How I Eliminated $200,000 in Debt—While Still Visiting Greece

      You know those slightly awkward, self-adhesive name tags we sometimes wear? If I were wearing one today, it would read, “Hello, my name is Tinsley, and I’m debt-free.” It never gets old to say something I’ve dreamt of for so long: debt… free. A once seemingly unattainable dream has now turned into my reality.

      I got married at 22, right after graduating college—the first in my family to do so—facing the harsh truth that I was officially on my own (but married?) with adult bills and no means to pay them. I secured a job earning $10 an hour, my husband worked for a nonprofit, and we were just scraping by. Coming from a modest background, I learned about financial struggles early on. As an adult, I wanted to handle my finances differently. Thankfully, my partner agreed, and within six months, we turned our lives upside down, switched careers, and relocated to a city with more opportunities. We made the decision for my husband to go back to school, leading our combined $30,000 of student debt to escalate to $200,000. The pressure felt immense; suddenly, my desire to rectify past mistakes seemed unmanageable.

      I have friends who view student debt as a permanent fixture in their lives, saying things like, “Oh, that? We’ll be paying it off until we die.” 'Til death do us part, I suppose. But growing up the way I did, I wanted no part of that. Spending 22 years in financial uncertainty made the idea of enduring another 50 years of it feel like actual hell. I refused to accept my friends’ reality, so we consulted a financial advisor, crafted a five-year plan, and got to work. We took on various side jobs and cut expenses in nearly every aspect of our lives, rewarding ourselves afterward with a week-long trip to Greece.

      Now, I am completely debt-free. I don’t owe anything on a mortgage, I have no late car payments, and I’m not deferring any student loans; it’s a position I take seriously, and I hope to share my journey to inspire others seeking the same. Whether your aim is to eliminate debt or save money, these steps helped me pay off over $200,000 in student loans in just five years.

      1. Set goals for repayment

      My husband often quotes a phrase: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Sometimes, the key is simply to start. Begin small if necessary, and establish a realistic timeframe for when you wish to be debt-free—let that serve as your guiding light. A deadline holds you accountable and encourages you to be strategic with your finances.

      If you feel capable of starting on your own, go ahead, but if you’re like me—where the only math I grasp is 4 + 4 = ATE—you might want to seek external help to plan your debt repayment. We began working with a financial advisor, which can seem daunting, but I assure you it’s anything but. After nearly a decade of navigating unanticipated challenges and major life events, he has guided us every step of the way, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without him. Regardless of how our individual goals differ, the beginning is the same: choose a timeframe and adhere to it.

      2. Be extremely detailed with your budget

      I’m consistently surprised by how few people I know who maintain a budget—it's shocking. Since I use a calendar for life planning, why wouldn’t I also utilize a budget to manage expenses? In college, payday felt liberating—a relief after waiting two long weeks—but without a plan, I often ended up spending all my money before the day was over. As an adult, I can’t afford such mistakes, especially given my ambitious financial aspirations. I realized that to truly tackle my debt, I needed to be equally serious about creating and adhering to a budget.

      Here’s the reality about budgeting: If you don’t account for every detail—and I mean everything—you’re likely to overspend. As you overspend, your motivation to continue may diminish. Beyond essential monthly expenses (housing, food, utilities), my budget also includes limits for coffee, clothing, cleaning supplies, and so on. If I have a history of spending on something frequently, it’s included—yes, even for haircuts. Now, by setting aside money each month, I no longer feel anxious when it’s time for a hair appointment or when I need to purchase paper goods since everything is already budgeted.

      3. Decline trips, even when you’re tempted to go

      In today’s world, where spontaneous trips seem to be the norm (a mystery I’ll never understand), it’s easy to feel pressured to travel just because. It was challenging, but had I not restricted my travel during those five years, my progress would have been significantly hindered.