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We paid off our credit cards!

by Erika Torres
44 comments

I know we still have a ways to go until we are debt free. And it is most likely that we will need to incur debt in the next few years because we will need to buy a car, and save for a down payment and hopefully have a mortgage within the next five years.

And at $22,061.79 left, my student loans are no joke. But before I get depressed about how much debt still remains….Today, we celebrate that we are credit card debt free!

We are credit card debt free!

I made the last payment to our Citi Card today! All we have left to pay off are my student loans!

And what better way to celebrate tonight than with a FREE semi-fancy dinner out, courtesy of a mystery shop? Love me a free date night!

I have updated our debt numbers. In less than a year, we have paid off $9,523.17! How amazing is that?

I wish I would have calculated our total debt when we had just gotten married. Because these numbers do not reflect the $5,000 in credit cards we paid off within the first 8 months of marriage. But I hadn’t completely jumped aboard the let’s-pay-off-our-debt wagon quite yet.

Since then, we’ve paid off my car and we’ve paid off our credit cards as of today! Man, that feels so good!

The next stop is coming up with a student loan payment plan. Now that we’re living in a bigger place and our rent is higher, we can’t save or pay off as much as we have been this past year.

We plan on doing the snowball method to pay off my student loans, from smallest to biggest, and we hope to have them paid off by the end of 2015, which gives us 3.5 years.

We’re taking a slower approach to paying off the student loans because there are some other things we want to do that we’ve put off, like finally going on a honeymoon!

Our plan to pay off my student loans includes:

  • Making double payments each month from our regular take-home income
  • Contributing the extra payment toward the smallest loan first
  • Contributing anything over $500 from my extra money toward student loan debt 

Now excuse me while I go do a little happy dance….

image via

44 comments

short code sms September 15, 2015 - 2:17 pm

Enjoy your celebration! Your hard work paid off!

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GSM database August 28, 2015 - 1:53 am

Congrats guys, i envy you

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robocalls August 28, 2015 - 1:51 am

woowww………congrats

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Money Is The Root Weekly Roundup 3-12-2012: Best of the Best! February 21, 2013 - 7:40 am

[…] want to say congratulations to Newlyweds on a Budget, as they recently announced that they are credit card debt free!  Many personal finance bloggers […]

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A blog about newlyweds managing finances in relationships. | Newlyweds on a Budget June 18, 2012 - 8:21 am

[…] I mean that if we don’t stop this NOW, we’re going to be back in the hole again. I am done with credit card debt. I am not going back there. As of Friday, we are living a debit-card only […]

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A Super Girl March 19, 2012 - 9:55 am

Wooo! You’re my budgeting hero!

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frugalportland March 12, 2012 - 11:29 am

Congratulations! Good luck with the rest!

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Jordann March 12, 2012 - 9:23 am

Congrats! Glad to see your hard work paying off.

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Carrie Smith March 12, 2012 - 7:54 am

Congratulations guys! That’s an awesome accomplishment and definitely worth celebrating. For me, my credit card debt was the “heaviest weight” on my shoulders. For some reason I was WAY more excited to get rid of that debt than anything else. Good luck in the future 🙂

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Ashley March 12, 2012 - 6:48 am

Congratulations! That is no joke! Way to go!

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Tushar@StartInvestingMoney March 12, 2012 - 5:19 am

Feels good, doesn’t it? Congrats and hope you get to go to your honeymoon very soon 🙂

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Hannah March 11, 2012 - 6:18 pm

I did one of those “WOO HOOs” when I read the title of this post. Congrats – you so deserve the date night!

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Jessica @ Budget For Health March 11, 2012 - 5:12 pm

congrats! I am doing a happy dance with you since we just paid off our student loans! I like your approach to doubling up payments- keep chipping away at those loans and you’ll be done before you know it!

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Serendipity March 11, 2012 - 1:35 pm

Congrats!

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Lisa March 11, 2012 - 12:23 pm

Wow, congratulations! You guys are doing amazing at getting rid of your debt and seem to have a very reasonable and well thought out plan. I’m impressed!

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Jackie March 11, 2012 - 9:49 am

Congrats on getting your credit cards paid off! That’s awesome 🙂

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SB @ One Cent At A Time March 11, 2012 - 7:49 am

Congratulation on awesome achievement

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Bach March 10, 2012 - 11:30 pm

Congrats! We have also paid off $4000 or so of wedding debt (went over budget: also not great trackers) in the last year and it feels great! Hoping to get to the same level of momentum that you have reached! It is celebrating and recognizing each and every small and large step along the way that counts! Revel in it!

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Kay Lynn @ Bucksome Boomer March 10, 2012 - 3:49 pm

Well done! I’m so happy for you I’ll dance too.

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Saturday Links & Blogs I Love | When Life Gives You Lemons March 10, 2012 - 12:28 pm

[…] from Newlyweds on a Budget is credit card debt free! How can you not be extremely excited for […]

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Marissa @ Thirty Six Months March 10, 2012 - 11:38 am

Congrats!!! Wooohoo that is amazing!

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Leah @ The Miracle Journal March 10, 2012 - 8:47 am

WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! 🙂

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shannon March 10, 2012 - 7:54 am

Yay!! Good for you!! that is awesome

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Friday night devotion, links and reading | Cult Of Money March 9, 2012 - 8:53 pm

[…] on a Budget just paid off all their credit card debt!  […]

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Laura March 9, 2012 - 7:55 pm

Congrats! That’s awesome how much you paid off in such a short time.

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Jess @JessCantCook March 9, 2012 - 6:29 pm

Congratulations! That’s definitely something to celebrate 🙂

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One Frugal Girl March 9, 2012 - 5:53 pm

Congratulations! I’m so happy for you!

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Teacher Girl March 9, 2012 - 5:40 pm

Congrats!!! That is awesome! =)

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jolie March 9, 2012 - 4:14 pm

congratulations! how exciting for you two.

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Well Heeled Blog March 9, 2012 - 3:20 pm

Congratulations!! This is fantastics news!

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Well Heeled Blog March 9, 2012 - 3:20 pm

Congratulations!! This is fantastic news.

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Jeff March 9, 2012 - 2:40 pm

being credit card debt free is a big step. I applaud you for it.

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Jeff @ Sustainable Life Blog March 9, 2012 - 2:00 pm

That is awesome! When I paid mine off completely for the first time in about 8 years 2 years ago, I really felt like I could start breathing easier!

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Rosie March 9, 2012 - 1:39 pm

We paid off our credit card too this month! Isn’t it a great feeling? I’m hoping we never have to use it ever again. I’m so excited to start saving (is that lame? It sounds lame).
Well done 🙂

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Lindy Mint March 9, 2012 - 1:20 pm

Yay! Congratulations!!! I know what a great feeling that must be.

Enjoy your celebration!

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DCSquared March 9, 2012 - 1:04 pm

WOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! We are as well!!!!!!!! It feels sooo good!!!!!!! And my credit score jumped like 50 pts!!! WOOSAH!! :o)

ps- But now we are using it for 5% cash back. We have Discover and paying it off every week. we made $29.47 last month alone!!!

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shopping2saving March 9, 2012 - 1:03 pm

CONGRATS E!!!!! That’s fantastic news! 🙂 I still remember when I paid off my credit card (from consumer debt :() and it was the best day of my life to finally feel free from those chains of Citibank. Congrats once again, I know it is a HUGE accomplishment!

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Melissa March 9, 2012 - 12:34 pm

Congratulations!! We paid off our cc’s last month. It felt amazing!

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Margie March 9, 2012 - 12:23 pm

Congratulations!! A very proud moment that was the result of lots of hardwork!

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Angie March 9, 2012 - 12:22 pm

Contrats! I just rescheduled a big snowball amount towards our Best Buy card to Monday, can’t wait to see that number drop!

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Adrienne March 9, 2012 - 11:57 am

Ah! Congratulations! Your hard work paid off! Great job! 🙂

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The Happy Homeowner March 9, 2012 - 11:52 am

This is fantastic news; congrats!!! Time for a bit of a celebration 😉

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Michelle March 9, 2012 - 11:51 am

Congrats! What a great feeling!

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tabitha March 9, 2012 - 11:49 am

Woohoo, good job thats awesome. SO happy for you!!!

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