In 2018, I was just graduating from UC Davis where I paid $0 for tuition and shared a room all throughout college. My rent never went about $400 per month, but I still worked three jobs so I could go out to eat or buy cute clothes or put gas in my car. I had no idea how to save or what should have been done to stop myself from living beyond my means.

I moved into an expensive apartment and my spending only grew. I was misled on my true wages and got a boyfriend that cost me thousands. I found myself $5000 in debt, and immediately felt like I was drowning. I couldn’t stop spending copious amounts of money to fill my depression, and every corner was just more reminders that I would not be able to afford life on my own. Finally, I realized that I needed to do something.

I called my very first credit card company and consolidated my debt. I destroyed or ‘lost’ my other credit cards and lived exclusively off of my debit card. I made several game plans of how I could pay off this mounting debt. Then, I moved to another apartment in a cheaper area, but I had to travel more for work which meant that I was spending $50-$80 per week on gas alone… I was even more depressed. Nothing I did was working. Everytime I felt myself leaving this hole I dug for myself, it got deeper. Then the pandemic hit. I was no longer able to go out for drinks with friends after work. I was no longer driving 80 miles per day to commute. I wasn’t leaving my house, so I was no longer purchasing coffee or meals on the road because I didn’t grocery shop that week.

In a weird way, the pandemic saved me from crashing. I stopped drinking entirely, which saved me about $150 per month. I learned to cook, saving me an additional $400 per month on meals out. My longest commute was 10 miles, and I sometimes biked it which meant I only needed gas in my car every 3 weeks, saving me $160 a month. But again, I got really bored. I was very alone and feeling isolated. I was forced to move back into my parents home, which was never a part of my plan. I loved being independent. I loved having a space that was completely my own. But quarantine took away all of my jobs, and some of them I prefered to never return to.

I moved home, got two jobs, and was still in $2000 of debt and rising because of the cost of moving. I made a bigger plan. If I worked 60 hour weeks, I would have no time to spend my money… but that was wrong too. So I stopped and made a spreadsheet, again. This time with every cost and every paycheck I was expecting. I broke down my expenses and I made it clear what I could buy and what would be put toward my debt. After a month of this crazy schedule, I now only owe $800 of my original $5000. I was able to quit one of my jobs entirely. I am finally getting to financial freedom, but it really wasn’t easy.

I had to make some hard decisions; I had to have even harder conversations with friends. Whenever I was asked to hang out, I always offered a walk or nature experience rather than a restaurant. I quit drinking, which was honestly better for my mental health anyway, but it isolated me more from friends. I started organizing my own life and getting rid of excess. I worked to the point of tears but all while knowing that I would soon be out of this trench I dug myself into.

Debt sucks. I got into trying to impress people who don’t matter and trying to gain control of my life in my early twenties. I wanted glamorous items and magazine esque decor. What I failed to recognize was that the people who owned those homes were in their 50s with jobs that paid a minimum of six-figures. I made about $20,000 a year. My biggest regret was spending so much on things that were just going to be thrown away or donated or wasted. Now, I am more aware of my spending. I buy things that I want and need in small doses. I went a little crazy for my birthday this year, but I knew I could manage it because I had carefully planned it out.

This is my hope for my independent projects; I hope to give someone else this insight before it is too late for them. There is no need for sushi dinners once a week, nor do you need that trendy sweater that you’ll wear once only to realize it doesn’t fit properly. Save your gas receipts if you commute. Make food at your home. All of these little things add up, and the only person you need to impress is yourself. While it would be amazing to have a gorgeous home with solid wood furniture and a iMac from this year, it just isn’t necessary. No one is asking that of you except you.

Do yourself a favor and make a plan. Put yourself through hell with an end goal in sight. I worked 60 hour weeks for 2 months, but I knew it would end eventually. Do what needs to be done, so that your future can be a little easier. You will thank yourself.