Several months ago in November 2018, I decided to take control of a situation and pay off some debt that had been lingering around for far too long. I decided to pay off the debt and give my whole family the freedom from debt that we deserve.

Debt Snowball Total

Here’s how the debt snowball started in November 2018.

Loan 1: $1,043.99
Loan 2: $5,400.05
Loan 3: $5,792.96
Loan 4: $31,129.13

Total debt: $43,366.13

Debt Snowball Progress

Since I started paying off the debt I’ve made some major progress! My January 2019 Debt Update showed how the debt was down to $35,423.73.

I was happy with that progress but knew I wanted to have a big month in February with lots of side income coming in from this blog and my youtube channel. I’m realizing that earning extra income is key to paying off the debt faster without as much heartache.

February was the month of making extra payments! Any time I got any extra money I threw it straight toward the debt. I made so many extra small snowflake payments that I found out there is a max number of payments allowed monthly.

Thank goodness for all that extra income and the ability to send it directly toward the debt after taxes! I know I’m blessed that people online view any of my content or trust me enough to use my affiliate links. I don’t take that for granted and I’m so grateful I’m able to share my life and the things I love in order to earn income. It’s truly remarkable.

At the end of February 2019 the debt total is now at $32,167.77!

That’s amazing progress for the shortest month of the year! We reduced the debt by over THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS!

Debt Snowball Thoughts

It feels amazing to have paid off such a big chunk of debt since we started attacking these loans – $11,198.36.

I try not to think too much about what that money could have otherwise bought because it’s too easy to think I could have already bought an used car with that amount. But alas, I committed to paying this debt off and that is what I’m going to do! One thing I want to be is someone who follows through with commitments, even when it isn’t fun.

February was a great month for debt repayment. Over $3k toward the debt was a fantastic amount for us and not likely something we will be able to repeat every month. However I’m going to keep trying to have as many big debt repayment months as possible!

I’m continually grateful during this debt repayment journey. I’m grateful for a steady and decent paying job with no fear of imminent layoff. I’m grateful for my husband who is supportive in this journey and helping cut costs where we can. I’m grateful for the friends online who are so supportive. It’s hard not to feel grateful for the people helping on such an undertaking.

Getting Out Of Debt might not always be fun, but it’s going to be worth it.