- Well, thank you guys, so much, for coming on the show.
Seriously, I so appreciate it,
because I love your story.
So, let's just drop the bomb now.
What is the weird thing you guys did?
- We did not go on a honeymoon.
Yet.
- Yet!
(laughter)
I was just going to say that.
Okay, you guys. That's a big deal, right?
Like, you are planning your wedding,
and you're deciding to forego the honeymoon.
So, tell me about that.
What caused you guys to do that?
- Well, I was just so close to paying off my debt
that I just couldn't fathom getting into more debt
when I was so close to it.
So, we just mutually decided that we should just wait.
- And were you good with that, Brandon?
- Yeah.
I mean, happy wife, happy life.
(laughter)
- That's right.
- It's a good answer.
I didn't even tell him to say that.
(laughter)
- Okay. And you guys are actually here in Nashville
to do your debt-free scream.
- Yes.
- Okay. So, how much debt did you guys pay off?
- $29,000.
- $29,000?
And that was mostly all yours, right?
What was it? What kind of debt was it?
- It was my car and student loans.
- Okay. So Brandon, you had no debt?
- No debt.
- No debt? Okay. So, tell me about that.
What caused you to live life without debt?
- Well, the only thing I had was a car payment.
So, I sold that and then bought a cheap car for cash
and pocketed the rest, and that was that.
- Debt-free.
- I've stayed debt-free since then.
- Okay. So, what caused you not to go out
and get another car loan?
- I didn't want a car payment.
I didn't want to pay expensive insurance.
- So smart. So smart.
And we always tell people that when you're
getting out of debt,
you don't pay on each other's debt while you're engaged.
Once you get married, all forward. Right?
- Exactly.
- Did you guys do that?
- That's exactly what we did.
- So, when you came together, you kind of
got the catapult, I'm sure.
Getting two incomes to help—
- We got engaged, and then I put my debt snowball on pause.
And then, all that money that I saved up
and that he saved up while we were engaged—
We put that toward the wedding, and then—
- Are y'all doing an emergency fund?
- Yes. So, we're on Baby Step 3 right now.
- Okay. Yes.
- And then, we should be done with that soon.
- That's so great.
And so, were you guys always on the same page
when it came to money and paying off debt
and all the things?
- Not always.
I mean, I'm learning.
I'm new to the whole budgeting thing
since we got married, so—
- Yes. Yes. For sure.
How's that been?
- It's been all right.
(laughter)
- It's been a struggle.
(laughter)
- Yeah? What's been—
What has been the hardest part?
- Really, it's just,
honestly, this is going to sound so terrible,
but I don't like to compromise very much.
So, that's been the hardest part for me—
is to, you know, come to a compromise.
I'm just so used to doing things my own way.
- Totally.
But the whole honeymoon idea—foregoing that—
you guys were both on board with it?
- Yeah.
- Okay. So, going back to the idea.
So, you're not planning a honeymoon.
That's a—I'm going to say—that's a weird thing.
And I say that in a really great way.
Because we love weirdness around here.
Because a very typical thing is—
Oh, yeah. You're supposed to throw this wonderful, big wedding,
and you go on a honeymoon right after.
That's a very stereotypical thing to do.
So, when you start telling people,
"Yeah, we're not going on a honeymoon."
What did your friends and family say?
- I got a lot of strange looks.
It was kind of funny.
It was like they didn't know what to say
or how to respond to me,
which I didn't think it was that crazy to forego a honeymoon
or to postpone a honeymoon.
But I did have a couple people that were just
a little astonished.
My grandmother, especially,
which really surprised me.
(laughter)
I thought she would be way on board.
- What did she say?
- She just said, you know, "You're not going on a honeymoon?
Why not?"
(laughter)
- Okay. I want to know, Brandon.
Did any of your friends or family think you guys were crazy?
- Not really.
I mean, most of my friends know she's smart
(laughter)
and I should just do what she says, so—
(laughter)
- Well, thank you.
- You married her for a reason.
- My family—they were like, "Okay."
- I don't know why people think that they're
obligated to go on a special trip
just because they get married.
- You spend so much money.
- Yeah.
Especially when you just spent so much money
on the wedding.
- [Interviewer] Yep.
- You'd think it would be natural
to postpone until a little later, but—
- So good.
You know, my husband's grandfather told us—
I will never forget this—
We were engaged—
He's like, "Guys, go on a really, really inexpensive
honeymoon and save all that money
for your one-year anniversary,
because life is just so much better." You know?
Because after the wedding, you are just kind of like—
You're just drained. You're exhausted.
And that's when most people are like
"Oh, get me on that great vacation."
But just starting off life now—
Because you guys are going to save
for a future honeymoon, right?
- Yeah. Absolutely.
- What's the plan there?
- Italy.
- Italy?
You guys. Go big or go home.
Oh, my gosh, you guys!
- Well, yeah!
- That's amazing!
So, is that your next big goal now, since you're debt-free?
- Yes.
- That's awesome.
- Okay. So, when I heard this,
honestly, the first thought was—
So, what did y'all do after the wedding?
Did you have any break between wedding and real life?
- We took a few days off work.
A week or so.
- Yeah. We both took a week off work.
- [Interviewer] Okay. Yes.
- We just spent the first night,
you know, our wedding night,
in a hotel.
And actually, the rest of the week—
we live in a small town out in the country—
and we actually just decided to get to know
our town a little more. And every day, we went down
to, you know, downtown Taylorsville.
- Yeah. That's so fun.
Okay. So, now, months later, have you regretted your decision,
or are you happy with it?
- Happy with it.
- Oh, I'm so happy about it.
- And y'all are confident and good in your decision making.
I love it.
But seriously, what it does is
it totally gets you to your goal
of being able to be debt-free, put money away,
and continue on life without going backward.
So great, you guys.
That's awesome.
What encouragement would you give people
if they are getting married and they have debt—
they're having to cash flow their wedding—
What would you say?
- I would just tell them to just,
you know, do what you think is best in your heart.
I think—just stay strong, even if people try
to talk to you like you're crazy
and this is ridiculous.
Just—I mean, do what's best for you,
because at the end of the day,
they're not going to pay for your honeymoon.
- Yeah.
That's so great, you guys.
Well, thanks for coming on and sharing your story.
For real.
I mean, it's always encouraging when people
step out of the norm of what this cookie cutter life—
you know—what everyone thinks everything should be like.
And you kind of just break it.
You're like, "I'm going to do something different.
What's best for us."
I think that's such great advice.
So, thank you guys, seriously, for coming on.
Guys!
Are you motivated to do something different?
I mean—for real—I'm like, "Man, they saved so much money
just by making this one decision."
And guys, that can be you.
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