How They Ditched Debt

These people tamed debt on their own terms.
Read their stories to help inspire your own payoff process.

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How Two Teachers Wiped Out More Than $53,000

That rumor about kids being expensive? Fact! That’s why Jae Bratton and her husband, a fellow teacher, focused on paying off their debt over the three years leading up to the birth of their first child. Read more

From $20K to $0 in Five Years and 8 Steps

Photo by Jonathan Sharpe

It took some years — and just about every trick in the book — for Kenley Young to wipe out more than $20,000 in credit card debt. Over that time, he learned a lot about how pay-down dreams can collide with the reality of major life events. Now a NerdWallet editor, he shares which tools had the greatest impact on his journey to $0. Read more

Crushing a Goal Leads to Helping Others

Photo courtesy of Sandra Leigh Photography

The gift of a book about personal finance inspired Holly Carey to get serious about understanding and wiping out her debt. She learned about zero-based budgeting and cut expenses wherever possible, such as moving in with a roommate. After zeroing out more than $55,000 in 26 months, she was inspired to share advice with friends and family — and eventually landed a job as an editor at NerdWallet. Read more

Jhanilka and Anthony Hartzog stand together outside smiling.

Pandemic After Payoff Tests Couple’s Resilience

Just months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, Anthony and Jhanilka Hartzog paid off the last of their $114,000 in debt. They’d developed a budget that worked for them, created additional income streams, and exploited a lower cost of living after a move from New York to Dallas. We checked in with them nearly two years later — were the Hartzogs able to stay debt-free in the face of a global pandemic that strained the finances of many families? And what tips do they have for others hoping to ditch debt of their own? Read more

Image of Sylvester Akpan holding son Aiden on his shoulders and wife Karen Akpan standing next to them outside.

Downsizing the Home, Growing the Business

When job loss reduced household income for Karen and Sylvester Akpan, the couple made the bold choice to sell their Los Angeles-area home and buy an RV. They focused on growing their travel blog and an associated Instagram account and were able to pay off their debt in a year. Their path is unusual but points to a universal truth: Lowering expenses and increasing income leaves more money to tackle debt. Read more

CJ Mantilla stands in front of a dark brick backdrop in dark-rimmed glasses. His right hand rests on the back of his baby son, whom Steffa Mantilla holds on one hip. She smiles at the camera as the baby grips her collar.

Getting On Board With a Budget for Baby

Former zookeeper Steffa Mantilla promises she didn’t use any animal training techniques to get her husband on board with a debt reduction plan.

However she might have persuaded him, the Houston couple paid off more than $70,000 in debt in five years. Planning for a baby served as a catalyst for their money makeover. Read more

Trimming Small Expenses Achieved a Big Goal

Refinancing student loans was the beginning of the payoff journey for Neal and Laura Fogarty. Then they went on the hunt for expenses to trim so they could put every extra dollar toward ditching debt, clearing $36,600 in eight years. Read more

Rebounding From Bankruptcy

Rashad and Nirvanna Muhammad carried out student debt and financial struggles as they married and built a family. After experiencing bankruptcy, they narrowed their focus and made the sacrifices necessary to pay off $179,000 in just under four years. Read more

Keeping a ‘Passion for Fashion’ on the Road to Repayment

The promise of a new start to her life — with a house and family — prompted Caitlin Forni to get more serious about paying down her debt. She paid off $123,000 in student and car loans in nine years. Read more

A Spender, a Saver, and Dreams of a Family

When Kendall Berry and her husband started planning for kids, they got serious about paying off their debt. Here’s how they ditched nearly $54,000 in less than a year. Read more

Pandemic After Payoff Tests Couple’s Resilience

Downsizing the Home, Growing the Business

Getting On Board With a Budget for Baby

Former zookeeper Steffa Mantilla promises she didn’t use any animal training techniques to get her husband on board with a debt reduction plan.

However she might have persuaded him, the Houston couple paid off more than $70,000 in debt in five years. Planning for a baby served as a catalyst for their money makeover. Read more

Trimming Small Expenses Achieved a Big Goal

Rebounding From Bankruptcy

Keeping a ‘Passion for Fashion’ on the Road to Repayment

A Spender, a Saver, and Dreams of a Family

When Kendall Berry and her husband started planning for kids, they got serious about paying off their debt. Here’s how they ditched nearly $54,000 in less than a year. Read more

‘Happiness Journey’ Fueled Payoff

After taking on over $200,000 in debt from student loans for law school, Okeoma Moronu decided to take a purposeful approach to her life and finances and wiped out her debt in six and a half years. Read more

From ‘Extravagantly Broke’ to Comfortably Frugal

DeShena Woodard, a nurse from Texas, had nothing in savings and lived paycheck to paycheck until she changed her habits and paid off more than $50,000 in almost three years. Read more

Little Splurges on the Path to Freedom

Brian and Lindsey Baldwin wiped out $130,000 in student loans in just under four years — and still managed some treats for the family along the way. Read more

Small Wins Help Achieve a Big Dream

Bernadette Joy and AJ Maulion paid off student debt and two mortgages, a whopping total of $309,800 while building a small business. The recipe: Live on one salary, and celebrate small wins. Read more

Whipping Up a Payoff ‘Tornado’

When Steven Donovan didn’t want to plug his debt numbers into a budget app, he knew he had to act. Attacking his most hated debt helped him pay off $118,000 in five years. Read more

‘I Just Pretended I Didn’t Have Money’

Sarah McGowan’s goal: Be out of student debt by the time she turns 25. By maintaining a frugal lifestyle right out of college and working every chance she got, McGowan got rid of a little over $36,000 in debt in just under two years. Read more

‘It Made Our Marriage So Strong’

Ray and Bailey Robertson paid off over $33,000 in 18 months thanks to an aggressive strategy, lean lifestyle, tight partnership, and plenty of planning. Read more

Redefining ‘Best Life,’ Scaling Back

Sonia Sears ended up deep in the red while pursuing her “best life” in college and beyond. But she conquered her mountain of debt by working more, traveling less, and moving back home. She paid off $79,000 in just over two years. Read more

Kicking Frugality Into High Gear

Ben and Melissa Panter were always frugal, but when they faced a large mortgage and growing student loan balances, they knew they had to kick frugality into high gear. The Panters paid off $127,000 in nearly four years. Read more

How They Ditched Debt

These people tamed debt on their own terms. Read their stories to help inspire your own payoff process.

How Two Teachers Wiped Out More Than $53,000