We love our debt-free stories here at His & Her Money. Whether it’s student loan debt, consumer debt, or life just not going your way, it’s easy to start drowning in it all, but sometimes we don’t realize until it’s too late and now we don’t even know where to START fixing the problem.
Tackling debt is an overwhelming task to look at – especially if you’ve got a lot. Sometimes, though, it’s just about getting your head in the game, and we love hearing how others shake off the debt wearing them down and how debt freedom is looking for you on the other side!
Today’s guest for this episode of the His & Her Money show knows ALL about that. DeShena Woodard used to be in debt – lots and lots of debt. And even worse, she didn’t know what to do with it. First of all, she had a limited view of money.
Growing up, her parents put in the hours, but somehow her family stayed broke – from the looks of it, going to work just meant paying the bills and that was that. So, she followed the rule book: college and career. But ironically, college was when Deshena officially started her debt spiral.
Not knowing how to manage her money, DeShena soon found herself so deep in debt. Furthermore, she realized it was even negatively affecting her health. Just the thought of paying off a bill had her stomach in knots.
That’s when she knew it was time to cut down the spending, cut down the debt, and cut down the stress, and that’s exactly what she did! Through a lot of hard work, cutting down, and staying focused, DeShena and her husband finished up their journey to debt freedom, and in 2017, she started paying off another $52,000, which took just two and a half years!
Now they’re living 100% debt free and today, DeShena runs a blog called Extravagantly Broke where she’s empowered to help others find their financial grip and kick debt right out of their lives – just like she did! Growing up without financial role models, she believes financial education and exposure to money management are so, so important to help others avoid getting in a bind with debt, or exposure to all the best tools to fight their way out.
What You Will Learn
Getting intentional: what it means, where to get started, and how to carry through
Their ah-a moment and where they went from there
Breaking down a zero-based budget structure
The dangerous “credit mindset”
How Deshena keeps applying the mindsets and skills she learned while enjoying total debt freedom
Thanks for tuning in to us on The His & Her Money Show. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons at the bottom of the post.
