs Debt alternatives: Options you can consider instead of accruing more debt Become debt free: The order in which you should pay off […]
Spending Plan 2018 – Save $15k, Invest $24k, Live on $1k per month
A Spending Plan gives you a framework for how and where to spend your money in order to achieve your goals and live your life in alignment with your values. Want some background on how to create a Spending Plan? Read this post, which discusses: The top 2 reasons to create and follow a spending plan (one is definitely […]
2017 Review – $27k Student Loans Paid Off + $17k Saved + $950 Spent Per Month
In this post, I’ll discuss the strategies I used to: Pay off $27,600 of student loans this year; Save a $10,000 emergency fund in 4 months; Increase my net worth by $40,000 this year; Live on less than $1,000 a month, while traveling and enjoying life; and Save $6,900 for investing in 2 months. […]
Q4 2017 Financial Review – I saved $11,400 in 3 months!
In this post, I’ll discuss the strategies I used to: Live on $530 a month; Save $4,500 for my emergency fund, reaching a $10k goal in 4 months; Earn an extra $3,430 this quarter (and why that might not be a great thing); Save $6,900 for investing in 3 months; and, Why I’m investing […]
Q3 2017 Financial Review – $4k of Student Loans Paid Off + $5k Emergency Fund Saved
In this post, I’ll discuss the strategies I used to: Make my final $3,800 payment on $67,000 of high-interest student loans; Save $5,000 for my emergency fund in 3 months; Spend less on travel when I visited South Carolina and Cape Cod; Get a “like new” computer for less than $100; Live on $800 […]
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I Just Paid off $67,000 of High Interest Student Loans in Less than 2 Years – and Saved $23,600 in Interest!
Goodbye High Interest Debt, and Good Riddance. There has been a giant smile on my face all week because I just reached a HUGE milestone in my journey to becoming debt free. On July 28th, I paid the final $3,815 balance due on the high interest portion – originally totaling $61,800 when borrowed – of […]
Q2 2017 Financial Review – $21,500 of Student Loans Paid Off!
Q2 was a great quarter — I put over $21,000 towards shrinking my $100,000 high mountain of debt! That’s over 20% of the total I owed when I graduated college. Quarter 2 (April, May, June) is where I try to learn from my Q1 Spending Plan Review and address my problem spending areas. I […]
Q1 2017 Financial Review – $2,072 of Student Loans Paid Off
Quarter 1 (January, February and March) is always the test drive of any Spending Plan. Frequently, in Q2 or Q3, things will change, spending categories will be added, and allocations will be shifted to accommodate the latest information. For the first three months, though, my aim is to stick as closely to my plan […]
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Spending Plan 2017 – Pay off $31.8k of Student Loans, Live on $850 per month
A Spending Plan gives you a framework for how and where to spend your money in order to achieve your goals and live your life in alignment with your values. Want some background on how to create a Spending Plan? Read this post, which discusses: The top 2 reasons to create and follow a spending plan (one is definitely […]
2016 Review – Paying Off $33k in Student Loans + Living on $4,500
In 2016, my expenses were less than $4,500, but I still had a lot of fun – after all, my main priority is enjoying my twenties while aggressively paying off my student loans. I went to a few festivals, including a brew festival, a music festival, and a chowder festival (who knew that was a […]
2015 Review – Graduating College, Getting Job(s), and Repaying $9,750 of Student Loans
2015 was a roller coaster – I was working towards graduating with honors in my bachelor degree program, trying to get a full-time job in my field, and sifting through the stacks of old student loan information that I had conveniently forgot about for the past four years while in college. I was also […]
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Why Debt is Not For Me
Photo by Tim Marshall If you search google with “why debt is…” it will first complete your query with “why debt is good.” I went down that rabbit hole to see the reasons people have for thinking (or rationalizing) that their debt is good. The idea of “Good Debt” versus “Bad Debt” is perpetuated throughout the […]