Extraordinary Series Archives - Making Sense Of Cents

How Amanda Paid Off $133,763 In Debt in 43 Months

April 24, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 24 Comments

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How Amanda Paid Off $133,763 In Debt in 43 months #debtpayoff #payoffdebt

My monthly Extraordinary Lives series has been a lot of fun, and I’m back with another inspiring interview. First up was JP Livingston, who retired with a net worth over $2,000,000 at the age of 28. Today's interview is with Amanda, who is now living debt free after paying off $133,000 in three years and seven months.

I've been following Amanda – @debtfreeinsunnyca – on Instagram for quite some time, and I'm so happy that I was finally able to interview her!

In this interview, you'll learn:

How Amanda got into debt.
Why she decided to get out of debt fast.
The expenses she cut so that she could pay off her debt quickly.
What she thinks about the cash envelope method.
The sacrifices she made to reach her goal.
What she did to stay motivated.

And more! This interview is packed full of valuable information! [Read more…]

How This 34 Year Old Owns 7 Rental Homes

July 25, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 26 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

My monthly Extraordinary Lives series is something that I'm really loving, and I’m back with another great interview. First up was JP Livingston, who retired with a net worth over $2,000,000 at the age of 28. Today's interview is with Paula Pant, a 34-year-old who owns seven rental homes, which last year grossed $125,000 and netted $43,000 after expenses!

You probably know her from the super informative blog Afford Anything. I've been a big fan of Paula for a long time, so I'm so happy that I was able to interview her.

In this interview, you'll learn:

How she got into real estate investing.
How she was able to afford so many rental units.
What she looks for in a rental unit.
The types of property she invests in.
How much time and money it takes to invest.
How she manages rentals in a different part of the country.
Her worst renter.
The sacrifices she had to make to make this all possible.

And more! This interview is packed full of valuable information!

She also created a freebie for my readers – download her free step-by-step guide! [Read more…]

From Backpacker Working For $3 An Hour To Sailor With An Online Business

June 27, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 15 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

From Backpacker Working For $3 An Hour To Sailor With A Digital Business My monthly Extraordinary Lives series is something that I'm really enjoying doing. First up was JP Livingston, who retired with a net worth over $2,000,000 at the age of 28. Today's interview is with Kach Howe. She has been to over 100 countries and all 7 continents. She is now sailing the Caribbean with her husband and cat.

She's not retired, though – she's still working!

In this interview, you'll learn:

How she has been traveling for 5 years and has traveled to 100 countries;
How she now lives on a 1971 Finnrose 37 sailboat;
How she affords to travel;
How they taught English in Peru for $3 an hour and how that motivated her to find ways to make more money;
How much sailing costs them.

And more! This interview is packed full of valuable information! [Read more…]

How This Couple Retired at 38 and 41

May 23, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 46 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

How This Couple Retired at 38 and 41 My monthly Extraordinary Lives series is something that I'm really enjoying doing. First up was JP Livingston, who retired with a net worth over $2,000,000 at the age of 28. Today's interview is with Tanja Hester, who retired at the end of 2017 at the age of 38.

You probably know her from the amazing blog Our Next Life. Our Next Life is one of my favorite blogs, so I'm glad Tanja said yes to this interview!

In this interview, you'll learn:

How she managed to retire so early;
How she still lives comfortably in one of the most beautiful places in the world;
Her advice for retiring early no matter what your career choice is;
How she decided how much she needed to retire on;
The sacrifices she has had to make;

And more! This interview is packed full of valuable information! [Read more…]

How This Couple Retired In Their 30s and Now Travel Around The World: An Interview With Go Curry Cracker

April 18, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 22 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

How This Couple Retired In Their 30s and Now Travel Around The World: An Interview With Go Curry Cracker My monthly Extraordinary Lives series is something that I really enjoying doing. First up was JP Livingston, who retired with a net worth over $2,000,000 at the age of 28. Today's interview is with Jeremy, Winnie, and Julian, also known as the family behind Go Curry Cracker.

With the goal of traveling around the world, Jeremy and Winnie were in their 30s when they retired around six years ago. Their 3-year-old son travels with them and has already been to 29 countries as well!

They were able to do this by saving intensively – over 70% of their after-tax income.

In this interview, you'll learn:

How they retired in their 30s.
What made them want to retire early.
How they live comfortably, rent houses with private pools, fly business class, and travel a ton – as opposed to the myth that early retirees are boring and just eat beans and rice to survive.
How they decided on the amount they needed to retire.
What they do about health insurance in early retirement.

And more! This interview is jam packed full of great information! [Read more…]

One Year Later: My Extraordinary Interview Series Roundup

April 4, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 18 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

One Year Later: My Extraordinary Interview Series Roundup One year ago, I launched a new series here on Making Sense of Cents where I interview people who are doing extraordinary things with their lives.

I started this new series because I wanted to show you all real stories about financial successes, and I wanted you to get to know the people leading these extraordinary lives.

I figured this would not only be great motivation, but it would also show everyone the different things that are possible. Plus, interviewing these amazing people is a great way to learn from them as they share their secrets to success with us.

Here's a quick snapshot of the people I interviewed this year:

How This 28 Year Old Retired With $2.25 Million
This Successful Entrepreneur Went From Welfare To Earning Millions – Interview With Kimra Luna
From Rags To Riches- How Tina Immigrated To America With Nothing And Now Has A Net Worth Of $2,000,000
How This Couple Does Van Life With A Baby (and a dog!)
How This Successful Family Of Four Makes Travel Blogging Work For Them
How This Family Moved To The “Hood” And Paid Off $120,000 In Debt
How This Couple Bought An $11,500 RV, Traveled To All 50 States, And Built A Thriving Business
How This Couple Paid Off $204,971.31 In Debt
How We Paid Off $195,000 In Debt In 18 Months!
How This 29 Year Old Is Building A Real Estate Empire
How Elizabeth Reached Financial Independence By 32 And Moved To A Homestead

[Read more…]

How Elizabeth Reached Financial Independence by 32 And Moved To A Homestead

February 28, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 93 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

How Elizabeth Reached Financial Independence by 32 And Moved To A Homestead #FinancialIndependence #frugal #frugalwoods #earlyretirement My monthly Extraordinary Lives series is something that I'm really enjoying doing. First up was JP Livingston, who retired with a net worth over $2,000,000 at the age of 28. Today's interview is with Elizabeth, who reached financial independence at the age of 32.

Elizabeth Willard Thames, better known as Mrs. Frugalwoods, is the creator of the award-winning personal finance blog, Frugalwoods.com. At age 32 she “reached financial independence and left a successful career in the city to create a more meaningful, purpose-driven life on a 66-acre homestead in the woods of Vermont” with her husband and young daughter.

Thames is the author of the book, Meet The Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living. Before becoming a writer and homesteader, she worked for 10 years in the non-profit sector as a fundraiser and communications manager. [Read more…]

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