Financial Independence for the win!
Good for you! Keep up the good work!
How I did it: Half of my paycheck went to paying off credit cards and loans. I started with paying off the credit card with the highest APR, then the second highest afterward, as I was paying the minimum for the rest of my credit cards. I had a dry erase board that I drew bar grafts of my debt on each card and shaded in what I was paying off. On the other side of the board I wrote down my expenses, and found that most of my money was spent on buying food and beauty products and partying. So, I knew where I needed to cut down.
Lessons & tips: Journal your expenses so you know what you're wasting your money on.
Pay off as much of your credit card as possible and shred the card, never use it to purchase again.
Resources: Big brother with good credit.