2025 Debt & Net Worth Update: 3 Years Into Our Journey

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

It’s been a while since I shared a personal money update! Over the last year, I’ve been focusing more on providing specific social work resources, but I know these personal updates still matter, because transparency is part of the mission here.

This month marks three whole years since we officially began our debt payoff journey in May 2022. A lot has changed since then.

Back then, we were overwhelmed with over $277,000 in debt, didn’t have a clear budgeting system, and were struggling to get ahead. Now, we’ve paid off $130,377.69 and have a clearer vision for our future, even if our goals have shifted along the way.

Here’s a snapshot of where we’re at and what’s next 👇

*2022 has some missing fields because I wasn’t tracking things as closely as I have been the last 2 years

Debts

In total, we have paid off $130,377.69 since May 2022 💥

That’s over six figures of debt gone in just three years! And while it hasn’t always been easy or fast, it’s a number that feels reaaaally good to see. I’m so proud of us!

🏡 Mortgage: SOLD!

One huge change was that we sold our house in April 2025 and are now renting. (Renting is not “throwing away your money”, btw.)

So, no more mortgage debt and our cash reserves increased significantly because of this. We got our house appraised in 2022 for $415,000 (we bought in 2020) and so I used that number over the last 3 years for our home value. We ended up selling for $420,00, so that was pretty accurate!

🎓 Student loans: We are still trucking along with paying down our student loans. Our current student loan balance is $147,343.72.

In 2022, I was awarded a grant through the Oregon Behavioral Health Loan Repayment program which helped me pay off a significant amount of debt. We also used $60k from our house and wiped out some more.

I will be travelling as a travel social worker over the next 3 years so I can’t count those payments towards the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) which is a bummer but ce la vie!

We initially wanted to be debt free by 2028 but we have shifted our priorities… Now, instead of aggressively paying down our loans, we’re shifting to minimum payments for the next few years in order to focus on…

🌍 Sabbatical savings!: We are excited to be planning a sabbatical in 2028 when my husband is done with his medical residency and we hope to travel for about 6-9 months.

We are brainstorming about potentially living in Mexico for that time. Tbd on exact plans! Goal is to save about $51k 😯.

💳 Credit cards and other debt: None!

Assets

💸 Cash:  We have a $15k emergency fund and a variety of other sinking funds.

📈 Investments: Our investments are growing with the current balance being at about $64k. We will be upping our investments this year and hoping to hit a first big milestone of having $100k invested by the end of 2026.

Looking forward

This year feels different, but in a good way.

We’re building toward our sabbatical, investing more, and letting go of the pressure to hit every goal ASAP. Instead, we’re staying focused on what matters: freedom, flexibility and rest.

Bret and I often use “freedom and flexibility” to help us make difficult decisions. Asking ourselves, “What will give us the most freedom and flexibility?” It’s been a helpful deicion making question!

Money goals for 2025:

• Bret to invest up to his employer match
• Taylor to invest monthly (at least $1,200)
• Put savings aside monthly for sabbatical
• Keep it simple, intentional, and sustainable

Final thoughts

It’s wild to think that three years ago we were just getting started….digging out of six figures of debt and not sure what was possible.

Now, we’ve crossed the $130k payoff mark, sold our house, are consistently investing, and started planning a sabbatical (!!). I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and I hope if you’re reading this and feeling stuck, it reminds you that your financial situation can improve, too.

Throughout this journey, Bret and I have been focusing on making this sustainable above all else. We’re not trying to live a miserable life on our way to debt freedom. We still go out to eat. We travel. We budget for fun and joy. We take breaks when we need them. And we’ve learned not to compare our journey to someone else’s just because they’re paying off debt faster.

Have any questions or want to share your own wins (or struggles)? Comment below or send me a DM on Instagram. I love hearing your stories, too!

Thanks for following along. ✨