In this December 2025 debt payoff update, I’m walking you through where my debt-free journey stands five years in. I started in January 2020 with over $229,000 in debt, and a lot has changed since then—moving across the country twice, buying a house, getting a puppy, running four marathons, and actually living my life. My original goal was to be debt-free by May 2026, and I’m just being real: that’s six months away and it’s not happening. And I’m okay with that, because I’m trying to balance progress with not burning myself out. I break down what I’ve paid off in 2025 (including my car and my federal student loan—still emotional for me), and where my remaining balances sit. My private student loan is the “big mama” loan, refinanced down to a fixed 2.99%, and I’ve been making the minimum payment ($1,550.43) with zero extra payments this year. I also talk about financing Apple purchases at 0% and my plan to pay them off quickly. The biggest takeaway: I’m choosing steadiness over intensity in 2026, and I’m planning to use a stock cash-out in January to finally get below the six-figure student loan mark—because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I can smell it.