<prompt> Human: New members, please read through the New User OrientationInstead of posting individual threads for triumphant stories of how youve reached a certain net worth, paid off a loan, or anything else that you want to brag about, lets consolidate everyones stories into one weekly thread!Make a top-level comment if you want to brag about something regarding your personal finances!For past Triumphant Thursday threads, please search the Weekly Archive  <response>: I graduated 5 years ago with 55k in student loan debt. I made my final payment on Monday, and as of today, the balance reads zero!!Before graduating, I had never made more than a few thousand dollars in my entire life, so the amount seemed incredibly daunting. I wasnt sure what I was going to do! And my fixed payment was over 600month, which seemed crazy to me at the time. The loans were initially split across a variety of lenders and loans, with interest rates ranging from 4.5 to 10. The 10 rate was on a 10k loan, and when I learned how much of my minimum payment was going towards interest, I felt like I was being robbed! So I used the avalanche method, put extra savings towards the 10 loan first, and after 2 years Id paid it off. Then, another year later, I refinanced 20k of my loans with SoFi. It was a struggle - initially SoFi rejected my application. Id had some negative marks on my credit report from being a dumbass in college, but I got on the phone with them several times, explained my story, my current income, and my current creditworthiness. Basically, I bothered them until I was approved! I was able to secure fixed rates, and reduce my current rate at 7 to 4.5. I did the math and realized the savings from that refi were worth 1k in future interest payments! Once the loan balances totaled 15k, I realized that with some determination and willpower I could finish these off in a couple of years. I got some small windfalls and put the majority of them towards the loans dont worry - I wasnt ONLY paying off loans -- I managed to have plenty of fun in the meantime. In the end, I brought my E-fund down to roughly 2 months of expenses, but I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. And on Monday, I made the final payment.While I had many good things happen along the way, there were some bumps in the road. I was let go from my first job after a year and a half, and during my unemployment, I was really worried -- what if things didnt work out? What if I didnt have the funds to pay the minimum in 2, 3, 4 months? It was a scary feeling.This is a tremendous weight off my shoulders and I feel awesome about it. I do feel a bit lost, however, with this debt gone. It was such a big goal for me to pay it down, and now I dont know what I will do. Save some more?! Go on an awesome vacation? Im stoked! 