After enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 2010, I discovered just how “free” I was to collect a massive amount of debt. I instantly applied for a credit card; quickly acquired a car loan; a second car loan, a personal loan; another credit card; and then a consolidation loan once I realized my so-called “freedom” to spend had been shackles in disguise. I truly had become “a slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).

At my worst, I was $84,107 in consumer debt (not including my $210,000 mortgage) for a grand total of $294,107 in debt on an income ranging between $50,000-60,000. Thankfully, I heard about Dave Ramsey and his “7 Baby Steps” through my local church and some friends in the military. After reading The Total Money Makeover, and regularly listening to The Ramsey Show, I realized it was possible to escape debt’s hold on me, and I began breaking those chains link by link.

In just over 4 years I had completed Baby Step 1 (Save $1,000) and Baby Step 2 (Pay off all debt—except your home, using the “debt snowball”). Once my wife and I married in 2022, we quickly finished off Baby Step 3 (Save 3-6 months of expenses in a fully funded emergency fund). Today, we continue to live in total financial freedom and enjoy living life the way God intended it to be—free from debt and free to love others in Christ with our time, talents, and resources.

I praise God for His abundant mercy and grace, grateful for Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and for faithful family and friends who supported me along the way. My Total Money Makeover journey over the past 7 years has led me to become a Ramsey Solutions Master Financial Coach and to start Called to Freedom Financial Coaching, so you too can be free from debt, financially winning, and wholesomely flourishing.