Life in America could just be as simple as sticking to the typical status quo; get in debt, buy stuff, pay debt minimally, and life goes along… that is, until you’ll want something more—and you can’t afford it. Things won’t be so simple after that.
Such is the story of our guest on today’s episode of The His & Her Money Show: Brittany Cooper. She talks to us about how as simple as buying a house made she and her husband realize how debt holds them back from it… and how they were able to pay off $18,000 in 12 months!
Brittany and her husband started off owing about $25,000 (including interest), mostly from student loans, and decided to just pay the minimum monthly rates. An awakening happened when they decided to buy a house and couldn’t afford it.
From there on, with sheer determination, regular reminders, and following their desire to have their own house, Brittany, and her husband attacked their debt with absolute tenacity. Now winning their battle against debt, they are on their way to the next step to achieving new goals.
Settling for minimum monthly payments didn’t help speed things up for Brittany and her husband, towards financial freedom. Realizing that most of their money goes to interest and a lot less towards principle, Brittany decided to do things differently. As Brittany says, “You can say that your student loans helped. You got something in return. But all that interest you’re paying? You don’t get anything for that interest.”
Having to deal with a number of misfortunes, Brittany and her husband worked together as a team with a “no excuse” attitude. They constantly move forward and faced life’s challenges head-on with a positive view through all setbacks.
Brittany and her family are now enjoying a debt-free life. They still face the normalcy of life but without dread and stress. “Now we can work towards something tangible; that we can actually achieve,” she says as she explains the benefits of financial freedom for her family.
Learning a lot from their journey to debt-freedom, Brittany shares her experience and accumulated knowledge via her blog. She shares living your dream life on less and also shares tools and steps to help other people stay motivated and live a debt-free life.
What You Will Learn
- How Brittany approached her husband, addressing the issue of their debt.
- How Brittany and her husband handled their own roles in the family, and for paying off their debt.
- Brittany’s system and strategies to successfully win over their debt in a short amount of time.
- How open communication played a vital role in achieving their goal.
- Why exposing their journey to the public helped Brittany gather a supportive community.
- How cash budget helps Brittany and her husband avoid slip-ups and stay consistent with their plans.
- The life lesson Brittany learned through their journey to financial freedom.
- Brittany’s words of encouragement for those who may be doubting themselves if they can achieve financial autonomy.
Resources Mentioned
- Money-Making Mom — by Crystal Paine
- The Recovering Spender — by Lauren Greutman
- Pennies Into Pearls blog
Thanks For Listening!
Thanks for tuning into us on The His & Her Money Show. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.
Also, please leave an honest review for The His & Her Money Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we do read each and every one of them.
