How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck in 2026 (And Finally Pay Off Debt) | 94

All right, so it is 2026 and maybe you're like me and you're like, I'm going to, I'm going to do great things this year. Maybe that's been you in the past, but one of those things is money and it always seems to fall apart. Maybe it's a couple months in, maybe it's a couple weeks in, and you don't have the accountability that you need to reach that goal. Sometimes it's a skill mismatch. Sometimes it's just the plain willpower, right. So I am here because I know that feeling so well. And what this show is about is helping families pay off debt.

So you can literally do anything else with your time and your money besides paying for yesterday. So stick around because today's episode I have a very, very special announcement and something that I have been so excited to share with you, I can barely contain myself. Hey there, I'm Jules the budget nerd and welcome to the Debt Rebel show. This is the place where working families like yours learn how to stop living paycheck to paycheck, crush debt for good, and build a life where money actually works for your family.

In about 15 minutes, I'll share practical family budgeting tips, tough love strategies, and actionable steps to move toward debt free living without the fluff, the shame, or the confusion. And I know a thing or two about this. My family and I have eliminated over $107,000 in consumer debt, and that was after I got my degree in economics. So stay tuned. This is going to be a great episode. So grab that coffee, your planner, whatever you need to make this a great experience, maybe a snack if you're like me and let's make your money work for your family.

All right, OK, it is here. It's 202626 just happens to be my favorite number. It's the day I was born. But also I feel like this year, this year is different than all the other years. I can't tell you why, but it just feels different. It feels like success is available for so many people. And so I want to say First off, thank you so much for listening to the show. This is my 94th episode of this show, which blows my mind. But I just really appreciate every single person that has listened to this show and that has shared it with a friend or a family member or someone that just needs some extra encouragement.

And that's what this next year is about on this show is to encourage each other, is to support each other, is to equip empower. We're going to do all the things this here because Are you ready for it? Are you ready for it? I'm so excited, OK, this community, this podcast community, the listeners of this show, we're going to pay off and I'm going to help you and walk you through this whole process of paying off $1,000,000 this year. Can you imagine? I know you don't have $1,000,000 in debt, but what if you paid off $10,000 this year?

Oh my gosh, how amazing would that be? How much relief would that give you and your family? Maybe it is finally stopping that paycheck to paycheck check cycle, going to credit cards to buy groceries, and maybe it's some breathing room and being able to anticipate some of those needs for our families that just continue to just smash us in the face all year long. That's what this podcast is about is equipping you and your family to make empowered financial decisions that align with what matters most to you.

So I'm very excited about this year. I've got some really cool stuff in in the works for you to be able to support you to be able to have fun in this process because spending our money should be fun, right? And so I'm excited. There's going to be some prizes, there's going to be some giveaways, there's going to be some challenges. There's going to be some challenges. There's going to be some really, really fun stuff. So if you aren't already on my e-mail list, I highly recommend it because that's where I'm going to be releasing a lot of those challenges.

I'll be sharing them here on the show. Obviously, I'm going to be teaching a lot here, but make sure that you're on my e-mail list. And the best way to do that is to go to debtrebelpodcast.com. And at the very top there, you can grab the Debt Rebel starter kit and that'll also get you in the the emails so that you know when those challenges are coming up. You don't miss when a new episode comes out. You can also hit that on your on your favorite podcast platform, but I'm going to be sharing a lot of tips and the good, good stuff is going to be for my e-mail subscribers.

So stick around for that. I want to kick this off and start this off with like the most important step in your debt elimination process. And this is exactly what my husband and I did. Obviously we know making a budget is going to help, right? That is kind of that's the tool to help us with this whole debt payoff plan. But the very first step, and this is included in that Debt Rebel starter kit, and I'm going to give you a ton of ideas in there as well, is to save up $1000 as fast as you can. Now, if you've been listening to this show for a little while, you've heard this number a lot and you probably heard me say it numerous times.

How important this is. This is that step you do not skip because this is going to keep you from going back to your credit cards when an unexpected bill comes up or you're just going to this is, this is your way of saying I'm, I'm done using credit cards. I am done digging that hole deeper. And this will help you getting that $1000 as fast as you possibly can. And that's why creating that budget is going to help you in that process because you'll know how much money you can save. You'll be able to plan for bills.

You'll be able to plan for the things that we'll talk about this more in this coming year, but those unexpected expenses that come up. And then there's the impulse buys and the things that we can struggle with when it comes to our money. It's our relationship with our money. Or maybe we just feel like we're not making enough. And that's what this next year about is about is to help you budget effectively and efficiently, but not spend a lot of time doing it. So I intentionally keep these episodes under 15 because sometimes that's all we have, right?

And I know that there's many listeners of this show that will start and stop these episodes because sometimes we don't even have 15 minutes. But the goal is if we can spend 15 minutes, maybe a couple times a week just peeking at our finances, especially once you get that initial budget set up, it's going to help your process in going to give you so much more freedom with your time when you have planned your money. And so that's why that $1000 emergency fund is so important. It's the it's the step that a lot of people want to skip because I just want to get started on paying off that debt.

And I hear you and I see you and I know that feeling so well. But it's so very important to get that $1000 saved. Now, when you have that $1000 saved, that is for emergencies only. So I'm going to include in the show notes that episode about what constitutes an emergency and how do you decide that for you and your family? Because that will also help you to protect that money and because a sale on your favorite shoes, which usually is my is my kryptonite is not an emergency, OK, But an emergency room visit for your child, that's an emergency, right?

So that kind of stuff and goes through that process. But saving $1000 is the best next step if you do not have $1000 saved in your debt elimination plan. So you can jump on my website, debtrebelpodcast.com and get that debt Rebel starter kit. Can you tell I just love saying debt rebel. So if you don't know, this show was named that because I, I, I'm a, I'm a rule follower until the rules don't make sense anymore. And for myself, we, I grew up, if you haven't heard my story, I grew up knowing how to budget, how to spend within my means.

And I even got a degree in economics. And then Fast forward, my husband and I accumulated over $107,000 in consumer debt and now we're debt free. But I realized in that process that debt was like, I'd hear people's, oh, you got to spend money to make money and all this stuff. And I was like, that doesn't make sense to my brain. And Fast forward a little bit more this last year, I realized why that didn't make sense to my brain because my brains while a little bit differently than some people. And so I was diagnosed with ADHD and realized how much of A struggle it is to manage your money if that is something that you that you struggle with.

And I know that we have a lot of listeners to the show that are just busy, maxed out parents and that can maybe you have those 80 challenges or maybe you don't and you just want to find a system that works for you. You're in the right spot because this this is all modeled and based on what I have learned, what I have studied over the last 25 years now and practiced in my own life. And so I love teaching that because it has changed the way my family and I have been able to show up for ourselves, show up for each other and show up for our community.

And the world is whole. And so that kind of stuff is very important to myself and our family because we just want to be the best versions of ourselves. And so the whole debt rebel thing came to be because I, like I said, I'll follow the rules until they don't make sense anymore. And then that's the last thing I want to do. So that we decided was not serving us anymore. And so my husband and I don't even have a credit card. And when I tell people that, even just this last week, I mentioned that to someone and they're just surprised.

And I was like, yeah, also I'm a woman of integrity. I practice what I preach. So to my knowledge, I do not have a credit card in my name. So I love it when I get those those spam phone calls that my credit cards been compromised because obviously that's not something that we participate in. So this show exists because I want to help the rest of the world help you know that you don't need debt to live your life. It doesn't necessarily have to be something that you participate in. It doesn't need to be something that burdens you.

And when we are paying for today's things today and we're planning for the future, we don't have to worry about living in the past paying for, you know, we're paying today for yesterday's and it's a lot cheaper. And not only is it finance, it doesn't make financial sense, but it also helps just the emotional capacity. I've been able to show up and be less stressed around my daughter. I've been able to show her more peace and be able to have a happier, healthier marriage because my husband and I aren't fighting about money.

And so I am, I'm just insanely passionate and so excited for 2026 for this podcast podcasting community because I'm so excited for 2026 and the listeners of this show because I know first hand how paying off debt has changed our family. But I'm so excited for you to take this journey as well and to learn the skills and learn the things that I have learned in the process. The things that are worth doing and the things that aren't worth doing because sometimes we don't have time to cut out all the coupons, right.

So I'm going to, I'm going to teach you along the way the things that are going to help you reach that goal of being debt free, paying off that debt once and for all and just moving on to a easier, more simple way of doing like stick around. I am so thrilled that you're here. Gosh, 2026 is going to be a fantastic year. So make sure you jump on that jump on my website, debtrebelpodcast.com and grab that starter kit and and that will also get you notified of all the challenges, all the things that are coming up in the new year.

So have a great new year. I know that this is going to be an amazing year for you and your family. So talk with you in the next episode. Thank you for tuning into the Debt Rebel show today. Ready to take your family budgeting to the next level? Stop that paycheck to paycheck grind and start living debt free. Head over to my website, debtrebelpodcast.com. That's DE EBTREVEL podcast.com to grab resources, tools and tips to make it happen. And don't forget, subscribe, leave a review. And if you know another family that will love hearing today's episode, it would be such a gift for both of us, your friend and me.

If you share this episode and remember your debt free life starts with one brave step and I'm cheering you on every step of the way. We'll talk soon. Debt Rebel.

Game plan