Jill

No, it was not.

Yeah, so actually my story starts back in 2018. I was working full-time and decided I want to go to graduate school. But even then I told myself I'm not going to take any more student loan. If I'm going to go to school I have to pay for this in cash.

Yeah, so actually my story starts back in 2018. I was working full-time and decided I want to go to graduate school. But even then I told myself I'm not going to take any more student loan. If I'm going to go to school I have to pay for this in cash.

And then that fall my church was hosting FPU and I said yes this is my chance to make sure I'm doing this right and not have to take out any loan and just make this whole process a little bit easier. So I did that, and I can tell you, Dave, I completely, 100% cash flowed my master's program.

And then that fall my church was hosting FPU and I said yes this is my chance to make sure I'm doing this right and not have to take out any loan and just make this whole process a little bit easier. So I did that, and I can tell you, Dave, I completely, 100% cash flowed my master's program.

Yes. Got that done.

Yes. Got that done.

Nutrition and dietetics.

Nutrition and dietetics.

Yes. So then later, the end of 2019, due to some contract changes, all the dietitians and myself, we were all let go from our hospital. And so starting 2020, I had started a new job and then we all know what happened in 2020. COVID happened. And so I just kind of went in survival mode. I had finished paying that last semester of grad school.

Yes. So then later, the end of 2019, due to some contract changes, all the dietitians and myself, we were all let go from our hospital. And so starting 2020, I had started a new job and then we all know what happened in 2020. COVID happened. And so I just kind of went in survival mode. I had finished paying that last semester of grad school.

And so I just wanted to save because I had just lost my job recently. You know, I didn't know what was going to happen with COVID. So I just kind of started saving and just, you know, continue to work some side hustles and some side gigs just to see, you know, kind of what happened.

And so I just wanted to save because I had just lost my job recently. You know, I didn't know what was going to happen with COVID. So I just kind of started saving and just, you know, continue to work some side hustles and some side gigs just to see, you know, kind of what happened.

So once I got settled in my job and, you know, had kind of built up some savings, all right, let's get this started again. So I tackled the medical bills and the credit card debt on about 10 months. Wow. Yeah. And then so I was like, okay, I can breathe a second. I've paid off some of these big ones. All I have left is the student loan.

So once I got settled in my job and, you know, had kind of built up some savings, all right, let's get this started again. So I tackled the medical bills and the credit card debt on about 10 months. Wow. Yeah. And then so I was like, okay, I can breathe a second. I've paid off some of these big ones. All I have left is the student loan.

So at that time, I decided to move to Atlanta for a new job opportunity, pay raise, all that kind of stuff. And then I was like, OK, we're settled. Let's do this. But the thing, Dave, is my student loans were private. So while everyone else's student loans were on pause, the interest payments, all that this whole time might have been going.

So at that time, I decided to move to Atlanta for a new job opportunity, pay raise, all that kind of stuff. And then I was like, OK, we're settled. Let's do this. But the thing, Dave, is my student loans were private. So while everyone else's student loans were on pause, the interest payments, all that this whole time might have been going.

And so I could have paused my loans, but I was like, the interest is still going to go. I just can't take this anymore. It is keeping me from having time to do what I want, I'm working all these jobs, I can't save for a house, I can't have a car emergency, nothing. And so I was like, okay, we're doing this. This is the Goliath I'm looking at, let's go, let's do it.

And so I could have paused my loans, but I was like, the interest is still going to go. I just can't take this anymore. It is keeping me from having time to do what I want, I'm working all these jobs, I can't save for a house, I can't have a car emergency, nothing. And so I was like, okay, we're doing this. This is the Goliath I'm looking at, let's go, let's do it.

So January of 23, I put my foot on the gas pedal and had a full-time job, two part-time jobs, two other side hustles. I was doing 60, 70, sometimes 80 hours a week trying to pay this off. And then my church in Atlanta did FPU again. And so I was like, okay, this is – Baby Step 3 is actually in sight. Like, I'm getting so close. I'm in, like, the last six miles of this marathon.