Well, hello there! My name is Sarah and I spend more than I make. *insert welcoming comments and claps*

I’ve struggled with debt my entire adult life. Yay me! I’ve become better throughout the last 5-10 years. But let’s be honest, I could’ve kicked this in the pants and I didn’t. So rather than get into a bunch of “coulda, woulda, shoulda,” let’s talk about what I’m doing right this time around.

So what changed?

Honestly, hearing Anna’s story. I found And Then We Saved just over a year ago and was hooked instantly. I spent a Saturday or two and read through all of the archives. Like a dry sponge, I tried soaking up as much as I could and lapping up the excess. I didn’t want to miss a drop of wisdom. As we all know, Anna is real, yet encouraging. I’ve read other people’s stories and tried their methods. I could feel the dirty looks, see the shaking fingers almost hear the “tsk! tsk! tsk!” in their tone for breaking down and buying a breakfast burrito. Being an All-or-Nothing type of person, I couldn’t live with the guilt. So I would say, “Screw it!” and do what I wanted. Thankfully, I don’t feel that way about Anna’s method. I think it’s because she admitted her faults and struggles and that really has helped me. It’s almost as if I had permission to make mistakes and to learn from them. I’m not throwing my life off-track; just get back on the horse and keep going! Feeling encouraged, I immediately picked up Anna’s book, The Spender’s Guide to Debt-Free Living. And true to form, I sat down and read it all cover to cover. I vowed then and there to recommit and do this thing right. So it gives me great pride and honor to say I’m a Spending Faster, effective May 1st, 2016. Woo-hoo! And, like our fearless leader, I’m going for a year and re-evaluating my goals afterward. It’s scary but in a good way.

Yeah, that’s great, Sarah! Give me numbers, though. What’s the damage?

As of today, May 4th, 2016, I have $35,521.11 in debt. Ugh. And $26,000.56 of that is student loans. I’ve been out of college for 11 (!) years and I still owe a massive chunk. That diploma is one extremely expensive piece of paper. And $4,521.62 of that total ugliness is medical, which leaves a hair under $5k in credit card and personal debt. Wow. It’s kind of scary to admit that in public. No more hiding or living in denial. I’m laying it all out there and owning up to it. I plan to conquer it once and for all! I want to kill it, get a house and raise my awesome family without worrying about it.

What am I doing to destroy this gnarly beast? Well, a few different things. During the day, I run the books for a local company. At night, I teach dance at two different studios. All three jobs are seasonal (but not necessarily the same time) so some months are leaner than others. Some months are super awesome and I can throw a bunch a money at the beast, which seems to hurt it, or at least stun it. Other months, I give it whatever I’ve got and hope that satiates its hunger. Every month, I feed it. Even if it’s only $20. Every. Bit. Counts.

Anyway, I’m excited to share my journey with you! I pray it helps you in the same way someone else’s story here at ATWS has helped me. Maybe you’ll get a few ideas and maim your debt beast as well! Here’s to our flawless victories! Cheers! *clink*

Beginning of May- My Debt:
Credit Cards – $4,998.93
Medical – $4,521.62
Student Loans – $26,000.56

To follow all the Spending Fasters, click here.

P.S. Ready to get out of debt ASAP? Check out the Spending Fast Bootcamp!