Articles: Get Out of Debt, Manage Your Money, and Live Debt Free

6 Get Out of Debt Stories that Will Amaze & Inspire You

A sunflower with 6 amazing get out of debt stories written above it There’s no doubt about it, getting out of debt is WELL worth it. It’s the best!

But sometimes we all need a little inspiration and encouragement along the way.

So if you’d love to get a dose of debt-free inspiration, these 6 get out of debt stories will do the trick.

As a side note, the get out of debt stories featured here are from people whose incomes run the gamut from way below the average American income to quite a bit above it.

There are all kinds of inspiring experiences!

Read on to see how these folks paid off a combined $2.3 million in debt.
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How I Grabbed My Slice of Financial Independence

How I grabbed my slice of financial independence The road to Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE), is anything but a straight line. It’s more like a really good movie… you’ll laugh, cry, get angry, frustrated, be overjoyed and a host of other strong emotions. At the end, you’ll be left with a sense of true fulfillment. So much so, you may even cry tears of joy…or maybe that was just me. Lol.

Starting on the Road to Financial Independence

I started on the road to FIRE back in 2009. Back then I was separated with two young kids, 3 ½ & 5. By the end of the year, the divorce was finalized. I walked away with the kids, the house and over $254,000 of marital debt. The debt was broken down into two buckets: ~$122,000 home loan and ~$132,000 on a HELOC. We didn’t have any other kind of debt.

When I look back, I don’t think it really sunk in…all that debt. After all, I had a temp job that might turn permanent (it never did). I thought I could find other employment, grow my career and make more money. That didn’t happen either – at least not for many years.
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4 Refinancing Strategies to Get You Out of Debt

Wooden houses in front of a painted brick wall with 4 mortgage refinancing strategies to get you out of debt written on it Refinancing a home sounds like a complicated grown up thing, doesn’t it?

But the reality is that if you’ve bought a home with a mortgage, you’re more than capable of refinancing. (You won’t even need to call your mom or dad to help lead you through it.)

But first, what is refinancing a mortgage? Basically, refinancing is paying off your current home loan with a new mortgage loan. (Ideally one that comes with better terms to help you achieve your financial goals.)

Of course, you can do a mortgage refinance for a variety of purposes. But what we’re going to focus on here is getting you out of debt sooner rather than later.
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What Makes Cutting Up Credit Cards So Scary? Conquering the Fear

Hands of a man cutting up credit card with a pair of scissors Cutting up credit cards can be hard to do.

Back when I had credit card debt, I tried everything else first:

willpower,
“just” not using them,
sealing them in an envelope with a note on the outside,
putting them away in a drawer,
and even freezing my credit cards in a block of ice.

You know what happened?
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