Paying off $46,000 of Debt in a High Cost of Living Area

Paying off debt is hard enough, not to mention when you live in an expensive area! Reaching financial goals can feel insurmountable when living expenses are astronomical which is why we're excited to hear from Emma on today's episode talking about how she paid off $46,000 of student loans while living in CA.Sponsors: As if it wasn’t hard enough to source our own sponsors, now the world has fallen apart and there are no ad budgets for podcasts. While we look for our next sponsor, here are 2 ways you can support us.1st is to buy a discounted gift card from Raise. Raise sells gift cards at a discounted price to all kinds of places. Find a store you’d shop at anyways and you can save money right off the top by using a discounted gift card to purchase it! When you use our referral link: frugalfriendspodcast.com/raise you’ll get $5 to spend and we will too!2nd is to sign up for Rakuten and spend $25 at any online store they offer cash back at. Sign up at frugalfriendspodcast.com/rakuten and download the chrome extension to see every time Rakuten offers cash back at a store. Once you spend $25 you get a $10 bonus!YOUR AD HERE: : a little imagination and thinking outside the box goes a long way - this is true when it comes to caring for your kids for the 9,732nd day IN A ROW annnddd for paying off debt in seemingly impossible situations. Creativity: using our imagination to make debt disappear :)CreativityNotable Notes:We are so thrilled to ask Emma all the questions about how she paid off debt while living in an expensive area; here's some of our favorites:What was your debt, how much did you pay off and how long did it take you?Where were you living while paying it off and what unique challenges did you face because of the cost of living?What strategies did you use to overcome these challenges?Is there anything you’d do differently or advice you have for people currently in this?- thanks Emma for sharing your bill - cousin Bill; not a fan of his picking on you, but so glad to know a guy named bill!BILL OF THE WEEK If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to leave us a billLightning RoundDebt in the Time of Covid: How can people paying off debt pivot and still stay on track to reach their goals?Emma- assess safety of job and family’s position with money - stock money towards debt to high-yield savingsJen- mentality give self permission to slow down (you’re not a failure, circumstances may dictate)Jill- cut expenses, sell stuff, downsize (#tinyliving)Get more from Emma at her blog, Nurse FernWrap-Up:Thanks so much for listening! Keep leaving us reviews on iTunes or Stitcher, and sending the screenshot to [email protected]. AND share our most recent episode on social for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card!Thanks for listening! See you next week!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.