Paying off debt doesn’t have to feel like punishment. For me, it actually felt empowering—and it all started with one simple shift: tracking my spending weekly.

In just 10 months, I paid off $7,000 in credit card and medical debt. And no, I didn’t get a huge raise or suddenly cut out every joy in my life. What changed was how I approached my money.

The Turning Point: A Plan That Was Actually Stick‑To‑Able

I had tried budgeting before. Monthly plans, strict spreadsheets, spending freezes—you name it. But everything felt either too rigid or too vague. What finally worked was downloading the Weekly app and building a plan that was both flexible and intentional.

Here’s what I did:

✅ Step 1: I Made Debt a “Bill”

I started by setting a recurring $300 monthly debt payment inside the Weekly app.
 Treating it like a fixed bill made it non-negotiable. No forgetting, no skipping. It was just part of my financial rhythm.

💵 Step 2: I Used “Safe‑to‑Spend” for Daily Decisions

Each week, Weekly showed me exactly how much I could safely spend after accounting for bills and obligations.

That number became my financial compass.

🚴 Step 3: I Put End-of-Week Safe-to-Spend Balances Toward My Debt


 If I stayed under my Safe-to-Spend for the week, I rolled the extra cash straight into my debt payoff.

Some weeks, that meant an extra $10. Other weeks, it was $200. But every single week, I saw progress—and that built serious momentum.

These extra payments were on top of the $300 monthly I was already saving and they build momentum!

🧠 Step 4: I Changed My Inner Dialogue

Something surprising happened along the way: I started enjoying the process.
 I’d catch myself weighing decisions in a new light:

“Do I want this $15 smoothie… or do I want to be debt-free faster?”
 And often, the smoothie lost. Not because I couldn’t afford it—but because I knew where I wanted my money to go.

The Real Win? A Mindset Shift

For the first time ever, tracking my money didn’t feel restrictive. It felt empowering. I wasn’t budgeting to punish myself—I was creating freedom.

Fast-forward 10 months: I’m debt-free. No credit card balances. No lingering medical bills. Just clarity, momentum, and peace of mind.

Final Thoughts

If you’re staring down a big number and feeling stuck, I get it. The mountain feels high. But progress doesn’t require perfection—it just needs a system you can stick to.

For me, that system was Weekly.