Hey everyone. Today marks the start of my debt payoff series. Come back every Thursday to hear about how others are trying to pay off their debt or how they're debt free! If you'd like to contribute to this series, please send me an e-mail at senseofcents@gmail.com
Hi! My name is Jessica and I blog over at Mo' Money Mo' Houses. No, I am not some rich property tycoon (not yet at least), but my last name is Moorhouse and I do love me some 90's Notorious B.I.G. I also love writing about money and trying to grow my net worth every year. Feel free to follow my personal finance journey on Facebook and Twitter.
Unless you were born rich, the likeliness of you going into debt at some point in your life is…well…very likely.
And I'm not talking about you cracking under the pressure of being frugal and racking up a bunch of credit card debt after a blackout shopping spree at Nordstrom (though that very well could happen to you). Debt comes in a number of different forms, be it a mortgage, car payment, student loan, or one of those mattresses that you don't have to pay for until 2016. Debt sucks no matter what form it takes, but you don't always have to live with a negative balance in your bank account.
I was in debt once. It may not have been a lot of money (only $5,000) but at the time it was a heck of a lot of money to me. I was 23, a newly minted university graduate, living with my parents with no car and unemployed. 2009 was not my best year to say the least.
Although my main priority at the time was to find full-time employment so I could move out on my own, my other big priority was to get rid of my student loan debt as fast as possible. So how did I do it? And in less than a year? Well, let's just say I did everything in my power to get rid of it.
How I eliminated my debt
Instead of complaining about my situation and feeling sorry for myself (okay fine, I did do some of that too), I got an on-call job at a TV station to make a bit of cash. I also spread the word to friends and family that I was looking for work, in any form, and in so doing worked a few random gigs here and there on film sets to make some more dough. I also started reading books and blogs about how to get out of debt quick, and then started finding ways to cut my bills in half and stop any frivolous spending.
Simple things like just having water at a restaurant instead of ordering a drink made a world of difference! I also started finding activities and hobbies that were free to do (like running, hanging out at the library, and donation nights at the art gallery) so almost every dime I made was put towards paying off my debt.
The day I was able to go to the bank to pay off my debt completely is still one of the proudest moments of my life. And to this day I've made sure to not go into debt again. Well, that is until I buy my first place, but that won't be for another couple of years anyway. For the time being, I'm just going to enjoy being employed, renting my own place, and living a debt-free life.
What’s your debt story? How did you or do you plan on kicking that ugly debt monster to the curb?
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Laurie says
February 14, 2013 at 7:06 amGreat story, Jessica! I would encourage you too to work toward paying cash for your house as well. It may put off your ability to buy for a few years, but it might be worth it. At the very least, put a huge down payment away. Mortgage debt is just as yucky feeling as consumer debt.
My recent post Encouraging Entrepeneurialism in Your Children
@momoneymohouses says
February 14, 2013 at 1:04 pmThat's definitely the plan. I'm trying to save up a sizable amount for a good down payment. Thanks for the comment!
My recent post Happy Valentine's Day!
John S @ Frugal Rules says
February 14, 2013 at 7:06 amGreat story Jessica! I can relate to your experience as mine occurred pretty much right after college and did pretty much anything to make extra money to throw at my debt. Paying off the final installment in order to become free of it was one of the best moments in my life.
@momoneymohouses says
February 14, 2013 at 1:04 pmTotally! And it also made me feel like, if I and can do this, I can't wait to see what I can do with my finances and life once my debt is all gone!
My recent post Happy Valentine's Day!
Jordann says
February 14, 2013 at 7:22 amExcellent story! I especially like the part about finding free things to do instead of paying, I'm always on the look out for free activities, especially in the winter time.
My recent post Back From Boston
Glen @ MPB says
February 14, 2013 at 8:00 amWe had $315,000 worth of debt (@ 7.55% interest p.a.) in 2007 when we bought our house.
We now have just over $100,000 in mortgage debt almost 6 years later and will most likely have it paid off in its entirety in 1.5-2 years.
If you are interested you can follow me on my journey to becoming debt free here – http://www.monsterpiggybank.com/paying-off-debt
How do we plan on kicking it to the curb? – Just living our frugal lifestyle, making smart investment decisions and believing that we can do it if we stick to our goals.
My recent post Ways to Get Money While Unemployed
Michelle says
February 14, 2013 at 7:09 amThat's awesome Glen! 🙂
My recent post How I eliminated my debt in less than 1 year
Tony@WODTO says
February 14, 2013 at 10:35 amRock on Jessica! Like Ramsey says: Gazelle-Like intensity. I am on month 16 after being in debt about $120k. Sounds like you have been very innovative and committed. Congrats!
@momoneymohouses says
February 14, 2013 at 1:05 pmThanks Tony!
My recent post Happy Valentine's Day!
Tony@WODTO says
February 14, 2013 at 10:37 amGreat story! You stayed committed and intense and you have accomplished so much. Awesome!
Grayson@Debt RoundUp says
February 14, 2013 at 11:22 amJessica, I know what you mean. I racked up debt while in college as I started my business and 4 years later, I stopped the business with $50k in debt. I thought about my future self and borrowed on that person. It was a mistake. I have paid it off, but I don't feel bad about my mortgage, it doesn't bother me like my credit card debt did.
My recent post Spending Money While on Vacation
@momoneymohouses says
February 14, 2013 at 1:07 pmGood for you for paying it off, and ya I'm sure I won't feel the same way when I get a mortgage, though I don't really like the idea of being tied down for years to pay it off, but I guess it really should be looked at as an investment rather than just debt.
My recent post Happy Valentine's Day!
judy says
February 14, 2013 at 11:35 amI cant wait to be rid of ours…we are getting rid of everything this year no matter what
@momoneymohouses says
February 14, 2013 at 1:08 pmYou go girl! You can do it if you just stick to it.
My recent post Happy Valentine's Day!
Mackenzie says
February 14, 2013 at 11:44 amGreat story Jessica! Glad you were able to pay off your debt in such a short amount of time 🙂
@momoneymohouses says
February 14, 2013 at 1:08 pmThanks Mackenzie! It was made a lot easier because it was a smaller amount than most student loans but still it felt good to get rid of it in less than a year.
My recent post Happy Valentine's Day!
Jose says
February 14, 2013 at 1:15 pmAll of the small things do add up. I like the having a drink of water at the restaraunt do make a difference! My dad cracks me up sometimes. He will ask for a glass of water with extra lemons, squeeze the lemons into the water, add some table sugar and have an instant lemonade. I'm not sure if that's being frugal or downright cheap but I still get a good giggle over it whenever I think about it, Here's my most recent post if anyone is interested in reading it, An Easy Way to Save Money on Your Heating Bill
plantingourpennies says
February 14, 2013 at 5:57 pmFocus is a big part of it. We killed a $38K loan between this past June and January, which feels awesome, but almost all the "leftover" each month went straight at the HELOC, not messing around.
My recent post How To Look At Real Estate Values
Lisa @ Cents To Save says
February 14, 2013 at 6:08 pmGreat job Jessica! We have almost eliminated our credit card debt and then will be working on our mortgage next!
My recent post Operation Christmas Child 2013 Update:
@Finance_Fox says
February 14, 2013 at 8:23 pmGreat job with the debt. I managed to eliminate $10k in about a year. Being debt free is such a liberating feeling.
My recent post Alternative Ways to Save on Auto Insurance
Julie @ Freedom 48 says
February 14, 2013 at 8:52 pmGreat job on getting rid of the debt! So many people turn a blind eye to debt – and it grows and grows, and before they know it, they've got a really big debt hole to dig themselves out of.
My recent post A Valentines Day Celebration – Done Cheap!
Rob @FinancialSprout says
February 14, 2013 at 8:53 pmThe trick to paying off debt is to pay beyond the principal. If you pay the minimum payment every month, you will find yourself in a never ending cycle of debt. I can't believe you only had 5k of student loan debt! You must have had some serious scholarships!
My recent post How to Save Money on Milk
Nick @ AYoungPro.com says
February 15, 2013 at 3:42 pmGreat post, I will look forward reading your series!
My recent post What I Learned From My First Day on the Job
Canadianbudgetbinder says
February 15, 2013 at 5:22 pmI've always paid cash for what I own except for the mortgage which will officially be burned in April.We are still fairly young and the only way we made it to where we are is simply, hard work and spending less than we earn. No lottery, inheritance, 6 figure jobs.. just normal run of the mill couple who works hard and saves but still knows how to have fun. It's certainly possible but one has to have the mindset to walk the path to save it or pay it off either way like you say Jessica, debt is debt. If you owe money, it's debt. . All the little things add up and if you can eliminate some of them you can line your pockets with the cash to pay down debt just like you said you did Jessica. Enjoy the debt free life mate and congrats on being debt free.
My recent post Dumpster Diving~The Top 5 Rules For Finding The Good Free Stuff!
kimateyesonthedollar says
February 15, 2013 at 10:01 pmI love debt payoff stories. Can't wait to read them all.
My recent post My Lack of Attention Cost Me Money in Fees!