<prompt> Human: 2 weeks ago I finally finished paying off 20,000.00 in debt. I had been carrying it, sometimes less, sometimes more, for approximately 10 years. everyone, PLEASE dont calculate the interest Ive paid over that time, Itd be too depressing to live with, haha. It took me 8 months to pay off once I made the decision to do so. It was shared between a credit card and line of credit. Some of the purchases Id made were practical of course, school tuition, work tools, etc but most were luxuryneedless trip to mexico, motorcycle gear, etc. A quick background, I received absolutely no financial training, knowledge, tips, or strategies before I was booted out of my parents place, but I cant complain because I never sought any out, either. Up to this point in my life I had been a very impatient, impulsive spender, so in order to pay off the debt I decided I needed to do it all in one shot. I committed to pay it off, got on the night shift extra , said goodbye to my social life, and proceeded to spend the next 8 months literally working, sleeping, and eating ham and cheese sandwiches. When I got paid this week, something had changed. It was the first time in 10 years I had no idea what to do with the money I had in my account! Of course, I had previously set some big goals, buy a house, get a new car, go on trips, etc. But now, something is different in my approach. I have become MUCH more stoked about saving money, making a solid financial plan, avoiding anything that might cause me to pay interest, and living simply within my means. WELL within my means in fact. I realize how important it is not to spend what you make because life has a way of throwing you curveballs and changing so fast that you could easily be caught with your pants down having maxed what you qualify for in a mortgage, getting that expensive new car and having other automatic payments vampiring your bank account I know many people like this, and a year ago, I may have been in danger of being one of them. It also gives you the freedom to save for things you truly want. The period of time saving up for something is crucial, because it gives you time to think about whether or not you actually want that thing usually youre fine without it. Paying off that debt paid off on so many levels, and Im writing this post mostly as a shining pillar of life achievement, to come back to if my mindset ever slips back into my old ways. I now consider all my decisions as long term investments, and I feel like Ive shed this live in the moment or yolo mindset that can cost thousands and leave you full of regret after an impulse buy, bender, or any other unnecessary expense. I now have a true interest in learning how money works, and how to spendinvest to my advantage. I realize I had a totally backwards mindset while I was in debt, instead of grinding all my debt down like I shouldve, Id see something Id want and often go for it, all while complaining I had all this debt that I could never get out of. Haha, now I look at my old decisions and laugh at how silly I was! My current budget involves saving more than Im spending in total, I have a concrete plan with a specific date in mind for a down payment sum I want, I also even have a savings account for an annual vacation I can now easily afford. Life is good, and its even better being debt free! Some things to considerkeep in mind that helped me get out of debt:I greatly increased my income It was a 3 year plan I put into action that worked. Go to school for upgrading, make sacrifices, get a better jobI havent prematurely saddled myself with any responsibilities on purpose. Im single, no kids, no pets, no heavy commitments to extracurriculars, few extravagant hobbies, no wasteful addictions. I slammed every extra penny I could onto my debt. I mean every cent. I would sacrifice an entire month of socializing to save an extra 500 here and there. I put myself into a cheap living situation, spent minimal amounts on food and entertainment, did without any extras, got my monthly bills down to meager levels, etc.Some side benefits of this journey:It gave me time to re-evaluate what I thought was important in life. It was a great pause from the reality Id been living in, and it was like I was seeing the world from a birds eye view, if that makes sense. Like, I became an unbiased, third party in a debate between my old self and the person I wanted to be. I discovered philosophy. I hadnt given it too much thought before, but now I realize how great it is to have and always be working on a solid philosophy to live by. Morals, ethics, and logic have replaced thoughts of partying, chasing women, and the latest and greatest thing to blow my cash on.I discovered meditation. If you havent yet, I highly recommend it.It gave me the incredible feeling that only setting a goal and achieving it can give you. Pride, accomplishment, confidence, etc. CONS of paying off debt in this wayYour relationships with friends will suffer. You will miss out on a lot of fun things. You wont be going out trying that new place that just opened up with the chicken and waffles. Therell be nights when youll be INCREDIBLY boredlonely. You may never want to see a ham and cheese sandwich again. In closing, do I regret going 20k in debt? Not really. Getting out of it taught me lessons I may never have learned otherwise. Financially, it was a complete blunder, but in the end Im better because of it. But, that being said, dont ever go into debt unless its your health. NOTHING is worth paying credit card interest on.  <response>: Thanks man, I needed to read this post. I have a long journey ahead but this gave me a little motivation. 