How to Get Out of Debt Fast Without Feeling Broke

Getting out of debt fast has been the wildest rollercoaster of my adult life, seriously. Like, I’m sitting here in my tiny apartment in Austin right now, it’s December 22, 2025, raining outside (classic Texas winter mood swing), and I’m sipping gas-station coffee because I finally can without guilt. Two years ago? I was drowning in 28k of credit card debt, eating ramen, and pretending I wasn’t panicking every time my phone buzzed with another alert. But I figured out how to get out of debt fast without feeling like I was punishing myself every single day, and honestly, it wasn’t perfect, but it worked. https://www.youneedabudget.com/

Why I Had to Get Out of Debt Fast (And Why “Normal” Advice Sucked for Me)

Look, everybody says “cut up your cards, live on rice and beans, side hustle till you drop.” Cool story, Dave Ramsey, but I tried that for like three weeks and almost lost my mind. I love eating out with friends, I love my stupid overpriced oat milk lattes, and I refuse to feel broke while trying not to be broke. So I had to find a way to get out of debt fast that didn’t make me hate my life. Spoiler: it involved a lot of half-measures, cheating on my own rules, and one very embarrassing moment crying in a Target parking lot over a $12 candle I put back.

My Weird Hybrid Way to Get Out of Debt Fast: Snowball + Avalanche + “Treat Yo Self” Clause

I mixed the debt snowball (paying smallest debts first for the dopamine hits) with the avalanche (highest interest first to save money long-term) because I’m indecisive, okay? Here’s the chaotic system that actually got me out: https://www.youneedabudget.com/

• Listed every debt, from my $500 medical bill to the soul-crushing 12k Capital One card.
• Paid minimums on everything.
• Threw every extra dollar at the smallest one first for quick wins, but if a high-interest one was killing me that month, I’d switch. Yeah, it’s not textbook, but whatever. Best Investment Apps
• Built in a $75 “no-guilt fun money” line item every month. Non-negotiable. Because if I can’t occasionally buy tacos or thrift a vintage jacket, I’m gonna relapse-spend and we’re back to square one. https://www.betterhelp.com/

Side Hustles That Helped Me Get Out of Debt Fast (Without Burning Out)

I tried DoorDash for like two nights and hated it—smelled like french fries for days. What actually worked:

• Selling half my wardrobe on Poshmark. Made $2,400 in four months and my closet finally breathes.
• Freelance writing gigs on Upwork. I’m decent at rambling (clearly), so I wrote blog posts for small businesses. Pulled in an extra $800–1,200 most months.
• Dog walking via Rover on weekends. Fresh air, cute pups, and $600/month without feeling like a second job.

Pro tip: I only did side hustles I didn’t completely despise. Burnout is real, y’all. https://www.betterhelp.com/

Budget Hacks to Get Out of Debt Fast Without Feeling Deprived

I used the zero-based budget (every dollar assigned a job) but with my own twists: Best Investment Apps

• “Future Me” envelope for random expenses—car repairs, birthdays, whatever. Saved my butt multiple times.
• Switched to cheaper versions of stuff I actually care about (Aldi oat milk tastes fine, fight me) but kept the fancy stuff I’m obsessed with (yes, I still get my $6 cold brew sometimes).
• Meal prepped like 60% of the time. The other 40%? Takeout. Balance, people. Best Investment Apps

Check out YNAB (You Need A Budget) – that app legit changed everything for me. [Link: https://www.youneedabudget.com/]

The Mental Side of Getting Out of Debt Fast (The Part Nobody Talks About)

There were weeks I wanted to give up. Like when my car needed $800 in repairs right after I paid off a card. I sat in the mechanic’s waiting room ugly-crying into my lukewarm coffee. But I kept going because every paid-off account felt like exhaling after holding my breath for years. Therapy helped too—turns out shame around money is a whole thing. Highly recommend BetterHelp if you’re in the US and need someone to vent to. [Link: https://www.betterhelp.com/]

Mistakes I Made Trying to Get Out of Debt Fast Best Investment Apps

• Refinanced my highest-interest card with a 0% balance transfer… then racked up new debt on the old card like an idiot. Had to freeze it in a bowl of water in my freezer. True story.
• Ignored my sinking funds at first. Surprise expenses wrecked my momentum early on.
• Told exactly zero friends what I was doing for the first year. Isolation made it harder—wish I’d found a debt-free community sooner (Reddit’s r/personalfinance is gold). https://www.nfcc.org/

Wrapping This Up – You Can Get Out of Debt Fast Too Best Investment Apps

Anyway, I’m finally debt-free except the mortgage, and it didn’t take a decade. Took me 22 months of messy, imperfect progress. I still buy dumb stuff sometimes, I still love eating out, but now it’s choice, not coping. If I can get out of debt fast without turning into a total miser, literally anyone can. https://www.nfcc.org/

Start small today—list your debts, pick one to attack, and give yourself permission to not be perfect. You got this. Drop a comment if you’re on the same journey; misery loves company, but so does victory.

(And if you need more structured help, check out the National Foundation for Credit Counseling – legit nonprofit advice: https://www.nfcc.org/)