by Hope
Debt sucks. You work hard for your money and watching it go to someone else is no fun. But it is such an overwhelming cycle and no matter how many self-help books and blogs you read, experts you listen to and advice you get, it’s a hard habit to break. The only thing worse than debt is when you’re in debt and not in control of it. I’ve been there for a very long time and finally feel like I’m beginning to see the light. I never want to go back.
I made minimum payments but never came up with a plan to pay it off. It has been incredibly stressful. To add to it, I went through a divorce, adopted a couple of kids, bought and sold way too many cars and had lots of job challenges. Years later, I’ve finally come up with a plan, got my mind right and I’m happy to say I am making great progress and feeling better than I have in years. There have been many amazing side effects from paying my debt off.
Emotional Well Being
There is an indescribable feeling that comes with having full control over your money. When you finally know how much is coming in and going out, is an amazingly peaceful feeling. The anxiety goes away. Though it’s never fun sitting down to calculate debt, it’s necessary and brings a sense of control when you finally know. As you start paying your debt down it just feels good, an accomplishment that you can see as you log into your accounts.
You Have More of Your Money
As your debt is paid off, more of your money is actually yours. Now that I’ve paid off the bulk of my consumer debt, I can really plan how to use my money.
You Appreciate What You Have
When you’re not in a situation to drop a wad of cash on new clothes for example, you appreciate what you have much more. You become resourceful too. There were times I thought I needed something but many times made do without whatever it was. Once the debt is gone, and I have more disposable income, I know my appreciation for things (including my money), will stay. I will always choose quality, but be a conscious consumer.
Getting started is hard, breaking those bad habits, sacrificing in the now for the future is hard, but facing your debts will be one of the best decisions you ever make.
What was the best thing that came from paying your debt off?
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
