Becoming debt free is a HUGE deal. It took Brittany and I 3 years to pay off our debt and become debt free. Here are some things we learned to avoid.

• Our Budget Template (free): http://www.mikeandbrit.com/budget
• Our Debt Payoff Organizer: https://www.mikeandbrit.com/debtorga...
• Our Robinhood Invite Code (grab a free stock): https://join.robinhood.com/michaem27270
•Gear We Use for Our YouTube Videos: https://www.amazon.com/shop/mikethema...
•Instagram:   / itsmikeandbrit  

1) Doing it Half Way.
If you’re going to become debt free, go all in. Be dedicated to it. If you do it half way, you may not make it and it will take twice as long as it could have. The more energy and effort and sacrifice you make to become debt free, the faster you’ll become debt free.

2) Wrapping your identity into your car.
Dave Ramsey often suggests to people who are in a bad financial situation to sell their cars if it makes sense. Trade it in for a beater. It definitely made sense in our situation. I traded my $30,000 Toyota Prius in for a $10,000 2004 Acura TL that I STILL FINANCED. I should have traded down even further for something like $4k or $5k. We would have been debt free a month or two more quickly.

3) Not doing a written budget.
Budgeting allows you to track every single dollar you earn and spend. It’s basically a 30,000 foot view of what’s happening with your money. It allows you to see what’s happening with your money so you know what changes to make to bring you to your goals financially. Don’t over think it. Don’t argue about it like we did. Don’t think you can keep track of every little thing in your head. You can’t. Just do a budget.

4) Not sticking to the budget.
A budget is something both of you do together and agree upon (if married). Be realistic with your budget. Practice self awareness. Don’t make a budget you don’t think you can stick to, or else it will lead to feelings of failure.

5) Not giving yourself “fun money”
I’m the type of person who can sit at home and play video games all day, eat the same thing for every meal, and be totally fine. Brittany not so much. Know yourself well enough to determine if you need a few dollars to play around with every month.

6) Not celebrating small victories enough
Give yourself a moral boost. When you pay something off, celebrate it somehow. Don't go spending $300 for a high end dinner, but mark the victory with something.

7) Not communicating about purchases
This one is mostly for married couples. Communication is kindness. Everyone knows the leading cause of divorce is finance related. Communicate with your spouse about money. Overcommunicate. The lack of communication between Brittany and I at the beginning led to a lot of arguments.

8) Going to the grocery store while hungry.
Don't do it! If you're hungry, you're more likely to spend more than you need to on food. We did this a lot.


Books that Will Change Your Life

• The Total Money Makeover: https://amzn.to/3hoVIDz
• Richest Man in Babylon: https://amzn.to/3DNmTjg
• Rich Dad Poor Dad: https://amzn.to/3TgujRQ
• The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: https://amzn.to/3UgqmxR
• 48 Days to the Work You Love: https://amzn.to/3zV7ewY
• See You at the Top: https://amzn.to/3tbHiJH
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: https://amzn.to/3zY3KKd
• PsychoCybernetics: https://amzn.to/3Ukj1xd
• 7 Levels of Communication: https://amzn.to/3UBiLth
• Twelve Pillars: https://amzn.to/3WGcePP


GEAR WE USE

Sony a6400 https://amzn.to/2YyGFy1
Sony a6600 https://amzn.to/3Br8R4q
Sony 1018mm f/4 https://amzn.to/2DuIMpf
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 https://amzn.to/2ZpYZW5
Sony 50mm f/1.8 https://amzn.to/2Dtob4D
Manfrotto 290 Xtra https://amzn.to/2GEvKYg
Manfrotto 3Way Photo Head https://amzn.to/2IOjNAw


Legal Disclaimer: Michael Miller is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.