We started getting serious about our finances and paying off all our debt about 5 years ago in our early thirties. By then we already had several kids so living like we're in college was no longer an option. Starting to really save and pay down debt also coincided with a pretty significant increase in income. Prior to that we were basically treading water or sliding a little deeper in debt each month. Only a single income too, so that makes it a bit harder.
Did you start researching personal finance stuff as a result of the big pay bump? Or was it just completely natural for you to use the extra money to pay off debt, invest, etc.?
I would think that for most people in that situation, it might be natural to just increase spending accordingly.
Always curious what exactly makes people receptive to the FIRE messaging.