How I did it: I started by making large payments, and then when our pay schedule changed I started making more payments to reduce the principal. Anytime we had extra money, I put it towards the loan. When I quit my job, I had a lump sum that I used to pay off the remaining amount. This part was the hardest, because the monthly amount I was paying wasn't as "painful" as paying off the remaining 5K. I made sure we had enough in savings for a few months of expenses before I paid it off. 

Lessons & tips: Use a student loan calculator to see how making more payments will reduce the interest paid over time and shorten the length of the loan. This was my biggest motivator, as even the smallest amounts made a huge impact.

Resources: Dave Ramsey, Money Ning, Blunt Money Blog

Oct 15, 10:58AM PDT | 0 comments | 1 cheer