Texas woman had $1,00,000 in student and credit card loans at 25. Despite 2 car accidents and a job loss, how she paid off all debt at age 30

Loans and debts often become stressful, making people struggle to stay financially stable. Student loans, interest rates, and job insecurity often take a toll on an individual’s savings and mental well-being, putting their future plans at risk. But budgeting, finding different income sources, and having determination help in regaining control. Texas woman Alaina Curry’s journey shows how discipline and consistency can make a huge difference.

How a college degree led to mounting debt

According to CNBC, Alaina Curry graduated in 2009, before joining a company. But she had more than $80,000 in student loans. Despite landing in a decent public relations job in Las Vegas, her credit card spending over the next 5 years increased her overall debt to $86,000.

By 2016, the pressure forced Alaina to break down in front of a friend. She admitted to having missed student loan payments. At 25, Alaina then changed her approach to money, giving herself a deadline: she had to be debt-free in 5 years


She started reading finance books (Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover), watched YouTube channels like Minority Mindset and Graham Stephan, and listened to podcasts featuring The Budgetnista and Patrice Washington.

Side hustles and sacrifices helped her repay loans

Alaina followed the debt snowball strategy. Her smallest credit card balance was $750. In 2016, her lease expired and she moved in with her aunt and uncle. It helped her to reduce living costs.

She treated loan repayments as a monthly expense and set aside $900 for her student loans. The Texas woman even worked at Target and Michael Kors, took up freelancing assignments as well as copyediting, and even started photography — businesses that helped her earn about $12,000.

Alaina was able to clear her credit card balances and student loans totalling around $37,000 in 3 years

Two car accidents and a layoff tested her resolve

Alaina's faced a fresh challenge in May 2019. She was in a car accident, and her car was totally damaged. A replacement cost her $14,000 in debt. 2 months later, she was involved in another 4-car collision, with more debt added. Alaina's joined another PR job in 2019, but Covid 19 made her lose the job. She repaid nearly $50,000 of her total debt of $101,000 by then.

How Alaina finally became debt-free at 30

In 2020, Alaina moved to Dallas for a new job and refinanced a $38,000 Navient student loan. A stable income allowed her to increase the monthly student loan payments to $3,000.

In 2021, Alaina's shared how she became free of debt on LinkedIn, explaining that she earned $30,000 initially and made efforts to increase her income over the next few years through side hustles, freelancing, odd jobs, and curbing herself from going on trips or spending on credit cards. In conclusion, Alaina laid emphasis on finding financial independence through breaking generational cycles of debt and managing money responsibly.