How I did it: I did it the only way I could.  I cut expenses.  I couldn't increase my income, that wasn't an option for me, so in order to put more money towards paying off my debt, I trimmed the budget back as much as possible.  I don't feel that I went to any extremes.  I still went out to dinner with friends, just not as frequently.  I also would meet them just for a drink or a coffee instead of a whole meal. I chose not to travel nearly as much.  I went on one trip between January and June and I paid for that in advance.  My relationship with money is fairly closely tied to my relationship with food/weight, so I'm hoping that now I will be able to transfer the discipline I've developed towards money to other areas in my life. 
I do worry about staying out of debt.  I need to make sure I really build up that six months of expenses cushion in my savings account.  I also want to fully fund my external retirement accounts and pay for my next grad school classes.  I hope, hope, hope I can stay out of debt.  I'm really proud of myself.

Lessons & tips: My top tips: cut back on leisure travel, and try alternative ways of socializing than clubbing and dinners out. 

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Jul 08, 2009, 12:07PM PDT | 1 comment | 4 cheers