Faded Jeans Living

By Dwight Hyde

Six years plus, still paying off debt

Most of you know how in 2015 I started paying off $35,500 in debt and finished that in 2019. After that I switched over to focusing on paying off my house which is where I’m at right now. I’m making payments of $2,620 (2.5 times more then due) each month to have it paid off in the early part of 2022. It’s been journey of sacrifice, determination, and faith.

I’m definitely feeling a bit “over it”. I guess that’s why I’m out here try to find a bit of a spark. It reminds me of mile 24 when I ran a marathon where you hit the wall, start walking a bit, and know the finish line is not much further but you’re beyond tired.

I see all that money going towards debt each month and can’t help think boy it sure would be nice to use that money to start fixing this place up or just having it available in an emergency/retire early fund. I’m fortunate though that I’m able to do this without scraping by each month and not being forced to eating rice and beans.

I shake my head wondering how the hell these young families are doing it when they drive around in brand new $60,000 plus trucks towing a huge travel trailer that’s towing 4 quads! I’ve said it before our culture and economy is based on buy, buy, and buy. I know now though keeping up with Jone’s isn’t the path to take. The Jone’s are living paycheck to paycheck with less then $1,000 in savings, and drowning in debt.

So at mile 24 I’m focusing on faith. Within me is a knowing, just like giving up alcohol, that finally getting out of debt at age 55 will provide me new freedoms and new opportunities for further growth. Even though we don’t hear any of this from the media, I know it’s true. I think I’ve subscribed to others out here going through debt journeys, but not much pops up on my reader? It’s definitely a topic people don’t like to confront or talk about for sure.

I’ll tell you though I definitely preach it to my kids to stay out of debt as much as possible. I tell them to live a simple life where having experiences instead of things is the focus. I wish I could of shown them this more growing up, but at least they’re seeing it now from me.

If you’re part of this get out of debt small group, keep the faith and know I’m rooting for you.

WE WILL DO THIS! WE WILL REACH A NEW FOUND FREEDOM!

Dwight ✌️

Dwight Hyde

July 9, 2021

General

debt, determination, faith, growth, sacrifice

17 responses to “Six years plus, still paying off debt”

Elizabeth

July 9, 2021 at 8:17 am

I’ve been debt free for 6 months now! The feeling of freedom is wonderful. Thanks Dwight!

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1. Dwight Hyde
  
  July 9, 2021 at 8:19 am
  
  That’s inspiring, Elizabeth! Way to go😊
  
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Rainey

July 9, 2021 at 3:56 pm

People will think you’re weird and come up with lots of financial rigamarole reasons why debt is better. They never take risk into account. Debt free reduces stress, provides stability, and offers opportunity to try new endeavors, so congrats.

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1. Dwight Hyde
  
  July 9, 2021 at 4:58 pm
  
  Thanks Rainey. I’m glad someone else gets this. Crazy how people just don’t want to discuss it and would rather try to ignore it.
  
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Lovie Price

July 9, 2021 at 11:31 pm

i’m still plodding away at mine with the unexpected medical bills from Februarys hospital stay. That put me about 10 grand in debt and curtailed most fo this years plans on the house. However, i still took my vacation and spent some on self care( which i include in the 10 grand) because my health( physical and mental was more important this time around than being debt free. While i know that i will be putting off some home improvements, i have adjusted my budget to pay off the entire amount in one year. Yeah, constant budgeting and sacrifice do suck at times but when i look at most of my friends and some family members in thier 30’s and up, i am still sitting pretty darn good in comparison. and i still havent had to take a side job at a fast food place to make ends meet.

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1. Dwight Hyde
  
  July 10, 2021 at 3:19 am
  
  Great hearing you are still moving forward on your debt and will have it paid off in a year even with the hospital setback. I also agree self-care comes first. From the response from this post, I’m having a hard time “swallowing” that debt just isn’t a high priority for folks. I’ve tried several times to get this topic flowing with very little success. That’s life I guess. I hope your health journey is going well. I think it’s so great that you’re focusing on getting back into the gym. The benefits definitely roll over into our mental health too. Are you experiencing that? Thanks for letting me know I’m not on this debt journey alone. Peace
  
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  1. Lovie Price
    
    July 11, 2021 at 10:21 am
    
    yes, there are some topics ive tried to start with very little feedback as well..one being debt, the other being dangers of social media. I think most would rather stick their heads in the sand. Sometimes even i do- albeit temporary.Funny though- fitness, mostly dieting easily attracts hundreds to my sight..right now i am in stasis with what to write about and feeling a bit demotivated to do so..ugh..as far as weightlifting- yup- it REALLY helps..more than most want to admit. But persistence is key..at a certain point- you start looking forward to it as much, if not more than the old habits. And i am happy with this new addiction:)
    
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jacquelyn3534

July 10, 2021 at 6:06 am

We are a family that is highly in debt. ( I know I’ve mentioned it before ) We live a very simple life with older vehicles and no “toys.” We are having a very hard time paying things off. It seems the kids constantly need something. My college girl ( she’s 18 ) works part time and pays for most of her own things, but there always seems to be college necessities or fees we need to help with. We have crappy insurance and she has some medical issues that we are making payments on. My youngest daughter ( she’s 17 ) works with me part time and pays for most of her things herself as well. I guess what I’m trying to say is I think when the girls get a bit older and on their own more ( meaning it’s just me and my husband here ) we can really pound down on the debt. We both make a great team to work together on things like this. Does that thinking make sense? We have both read Dave Ramsey’s book and know if we follow his method we will succeed, but it seems so hard to do right now. We have taken his knowledge and put it to play in certain aspects of our lives, just haven’t gone all in yet. All in is what’s needed.

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1. jacquelyn3534
  
  July 10, 2021 at 6:08 am
  
  Ps-Thanks for keeping me inspired and my mind going! 🙏🏻😍
  
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2. Dwight Hyde
  
  July 10, 2021 at 8:24 am
  
  I definitely get this, Jackie. I wasn’t all in either before. I can remember several times the ex and I would get all fired up, create the excel document with our current debt and put it on the office wall, and then the next month something would happen and we’d slowly lose steam. These crazy health expenses are just ridiculous. I’m all in favor for socialized healthcare for all for just that reason. Glad you and your husband can work as a team in this area too. That’s usually a problem where one isn’t on the same page. Keep the faith and the focus. You will get there my friend. Thanks for your support😊
  
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  1. jacquelyn3534
    
    July 11, 2021 at 6:57 am
    
    Thanks for your reply Dwight! It made me feel good that you can relate to my thinking. I will surely keep the faith as I know our time will come and we will move mountains. Hope you are having a nice weekend! ☺️
    
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annemariedemyen

July 10, 2021 at 1:55 pm

I can’t imagine how younger people manage. The cost of buying any house here is rediculous and most people drive trucks and SUVs worth multiple times our Jeep on top of that. Plus many have campers and/or cottages and boats to boot.

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Sober Veg Mama

July 12, 2021 at 10:15 am

Hi Dwight I am curious why you decided to pay off the house instead of investing money in retirement accounts? I have been a follower of the Financial Independence / Retire Early movement since I got out of college and the prevailing philosophy seems to be invest before paying off low interest mortgage debt.

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1. Dwight Hyde
  
  July 12, 2021 at 11:15 am
  
  Hey Kelly. I definitely appreciate the question and I’ll start off it’s a personal choice for me and understand many others don’t recommend it. I do follow Dave Ramsey’s steps and I already have over 15% going toward investments. So at this point it “feels” good to me to pay off my house. These days I tend to lean toward what resonates within. Many folks I know that are truly wealthy have their home paid off. I’m feeling it will give me options too since I’m 55 and not quite sure how long I want to stay with my current job. If the house is paid off and I want to look into another job having the house paid off seems like a great option so I don’t have to worry about the mortgage payments while I switch careers. Also, working part-time at age 58 and easing into retirement sounds very interesting too. Really not sure if I’d do that, but you can see the point that it opens doors for me and gives me options. I’m feeling good on the investment side already. I get it though, it’s a great question and I’m not saying either way is right or wrong. Thanks : )
  
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  1. Sober Veg Mama
    
    July 12, 2021 at 1:15 pm
    
    Totally understand! If you are thinking of transitioning to part time work, I recently read the book Work Optional which is all about arranging your finances to make that happen. One of the best investing books I have read. Along with Simple Path to Wealth and Quit Like A Millionaire (good for younger people) =)
    
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bigcajunman

August 7, 2021 at 7:50 am

It’s something that is never easy or fast (getting rid of debt). Your Marathon analogy is great, also it is like losing weight, many times you don’t see the results until much later. Keep up the fight, being debt free will give you Options to do whatever you like.

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1. Dwight Hyde
  
  August 7, 2021 at 8:10 am
  
  Thank you for your support and encouragement!
  
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