Life After Paying off our Student Loans: $288,000 Paid off!

No I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth but I did take a break from this here blog because we sold our house, paid off our remaining debt, bought a new home, and are getting accustomed to a new “normal”. A “normal” way of living that is free of our student loans. It’s a wonderful feeling!

How Does it Feel to Pay off a Mountain of Debt?

So how is life now that we aren’t pouring every extra penny into our student loan payment? It’s similar to to when you summit a mountain. At the beginning there is this adrenalin rush and you feel powerful, free and unstoppable. I remember just wanting to burst with happiness whenever I saw someone I knew. Immediately, I would shriek joyfully, “We are debt-free!!”. Yes, when I say “shriek” I mean shriek because for whatever reason, the pitch in my voice would get higher the more excited I was. Anyway, back to the mountain analogy. Eventually, it’s time to climb down the mountain. I still carry that initial excitement but I have to focus on getting back down.

I climbed Pikes Peak last two years with my husband. After summiting, I was so excited we started to jog down the mountain. However, descending the mountain still had its difficult parts too. We were tired and there were parts on the trail that still required focus and caution. On our debt-free journey, we had a very high peak to climb and took years. It stretched us beyond our capabilities. The Summit was absolutely incredible. Similarly, the decent was fantastic but you still have to keep trudging along, and you feel tired and feel a bit sore after the long hike. But there is slight spring in your step because you know that you just climbed a mountain.

Life isn’t as Hard: I can breath a little Easier

I do recognize that compared to the majority of people living on our planet, my hardest days probably don’t seem that difficult. I know how fortunate we are but at the same time those 5 years were hard. I’m not going to put my readers through a “whine-fest”… but maybe I should. I’m kidding! I remember feeling like I had to be on my “A” game all the time. Typically, I had to do things the hard, more time-consuming way. Especially, when it came to feeding our large family. Once we paid off our debt, it’s like the heavens parted and the sun’s beams shone down directly on Chick Fila. Now, we have an “eating out” category in our budget and it’s so nice!

Before, every purchase was analyzed so carefully and it could feel very tedious. At the moment, we can make some more impulsive buys. We simply, check our Everydollar budgeting app before we make a purchase. Today I went to Sams Club and they had these adorable shirts one sale. I knew I had room in my budget and so bought them quickly and easily.

Overall, the immense pressure is off. I still feel a strong desire to keep my finances in check but the weight we carried with our loans is gone. We can say “yes” more often now. When we say, “yes” it’s without guilt, without worry, and usually it’s without stress.

What do We do Now?

I’m not going to lie, it’s a strange feeling to work on a goal for years and finally achieve it. It almost seems unreal at first. Then, you ask yourself, “What’s next?” That question can seem daunting. Luckily, we have great resources (like Dave Ramsey) that provide a plan to help. But it’s a weird transition to go from “gazelle” intense to almost twittering my fingers and toes. (I say almost because I have 6 kids and I never really feel like I’m twittering my toes)

Right now we working on furnishing our new home and updating the kitchen. We sold or gave away most of our old furniture and decor when we moved and It’s so exciting to purchase things for my home that I love. Typically, I would try to find things for my home that were a “great deal”. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good deal but now I have more balance. If I love a more expensive item, and it fits in our budget, then I can get it.

Get ready for the sappy part of this post! Get your “sappy” pants on. So, what do we do now? We take the time and slow down little, and enjoy the fruits of our labor. We show God our gratitude everyday. We choose to give with a more open hand. We plan for the future, remember the lessons from our past and live in the present.