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Paying off debt isn’t very fun. 
Oftentimes, it can feel like you are putting your dreams on hold, throwing all your money at interest, and can feel like you have less control of your choices because of it.
For some people, a relationship with debt might be longer than any of the romantic relationships they’ve had. This has been the case for me! I have been paying off debt for seven years (I accrued a lot more by going to graduate school), and I’m starting to get the seven-year itch.
I want out. I want a break, a breath of fresh air.
But I’m in this for the long haul, and now that I’ve made a commitment to ridding myself of student loans, I need to stay focused, even in moments of frustration.
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Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, Dear Debt. Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat, which helps bold women face their fears, own their dreams and figure out a plan to be in control of their finances. She is passionate about empowering women, helping others get out of debt, and focuses on the intersection of debt and mental health. Every September she organizes a Suicide Prevention Awareness Blog Tour, to help share resources for those struggling with debt and suicide. In addition to her love of personal finance, art and music, she is also a karaoke master and a cat mom to Miles and Thelonious.
Latest posts by Melanie (see all)
- Talking About Money and Mental Health - September 12, 2022
- Dear Debt, We’re Better Apart - June 27, 2022
- Announcing The Mental Health and Wealth Summit - May 4, 2021
15 comments
I’m feeling like this and I’ve only been doing this since October. 7years is amazing you are a true trooper and people like you give me the motivation to continue.
Thank you! You are not alone — it’s such an intense, emotional process. Go at your own pace, and know you have a support network.
You’ve done so well, especially approaching 7 years. It’ll all be worth it in the end – just think how far you’ve come and how much you’ve managed to pay off already.
Yeah, it seems like forever though 🙂 But it will be soon enough if I just keep going.
Wow 7 years is a long time! Good job at keeping with it 🙂 I haven’t been with it long at all, only really since January, but I’m still feeling a big deprived and fatigued lately.
7 years is a long time, but I think at the end it will be worth it all. If it helps your journey and blog is an inspiration and you are helping people like me on the way. Thanks.
Oh thank you, Petrish! That means so much to me. I hope to inspire other people to pay off debt and realize it’s not totally hopeless.
Paying off debt is never easy, but it’s important to keep the eye on the prize (and to have an end date so you can start a countdown to be debt-free).
Yes! I know I have a few more years to go. I experience ups and downs, but continuing down a certain path keeps me focused.
I’ve just recently gotten serious about paying off my student loans. Some days it seems impossible or like there’s no way I can stay on the path of paying extra without taking a break until all 78,000 is gone. Yay to you for your 7 years!! Hope this road gets a bit easier for us both.
Girl, I’ve been there. It feels never ending sometimes. Take it a day at a time.
Your commitment to becoming debt free is very inspiring! I definitely understand wanting a break from the intense debt pay-off routine. After 2 1/2 years, I often feel like “throwing in the towel.” Not accruing more debt, but taking all the extra money we are throwing at debt and going on a fabulous vacation. But then I snap out of it, and keep my nose to the grindstone because after a few more years we can claim FREEDOM! Can’t wait!
YES! Freedom is on its way. I know the feeling of wanting to give up all too well. But we must. keep. going.
I am tired with my debt and now I consider people who are debt free to be very lucky. I am continuously working hard to pay my student loan but still not much progress.
Keep going! You can do it!