My Journey Overcoming the Treat Yo'Self Culture and Becoming Debt-Free

By Justina Solties, Gamma Theta, Director of Communications and Engagement

“Treat Yo’self!” Many of us recognize this famous phrase from the Parks & Recreation episode which revolves around beloved characters Donna and Tom treating themselves to essentially anything they want.

While Treat Yo’self Day originated as a fictional storyline, the Treat Yo’self mindset has become part of our society’s reality. The norm in our country’s culture is no longer to save for an item on a wish list. We’re now too dependent on instant gratification, so we purchase the items on credit or take out heaping mounds of student loans to cover the costs. Before this popular catchphrase even existed, I was unknowingly living the Treat Yo’self lifestyle in a way that’s more common than we all may realize.

In 2012, one year after my college graduation, I found myself with $82,000 of debt. Of that, $65,000 was student loans, $16,000 was a car that I really couldn’t afford, and $1,000 was past credit card purchases. I ‘treated myself’ throughout my college days and beyond, and those choices caught up to me when it was time to begin repaying my loans.

While I had a steady job, money was leaving my bank account faster than it was coming in, and I was living paycheck-to-paycheck trying to make my monthly bills. One afternoon when

I realized my $90 student loan payment was only reducing the principal balance by a few dollars, I hit my breaking point. I refused to accept debt as my reality and made a decision to take ownership of my situation.

The first change I made was getting a parttime job to supplement my full-time income. While working seven days a week wasn’t how I envisioned my young adulthood, it was an undeniable factor in being able to achieve my goal of becoming debt-free. As a result, I learned how to truly value my time.

The next inevitable change was cutting spending. I was able to immediately reduce my monthly bills by living with roommates, and I adopted a mindset where I kept my purchasing and consumption simple. I also switched to only using cash to pay for purchases, which was much more eye-opening than using a debit card. One of the hardest changes was learning how to resist feeling FOMO (fear of missing out) and saying “no” when activities weren’t in my budget. This lifestyle change helped me become more intentional with my spending.

Lastly, I took every opportunity I could to meet my goal. Tax refund? Paid down my debt. Extra paycheck one month? Debt. Payment for helping my neighbor clean their house? Debt. Savings sitting in my lock box from

when I was born? You guessed it - paid down debt. All of the little things add up. These behaviors helped me form a habit of always being mindful of surrounding, yet sometimes hidden, opportunities.

The goal of paying off my debt originated out of anger – anger that I was limited in what I could do today because I was still paying for yesterday. By the time I was making the last payment, the goal became about empowering myself to realign my spending with my personal values and desires. It was about allocating my hard-earned dollars to things I cared about now - not things I bought years ago. It was about investing in my future self and learning from the mistakes I made and couldn’t change.

I am proud to say that in four years, slightly before my 29th birthday, I became completely debt-free. Like most goals worth chasing, it took a lot of hard work, diligence to stay focused on the task, sacrifice to put my goal ahead of my desires, and perseverance to get back on track when a bad week or two threw me off. To anyone considering a similar goal, my advice to you is to evaluate your reality and set challenging yet attainable milestones. As they say, if it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you. Stay focused, and when you do get sidetracked, don’t be discouraged. Put your mistakes behind you and move on. As long as you’re moving forward, you’re making progress.

Throughout my journey, I’m sure I missed out on things that I wanted to do at the time, but it all seems so trivial now. I can’t even recall specific things I sacrificed to achieve my goal. It’s empowering to make tough choices and short-term sacrifices for long-term gain. Now I am living my best life, aligning my spending with my values and enjoying the moments that really matter – completely free of both debt and guilt.

Justina's Tips to Avoid FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

When I was living on a strict budget and there were things that I wanted to do but my budget didn’t allow it, I used the following methods to avoid feeling like I was missing out:

1. FIND AN ALTERNATIVE:

When a friend suggests grabbing dinner, suggest something more affordable, like meeting up at a local cafe instead. Most of the time, the get-together isn’t about where; it’s about spending quality time with people you care about. What is another activity that’s very similar to what’s suggested and is more budget-friendly?

2. MAKE A SWAP:

When a friend suggests doing something that you really want to do, reallocate some of your money within your budget. Budgets are all about prioritizing your activities and if this activity is a priority to you, then find other areas in your budget that you will sacrifice in the short-term to make it work. What area of your budget will you temporarily downsize in order to make room for this activity?

3. SKIP & DON'T LOOK BACK:

When your gut tells you something just isn’t going to be able to work within your budget parameters, commit to it and accept skipping it altogether. The key with this tactic is to not look back on your decision with regret. It’s easy to get bogged down in the here-and-now, but keep in mind that there’s no shame in prioritizing your financial well-being. How can I begin to say ‘no’ to things that aren’t a good fit for me right now?