My debt wakeup call was when my husband became disabled after brain tumor surgery and we had 3 little kids at that time. Something in my brain switched and I stoped spending money. Payed of credit card and cancelled it. Done. There was no tomorow... No Pay check that would come. My husband never went back to work. He can't.

Girl, you made me cry when you reached out your hand and said "you're gonna make it." Thank you. I needed to hear your story, and I'm sorry to hear how everything piled on you all at once.

Everyone who has a partner,a real husband or wife,a real human besides you that has the same mindset is the real treasure!!!!!!

We had single income with four kids and used my husbands 401 k like a bank … every 2/3 years we would pay off a loan to the account and then turn right around to take out another loan ( mostly for credit card debt) too many kids not enough income .. and we never ever budgeted … and we got calls from debt collectors .. it was awful … took me till i was in my 50s and we sold our house of 16 years with substantial increase in worth to get out of debt … and trying DR a couple of times before it stuck … now in our 60s we are completely mortgage and debt free BUT we lost a lot of time and money .. we will be fine but wish so much we could have gotten it together in our 30s not our 50s … glenda

"You can't fight what you can't see." This!! It was so terrifying to go through the process of identifying each and every debt, but it was also empowering, in a way. I wasn't living life with my head buried in the sand, and while confronting the consequences of poor financial decision-making/planning was a humbling experience, I could recognize where I needed to improve my relationship with money (a continual process to this day, even a year or so later), and how I could go about paying off my debt without missing out on living life.

I had about $13000 and my husband had $80000 in student loans…. We had a scorched earth budget for YEARS and we are debt free 9 years later 🎉 it’s painful, but so worth it. Can you please give more info about VA jobs??

When i am faced with something hard that i dont want to do, i always tell myself - ,,choose your HARD" - there will always be a Hard thing to do. Do you prefer Hard today or Hard tomorrow. I like your journey ...😊

About the vacuum... that is what mom's do.

When you say in your video “take my hand ..it’s gonna be okay” and you look straight into the camera your incredible compassion and sincerity is so overwhelming I wanted to cry. I have always loved you and your videos and your wise beyond your years wisdom. But this video just shows what an incredibly beautiful soul you have. Thank you for sharing your life’s experiences with us.❤

My 20s were SOOO much better than my 40s have been. I would go back in a heart beat

Thank you for encouraging and empowering people to get out of debt. I see many people in YT comments who feel helpless and hopeless and out of control. They’ve given up. When folks such as yourself share their stories it can really help others take back their power. Being debt free is so important for financial success. The more people who believe in themselves and make it happen, the better and stronger we all become as a nation.

The only way I'd go back to my 20s is if I had the knowledge I've gained. It was a very scary time, indeed! Great video. Take care, Linda 🦋

I filed for bankruptcy back in 2009. It taught me to have a budget. And then I got Dave Ramsey book which taught me to use the envelope method and zero based budget...which has helped me to pay all CASH for my car..Whooohoo...😅😊😊😊

This is one of my all-time favorite videos of yours! So well done and full of great ideas. It helps hearing other people’s financial journeys, thanks for being so candid!

Love your story, Lydia. I'm having a rough time now. I have credit card debt, student loans, and I just lost my job. I don't have an emergency fund, because i used it last year for car repairs. I'm applying for jobs and getting interviews, but I haven't been hired yet. I just filed for unemployment, but haven't received my first check.

This was so helpful! I’ve watched your videos/channel for years. Can’t believe you had me tearing in a financial video 🥲👊 Keep up the good work ❤

Thank you for sharing! I think my wake up call came this past year after finishing grad school. It was more of an emotional rock bottom than a financial one. I took inventory & realized that part of the reason I wasn't where I wanted to be was because I was enabling others not to have to improve themselves or be responsible. I started saying no and really setting healthy boundaries. I may not be where I want to be right now but I'm sure as heck of a lot closer than I was a year ago. ❤😊

The most meaningful stories are the hardest ones to tell. Thank you for sharing such a personal journey. It will no doubt help others who are struggling with the same issues. ❤😊

Good to see you this week Lydia!

Thank you so very much for sharing this. We are a long way from this now but we were certainly there in our 30's.. we got there through our 20's and didn't stop to take the time to see our debt.. we just went along.. we eventually went to the bank and asked for help.. I Hope since you have a YT channel this will help someone else..I will refer this to others if they share their struggle with me.. It was a very scary time.

This is all great advice. Your story sounds like so many people who live on the edge and you are proof that if you want to get out of it, you can. You just have to get off the spending treadmill. Congrats on your success. :)

The key thing is to close out all your debt accounts if you do consolidation loan. Something that happens a lot is a consolidation loan is taken out and all the debt that's freed up gets charged right back up and you have both debts now.

We filed bankruptcy and then got into debt again and had our wages garnished and only after starting to walk with God did we change! Number one thing we started to tithe and God helps us do the rest!

THis was sooo good Lydia. Thank you for sharing this. It just resonates and made me tear up a little. I appreciate everything that you do. That making a list is so true. We need to do just sit down and write it all out and do the hard things and not tip toe around debt and our circumstances. Just thank you for all that you do.

You have been such an inspiration to me over the years! Look how far you've come 🎉 I've been able to become debt free and you have helped with that ! ❤❤❤❤

Your story is heartbreaking and the good ending is heartwarming. Keep sharing your story. Your future is in your own hands.

Lydia returns to her roots. Yours is a relatable and inspiring story and even though i've been watching you for years, it was great to hear it now that you've made so much progress. It was thanks, in part, to you that I've made progress too and I know you've helped so many other followers. 💗

You are just the sweetest soul… 💕

We are finally debt free minus our mortgage and normal bills .. Its so freeing My house is almost paid off as well

The very best episode ever! Thank you so much for being vulnerable and sharing your story

I can’t thank you enough for telling us all your personal woos..just so it can help someone out here..like me💖 you are a true blessing. You do definitely have a story! God bless your family. Thank you again. I will try your words of wisdom. 😊

Thank you for sharing, it gives people hope.

Your story is really inspiring. Life m served you lemons at the time, and you have made a lemon pie, cake and a lemonade. You inspire me to stay debt free. My husband and I were served our fair share of lemons, but we were debt free and our experience is far from yours. We have got our child 5 min before pandemic, at the same time I went on maternity leave and my husband stopped working because his workplace at airport was shut down due to pandemic. He was receiving minimum payments and stayed employed. BUT, we had no debt and had huge savings combined with a possibility to keep our expenses very low. My husband returned to full time work only 2 years after beginning of pandemic. And I have found out that I have nowhere to return to after my maternity leave because my company was hit hard with pandemic. And we had a blast, a lot of family time, walks in nature, long sleeps with a baby… and all that we got just because we had a buffer. And this is thanks to my husband who is frugal man who is always insisting on saving.

Great inspiration. Thank you. I don’t see the credit interest lowering request script that you mentioned in the video. That would be super helpful. Oh and about my 20’s no not me either. Might be tempted for a second if I could retain the school of hard knocks knowledge I have learned. 🥴

Great video! Yep, I agree you have to do what you have to to get thru!! I was laid off work due to lack of snowfall this year (winter tourism industry). I started collecting pop/beer cans that I’d find on my walks with my dog. And people would save me them too! I’ve made $225 in about 4 months which has been very helpful. All our little efforts help!

I love the way you in such a convincing way "pour" out your reassurance to us viewers 🥰

I believe this is one of your best videos. Thank you for sharing. Hope someone that really needs help finds this video. You’re an awesome lady!

thank you for being so open and transparent

Thank you for talking so openly about this hard time in your life. To whomever that is struggling right now: It will get better. Just keep at it and you will succeed!

Awesome video, thank you for sharing.

Very inspiring story, Lydia. Thanks for sharing! 😌

Love this! Also I love your lipstick color!

I remember watching you on your previous videos. I am glad to find you again

I’m right there with you Lydia ! Wouldn’t go back to my 20s if you paid me

As always, thank you. Why are we so afraid to feel awkward? Usually does us good!

Hey girl! I love your channel and will always support but do you know of any channels where they are in the thick of paying off their debt like you were in the past? I think that would really inspire me too💯

Thanks for "you can't fight when you not see it"❤

I needed this today. Thank you so much 💓

I feel like we're drowning right now, this video was so helpful, thank you thank you

THANK YOU 🙏🥹💕

Our rock bottom was quite as rock bottom as your and husband but it was not good. The thing was on the day of hitting the bottom our mortgage was paid off we paid off our home 4 months before the crash. Anyway, our debt amount was more than the total amount of our original mortgage and that sucked. We went full scorched earth, slammed on the brakes, over night changed our attitude and went after it hard. Took a while, almost 5 years but that is history now. I think that we had some luck but we also had some unexpected mishaps we had to replace our boiler and water softer and well pump but did that without any new debt. We were living paycheck to freaking paycheck 10 years ago. Today we have zero debt and have a saving rate of 50% on basically the same income. We have enough money set aside to buy a new car but will wait until our car dies. And we have a 10 month emergency fund. At the end of this fantastic video, you Lydia say "it's exhausting". I used that exact wording to describe our 5 years of debt payoff. Funny thing is 2 years debt free and saving/investing, we still live like we did in our journey, frugal for certain but the money we were using to pay off debt now goes to our future so that feeling of exhaustion has been replaced with a feeling of freedom and happiness.

What are some ideas to make extra money? There are so many scams 😢 thanks for sharing your story!!

That's crazy that giving birth cost you $8,000. I just had a baby a month ago, it cost $252 in hospital parking, and that's it. Which included a 2 week stay in the NICU for my baby. I'm no longer paycheck to paycheck, but I don't know if even I could swing a surprise $8000 bill with only 9 months to prep. Good on you! Overtime while pregnant must have been exhausting 😴

Lydia I so appreciate this helpful, encouraging video (& all your vids). Know you're busy but Could you please post another vid soon as I seem to be experiencing🥴😶🤷‍♀️Lydia-Video withdrawal!😄

Fantastic video! Thanks for sharing

I was working full time making great money, single and 60K in debt. Car, Credit cards and student loan(from 1986!). Long story short I did the baby steps from Dave Ramsey. I drew it out because I wasn't serious at first. I didn't do it correctly. You have to have a plan to get out of debt and budget. I was just exhausted having 3 jobs and treating my paychecks like a lottery to give away to everyone else and still wondering if I can afford basics. I got angry with me . That's when it started. The point is now I'm still single and debt free. My goal is to have my home paid of in a little over a year. I want to live a life of options and on my terms. Not the bank, a credit card. I learned the necessary lessons of how to retrain my buying and spending habits. I personally don't have a credit card at all. I'm visual so I had stuff on my bathroom mirror, front door, and fridge. Always showing my progress. It can be done.

I had my budget under control until I did to 100 envelope challenge..... time to kick off again.

My 20s were not great at all. I was flat broke crying everyday working two jobs. I felt like I was going nowhere. My 30s are better. I’m in a better position financially but with Covid and this economy right now… I’m on edge. It does not feel stable. Thinking about the 40s…. I’m a little scared but it’s coming in a few years…😅

Wow girl, you need velocity banking!! Try it you’ll love it!!!

Lydia you are focused, driven and a hustler. As Dave Ramsey would say “A princess warrior” I loved hearing your journey. ❤❤❤

I cloth diapered my first 3.

So proud of you for climbing out of that rabbit hole. 🥰💙

Thanks for this video xx

1 will be 31 this year, I am in serious debt, and I don't have any better job to bring in better income. Am more determined to come out of debt before 2024 closes its book. AMEN

If you or anyone else goes to the hospital, or urgent care, always get an itemized bill. Your bill should drop significantly.

To me. being swedish, paying 11.000 dollars just to give birth is crazy. your medical system in the US is crazy. I payed nothing when I gave birth to my daughter and we had to spend a couple of days in the hospital since she was sick. I then got over 1 year payed maternity leave. The US system just doesnt work

I have never been in debt. Reason why? I didn’t have children and have never regretted it.

Sorry you had a bad experience with cloth diapers ): I use them and love it. I also stay home though so that makes it a little easier to manage. I don't think it would be great if I worked and used them. I do it to save money and I plan to reuse the diapers with our second kid.

Love you❤

I ordered George Kamals new book. Coming next week,

You are great

I drank 4 monster drinks a day =$10 which came to $400 a month. When I wrote that down and looked at it I was shocked because I was wondering how did I have so much left over but end up broke all the time till I saw what I waisted my money on. That and takeout food was my biggest problem.

It isn't just ONE thing, but setbacks come in 3s, as the old saying goes!!

I feel hopeless at the moment. I've got an $1800 car insurance payment due this week and we owe a little over $2k on our federal taxes. 😩 Seriously considering selling our car quick through carmax or something just to get caught up.

How do people know that they are going to lose everything in a house fire when the great recession hit in 2008??

I struggled. budgeting my paycheck

How long ago was this for u

It can be so hard to be young with children!!!

Yes, I was thinking of @BudgetGirl and her scorched Earth months💰

It is insane that You have to pay 11.000 to give birth! Your system... from education to health.. even the insurance you have to pay for your home... everything is designed to make go in dedt. You did awesome job! Especially being that young. And having baby at the same time.

🙏🏻

this is so crazy that Americans have to literally PAY their country thousands of dollars to have a baby!!!! INSANE

Come to Germany, university is free.

Hi Lydia, i remembered the old video where you first talked about your family's debt struggle. And i needed to hear from you today, someone who can be this honest, empathetic and smart is just the kind of person i needed 🥹 Thank you for being you ❤❤

Thank you for sharing your story Lydia! Life after debt is possible, and we’re here to help you get on a path to a better financial future 🫶