Growing up, I relied heavily on debt to acquire the things I thought I needed, using car loans, personal loans, student loans, and credit card debt to get by. This made it a constant struggle to pay my bills, and even after getting married and seeing an increase in income post-college, those financial challenges persisted. As I began to realize that material possessions brought me less joy and that financial stability was becoming increasingly elusive, I understood that I needed to forge my own path toward stability. paid off my student loans, credit cards, and car loans, eliminated credit cards altogether, and adopted a budget to live within my means. Now, as I work to pay off our last debt—a home mortgage—I'm proud to say that with no consumer debt and a six-month emergency fund, I feel more stable than ever.