How I Paid Off Over $50K in Debt — Without a Massive Income
Paying off debt often feels like an uphill battle — especially when your income isn't sky-high and life continues to throw curveballs. But the truth is, most people don’t need a six-figure salary to make progress. What they need is clarity, commitment, and a system that helps them stay the course.
In this article, we’re breaking down the habits, mindset shifts, and practical strategies that helped us pay off tens of thousands in debt — and how you can use the same approach to create your own debt-free plan.
Step 1: Start With a Starter Emergency Fund
The first step wasn’t paying off debt — it was building a safety buffer. We each set aside around $1,000 as a starter emergency fund. This fund wasn’t meant to solve every problem, but it kept us from reaching for credit cards when life inevitably happened. It gave us just enough breathing room to focus on debt without constantly worrying about the next flat tire or vet bill.
A small buffer might feel insignificant, but it's a crucial psychological win. It separates your debt payoff plan from your daily chaos and prevents small emergencies from becoming major setbacks.
Step 2: Make Debt the Primary Goal
Once the emergency fund was in place, it was all hands on deck. For one of us, that meant allocating nearly 70% of each paycheck toward debt — month after month, for nearly three years.
This wasn’t glamorous. It meant fewer dinners out, skipping new clothes, and learning to say no — not just to others, but to ourselves. But when debt becomes your single financial priority, you gain momentum. And that momentum matters more than perfection. Whether you're using the debt snowball (smallest to largest balances) or the avalanche (highest interest rate first), consistency is what gets you across the finish line.
Step 3: Budget With Ruthless Intentionality
Most people don’t get into debt because they’re bad with money — they just lack a system. Budgeting was the system that turned chaos into control.
We used simple, zero-based budgets to assign every dollar a job before the month began. That meant checking account balances, listing out expenses, and making real-time tradeoffs. Some months were tighter than others, but the practice of budgeting gave every dollar purpose — and made each win feel earned.
It also created visibility. When you see your debt shrinking each month, even by $50, you build confidence. Progress is powerful fuel, and a good budget helps you measure it.
Step 4: Surround Yourself With the Right Influences
Here’s something we don’t talk about enough: your financial environment matters. Whether it’s the people around you or the content you consume, those voices shape your beliefs.
During our journeys, we immersed ourselves in financial education — listening to debt payoff podcasts, reading blogs, and filling our free time with content that kept us focused. That daily exposure reinforced our goals and made the debt-free lifestyle feel normal, not extreme.
Even if your social circle doesn’t share your financial mindset, you can create a virtual support system through stories, podcasts, and online communities.
Step 5: A Supportive Partner Can Multiply Your Progress
We won’t sugarcoat it: having a partner who shares your financial goals can make a huge difference. Not because you split bills or share income — but because alignment accelerates progress.
In both of our stories, our partners got on board with the debt-free mindset. That didn’t mean our journeys were identical, but we were heading in the same direction. In one case, seeing a partner commit to debt freedom sparked the same drive in the other. That mutual support helped both people hit their goals faster.
Whether you’re in a relationship or not, the takeaway is the same: surrounding yourself with people who get it — or at least respect your plan — is a key part of sticking with it.
Step 6: Keep the Bigger Picture in Sight
Paying off debt isn’t just about numbers — it’s about reclaiming your future. When you’re not buried in payments, you have options. You can leave a toxic job. You can save for a home. You can invest more for retirement or take time off when you need it.
Throughout the journey, it’s crucial to remember why you started. Maybe you want to relieve financial stress, change your family’s trajectory, or just stop living paycheck to paycheck. Whatever your “why” is — write it down, revisit it, and let it ground you when motivation dips.
Because let’s be real: this journey can be long. But the freedom that comes with being debt-free? It’s worth every step.
Want to hear the full story?
In this week’s episode of Just Another Money Podcast, we each share our exact debt payoff timelines, how we budgeted, and what we learned along the way.