How much debt have you paid off?: $240,000
What was it for?: House mortgage
From deciding to become debt free to making the last payment, how long did it take you?: Seven years
What age did you take on your first debt, and how old are you now?: 18, but didn't get a mortgage till I was 49. Now mortgage free at 63, and have been for years.
Did you do it alone or as a family?: As a family
Did you pay off debt from your regular income, take on extra work, or change jobs to speed it up?: Regular income
Did you sell anything or receive cash gifts to contribute towards your debt payoff?: Nope
What people, books, websites, podcasts, budgeting tools, debt trackers and resources helped you?: General finance reading
Did you keep an emergency fund while you paid off debt? If so, how much?: Not really, we used a revolving credit loan facility.
Did you have any setbacks along the way, and how did you overcome them?: One year of work in the middle. Our bank refused us a loan top-up (financial responsibility!), so we just mucked on through.
What tips/hacks could you share?: Hmm, just put the focus on paying off loan - then live off the rest.
Was there a structure to your debt payoff? i.e. paying smallest to largest, or highest interest rate to lowest?: Nope, just smacked it out.
How did you stay motivated, and what was the most challenging part of paying off your debt?: I was already motivated from the start.
How did you celebrate making your final payment?: Just a warm glowing feeling inside.
Was getting out of debt worth it, and what have you learned about yourself?: Always
Will you ever go back into debt again?: If required... need to have a good reason to and a plan to get out.