I didn't quite believe this until I went back and did the math last night, but it's true. $20k of debt paid off between June 2013 and June 2014.
I got started with my last $5k of student loan debt. I just threw every bit of extra money I had at it starting last June, and it was gone by the end of July.
Then I strategized about a condo that I used to share with my ex-SO, and now rent out. It was a horrible money-suck, and we had failed to sell it earlier that year. But we gradually turned things around. First we found out we'd been charging way below market rate for the rent, and raised it by $750 a month. In fall we refinanced the primary mortgage, lowering the monthly payment by over $500. We then agreed to scrape together every spare cent to decimate an awful 7.25% second mortgage. My share of that was a little over $15,000, and the last payment was made in June.
Somehow, I also managed to max out my Roth IRA this year, and gradually nudged my 457(b) contributions up to the maximum.
I celebrated by walking up to the store and buying a pint of ice cream, which felt very luxurious.
I accomplished this through a combinaton of lowering my fixed expenses (especially my current rent and the payment on the primary mortgage), lowering my discretionary expenses (especially restaurants, groceries, and a pricey yoga membership), then increasing my income (raising the rent on the condo, and working on a couple of side hustles).
