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A life you love on a budget you can afford.

Here on TBM®, I provide you with simple, easy-to-follow solutions to help you budget your money, pay off debt, save more, and crush your financial goals. But more than that, I give you the tools to start doing the things that matter most to you, on a budget that actually works!

10 Things I Wish I Knew About Debt in My 20s

January 8, 2020
DEBT & CREDIT

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If I could hop in a time machine and go back to see my 20-something-year-old self, here are 10 things I would tell her about debt.

I’m not going to lie — life on the other side of debt is amazing. But I can remember a time in the not-so-distant past when I was struggling with debt and financial stress daily. If I could hop in a time machine and go back to see my 20-something-year-old self, here are ten things I would tell her about debt. 

1. Don’t hide from your debt or your spending.  

Debt is stressful. Trust me; I’ve been there. But ignoring my debt and overspending problems never made those issues go away. In fact, failing to acknowledge that I had a budgeting problem only made my debt situation worse. 

One of the first things I did when I started my debt pay off journey was to make a list of every dollar I owed. I also started tracking my spending, so I could see what I was doing with the money I earned. 

Confronting my financial shortcomings was uncomfortable. But acknowledging these issues also helped me to change. I gained control of my money and, little by little, started a budgeting journey that eventually leads to me paying off over $77,000 worth of debt in less than a year. 

  • Read: Saving Money When You Have Debt – What You Need to Know

2. A solid budgeting plan is the best way to avoid new debt.

It’s hard to avoid debt without a plan for your money. In fact, I struggled with debt for years before I created a budgeting method that worked for me. Once I started using the Budget by Paycheck method over six years ago, however, I found a way to avoid new debt and pay down the debts I already owed. 

Money alone won’t solve all of your problems. You can earn a lot, but those earnings won’t pay down your debt or help you save for retirement if you spend carelessly. A successful budget is a necessary step to reaching your financial goals.   

  • Read: Should You Consolidate Your Debt?

3. Getting out of debt is possible, with the right plan.

The Budget by Paycheck method helped me manage my money better. But I learned that paying off debt required a plan too. Figuring out the right debt payoff strategy enabled me to save a ton of money in interest. 

Personally, I’m a big fan of the debt avalanche method. It focuses on paying off debts with the highest interest first, so the savings can really pile up. 

The debt snowball approach is also worth considering. If you’re someone who’s motivated by small successes along the way (like paying off debts with lower balances first), the debt snowball could be a good fit. 

  • Read: How to Choose A Debt Payoff Strategy

4. An emergency fund is crucial to avoid debt.

What happens when an unexpected expense comes up, and you don’t have the money saved to take care of it? If you’re like I was in my 20s, your first instinct may be to whip out your credit card to pay for it. 

Creating an emergency fund helped me to break this bad habit. At first, I focused on paying off my high-interest debt. Yet eventually, I began to save a small amount toward my emergency fund each month, even while I worked hard to eliminate my remaining debt. Building an emergency fund gave me the peace of mind to feel comfortable on my financial journey. 

5. All cash spending is the perfect way to fight debt. 

Although I’d already been budgeting for years, in 2016, I started using the cash envelope method to manage my spending. Let me tell you — it was a game-changer that helped my budget-by-paycheck method work better than ever.

As an all-cash spender, I was able to track and manage my expenses more easily. Because I wasn’t swiping credit cards for purchases, I could quickly see (down to the dollar) how much money I had available in each of my budgeting categories. 

Cash spending makes me think through my purchases. It helps me avoid overspending and gives me more control over where my money goes every paycheck. 

  • Read: 4 Things You Need to Do Immediately If You Want to Pay off Debt

6. You can use a new account to help you get rid of old debt. 

It may sound crazy, but sometimes a new credit card can help you to pay off your existing credit card debt faster. Personally, I used balance transfers to pay off $7,500 worth of credit card debt. 

If you have a decent credit rating, you might be able to qualify for a 0% introductory APR on a credit card balance transfer. Although a balance transfer isn’t right for everyone, it can help some people to save money with a lower interest rate during part of their debt pay off journey.

7. You can build credit without going into debt.

Good credit is a valuable asset. It can save you money when you need a loan (like a mortgage) and may even help you save on your insurance premiums. 

While it’s important to build good credit, you don’t have to go into debt to do so. In fact, credit scoring models like FICO typically reward you when you have open credit cards but keep your balances low or paid off.  

8. Saying no to some purchases helps you say yes to what really matters.

In college, I had a spending problem. I took out more student loans than I needed and wasted the leftover money on unnecessary purchases. To compensate for self-confidence issues, I would buy new clothing, visit expensive hair and nail salons, and use money to try to make myself feel happy. When I graduated, I owed over $35,000 in student loans and more than $21,000 in credit card debt. 

As I started using the budget-by-paycheck method, I learned how to cut expenses. I discovered that doing without some things I don’t really need can help me afford the things that matter most to me. Cutting costs helped me to become debt-free. It helped me to save money for some amazing, debt-free vacations. And now, my money choices are helping me buy (and build) my first home with cash.

When I realize the amazing life that budgeting has helped me to lead, I don’t really miss my old cable bill or too-frequent shopping sprees. The tradeoff is totally worth it. 

  • Read: My Debt Story – Accomplishing the Unimaginable

9. Don’t be afraid to work hard for your financial goals. 

Whether money is tight or you’re trying to find ways to pay down your debt faster, earning extra cash can help. When I started The Budget Mom in 2016, I was a single mom working a full-time job during the day and running my business in the morning and at night. 

Working extra to earn more income can be tough at times. Yet if you funnel your extra income toward a specific goal, it could change your life for the better. Just remember to pair any money you earn with a solid budgeting plan. Otherwise, you could find legitimate ways to make extra income, but not get any closer to your goals.   

10. You aren’t alone. 

After college, I was fortunate to get a job in the finance industry. However, my personal finances were in rough shape. As a financial professional, this was stressful. I felt like I was supposed to have it all together (or at least that people expected me to). So, I was embarrassed to talk about my financial challenges with others. 

In 2018, I finally decided to share my debt story with the world on Instagram. I knew deep down that I couldn’t stay silent any longer. If I was going to pay off $77,000+ in debt, I needed accountability. 

To this day, I’m so thankful that I made this decision. When I shared my debt payoff goal with the world, overnight countless people began to embrace me and encourage me. 

Not only did that encouragement lead me to get out of debt for good finally, but I was able to connect with so many others who wanted to gain control of their own financial lives. Now, I’m able to share the financial strategies that helped me succeed with others through The Budget Mom — and I wouldn’t change a thing.   

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Filed Under: Tagged With: DEBT, DEBT FREE, GET OUT OF DEBT, PAY OFF DEBT

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Comments

  1. Mireya says

    January 8, 2020 at 8:05 am

    LOVE this article! Sometimes it does feel like I’m doing this on my own, and it’s nice to know other women need help as much as I do in my financial journey! THANK YOU MIKO!

  2. Heather says

    January 8, 2020 at 10:24 am

    Very well spoken!! Thank you for sharing your story. You have helped me and so many others!

  3. KATIE M. HOYT says

    January 10, 2020 at 7:41 am

    Thanks Kumiko!!

  4. Ashley says

    January 10, 2020 at 7:44 am

    One thing I really struggle with is the idea of being in debt and feeling like you “don’t have any money” but still needing some spending money for groceries, gas, etc. even if it is only a little. It feels like I’m making it harder, but I have no idea.

    • lisa says

      January 28, 2020 at 11:28 am

      One thing that has helped me is taking my paycheck, and taking out my grocery $ and whatever else money I will need for that next week. Then work from there to take out what bill money needs to get paid! 🙂

  5. BILL HILLER says

    January 10, 2020 at 10:06 am

    This is my legitimate New Years goal! Thank you so much for the encouragement!

  6. Yolanda says

    January 10, 2020 at 11:31 am

    I have been afraid to look at the total amount of debt that I have. I finally did it and you are right, it was like a load was lifted off of my shoulders. Now I know where I stand and have an honest starting point to become DEBT FREE! Thanks Miko!

  7. Sarah says

    January 10, 2020 at 5:47 pm

    I’m new to your budget program. It seemed impossible to have money to put into the various cash envelopes after I paid all my bills, but on the first paycheck, I discovered I DO have enough money to do both. I’m even finding money to put into the 2020 Challenge which amazes me! The more I learn, the more I’ll be able to keep my budget under control, so thanks for this helpful article!

  8. Katherine Swank says

    January 11, 2020 at 12:35 pm

    Debt affects everyone. Every dollar out the door is a dollar taken away from savings, retirement and accomplishing dreams and goals. I’m a huge fan – but I also see a lack in focus on the future. Isn’t this also something we wish we’d learned in our 20s? Am I missing discussions on retirement savings and building? It seems that conversations lack this perspective and it’s such an important component of budgeting – not to mention, life! I’d love to see a focus on some attention here as well as spending tracking, pay-check allocation, emergency funds, debt-elimination and purchase savings. Thank you for your comments Miko.

  9. Lei says

    January 11, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    I really enjoyed reading and getting to understand that becoming debit free is a journey and that it is something anybody can do. Its very encouraging to feel like I am not alone and that TBM is here to help us.

  10. James Alvarez says

    January 30, 2020 at 5:02 pm

    This is so spot on! Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to discuss some of these points with my team.

Hello, I'm Kumiko, but everyone just calls me Miko. Welcome to my blog, The Budget Mom. I am an Accredited Financial Counselor® , and mom to a rambunctious boy. Come along with me as I strive to live a life I love on a budget that I can afford. Read more about me.

RECENT YOUTUBE VIDEO

The Budget Mom

The Budget Mom
It’s time for another Real Life Budget. I asked my readers to submit their REAL information. Real spending, real debt, and real savings goals.

I am taking those real-life numbers and showing you how I would organize and budget that information using my Budget By Paycheck® Method.

If you would like to submit your budget information to possibly be picked for a Real Life Budget that we will show on YouTube, please reach out to budgets@thebudgetmom.com.

Diane is a single mom who is a Database Administrator for an IT Department at a local college. She lives in Queens, NY, and eventually wants to move to a lower-cost of living area in the future. 

Diane submitted her information because she is struggling to organize and tackle all of her larger short-term goals.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
02:15 Why & Personal Story
04:20 Income 
04:37 Fixed Expenses
05:48 Variable Expenses
06:31 Debt
07:53 Savings Goals
10:18 Budget By Paycheck Method
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➡️ HOW I TRACK MY SPENDING: https://bit.ly/3aIe89I
➡️ HOW TO USE A BUDGET CALENDAR: https://bit.ly/2IzF2Vj
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ABOUT ME

Kumiko Love is a single mom who empowers women everywhere to regain control of their financial lives. An Accredited Financial Counselor with over nine years of experience in the finance industry, she founded The Budget Mom, a community of millions of women on a path to financial fulfillment.

She's also the creator of the wildly popular Live Rich Planner® and Budget by Paycheck® Workbook. Love has been featured on Good Morning America, the Today show, CNN, CBS, ABC and in USA Today, US News, World Report, Huffington Post, Money Magazine, Parents Magazine, the Washington Post, and Real Simple. She lives in Spokane Valley, Washington.

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