How much debt have you paid off?: $200,0000.
What was it for?: House mortgage.
From deciding to become debt free to making the last payment, how long did it take you?: Five years
What age did you take on your first debt, and how old are you now?: 48 years old when I took on the debt, and 53 years old when paid off.
Did you do it alone or as a family?: Alone
Did you pay off debt from your regular income, take on extra work, or change jobs to speed it up?: Regular and rental income.
Did you sell anything or receive cash gifts to contribute towards your debt payoff?: No.
What people, books, websites, podcasts, budgeting tools, debt trackers and resources helped you?: Having the whole debt as a revolving bank account and it being my only bank account, and seeing that I had no money motivated me to become debt free.
Did you keep an emergency fund while you paid off debt? If so, how much?: No.
Did you have any setbacks along the way, and how did you overcome them?: No, from memory, the debt slowly decreased every month, so I felt I was making steady progress.
What tips/hacks could you share?: Keeping your expenses less than your income.
Was there a structure to your debt payoff? i.e. paying smallest to largest, or highest interest rate to lowest?: No (except to use a revolving credit mortgage).
How did you stay motivated, and what was the most challenging part of paying off your debt?: Just the thought of owing the bank and not owning my home until I was debt-free was a huge motivation.
How did you celebrate making your final payment?: I think I rewarded myself by buying a new iPad and then saving up and paying cash to upgrade my car.
Was getting out of debt worth it, and what have you learned about yourself?: Definitely worth it; the peace of mind in owning my home outright is priceless.
Will you ever go back into debt again?: Maybe in my older age, I might consider using some home equity to support my final years. This is not my plan but a fallback option if it becomes necessary.