Mom who paid off $50K debt has tips if you need to do the same
CHICAGO, Illinois (KTRK) -- A single mom from Chicago is sharing tips on how to climb out of debt, after she erased $50,000 of her own.
Choncé Rhea went from overspending to super saving, paying off her debt in three years.
Rhea told Good Morning America she got to a point in 2015 where she couldn't even afford to do her family's laundry.
That's when she got aggressive and made a plan to pay off years of overspending.
"Paying off debt, it's not easy. I had to give up a lot of things. I was really motivated. I wanted a better life for myself and my son," Rhea said. "I kind of just snapped and said, 'I need to get out of debt.'"
Part of Rhea's plan included "no spend weeks or weekends," meaning her family will spend zero on entertainment or eating out.
"It's just a way to be creative. We cook through our cabinets, so whatever meals we have I might figure out what ingredients I have and then I'll Google that and I'll see what kinds of things I can cook," Rhea explained.
She also moved to more affordable housing, started freelance writing and knocked out a high-interest car note.
Rhea saves on toiletries for her family by ordering for the month through Amazon's Subscribe & Save.
She also saves through an app called Acorns, which automatically rounds up her credit card purchases to the nearest dollar, investing the difference.
While on the journey to climbing out of debt, Rhea said she stepped out on faith and started her blog mydebtepiphany.com.
As a finance writer, blogger and coach, she gives advice on everything from budgeting tips to how to start your own blog.
SEE ALSO: How Texas couple erased more than $100K in debt in 2 years
