What's up Reader,

Let’s face it—personal finance in America is a mess. Consumer debt (student loans, credit cards, car payments) is at an all-time high, and 50% of Americans can’t afford a $1,000 emergency.

Four years ago, that was me. My wife and I were drowning in $40,000 of debt, despite making over six figures. We wanted to start a family, but we had bills due. How could we be making more money than ever, but here I am - still looking at my bank account every day wondering why there wasn't any money there. We were stuck.

If you're more of a visual learner, here's a video on all this.

Here’s how we turned it around:

The Steps We Took

1. Made a Budget
   • We created a budget using EveryDollar and cut everything. This meant no eating out, huge cutbacks on groceries, and no streaming subscriptions (sorry Yellowstone).
   • Even though, we still had debt, tracking every dollar gave us control over our finances for the first time in years.
2. Sold Stuff
   • We went room to room looking for items we didn’t need. I don't know if you know this, but people online will buy your crap faster than you can list it.
   • The biggest decision? Selling my Toyota 4Runner and replacing it with a humble 1998 Camry, which I affectionately named “Pride Killer.” The extra cash went straight to our debt payments.
3. Used the Debt Snowball Method
   • We listed our debts from smallest to largest and focused all our extra cash on the smallest one while making minimum payments on the rest.
   • Each time we paid off a debt, we rolled that payment into the next one. The quick wins kept us motivated and gave us a sense of progress.
4. Cut Expenses Ruthlessly
   • Beyond budgeting, we made hard sacrifices. Groceries were simplified, and entertainment became long walks around the neighborhood. The covid pandemic made this pretty easy...
   • Every saved dollar was another step closer to freedom, and we reminded ourselves: this was only temporary.
5. Defined Our “Why”
   • We took the time to map out our dream: start a family and ensure my wife could stay home with our kids without the burden of needing her to bring in extra income.
   • This vision was our motivation. It made every cutback worth it.

The Outcome

In 9 months, we paid off $40,000. Every. Single. Cent. Once we were debt-free, we built an emergency fund and started enjoying life again—on our terms. Today, we’re raising our family without financial stress and are on track to pay off our mortgage in 10 years.

You Can Do This Too

Feeling stuck? Financial freedom is possible with a plan and commitment. Start by setting a goal and taking action. If you want more personalized help, book a free call with me and lets talk about it.

Catch you later,

Aaron