- I constantly felt stressed and overwhelmed
with my finances.
Pretty much holding my breath
that my account wouldn't overdraft.
- Living paycheck to paycheck was the norm.
I was one catastrophe away
from not being able to pay for something.
- Before we met, we both were previously married,
and we had a lot of debt, lawyers fees, credit cards,
things like that left over from our previous marriages
that were still lingering.
And we knew that we needed to make changes in our future
so we wouldn't have the same circumstance happen again.
So we wanted to kind of have a clean slate
and wipe all of that previous debt away,
so that we could come together and start building our future
as opposed to paying for things in our past.
After Financial Peace University,
it was the first time I really had a concept
of how much debt I had.
- It was eye-opening to see how badly we were spending
and going into debt because we thought we were happy.
To me, it was like we were self-medicating,
like I need this to feel good right now in the moment,
and now my closet's full of items
I don't necessarily need or use.
- I've spent thousands of dollars on clothes,
and hair products, and makeup.
And I'm like, I don't use any of those things,
and all of that is just wasted money.
- After we paid off our debt
and we began working Baby Step 3,
we just felt more secure as a couple.
More trust, our bond was stronger.
- Freedom is the easiest word to explain it.
We feel like we're working toward something
that is going to build our future.
It's indescribable.
(calm music)
- All right, Julie and Jeremy.
You guys, thank you so much for being here.
- Thank you for having us.
- Thanks for having us.
- It's so fun.
So you're in Nashville for something really fun.
You just did your Debt-Free Scream.
So how was that?
- Amazing.
- Surreal, liberating.
- So great.
Okay, so you guys paid off $60,000
in, what was it? Right over a year, right?
- 13 months, yeah.
- 13 months.
- Oh my gosh, so awesome.
Okay, so take me back before you started this journey
when you guys were living paycheck to paycheck.
You're in debt.
Before Financial Peace University,
before The Total Money Makeover book, all of that.
What was life like?
- I had zero financial awareness.
I had no concept of how much I made
and how much debt I had.
And I was just completely oblivious to those things.
And it always would cause stress
because I had all of my debt on auto-pay.
And I would just hope and pray every time I got a paycheck
I wouldn't overdraft.
Like, that was my way of going through life.
- Yes.
What about you, Jeremy? What was it like for you?
- I was in a rebellious stage
because I felt I wanted to do what I wanted to do,
and wanted to spend how I wanted to spend.
And I wasn't paying attention to the details.
And I was just being normal, and paycheck to paycheck.
No emergency fund, relying on credit cards.
- Yeah.
So, what was the debt?
Like, what did you spend money on
when you were going into debt,
and what was your motivation behind it?
- Pretty normal.
Mine was just like eating out, going on trips,
bebopping through life.
Nothing, we had credit cards, car payments, student loans.
I mean, I thought—I really thought I was normal.
- Yeah, totally.
And you were. To your credit, that is—that's normal.
Yeah, for sure.
So you guys started the journey.
What was the hardest step that you had to take
to begin getting out of debt?
- Just saying no simply.
Sometimes you can't go out to dinner
or go on that family trip,
or your friends call you last minute--
- Yeah, the last minute stuff is hard to say no to.
- Yes, for sure.
- In context, though, we were just saying no in the short term
just so we can win in the long term.
So just no for now, not no forever.
- So is the no in the short term worth it?
- Absolutely, yes.
- It's indescribable.
To me, it doesn't make sense. Why doesn't everyone do this?
It's so hard for me to get now,
but before I was aware of this program
and getting out of debt even existed,
I was that person.
- Yeah, for sure.
So, you guys, you'd say were "pretty normal Americans," right?
As before this journey and spending money on stuff,
because I feel like society tells us
that you have to buy stuff to make you happy.
And even marketing, advertisements,
all of that portrayed this image of, okay this perfect life
if you just buy what we're selling.
So, what's your outlook now on stuff,
and even those advertisements when you see it?
- I think that as marketers, they have a job to do
to get your attention with all this digital media.
And we have a job as consumers and adults
and leaders of the family to kind of be aware
and make the right decisions and not impulse buy.
Because that what they're betting on is your impulsiveness.
But through our debt-free journey,
I just quit social media just to--
- Oh, altogether?
- Altogether, just to have that focus,
that singular focus
because I knew that was a friction point for me.
That's where they can get me.
So let me just get off this
and just kind of keep my eye on our goals.
- Yeah.
I love that because I'm like, they're so smart now.
Even the targeted ads and stuff on your social media,
you're like, oh yeah this is everything that I love.
This is everything that I love and I want to buy right now.
I feel like when you get to the end of your life,
it's never like, oh I wish I had more money.
Usually it's like, oh, I wish I had more time, right,
to be with people that I love,
and to actually prioritize your life, even just over stuff.
And sadly we are a culture that is just obsessed with stuff,
and you guys are a redemptive part of that story.
- [Julie] Thank you.
- Of saying, "You know what? We're done,
"and we're going to get out of debt."
And you guys did it.
You guys are amazing.
Seriously, thanks for stopping by.
I know you just did the big Debt-Free Scream
on the national show.
We pulled you down here in the studio.
But sharing your story, it helps so many people,
so thank you guys so much.
- Thank you for having us.
- Thanks for having us, appreciate it.
- Really appreciate it.
(upbeat music)