Snowball or Avalanche: Decide

When my wife and I first started out, we were juggling two car payments, student loans, and a mortgage—thankfully, no credit card debt. It felt like most of what we earned went straight to payments. Then we came across the debt snowball method in Dave Ramsey’s book The Total Money Makeover. The debt snowball is all about paying off the smallest debts first to build motivation with quick wins, while the debt avalanche targets the highest-interest debts first to save more money over time. Deciding which method works best really comes down to what drives you—momentum (snowball) or saving on interest (avalanche). Neither one is wrong; just pick a path and keep moving toward financial freedom.

Cut Costs Crush Debt

We had to make some tough choices as a family to free up money for debt repayment. Eating out became a rare treat, and thrift shops were our go-to for clothing. We said “no” to a lot of fun things more often than we’d like. To stay on track, we kept a simple budget in a notebook, writing down every dollar spent. It’s amazing how much you can save when you really pay attention to where your money’s going—like cutting back on dining out, canceling unused subscriptions, or curbing impulse buys. Small changes like meal planning, negotiating bills, and using cash-back apps can make a big difference without feeling like you’re sacrificing your lifestyle.

Small Town Big Hustle

Family-friendly ways to earn extra income
Finding side hustles wasn’t easy for us, especially living in a smaller town. After a lot of trial and error, I eventually picked up a part-time job for a few years, but it wasn’t always enough. We looked for ways to make a little extra without sacrificing too much family time. We explored online opportunities that fit our schedules, like freelance work or basic online surveys. It took some creativity and persistence, but little by little, we found ways to boost our income without disrupting our daily routines.