Soul Peak

Debt, it’s normal…right?

The Journey

My debt free journey started in 2018 when my husband and I decided that we wanted to be in control of our financial future. For the next 2 years we spent half of our monthly income paying off all our debts following Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps to no longer be “normal” but instead, as Dave says, “live like no one else, so later we can live and give like no one else.”

After we got married, instead of renting an apartment or buying a house, we rented a room with friends (thanks John and Lizette!). We sold a lot of stuff that that was important to us but not worth being in debt over. We went through a restaurant rehab because we were spending hundreds of dollars on our bellies each month and we even picked up some side hustles to bring in extra income.

We went through this painful but enlightening process because we did not want to spend the next 10+ years of our lives paying off debt and incurring more debt over things that we don’t really value.

Community Along the Way

The most important part of our debt free journey has been our incredibly supportive group of friends. To kick off the new year of 2019, we had our first Financial Peace University lesson with a few of our closest friends. We still meet every month for budget committee meetings and moral support because the money struggle is real whether you are in debt or not!

I know it’s uncomfortable to share your finances with others, but trust me when I tell you that accountability is crucial to your financial success. Over the past year, our group has been able to grow closer through sharing our spending struggles and keep one another on track by critiquing our budget plans and reminding me that sushi is a want and not a need 🙂 Having this community has been a blessing because it has given us all a space to be real, grow closer, and change our relationship with money.

It was a privilege to enter that season of life with my friends, who are really more like family, and celebrate what God was doing in each of our lives.

The Outcome

On July 28th 2020 my husband and I made our last payment on his student loans and have been living debt free for 4 whole months and we are not going back!

This blog post is not to boast, but to encourage you to start or continue on your own debt free journey. I know its scary and can be overwhelming but it’s so worth it 🙂

If you’re thinking about starting, know that you can do it. It’s not easy but it’s possible. You have the ability to change your financial future and the best time to start is today.

Going through this process literally changed my life and heart in many ways. It’s changed my relationship with money, the way I use it, and has helped me become a better steward with what God has trusted me with because He is the owner of it all.

Thank you for reading and I hope this post has brought value to your life.

Feel free to reach out if you have any tips, tricks, comments or questions 🙂

@lyzamelody