When I graduated from Ohio State in 2019 with a marketing degree, I had $47,000 in student loans staring me down. The minimum payments were $480 per month, and at that rate, I would be paying for the next 10 years. I sat in my tiny apartment in Columbus, looking at those numbers, and decided that was not going to be my story.
## The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
I remember the exact moment it hit me. I was 23 years old, sitting on my secondhand couch, eating ramen because payday was still three days away. My phone buzzed with a notification from my loan servicer - another reminder that my payment was due. I pulled up the amortization schedule and nearly choked on my noodles.
Of my $480 monthly payment, only about $200 was going toward the actual principal. The rest? Pure interest. At this rate, I would pay back almost $58,000 total for my $47,000 in loans. I was essentially working a part-time job just to pay interest to Navient.
That night, I could not sleep. I kept running numbers in my head. Ten years of payments. Ten years of being chained to this debt. Ten years of watching a huge chunk of my paycheck disappear into a black hole every single month.
By 3 AM, I had made a decision. I was going to pay off these loans in three years or less. Everyone told me I was crazy. Maybe I was. But I had to try.
## Building My Battle Plan
The first thing I did was get obsessive about understanding my debt. I logged into my loan servicer and wrote down every single loan - the balance, the interest rate, the minimum payment. I had seven different loans ranging from 3.4% to 6.8% interest.
Then I created what I called my Debt Destruction Spreadsheet. Every single dollar I earned or spent went into this spreadsheet. I tracked my coffee purchases, my Netflix subscription, my grocery bills - everything. This was not about judgment. It was about awareness.
What I discovered shocked me. I was spending almost $400 a month on things I barely noticed - subscription services I forgot I had, convenience store runs, random Amazon purchases at 2 AM. That $400 could have been going toward my loans.
## The Income Side of the Equation
My day job in marketing paid $52,000, which was not bad for a new graduate in Columbus. After taxes, health insurance, and my 401k contribution (I kept this at 6% to get my employer match - free money is free money), I was taking home about $3,200 per month.
But I knew that was not going to be enough. If I wanted to pay off $47,000 in three years, I needed to throw at least $1,500 per month at my loans. That would leave me with $1,700 for everything else - rent, food, utilities, transportation, and actually having a life.
So I started hustling. I reached out to local small businesses and offered social media management services. I was already doing this at my day job, so I had the skills. I charged $300-500 per month per client and picked up four clients within the first two months.
This side hustle brought in an extra $800-1,200 per month. Was it exhausting? Absolutely. I spent my weekends creating content calendars and scheduling posts. But every time I felt tired, I looked at my loan balance and found new energy.
## Living Like I Was Still in College
Here is where it gets real. While my friends were upgrading their apartments, buying new furniture, and financing new cars, I stayed put. My $650 per month studio apartment was small and kind of depressing, but it was mine and it was cheap.
I drove my 2006 Honda Civic with 180,000 miles on it. When the AC broke one summer, I rolled down the windows and dealt with it. When friends wanted to go out to expensive restaurants, I suggested cheaper alternatives or hosted potlucks at my place.
I cooked almost every meal at home. Meal prep Sundays became sacred - I would spend three hours cooking chicken, rice, and vegetables for the entire week. My grocery bill averaged about $200 per month. Not glamorous, but nutritious and cheap.
Entertainment was mostly free. I used the library for books, took advantage of free museum days, went on hikes, and had friends over for movie nights instead of going to theaters. I kept my Netflix subscription but canceled everything else.
## The Avalanche Method in Action
For my debt payoff strategy, I chose the avalanche method. This means paying minimum payments on all loans while throwing every extra dollar at the highest interest rate loan first.
My highest rate loan was $8,500 at 6.8%. I attacked it with everything I had. Some months I was able to put $2,000 toward it. Watching that balance drop was addictive. Every time I made a payment, I updated my spreadsheet and watched the payoff date move closer.
When that first loan hit zero, I literally cried. It was just one of seven, but it felt like I had climbed a mountain. Then I rolled that payment into the next highest rate loan. The momentum built.
## The Numbers Do Not Lie
Here is exactly how my three-year journey broke down:
**Year One:**
- Starting balance: $47,000
- Total paid: $18,500
- Ending balance: $28,500
- Side hustle income: $11,400
- Loans eliminated: 2
Year one was the hardest. I was learning to live on less, building my side hustle, and constantly fighting the urge to just live normally. There were nights I wanted to quit and just accept the 10-year plan.
**Year Two:**
- Starting balance: $28,500
- Total paid: $19,200
- Ending balance: $9,300
- Side hustle income: $14,200
- Loans eliminated: 3
By year two, I had hit my stride. My side hustle was bringing in more money. I got a raise at my day job. More importantly, living frugally had become normal. I did not miss the things I had given up.
**Year Three:**
- Starting balance: $9,300
- Total paid: $9,300
- Ending balance: $0
- Side hustle income: $15,800
- Loans eliminated: 2 (final ones!)
## The Sacrifices Were Real
I am not going to pretend this journey was all inspiration and motivation. There were real sacrifices.
I missed a friend wedding in California because I could not afford the flight and hotel. That hurt. I watched my college roommate buy a house while I was still in my tiny studio. I said no to countless dinners, trips, and experiences.
There were moments of intense loneliness. When everyone is going out and you are staying home to save money, it is easy to feel like you are missing out on your twenties.
I also dealt with judgment. Some people thought I was being extreme. Why not just pay the minimum and enjoy life? Why sacrifice so much for debt that everyone has?
But here is what I realized: everyone has debt because everyone accepts that debt is normal. I decided it was not going to be normal for me.
## The Final Payment
August 15, 2022. I will never forget that date. I logged into my loan servicer account and saw my remaining balance: $847.23. I had the money in my checking account. My finger hovered over the payment button.
Then I called my mom. I wanted her on the phone when I did this. She had co-signed some of these loans and worried about them almost as much as I did.
I clicked the button. Payment confirmed. Balance: $0.00.
I cried. My mom cried. It was the most expensive free feeling I have ever experienced.
## Life After Debt
That was two years ago. Here is what life looks like now:
I still live relatively frugally, but by choice now rather than necessity. I moved into a nicer apartment - still modest, but with actual sunlight and a dishwasher. I finally replaced my Civic with a used Accord (paid cash).
My savings rate is around 35% of my income. I max out my 401k and Roth IRA. I have an emergency fund that would cover six months of expenses. The money that used to go to Navient now goes to building wealth.
But the biggest change is psychological. I do not feel trapped anymore. I do not dread checking my bank account. I make financial decisions from a place of security rather than fear.
## What I Would Tell My Past Self
If I could go back and talk to 23-year-old me, here is what I would say:
The sacrifice is temporary, but the freedom is permanent. Three years of intense focus bought me decades of financial peace.
Track everything. You cannot manage what you do not measure. The spreadsheet was annoying but essential.
Find your why. Mine was freedom - I wanted to make career and life decisions without debt hanging over my head. When motivation faded, I returned to that why.
Increase income, not just cut expenses. There is a limit to how much you can cut, but earning potential has no ceiling.
Celebrate small wins. Every loan payoff, every milestone deserves recognition. The journey is long and you need those moments of celebration.
## Your Turn
If you are drowning in student loans right now, I want you to know that payoff is possible. Not easy - possible. The strategies that worked for me might not work exactly for you, but the principles are universal: spend less than you earn, increase your income, attack debt aggressively, and stay consistent even when it is hard.
You do not have to do it in three years. But you do have to start somewhere. Pull up your loan balances tonight. Make a spreadsheet. Calculate what it would take to be free.
Then decide if that freedom is worth fighting for.
For me, it absolutely was.Helpful Resources
If you are dealing with student loans, here are some resources that helped me:
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