December 21, 2007 was the day Lesia and I submitted our final payment to eliminate $150,000 in debt. One of the unique things I have learned is that it is possible to become comfortable living debt-free just as easily as it is living in debt. However, the former involves a much lower level of stress.

Before we were married, conversations about money were common. After we were married, that practice continued with an added level of intensity. One of the main reasons we decided to eliminate debt was so we could buy our lives back. We had reached a point where we realized that every company to which we owed money owned a little piece of us.

No matter where you are in your financial journey, progress is always within reach. Each successive financial decision you make has one of two consequences; wealth is either moving toward or away from you. The main factors that influence your outcomes are discipline and behavior. For example, discipline will allow you to save $200 every paycheck, but behavior will make you leave it alone.

As I think about the past 14 years, one of the lessons I have learned is that money can only follow the instructions you give it. Just about every financial outcome begins with a decision, either made by you or someone who has influence on your life. If you are not satisfied with your current relationship with money, that can change depending on what you decide to do with the next dollar you earn.

If you would like to learn more about our journey to debt-free living, check out the NerdWallet and Black Enterprise articles featured on our In The News tab: https://www.gametimebudgeting.com/new-page-3. If you prefer a more in-depth version, my book - The Uncommon Millionaire – is a great resource. Here's a link: https://amzn.to/3AYlEtQ