From $300K in Debt to Millionaire at 39 (Financial Freedom in 8 Years!)

From over $300,000 in debt to a millionaire in just eight years?! No matter where you’re at, it’s never too late to get on the path to financial freedom. This entrepreneur is proof that a little discipline, frugality, and creativity can radically change your financial trajectory!

Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Money podcast! Today, we’re speaking with Bernadette Joy, founder of Crush Your Money Goals. In 2016, Bernadette had dug herself a six-figure hole—a combination of student loans, credit cards, and mortgages—simply by listening to bad money advice. But in just THREE years, she paid off all of her debt and has since built a net worth of $1.8 million! How did she create such an enormous swing in less than a decade? In this episode, she’ll show you the exact steps she took so that YOU can do the same!

Want to accelerate your journey to FIRE? Bernadette has all kinds of budgeting tips, debt paydown strategies, and side hustles that will help you reach your financial goals much faster. Stay tuned to learn how to wipe out your debt as quickly as possible, save for retirement, and even make an extra $100 a day alongside your nine-to-five job!

In This Episode We Cover

How Bernadette paid off $300,000 in debt in just THREE years

Making an extra $100 a day with side hustles (while working a W2 job)

The three-bucket, zero-based budget that balances frugality and freedom

Using the “snowball” method to pay off student loan debt faster

Whether you should keep a large cash position (or invest it!)

How to manage financial anxiety on the road to financial independence

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Mindy on BiggerPockets

Scott on BiggerPockets

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Email Mindy: Mindy@biggerpockets.com

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BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

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Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area

BiggerPockets Money 586 – Average Net Worth by Age (How Do You Compare?)

Connect with Bernadette

(00:00) Intro

(00:59) Getting Into $300K of Debt

(04:52) The Zero-Based Budget

(14:00) Starting Side Hustles

(18:33) Making an Extra $100/Day

(24:44) Bernadette’s Portfolio

(37:47) Connect with Bernadette!

(39:16) Crush Your Money Goals!

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-598

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