In May 2021, I owed $103,472 in student loans. In May 2024, I made my final payment. No inheritance. No lottery win. No six-figure tech salary. Just a methodical plan executed with relentless consistency.

Here's exactly how I did it—and how you can too.

The Starting Point

My debt breakdown when I started:

  • Federal loans: $67,000 at 5.5% average interest
  • Private loans: $36,472 at 7.2% interest
  • Monthly minimum payment: $1,089
  • My salary: $72,000/year (about $4,500/month after taxes)

At minimum payments, I'd be debt-free in 2034—thirteen years away. Interest would cost me an additional $48,000. That timeline was unacceptable.

The Math That Changed Everything

To pay off $103K in 3 years, I needed to pay roughly $2,900/month. That's 64% of my take-home pay. Impossible, right?

Not quite. Here's the equation I built my life around:

Income - Essentials = Debt Payment

Not Income - Lifestyle = Savings. Income - Essentials = Debt. Everything non-essential went to loans.

"I didn't ask 'what can I afford to pay?' I asked 'what's the minimum I can live on?' The difference was life-changing."

The Sacrifices (Yes, There Were Many)

Housing: Moved from a $1,400/month apartment to a $650/month room in a shared house. Annual savings: $9,000.

Transportation: Sold my car ($380/month payment + $150 insurance + $100 gas). Bought a $3,000 used Honda Civic in cash. Biked when possible. Annual savings: $5,500.

Food: Meal prepped religiously. $200/month grocery budget. Zero restaurants, zero delivery apps. Annual savings: $4,800 vs. average spending.

Entertainment: Cancelled all subscriptions. Library card became my best friend. Free community events only. Annual savings: $1,200.

Social life: Hosted potlucks instead of going out. Honest conversations with friends about my goals. Some relationships faded; true friendships strengthened.

The Income Side

Cutting expenses only gets you so far. I attacked income simultaneously:

Negotiated a raise: Six months in, I presented my case for a $7,000 raise. Got $5,000. Monthly impact: +$290 after taxes.

Side hustles: Freelance writing on weekends ($800-1,200/month). Tutored high school students ($400/month). Total: ~$1,300/month extra.

Sold everything: Electronics, furniture, clothes, collectibles. One-time boost of $4,200.

By year two, my monthly debt payment capacity had grown from $2,900 to $3,400.

The Strategy: Avalanche Method

I used the debt avalanche method—paying minimums on everything while throwing every extra dollar at the highest-interest debt first.

Order of attack:

  1. Private loan at 7.2% ($36,472) — Gone in 14 months
  2. Federal loan at 6.8% ($12,000) — Gone in 4 months
  3. Federal loan at 5.5% ($32,000) — Gone in 10 months
  4. Federal loan at 4.5% ($23,000) — Gone in 8 months

The avalanche saved me approximately $3,400 in interest compared to the snowball method (paying smallest balances first).

The Psychological Game

Numbers are easy. Psychology is hard. Here's what kept me going:

Visual tracking: A massive debt payoff chart on my wall. Coloring in each $1,000 paid was genuinely motivating.

Milestone rewards: Every $25,000 paid, I allowed myself a $50 treat. Small enough to not matter financially; big enough to feel like celebration.

Community: Joined r/StudentLoans and debt-free communities. Surrounding yourself with people on the same journey normalizes the sacrifices.

Future visualization: I calculated what $2,900/month invested would become after the debt was gone. Seeing a million-dollar retirement projection kept me focused.

What I'd Do Differently

Start sooner: I waited two years after graduation to get serious. That cost me roughly $11,000 in additional interest.

Negotiate harder: I could have pushed for a larger raise and likely gotten it. Fear held me back.

Enjoy the journey more: Some months I was so aggressive that I burned out. Sustainable intensity beats unsustainable extremity.

Life After Debt

The month after my final payment, I redirected that $2,900 to:

  • $1,500 to retirement accounts (maxing Roth IRA + 401k up to match)
  • $800 to emergency fund (building to 6 months)
  • $400 to lifestyle improvement (finally upgrading some things)
  • $200 to "fun money" guilt-free

My net worth went from -$103,000 to +$47,000 in three years. By this time next year, I'll hit six figures positive.

The Playbook for You

Step 1: Face your total debt honestly. Log into every account. Calculate the real number.

Step 2: Calculate your "survival budget"—the true minimum you can live on, not your comfortable minimum.

Step 3: Attack income. Ask for raises, start side hustles, sell unused items.

Step 4: Choose your method (avalanche or snowball) and commit.

Step 5: Automate payments. Remove the decision from daily life.

Step 6: Find your community. You can't do this alone.

The Bottom Line

Paying off $100K in 3 years wasn't magic. It was math plus sacrifice plus time. The sacrifices were real and sometimes painful. But sitting here debt-free at 29, watching my investments grow instead of sending money to loan servicers?

Worth every ramen dinner.