Money used to terrify me. All through college, I was broke. And even after landing my first big-girl job in 2017, I could barely save $100. I was drowning in debt, living paycheck to paycheck, and constantly stressed about making ends meet.
I reached my breaking point in 2019, after quitting my job and moving to Atlanta, Georgia. I was living off my depleting savings and working overnight shifts at a retirement community, and my credit card debt hit $10,000. I was sitting on the floor of the room I was renting, exhausted from work, with over $60,000 of debt from my student loan, car loan, and credit card debt.
I knew something had to change, but at 24 years old, I didn’t know where to start. I was worried that I would forever be in debt, always in a state of exhaustion, and never find stability. I realized that when I was younger, I didn’t really understand the importance of planning long-term. I was afraid that one day I would wake up years later and realize I had no solid financial plan, and I would not be able to live life on my own terms.
But then I thought back to my dear friend who paid off over $80,000 of debt a few years prior and realized that if she could do it, so could I. I just needed to face my financial fears head-on. I decided to challenge myself: I wrote down “debt-free by 30” with a deadline of June 2025 and got to work (more on that later).
Fast forward to today, and I am officially debt-free before I turned 30. Yes, it’s possible!
On November 19th, 2024, I submitted my last student loan payment check, and it felt freeing. It felt as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Calmness flooded my body. After six years of planning out every cent, I now have more control over my financial freedom than I ever thought possible. I am confident that, whatever my financial goals, I can reach them. I just had to make the first move, which frankly, was the scariest part.
I celebrated this milestone by treating myself to a debt-free photoshoot (see the picture above) and by having dinner with a few friends who saw me on this journey since the beginning.
If you’re on a similar debt-free journey, I wanted to share the building blocks that helped me go from barely scraping by to paying off all my debt in just six years.
But first, a quick disclaimer: We can’t solely budget our way out of systemic poverty. These insights are just a framework to help you create more financial stability in your life.
Mindset: What Is Your “Why?”
My “why” came from wanting to fund my creative passions. I always envisioned myself being a full-time writer, and my debt kept getting in the way.
Your “why” could be wanting to travel, retire early, quit your job to pursue your passion full-time, provide for your family, or simply buy an $8 latte from your favorite coffee shop without worrying about your budget. No matter what your “why” is, write it down on a sticky note and hang it up where you’ll see it every day, like your bathroom mirror or your laptop. Or turn it into a cute graphic and make it your phone wallpaper.
I hung my “why” up over my desk so whenever I was working or writing, I could keep my financial goals top of mind.
This is the first step.
Mindset: Break Up With Old Money Beliefs
I’ll be the first to admit that I was just buying to buy and emotionally spending (the high you get from retail therapy is real!). If I had a bad day, I just swiped the credit card and kept moving. It would not be until the end of the month or even the next month that I was able to comprehend how much of a deep hole I put myself in. I never thought about my purchases; it was merely an impulse. I was led by my wants—not by my needs.
Money is such a taboo topic. We are told not to discuss it because we might come off as rude or uneducated. And many of my financial inspirations—like Berna Anat, Ramit Sethi, and Tori Dunlap—talk about how even in their childhood, money was seen as hush-hush. It was all a big mystery.
I was fortunate enough to have money conversations early on with my dad, which I believe prepared me for the journey I was on. Money is such an important aspect of our lives, and talking about it is how you learn. Telling a loved one about your debt will help to lift the veil of secrecy and shame.
During my debt-free journey, my close friend group really became my rock. There were many times when I felt like I wouldn’t make it, and they were so encouraging. Once I got into a pay-off rhythm, they would check in and ask for updates, which kept me going.
Inventory: Become BFFs with Your Bank Account
The only way to understand your finances is by actually looking at what’s coming in and going out of your bank account. I know, I know. It’s probably not what you want to hear. When I tell my friends this, they instantly sigh. But it’s true: how can you patch up a financial leak without finding the source?
Print out the last six months of bank and credit card statements and highlight the needs, wants, savings, and debts, then total those categories and see what you find. Having a finance journal or creating a budget spreadsheet will be helpful during this process, too. This information will help build the base of our monthly budget by creating a list of all our monthly expenses.
When I did this activity in 2018 with my friend Maria, I found that I had an extra $300 a month that I was mindlessly spending. Money that could have been going to something more intentional (like paying off my credit card!) but was being mishandled instead (buying another unused notebook).
Strategize: What’s Your Game Plan?
Before I put a single cent towards paying off my debt, I worked on creating a $20,000 emergency fund through a High-Yield Savings Account first. This took me about 18 months because I had a full-time job and did a ton of freelance work, which helped me achieve that goal faster. Your emergency fund does not have to be as high as mine, but the recommended safety net is three to six months of expenses.
If you’re thinking, “I can’t wait that long to start paying off debt,” building an HYSA and paying off debt can be done simultaneously with planning. That choice is yours, just like the choice of either the debt snowball or debt avalanche method. I am a fan personally of the snowball method, which prioritizes paying off the smallest of all your loans as quickly as possible. With the avalanche method, on the other hand, you pay off the debt with the highest interest rate first.
I would also recommend creating funds with the extra money you have. So, instead of spending money to eat out without keeping track, start a “going out fund” of $150 per month. I use a spending tracker app to help keep me accountable and aware of how much I’m spending on things like rent, gas, groceries, subscriptions, eating out, entertainment, and more.
If you need to reduce expenses, try not to cut your monthly investment contributions. Whether they’re personal or employer-sponsored, investment funds will benefit you in the long run. I always paid the minimum payments on my loans and debt, but my goal amount each month varied as I just threw whatever funds I had towards my debt.
Personally, I gave up on vacations abroad until I was three years into my journey of paying off my debt. I couldn’t afford to go on a trip and maintain my financial goals. It was tough. I felt socially stunted because it seemed my peers were having these life-changing experiences, and I was stuck at home. During those tougher times, my close circle reminded me that those experiences will happen for me, and in the end, I’ll feel better because I did not delay paying off my debt.
And they were right.
Commit: Paying off Debt Takes Time—Be Patient With Yourself
It’s taken me six years to become debt-free and even longer to change my spending habits and relationship with money. Give yourself grace. You’re not going to save perfectly every month—and that’s ok. The real commitment is to show up for yourself because financial freedom is an act of self-love.
My dad was the first person to show me what stocks were and gave me my first ones as a kid, and now, I’m investing in stocks all on my own. The journey is lifelong—not because you will always be in debt, but because you will have new financial goals. And what a privilege that is!
As for what’s next on my financial bucket list? To grow my emergency fund to $30,000 and to diversify my investment portfolio, which will allow my money to grow over time. This will propel my “why” and allow me the freedom to say, “I want to take a year off to work on a novel,” and have the financial freedom to do just that.
MORE ABOUT MONEY
The Panic-Free Guide to Recession-Proofing Your Finances
Lola Tomorrow Is a True Self-Made Millionaire—Here’s How She Did It
Your Totally-Not-Intimidating Guide to Finances as a Freelancer
Photo Credit: Sydney Seabron
Creative Studio: Ladibug Studios
Creative Direction: Lydia Asmerom-Hall
