Courtney Miller. Submitted photo
At age 26, York City resident Courtney Miller has completely paid off her student loan debt from her bachelor’s degree and a few semesters at graduate school. Not only that, the financial accountant for Penn-Mar Human Services has owned a home for about three years!
In a world where 20-somethings are drowning in debt and need to go home to live with parents, Miller is an example for this generation. “The simplest way to pay off student loans and own a home by the age of 26 is to work hard and live below your means,” Miller said.
Here are some ways Miller cut her costs:
- Working full-time while in college (and a lot during high school)
- Paying for things out of pocket
- Starting student loan payments while in college
- Not spending money on yourself very often
- Using coupons
- Stocking up on necessities when they are on sale
- Unpluging appliances when not using them
- Not getting cable
- Shopping around for a great price on Internet connection
- Getting water with meals at restaurants; limit going out to eat to once or twice a week
- Shopping the clearance racks or wait until there is a sale (online discount codes are also a great tool!)
- When times were tough, stopping takeout altogether and only driving somewhere if it was absolutely necessary
“I would like to emphasize that although I live frugally, I am not deprived. I attend concerts often, I’ve visited a lot of great places, I own some designer brand items, and I have a great workout room in my home,” Miller said. “It’s important to cut where you can so you can spend where you want.”
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