How to pay off my student loan
How I did it: I always made an effort to pay more then my minimum payment. This was crucial. I made sure I made payments as soon as I got paid - that way I couldn't spend money on other stuff I really didn't need (but probably wanted).
When my salary increased, by monthly payments increased. I wanted to get rid of the burden of this debt before spending money on certain luxuries.
You can't have everything (I mean specificall material things) you want, yet we do live in a culture that encourages us to believe that we deserve new stuff. You don't deserve these things, you simply crave them. Which is okay - wanting things is not a bad thing, but just be honest with yourself and recognize that many things are wants and not needs.
Decide what is important to you - and allow yourself to spend money on those things. Decide what you are willing to go without or sacrifice in order to be get rid of your debt.
Lessons & tips: Decide what's important to you vs. what you really don't need.
I never sacrificed what really made me happy for the payments - I still did the things that mattered most to me: I love going to concerts and music festivals (largely indie bands so they are cheaper & better shows), so I didn't cheap out here. I do enjoy going out with my friends, so I still spent money on things like that, but I tried to have a few drinks at home to cut costs.
But I didn't need a car because I live downtown and can walk anywhere. I didn't need new furniture. I didn't need a huge apartment. I didn't really need a lot of things.
Be honest about your debt; don't try and hide from how much you really owe (even if it's a little overwhelming). You can and will pay it off one day.
