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Financial

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Home Purchase

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Zillow: Real Estate, Apartments, Mortgages & Home Values

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The leading real estate marketplace. Search millions of for-sale and rental listings, compare Zestimate® home values and connect with local professionals.

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Career

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Love Life

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Do it yourself: Building a budget is key to any financial plan, but especially so when you're paying off debt.

Stiavetti's plan involved putting almost every extra penny toward paying off debt. "I still went out with friends and enjoyed the occasional vacation, but I did so with an eye toward budget spending and found ways to make the most of every dollar instead of indulging in expensive luxuries," she says.

Do it yourself: Consider any skills you have, such as web design or coding, that you can offer to earn extra cash. There are also side jobs you can pick up from home, like selling old clothes online or renting out a room on Airbnb.

Her strategy? Earn more. "Cutting your budget is great, but there's only so much you can cut," she says. "You can always try to make more money."

In addition to her day job, Schroeder-Gardner ramped up several side hustles, including writing a blog, selling items from around her house, taking surveys and being a mystery shopper.

The long hours - up to 100 per week - were tough. But "just watching my debt go down kept me motivated, because I could see the end goal," she says.

But you can break the cycle by building a good budget, analyzing your credit card statements and working to build new habits, like cooking at home instead of eating out.

"I racked up $40,000 worth of debt behind my husband's back and had so much shame," she says.

In addition to downscaling their lifestyle, the Greutmans made a breakthrough when they assessed their spending in light of their values. Lauren's advice: Make a list of everything you value in life and then list all your spending from last month. If the lists don't match, get your spending in line with your values.

She did so largely by making extra payments toward her bills. "I became consumed with paying off my student loan. I earned extra money - through online surveys, freelance writing and odd jobs from Craigslist - so I could make small additional payments," she says. "I figured out how much faster I'd be done each time I sent in even a tiny payment."

Do it yourself: Could a side business give you extra income to pay off debt? Think about your interests and how you might make a small business out of them. An animal lover could open a mobile grooming service, for instance, or a writer could pick up some freelance work.

"I was on my own for the first time in my life and ... could barely afford a decent apartment. There was no one around to help me out of this financial hole, so I knew I had to help myself," she says.

Nicholson took a second job at a tax office, working nights and weekends, and lived on two-thirds of her income. "During tax season I worked seven days a week without any vacations or time off. It was tough, but I had a goal to be debt-free within a year," she says.

Now debt-free, Nicholson continues to lean on herself, managing a blog that provides her main source of income.

To tackle his $80,000 in student loan, car loan and credit card debt, Weliver set up a plan that included debt consolidation. His credit union gave him a low-rate loan for around $5,000. He was able to get another loan for $12,000, at a favorable interest rate, to pay off his highest-interest credit cards.

"I made the fixed personal loan payments, and whatever was left over I put toward the higher-rate APR cards, which I paid off before the lower-rate cards," he says.

Eventually, the strategy paid off. "I was able to pay off all of my debt in a little over three years," Weliver says, "and I'm very glad I got out of debt at the stage of life that I did."

Do it yourself: Think about your financial goals in the near and long term. Whether you're looking for a new house or saving up for a vacation, having a clear motivation to get out of debt will help keep you on track.

"I didn't want to disappoint my family," he says. "I wanted to provide better for them.

"You'll need to have a clear reason to want to get out of debt, because it's going to be hard. It will take sacrifice. You must be mentally prepared. Having a 'why' will help keep you motivated."

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How to Get Out of Debt: 7 Tips That Work - NerdWallet

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Do it yourself: Building a budget is key to any financial plan, but especially so when you're paying off debt. Stiavetti's plan involved putting almost every extra penny toward paying off debt.

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Business

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Healthy Life Style

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Travel